I could not care less....
 

Anyone go through a phase in life where you simply could care less about much of anything. We just live life a day at a time and not be concerned about a range of things from making people happy or paying the bills.

I go through these phases and I'm not sure if its normal.


What spurred this is I am minimal contact with my parents/family and they called today begging to see me. Its been 4 years since I've been in regular contact with them. My response: Meh.

Not sure thats normal.

I've grown distant from some family and I have to address my resentment when they're in town and it's simply expected that I come see them. Like I owe it to them to burn personal and vacation days from work on the chance that we might have a conversation. But I also don't want to upset my parents so in a way it's the honorable thing to do if they're not asking too much. My opinion: I don't think it's abnormal. Maybe indicates a deeper issue. But maybe that's just how you feel.

Hard to say Jeff - are you meh about everything or just your family?

D

Id say if it's affecting your daily life then it's something you should talk to a therapist about. By that I mean if your depressive times are stopping you from doing things you'd normally do - go to work, get out of bed, etc. - then it's something you want to look into.

If it's just the mid life" Why do I even bother some days/why do I exist" then I'd say it's normal. Not pleasant, but a normal part of life to feel down at times.

thomas I don't know if you are sober...but I generally feel exactly like you...but mostly when I am drinking.....it steals all the motivation, good thoughts and feelings.

I go through the same phase. I have a feeling I suffer from at least mild depression though.

I'm meh about more things than I should be.

I appreciate this Scott, you've described my feelings pretty accurately. I do admit that I am probably battling with a little depression and it needs to be addressed.

I'd echo what Scott said - and I'd say for me, it was a little tough to discern what was indeed "meh" (or, as I learned, the weird feeling of "being OK" which I confused w down sometimes) or more. Getting psych help was key.

I forget if or I think how long you have been sober so I may be repeating what you've heard from us before - it takes time. Getting used to the ups and downs- and, again, for me with meds and counseling and AA- was a big part of early sobriety. Especially the first yr.

Keep sharing- glad you've been here with us a while.

I would add that even if it's not clinical depression, talking to a counselor is never a bad idea. For me, accepting that I had a mental illness was almost as hard as accepting that I was an alcoholic. But once I did things got a whole lot easier to deal with.

I would argue that our mental health is as important (or even more important) than our physical health. And unlike many physical ailments, most mental health conditions don't just heal on their own. The good news is that things like anxiety and depression are very treatable and manageable.

So what would be a normal response?

Resentment? Anger? Frustration? Guilt? Aggravation? Regret?

I'd count "Meh" as a victory.

Hey Jeff

Your last handful of threads all point to the same thing: You should probably get some counseling or outside assistance to determine the nature of what you are experiencing.

If your meh response felt ok to you you wouldn't be posting about it. So just get some counseling. Talk stuff out.

One of the many things that I struggle with is this: I am either completely cognitive, feeling very little. Or all feeling, and no ability to understand and think through those feelings. I need my thoughts to help me interpret the emotional world, and I need my emotions to not be, well, a robot. Bringing the cognitive and the emotional together is balanced. There are areas in my life where balance doesn't play a role. Like family. I am either complete off, or hurting. No ability to find a middle ground. I can't even imagine if anyone in my family actually reached out to me....that would be unprecedented!

Anyway, ask a professional.

I'll echo what everyone else has said. Time to see someone about it. Does sound like some mild depression going on, because you've been posting for a good while about feeling this way. It's "normal" to have periods of time when you feel "meh," but if it continues for a while, it's probably a sign something is off chemically in your brain.

I think it might be worth going to talk to someone Jeff. Is this a new feeling, or has it been going on for a while?

I always felt better after seeing my counselor. :) She understood what I was going thru and gave me different perspectives to think about. It was nice to be able to unload on her for an hour a week. :)

I'd suggest seeing about having counseling. Might be good for you. :hug:

how are things today Jeff?

D

Popped in to ask how you are, too, Jeff! So, as always, what Dee said ;)

Two things also popped into my mind - like mariposa reminded me, plenty of times I care too much. Getting used to and more even between that and the meh took time and effort and "re-training...."

I'd also add that no one deserves or has to feel bad- I mean that in one sense, bc I def didn't feel I deserved good feelings when I was getting sober. And like we've been saying, dr help (and for some of us, me included, meds) that help are ok, good (and sometimes, take a bit of time to accept it's fine to need!).

Keep going - and sharing.

Hi Everyone, thanks for your concerns. Things are fine today, but I do realize that the feelings I have been having are not going away. They are not intensifying, but not disappearing either.

The family issue is just a twist, a wrinkle if you will. I have decided I will go see them Thursday after the gym. Father's day is coming up and I feel a sense of obligation to visit. Its been a long time. Probably just over year.

Here's the scary part and Scott mentioned this, its tough to come to grips that something is not right in your head. In your mind. Admitting I am an alcoholic was very hard, now I need to admit my brain doesn't work as well as I think it should. Not a pleasant thought.

Thanks August, I hope I addressed some of the concerns in my post above. Feels nice to have people that care. Jeff.