When You Feel Like You Are Drowning

Feeling like you are drowning is not always a sign of depression and can often be true. The feeling of drowning is often caused by having a life that feels impossible. Lots of things can make life feel impossible, and identifying the specific things that are making life impossible is a great way to determine if you are depressed or in a bad situation. If your answer to what makes your life feel impossible is everything, you may be experiencing a depressive episode and should consult with a mental health expert. If you are able to create a catalogue of different areas of life that feel overwhelming, then you can make a plan of attack to start chipping away at what’s not working in your life.

If there are more than 2 areas of your life that are not working for you, I strongly suggest reaching out to an expert who can help you sort out where to begin. If there are 1 or 2 areas of your life that are not working for you, then it is a matter of deciding which one is the most pressing and which one has the clearest starting point and decide where you want to begin. There is no wrong answer except a lie. Deciding where to begin needs to a completely honest assessment of where you can begin. If you are struggling to break down the part of your life that is not working into an a shape that allows you to see a starting point, I recommend taking a few days off and revisiting it.

Whatever it is, there is time to fix it. You have time, and you can survive the process. I help people figure out what they think are impossibly difficult and hopeless situations, and time is always the most important part of the process. Fixing your life is never going to be quick if it has gotten to the place where you feel like you are drowning. Take a breath, take a moment, get back into your body and in this movement. Know you are safe. You have time to make a plan and make your way back to shore. I know that’s not the fun answer, but saving a life is never fun especially when it is your own. I promise you are worth the effort. I promise that deserve to have more good days than bad.