How did you get through the darkest period of your life?

I didn't own a gun. Totally serious. Any death that isn't instantaneous is a no-go. As long as I don't own a gun, I'll be able to eventually tough out each of my bouts of depression.

I’ll let you know when I do!

One day at a time.

Put it into perspective. Think about your future self, who would tell you not to give up, that you’ll get through the dark times, you’ll get through them stronger, and you’ll look back and be glad you just kept going.

I rested. I sat still. I mourned the version of myself that was gone instead of trying to force myself to be that person again. I took things down to the most simple elements: survival. Did I eat? Did I take care of my kids? Did I shower? That was it. I slowly began to heal and see the light again but I had to allow myself to acknowledge that I was in the darkness and make surviving that my focus. 3 years later, I’m the happiest and calmest I’ve ever been because I reprioritized a lot and rebuilt myself. It was so hard but it’s the first time in 48 years I can say I love myself and feel peace.

My heart did it. It never stopped beating.

One thought I always have in mind — nothing is permanent

1. I started studying the lessons of "A Course in Miracles." It's not for everyone, but it helped me. 2. I asked myself "What do you LIKE to do?" I got the answer "Go to the beach." That's all I could think of. So I went to the beach, started taking short walks, then longer walks, then kicked a soccer ball or flew a kite. People found out about my walks and wanted to join me, so I had friends to hang out with. And from there, things just got better. 3. A random cat showed up and made me smile. Having something to care for really helped.

**Stoicism**

Honestly? Spite. I was suicidal, someone I thought I could trust blew me off at a moment of crisis, and the rage from that propelled me until I wasn't suicidal anymore. After that, mood stabilizers.

Support of family, changing my life circumstances (location, job, etc.)

I am in my darkest period of my life.I won't get through this.I promise my wife that I will join her.She died in my arms.I don't have no desire to go anymore

Music. Having a child so no option(for me) not to get thru it

I didn't, I tried to kill myself 6 days ago

Deje de darle tanto valor/importancia a las personas que me causaron daño, si ellos seguían con su vida como si nada, sin problema sin dolor ¿por qué les di ese poder de provocarme dolor aún en la distancia? desde esa reflexión dejé esa etapa oscura.

music, smoking weed, being alone with my thoughts a lot and as a result adapting a whole new mindset.

With a little help from my friends.

My friends never gave up on me complaining to them about my ex.

Joining an adults sports league. You’ve got something fun to look forward to and you meet some really cool people

Very large amounts of vodka and whisky lol. No I don't recommend it.

Currently in the darkest moment yet. Trying to not give up yet.

By just waiting it out. I did try to come out of it actively by doing random things - going on solo trips, movies alone, spending too much time with friends, contacting astrologer :P lol nothing helped. Eventually I had to sit with the darkness until my mind was ready again to accept some structure in my life. Healing cannot be forced.

Antidepressants

Oddly enough it took two complete stranger on TicToc. One guy was fighting PTSD demons that said its ok to be fucked up in the head and not have the answers.  The other one was a lady that simply asked how are you doing, did you have your coffee, did you get outside and do something. Then she looked at the camera and said look at me, you can do this I'm right here with you. She said I'm so proud of you for not giving up. Now get up go do something, and remember I love you. I still have those videos saved and a long time that was to only thing keeping me going. Then I met a guy who is now one of my best friends. He helped me open my eyes as to what i was dealing with and suggested getting some counseling. Now I'm  not saying I'm cured but I did lock my demons away, I learned to cope and I learned my triggers. Now the bad day are fewer and fewer. 

-the patience and support of my mother -just waiting it out -diving deeper into faith

Stardew Valley.

God, therapy and family

Pure willpower and a drive to get my life back

I'm in that period now, so I'm curious what people have to say.

Routine, one day at a time

Creativity - draw, paint - even though I am not a very good artist

Took it one day at a time and focused on small wins

An hour nap

I used sleep to escape the worst part, slept 14-17hours daily because I liked my dreamworld better than the real one,I DO NOT RECOMEND THIS. I was like this for years until i started therapy

Eating...sleeping...repeating...

Honestly? One day at a time. I stopped trying to fi everything at once and focused on getting through each day. It wasn't pretty, but it worked.

Patience. Daily improvement little by little. Improvement also compounds. 

Constantly reminding myself that there would be a lot of upset people if I left & my action would ripple

Time and medication.

I stopped blaming other people for the way things were and took accountability for my own mistakes and actions that led me to that dark place. I got into therapy and used it as a springboard to stop being someone I didn’t like very much and to stop being someone who pushed people away. I removed a few toxic people from my life and started building bridges with others. And here we are.

Knowing that it would pass and promising myself that no matter what, it would pass.

Thinking life is just a game so no need to be serious

Remind yourself whenever you need that you are meant to feel the way you’re feeling but only you can accept that to grow out of it. Tell yourself that nobody in this world could walk a single step in your shoes and deal with the things you’re dealing with because it’s you that has to do it for yourself Do something small for yourself each day, no matter how small. Make yourself proud of being good to yourself If you can, try to make someone smile. Small compliments to others will make you feel better about yourself and how the world can be a beautiful place. That’s what I did recently for myself and it carried me through a lot

when you are going through hell, remember to keep going.

I just keep moving forward no matter how high the obstacle.

I had a lot of sex because I needed to be needed.

Jesus Christ

Therapy. Letting the bad stuff pass thru my mind +body (like accepting it and crying , taking breaks as needed) The most important was to have a bit of hope for future

I have myself permission to feel all the hurt, all of it, and fall apart emotionally.

Currently in it. Today I was completely numb. I don’t know what to do

For me I leaned into the Bible more. Those words helped like nothing else and gave me something to hold onto especially on the absolute worst days. If you’re still in it just keep walking. You’re going THROUGH, you’re not staying.

No quiero sonar fanática pero en los peores momentos de mi vida lo que ha hecho es orar profundamente

Hugging my pillow

listening to my friends and family to lean on them when I was stubborn to do it all myself. humans are social creatures, we're not meant to do things on our own.

By watching movies and smoking and eating a lot of food

Time and work. My family heavily supported me and helped me through and I’m greatful, however, giving it time and trying to actually change your circumstances really does work

therapy and my cats

Psychogenic drugs & positive mantras.

"I get by with a little help from my friends" - Sun Tzu Honestly, it was mostly momentum. I just kept trudging on when I wanted to stop, curl up, and hopefully disappear. But I had great friends who didn't lose all patience with me. And after years of it, I finally found the other side and got better.

Most of us never really make it out

I went for a run

One of my biggest supporters

Time and therapy really helped. I came out a better person and I am much stronger. One thing I learned in therapy that helped was to imagine my child self and how they would respond in situations. It really helped me see out of the box.

Decided to pet a dog on the street and it bit me. Life than took a sharp left after that.

Waist deep right now.

Tbh, therapy and lexapro

Definitely cannabis 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Newports, adderral, fb marketplace and a somewhat positive attitude

Knowing it could always be worse and remembering I alone am the author of my story. I learned not to depend on anyone else early and it’s worked great for 40 years. The world owes you nothing and the sooner you learn that the better.

Spite

I don't remember... which probably means some h******* disassociation. I just got up, went to work, fed myself, and went back to sleep. Kept my shit together until I eventually emerged from it and started to get back into things that aren't simply the essentials to survive. It's crazy in hindsight, I was working 60 hours a week on autopilot, not falling behind on bills, and went into what I know think of as robot mode.

Luck. My attempt failed and the aftermath forced me to confront the fact that I needed to buckle down and do the work to get better. It was like a switch flipped in my brain and I was like I can’t put everyone through this again. Now it’s been almost 9 years and life is better than I ever could have imagined.

Therapy, I am still processing but everyday gets easier, with occasional hiccups. God bless you all

Completely ghosted everyone and everything. 6 months completely dark from it all and it was the best thing I done. Much healthier and happier. But also my other half, he got me through a lot of it and still does.

Badly. While crossing roads I slowed down hoping a car would hit me because I was too p**** to actively end myself. I saw the future bleak, and that worsened my job chase because no one would hire an obviously depressed b**** with a whiny attitude. I let time pass, had my crisis every now and then, swinged between letting myself rot and trying my hardest to get better, and last time I tried (where I presented less as "myself" because that one self I was sucked hard) I actually got a good enough job and held it, even got my bf hired. From there things just went better, admittedly with a good dose of luck. You just live your life, let time pass and see what happens.

I’ll figure that out once I make it through

Kept head down and persevered, picked head up, questioned values, saw light.

studying things i needed to know about

I went to work and made sure i was busy. Basically tried to ignore what was going on. Stopping talking to certain people also, i didn’t want their opinions. All good now. Seemed to help.

antipsychotics, dissociation, intense and short obsession about a hobby, meditation

Booking holidays and literally running away from it all. I went to Ireland and Italy. Then I came back and spent a LOT of time outdoors, time with my friends and family, picking up hobbies, and sitting with the sheer pain of it all. It was hard. I hate not being able to do all these things now but I have a home and a job. I had neither then and lived with my parents.

I never thought about it like that

music and escapisim

I cried until I could not cry anymore. I watched TV when I could actually pay attention. I hit the gym. I psychoanalyzed my pain and other people who contributed to it.

I feel like I'm starting to come out of it (but you never really know, yknow?) and tbh weed, alcohol, and my family. Wasn't healthy except for the family and I would have been much better to them without the other stuff (especially alcohol).

The suicide hotline was occupied. (German psychologists are generally not good at their job. Mental health is still getting treated like a joke here in some places) Got extremely angry at my situation and the world. Decided to outlive my “issues”. Somehow it worked out.

I just realized there was no way but through. There wasn’t not going to be a manic pixie dream girl that was going to fall in love with me while I reluctantly became and adult. No magical black janitor was going to tell me I was being a “damn fool” and I was “throwing away my ability!” My best friend and I wouldn’t have a wacky night filled with hi-jinx and by sun rise all my problems would be solved. I had to wake up every day, put on my shoes and go to work. I had to pay back money I owed. I had to accept that I ruined relationships. I had to make meaningful changes in my life. Not just performative ones. I just had to live a life where I quietly put one foot in front of the other and made small incremental progress. I had to rebuild trust and make new connections. It wasn’t linear. I had set backs and I messed up. By I had to keep learning and adapting and eventually there was light at the end of the tunnel.

Friends, family, and faith in God. Of course, sometimes you need professional help if it's extreme.

Writing to get it out

My dog. He is the reason I wake up every day.

ISOLATION

My mom and therapy. Also antidepressants.

My dog, mom, friends, and Xanax.

Dumb luck. All my attempts kept failing. 

I’m in it - I hope to get through it!

Isolation until I realize I'm too p**** to kill myself so I just get a job again and try to re-enter again until life kicks me in the d*** and isolate again 

Can only speak for myself, but music and knowing that giving up is what they’d want.

My paternal grandparents. It happened in between the summer of my sophomore and junior year of high school, and they let me stay with them as long as I needed.

I drank and smoked cannabis pretty heavily while partying and hanging out with new people to get out of my house as much as I could.  I was processing a painful divorce from my husband that I had been with my whole adult life, 15 years. It was a lot to process and the end was filled with very hurtful actions from him.  I spent as much time away from home meeting people, hoping to distract myself and learn more about the world that I had been pretty isolated from. When I was home I would drink and smoke on my balcony or hang out with neighbors to minimize the time spent inside.  Once I met my current partner, he really helped me ground myself and get back to a new normal. Now I dont drink or smoke, and have been a lot more comfortable and grounded in myself and my future. He really saved me from my worst. 

Spite. I won't let the fucky little brain gremlins win.

At one point years ago, I was surviving hour to hour reeling from unexpected job and serious relationship loss. It turned into surviving day by day, then week by week. After a few months, I started to feel better but it was definitely a new normal. In that period of time I made many mistakes navigating what essentially was an entirely new life. The mistakes I made took almost a decade to recover from (financial mostly but in my pain/struggle I treated people terribly and lost friends and potential long-term love). It honestly still haunts me to this day even though I’ve forgiven myself and haven’t made the same mistakes again. My advice is to take it very easy, be kind to yourself, do small / simple things you love, don’t destroy your finances grief-spending. Each day you wake up is one day closer to being fully healed.

Pretty much my present condition. Im starting over after 25 years abusive relationship. Happily divorced mother of six children and I just cant them let them down but I was was going to lose my life. Everyday is getting better. Im grieving the loss of my mother, little sister and big sister in a five year span. Totally unexpected. I was on suicide watch in jail and the doctor said if you dont pull yourself together your going miss your sisters funeral. I couldn't let that happen! They let me out 2 days before her funeral and i just cried over her body. She died on her Birthday of an accidental overdose. I was supposed to be with her Im just so grateful to see her one more time. My best friend. So im grateful im still here and i wont let her down. Im grateful for what I have and my kids have been so kind and understanding. Our family therapy has been helpful. Time is precious and my walks are so therapeutic. I don't take anything granted and everything is exponentially falling in line.

I drank a lot of alcohol every day for a while, and then someone hooked me up with weed, it changed a lot, making the downward spiral a lot flatter (alcohol was a terrible solution for dealing with anything, it always made me feel worse, and the relief was shorter and shorter).

Ask me when I get through it. Cuz man it’s rough

My lord and saviour……and weed

The mindset that seems to keep me going has been as follows: I dont think beyond 5 years, anything else it to overwhelming. More context to how I got here: A series of events left me shattered, disoriented and obliterated. I started by just drinking water and taking a shower everyday this involved showering even if I was crying, didn't have energy to stand, if it was morning, mid day or late at night. Everyday I showered and washed, I also put on clean clothing even if it was just sweat pants or pajamas. I isolated for 13 months. I became very quiet. I did things still, but being alone really helped. I didn't lie or avoid in my being alone I would respond to texts saying that, "I was not doing well and felt a strong desire to be alone. It wasn't personal and that I would reach out when I was capable of maintaining relationships again" I walked allot and recorded voice notes about how I was doing and what I was experiencing. I also wrote on loose leaf paper when I couldn't sleep. I didn't maintain a routine with this I just did this task as need be. I painted a large canvas and dedicated time to sitting down and seeing where the painting would go that day. This also wasn't a forced activity, just something I did when I felt the need. Id listen to Vivaldi when doing so as I found it was easier on my brain. I stopped consuming any and all negative, violent or scary entertainment. I'd watch The West wing, Shrinking, All Creatures Great and Small, St.Denis Medical, The Golden Girls, Murder She Wrote, Make or Break, Portrait Artist of The Year, My L****** Dream Home and The French Chef with Julian Childs. Sometimes a cartoon from my childhood. I learned to knit during this time and engage in that while watching TV at times. I reset my algorithm on social media and interacted with positive, kind, hopeful content. I also went through and did an edit of who I was following. I took some online free courses to aid me in feeling like I was expanding as a person not just consuming. I attended therapy in person. When I felt ready I reached out to 2 friends to start apologized for my absence, expressed if my doing so caused them harm that I will accountability for that. I gave thanks to them and asked if there was a way to meet for tea or a walk as I felt like I could be a active friend again. I now understand that I live with pain not in pain. What really helped me with this was not planning beyond 5 years as I can look back and see that I survived 5 really hard years. So for me taking life 5 years at a time is acceptable and not overwhelming. I also have legal documents in order that lay out my wishes in regard to DNR, Treatment of Limitations, Advanced directives and a Will. This really gave me allot of peace with myself. I think the darkest period is over and that's what I did to get me to a place of just living with pain not being in it. I wish you well on your journey and hope that you find a way that is supportive to you. Be kind and take care of you.

Just kept telling myself it will get better.

Still in it

Watching friends! Sounds silly but it helped !

I think I was so shocked by the complete lack of support I had that I pitied myself to a point of like continuing on. I’m still pissed at the people who should have been there for me, but my plan moving forward is to be more independent and do things for ME that make myself happy

Got pushed out of my mum's v***** and here I am.

Therapy friendships, goal setting. Im still in the discomfort of my worst... but i feel like ive had my worst still forever.. its like I reach new levels of worst instead of new levels of highs. Soo im still working through shit.. trying to break the pattern

One minute at a time.

my family & my faith

Drinking heavily (which was a bad mistake) and hugging my dog constantly while crying. She got really tired of that.

Alcohol, exercise, friends, and forgiving myself for the former. Having honest conversations with people that I hoped would listen and not being afraid to bring out vulnerable realities to them. Still working thru some of it, but I’m overall in a much better place.

I've had multiple dark periods in my life and honestly, I don't really know how I got through it each time. I think I mull over what I "should" be doing and then one day it finally just "clicks" and I do the things and am okay for awhile.

gym

Just keep pushing, it eventually starts to suck less or you get better at weathering it.

Fast food deliveries and eating my feelings. I put on A LOT of fat… but it got me through.

Vitamin D mainly

Just accepted where I was and began the slow crawl back to humanity, each day making sure not to die.

I started going to service at a Jewish synagogue a few times. It was a light in the darkness. I’m Asian and grew up Vietnamese Buddhist, but it helped me a lot. The people there were so welcoming and kind. It really showed me that I didn’t have to make myself suffer and that I needed to open myself up more. I stopped going after a couple months, but man it was great having a place of refuge.

I leaned on people I trust, even when it felt uncomfortable. Letting someone in made it a little less heavy

Hookers and blow. Grade 9 was hard. /s

Whats so dark?

My dog

It was only the darkest period in hindsight . While I was living it, it was just life, I was just living day by day, but I was constantly using a cocktail of drugs to get through almost every day . Weed, Alcohol, Cocaine, Ketamine, Meth, Kratom, LSD, Xanax, different Opioids whatever my plug had at the time... I basically lived with my plug too because he had a nice house he rented out, there were always people hanging out there and I could just do my drugs to my heart's content. I don't know how I held down my job the whole time but I did . My old plug just died last September too, from an OD, I had barely talked to him very much for 2 years at that point.

By being the responsible adult in the home. Taking care of the children. Providing stability for them and myself until I could get out.

No clue

Remembering that this too shall pass. That I haven’t met everyone who will love me. Remembering that life is already so short.

Oddly enough I had Hey Ma by Cam'Ron on a portable device and and played it over and over. For some reason it helped! [https://youtu.be/m60XKqEEnfg?si=JIKEiMAZcqXhZ7F2](https://youtu.be/m60XKqEEnfg?si=JIKEiMAZcqXhZ7F2)

By waiting it out. I didn’t fight it, or use certain coping mechanisms, or find some great new things that made it all worth it and gave my life purpose. I simply buckled down and weathered the storm for years, eventually all things will pass. Nothing can last forever. You don’t have to get through it in an admirable or inspirational way, you just have to get through it.

I’m still in it. Nothing seems to be working so…🤷🏾‍♀️

You just kind keep pushing until you find an out. The key is to be on the lookout and be open to change.

One day at the time, keeping hope, not stopping repeating myself that even if today is hard it will not be like that all my life. But after a few years I just took antidepressants to be honest. It was too much

Therapy and digging deep into myself to try and figure shit out. Also leaving my now exh.

podcasts whenever I’m alone so I didn’t have hear my own thoughts. Smoking weed then running outside. My dog helped because I had to get up to feed her and walk her

Just kept waking up. Literally just working to getting through one day at a time

With lots of help. I was lucky and learned to ask for it when I needed it most.

Sleep

Therapy. A f*** load of therapy. I spent an absolute fortune. But it worked as I’m still here.

I trust on myself. I just trust that I could go through it and do it as long as I have the will to do it. 2 years later after almost 4 months of hospitalization, amputations, 15 operations (severe heeart infection + sepsis), I got an internship at my dream company, continue studying, and should be graduating in a yearish :)

To be totally honest… I don’t really know. I don’t know what I exactly did, but it somehow became less dark in time. Not as light as it used to be, but I don’t think that will ever come back. And that is alright. 

Going through it right now. Newest challenge is calling 911 to get my girlfriend to the hospital because she was having a stroke. She has been sick since my birthday. Day 2 without sleep. I also started IOP/Group Therapy yesterday. I decided to rip Perfect Order to decompress afterwards. I looked up and asked my dad who had past last September to give me something good and pulled the Gold Zygarde. My girlfriend legit started experiencing early stroke symptoms immediately after. Dad, you can have the Gold Zygarde back if I can have my girlfriend back. But I wanna open more ascended heroes.

Still working on it.

Went through a really horrible SA about 10 years ago. I was very traumatized after going through the process of reporting it 5 years after it happened. Unfortunately they got away with it and it was so retraumatizing I realized I needed to tell someone about it and went to the ER due to being severely suicidal. Ended up doing an outpatient mental health program, took time off work, did Horse therapy which was really grounding. I also disclosed it to those close to me and it just felt like a weight off of me. So just really stopping and focusing on my mental health and asking for help. Some days are still a struggle but it doesn't consume me in the way it did before.

Getting through it right now. Music is a huge help. Taking things day by day rather than thinking too much about the long term, or I start to feel overwhelmed and hopeless. One foot in front of the other and I’ll get there someday.

I hope I will. I still have a shred of hope

I’ll keep you posted when I come out the other side

Praying

I think of how far I have come 🫴

I think it’s one of those things you go in and out of your whole life, you just learn and have tools to help you along the way.

Watched the anime death note and ate McDonalds, it was a temporary bandaid till the storm passed