YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

I'm 31. I was diagnosed bipolar at 16. I've been struggling ever since. Self- medicating with alcohol and drugs for many years. 4 years ago I was arrested for assaulting my father and a police officer and I've been sober ever since. Still struggling with depression, anxiety, OCD, and ptsd from abuse I suffered through most of my 20's

I now have a Crappy job that I hate but at least I don't deal with people. I lost two jobs in two years due to anger issues and here I am. Still trying to succeed at life. Still living at home with no real hope of leaving. Driving a 16 year old car and being miserable most days. Whether it be anxiety or depression, it's hell.

Sunshineday, you've got four years of sobriety! You're tackling your issues (depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD) wide-eyed! (I'm still a bit of a self-medicator. [But, I don't have a problem, right?!]) Congratulations on four years!

I live with my folks, too (figure that's what you meant by "living at home"). I've been able to make some peace with that, but I use it to beat myself up, too.

My job is pretty dead-end, and lately I've been losing hope so far as getting something better. And, while I've never been fired after one of my outbursts at work, I think that says a lot about the places where I was working!

Good meeting you, Sunshineday!

Hope you consider counseling talk therapy CBT or psychiatrist .Unfortunately I wishI can say"do this and do that".I feel tour pain man.

Maybe group therapy?I say thi gs so that you can find a way to "take a break " from the same pattern of negative thinking. Etc...

Is there a group within your community?
It sucks that you are going thru this man.keep your head up.

Stop feeling like losers if you live at home. In most cities worth living in, house values are so high, it takes two good incomes to buy one. I dont know how you are supposed to overcome that, but its not the definition of loser.