I need help to figure out what to do with my life. I'm completely unable to deal with stress, have some mental issues and have been hospitalized twice within the past 2 yrs because of it.I need help to make a plan on how I can live on my own without my parents.
They could never really diagnose my mental issues(i got bipolar, anxiety) and my mind would go in overdrive. but I've calmed down a lot and people just think I'm eccentric. I get too excited about stuff sometimes, depressed sometimes, but overall people do come talk to me friendly and I can make friends, so I'm not 'stay away' crazy. But if you know me, you will know something is off, just not what.
I managed to get into a hippy liberal arts school and have been doing good there. I can deal with deadlines and work, just not things involving people.
My parents support me a lot and they love me but I don't want to live at home forever. I'm not currently seeing a therapist but I will try to see one
I will graduate next year with a liberal arts degree that may be somewhat useless as a bachelors so I'm thinking of trying for law or grad school. I am also thinking of maybe fuxking off and finding a cabin in the mountains, but I might also get stressed because it would be lonely? i'm also a 100lb female so there may be safety issues too
> law school
only do this if you're really passionate about law. Many lawyers are miserable, and it's really hard to find jobs. It can be a great career if you love what you're doing, though. Consider taking an internship or low level job at a law firm just to understand what a lawyer's day to day life is really like.
> grad school
make sure you're in a program that will pay off, otherwise you're just flushing money down the toilet. This will actually take some research, because the results are surprising - for example, for aspiring journalists an MA is actually totally worth it despite journalism being such a risky profession, because it establishes you that much more in the world of journalism. On the other hand, a master in criminal justice is pretty much completely useless.
> fucking off and finding a cabin in the woods
Depends on what you mean by this. Are you actually interested in nature? You could pursue a career in forestry. You could work on a co-op. On the other hand, if you are planning on just dropping off the grid, beware of what you're committing to - when people have "holes" in their resumes (extended periods without formal employment) it severely limits them professionally. Even for women who decided to be stay-at-home mothers or homeschoolers for a period find it extremely difficult to re-enter the workforce.
What are your actual interests?
>>17230757
Hi I am op. I am actually interested in law and signed up for the lsat . I find it easy to understand legal stuff/documents and like reading them. and have no problem reading through terms of agreement shills. But you are right I will look around for internships I can do.
I will look at grad school stuff. Most of the people in my major went to grad school after graduating because knowing more does open doors and you can teach too.
I meant sort of dropping off the grid...but you are right. When I want to come back, it will be hard. Maybe a coop is a better idea. Nature is calming for me. Forestry might be cool. I do care about the environment. I think I will see if I can get a forest job without a forest degree
My interests are music Composition(my degree) and I've played in school ensembles before. People hear me and ask if I'm a concert pianist. But its still hard to find a job like that. I think if I could do law, I would like the structure.
>>17230791
With music composition, it might be worth looking further into ways to break into commercial music composition for different media (jingles, ads, TV, etc.)
As for nature, look into low level positions with the park service. If there aren't obvious openings, look into programs like Americorps or the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps will take pretty much anyone in its agroforestry programs and give them basic training and experience, plus having the Peace Corps on your resume will get you into top grad schools.
>>17230809
Thanks. Yes it is hard to break into the industry..you have to know people. and sometimes i dont feel like meeting people. but I actually already got my first 'job' from a friend, he just wanted to pay me to turn his favorite song into a music box song.
And its a hard truth but I don't think I want to compose for tv ads it might suck my soul. Ideally I'd work with dancers...I'm going to talk to the dance department after finals.
Peace corps is a good option, I'll look into it. I think I will apply to both law and grad school next year and hope I get a good lsat score. Or get into julliard. Last year 2 of my classmates got into there maybe I have a chance..
Thanks anon you gave me hope. I will also take piano class from an actual former concert pianist who offered to teach me earlier this year. Because I think I can also teach piano lessons. I played since I was a kid. Maybe I can just go my own way and do lots of little things instead of worrying
>>17230728
Are you in USA? I am a NEET who lives right near the mountains. I bought a house at auction and climb daily. I use to work a lot but got fed up. Climbing is my life now.
>>17230728
I have a very similar mental issue too, but I am in the process of dealing with it, I have gone to a little bit of therapy, and it has help me, so it might help you too. you will find your true calling in life soon, although, it is more like it will find you.
I wish I could meet you in person to help you, but for now all I can tell you is that your not alone, for there is me, going through the almost same thing, but you can get through it, you just have to keep looking forward.
hope this helps!
black raptor out!
Excerpted from the September 2015 issue of Shambhala Sun:
Three Conscious Breaths by Pema Chödrön
Our habits are strong, so a certain discipline is required to step outside our cocoon and receive the magic of our surroundings. Pause practice– taking three conscious breaths at any moment when we notice that we are stuck– is a simple but powerful practice that each of us can do at any given moment.
Pause practice can transform each day of your life. It creates an open doorway to the sacredness of the place in which you find yourself. The vastness, stillness, and magic of the place will dawn upon you, if you let your mind relax and drop for just a few breaths the story line you are working so hard to maintain. If you pause just long enough, you can reconnect with exactly where you are, with the immediacy of your experience.
When you are waking up in the morning and you aren’t even out of bed yet, even if you are running late, you could just look out and drop the story line and take three conscious breaths. Just be where you are! When you are washing up, or making your coffee or tea, or brushing your teeth, just create a gap in your discursive mind. Take three conscious breaths. Just pause. Let it be a contrast to being all caught up. Let it be like popping a bubble. Let it be just a moment in time, and then go on.
Maybe you are on your way to whatever you need to do for the day. You are in your car, or on the bus, or standing in line. But you can still create that gap by taking three conscious breaths and being right there with the immediacy of your experience, right there with whatever you are seeing, with whatever you are doing, with whatever you are feeling.
