I’ve been struggling really hard lately I can’t go vote cuz I can’t get a ride to the polling place and I missed my window for early voting cuz I had to handle just keeping my head above water in day to day life I’m having issues just getting my day started today it’s 3pm and I haven’t even gotten the kitchen cleaned or the trash taken out I feel so overwhelmed with so much it all feels so paralyzing
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Derpplup - first off, I love your handle!
I 100% can relate to this and understand how difficult it can be to do even the most simple things. Honestly, the voting doesn’t matter, what matters right now is your mental health. More than a couple times have I experienced the daunting task of getting myself going when I feel like shit. I thought to myself, “I got this, I can get through it, things will be fine if I just make myself feel better.” Yeah… That has never worked for me… what has helped is reaching out to loved ones to tell them I’m thinking of them, and reaching out to those who I know love me… to tell them how I’m feeling. And when things got really bad for me, my family made sure I was admitted get professional mental help… I hated them for it at the time, but the experience and information gained from that moment of my life really helped to me to become strong enough to get my life back together and start living a happy life again.
This community will always be here for you and hear you out… but please reach out for help. Don’t let it get so bad that it gets to the point of no return, which I almost did. Stay in there derp, you got this. Keep your head up.
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I mean yeah but as a individual who has to rely on the government and needs to have rights so I can exist with out being denied medical care it’s something I worry about constantly given that trans people under the age of 18 in my state can’t get the medical care they need it means alot to have the generations under me to be able to access the healthcare they need so they don’t go through the torment I went through
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Hi there @Derpplup,
I understand where you’re coming from and how upsetting it must be to have missed your chance to vote. It’s so saddening that important healthcare isn’t available (or even allowed) for those who need it, particularly because this has become such a polarized topic. Your emotions are completely valid.
At the same time, the state/country doesn’t rest on your shoulders. While I hope you have an opportunity to vote in future elections, it’s okay to prioritize your mental health. While it’s okay, I still understand how upsetting this may be and know that this is unlikely to mitigate the negative emotions associated with not getting to vote.
Take things one step at a time. I have faith in you and know that you got this. You’re valued, cared for, and loved.
<3 Tuna
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I’m sorry you couldn’t make it to the polls. Maybe it will be easier to do so for the next election. However, I suspect that you still had an influence on the election, based on how you’ve shared your thoughts with those around you.
When you think about starting your day, do you take a mental inventory of everything you have to do? I guess it’s okay to do that, but it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, unless you shift your thoughts toward taking the first step. I’m not sure what you would think of as the first step. For me, it’s getting out of bed and using the bathroom. While I’m doing that, I just let my mind wander for a few minutes. Then I consider the next step, getting dressed. The next step, breakfast, then coffee, then an hour or so of reading. If it’s housecleaning day, I’ve learned to focus on small steps, rather than thinking about the entire project. Doing the whole house feels like it’s too much to think about. Instead, I ask myself if I can shake out the throw rugs. It sounds like a simple enough task, but it’s quite significant, because it’s the first step, which invariably is the most difficult one. The next step, which is to shift furniture on the hard floors in order to make dust mopping easier, feels far less difficult, because I’m already underway, and doing something. Next, I do the dust mopping. That takes about 15 minutes. Our tile floors stay pretty clean, so I usually only have to mop them once a month, but if I do, that’s another 15 minutes or so. Vacuuming takes maybe 20 minutes. Sinks and fixtures, 20 or 30 minutes. Dusting, 15 minutes. By then, things are in pretty good shape. I was not overwhelmed by any one of those steps. Still, when I think of all those steps, it still seems overwhelming.
One advantage I have is that dishes are either washed after every use, or rinsed and put in the dishwasher. In my years of home health travel, I’ve noticed that a lot of families allow their dishes to pile up. That actually makes dealing with them a lot harder.
Whether it’s housecleaning or any other thing that you need to do but don’t especially want to, it’s best to do it without hesitation. The sooner you put such things behind you, the happier you will be.
Try it for a week, and see how you feel.
Oh yeah, housecleaning happens on Thursday. The trash goes out Sunday evening for Monday pickup. Having a regular schedule makes life easier too.
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I do apologize as I did not mean to minimize the significance of voting for you. Simply emphasizing that taking care of yourself should be paramount.
While voting to help other generations with critical care like this is indeed important and they need to have a voice and supporters like you. You could help be a mentor, be an advocate, a safe ally, educate people, or volunteer. That way you can continue making an impact in this community while help to shape what future elections may turn out to be like.
I love your enthusiasm and passion for this topic… the world needs people like you.
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