Social Anxiety Support

chris87 · 10-05-2009, 01:46 PM

I know this probably sounds so weird, but for some reason, the passing of time makes me really depressed. It started to get much worse when I turned 20, because I felt like I was so old (even though I know I'm still young). Now that I'll be 22 next month, I feel even worse. It's not like I'm 90, so I shouldn't be so unhappy. I just started my senior year in college, and I can't stop thinking about how fast time seems to have flown. I wish I could go back to my freshman year, but that's obviously not possible.

I'm not sure how this relates, but a couple of months ago, I watched The Sopranos from the beginning. Just seeing everyone change/age from Season 1-6 made me feel so unhappy. It's sad to me to think about all the time that elapsed between the 6 seasons (and to see visually how everyone aged slightly). I guess it made me think back to 1999 when I was so much younger. It's like that year is so close, but at the same time, it's becoming further away.

I attach an element of sadness to the progression of time, which is really a terrible way to live. I have no idea why I'm like this. Most people that I know don't really get upset about this type of issue.

I'm making absolutely no sense, but maybe someone will understand.

Always been shy · 10-05-2009, 02:06 PM

I have this same issue. I think it's because passage of time reminds me that I am missing out opportunities to live life to the fullest because of SAD. Carpe Diem.

Rixy · 10-05-2009, 02:11 PM

I've got the same problem and I'm only 17 :/

markx · 10-05-2009, 02:22 PM

I understand completely. The worst time for me is always New Years Eve - I can never understand people celebrating the end of another year. Surely that's a bad thing?! Many people say that time seems to pass faster the older you get and I'd have to agree with that. I occasionally think about making a fresh start and going to university, something I should have done when I was 18, but then I think that it's pointless starting something like that at my age. I know that in a few years I'll look back and wish that I had done it back in 2009.

When I was young, I didn't have those same feelings though. Up until I was about 30, I was convinced that advances in medical science would allow me to live forever. I still think it's possible, but it's much more likely if you're the "right" side of 30.

ShyViolet · 10-05-2009, 02:53 PM

I feel that way too. I'll be 30 in June and the thought of it is just frightening and sad. Something about that number just makes me feel like youth is over. It's especially sad due to the fact that I am nowhere near where a 30-year-old should be in life.

I also get depressed watching several seasons of a TV show and seeing everyone age. Or I'll watch a movie with a certain actor in it and then watch another movie they were in several years later, noticing how much they aged. *sigh*

Raptors · 10-05-2009, 03:12 PM

I'm 16 and I feel the same way. I feel I've missed out so much compared to other 16-year-olds.

Havalina · 10-05-2009, 03:44 PM

I am 23, turning 24 next month, in my last year of university. Every month that goes by, makes me feel worse and worse. I feel like my life is over and things will only get worse from here. The thought of time depresses me as well....a lot. It may seem like I am writing in an overly-dramatic way, but I'm not, this is how I really feel. I wish I could do more.

nubly · 10-05-2009, 05:10 PM

yea it sucks. in 2-3 generations, unless youre famous, no one will have known you existed. its a huge bummer. i wish i could live on forever

Neptunus · 10-05-2009, 05:26 PM

Yep, once you hit the big 30, it's all down hill.

Well, if it's any consolation, everybody's in the same boat. A 'lil something I try to think about when my knees ache.

Halcyon Daze · 10-05-2009, 05:27 PM

I am conscious of this every day. It's soooo annoying. Every b'day is not a day to celebrate imo. I keep getting older, and yet not progressing. I compare myself to my peers and that does not help at all. Everyone is so judged based on where they should be for their age, and it's just a stupid number!
Another way to categorize people, or the major way I should say. I feel jealous of those that are younger than me, and wish I could be younger. The months creep by relentlessly... I'm a bit of a Debbie Downer today

layitontheline · 10-05-2009, 05:34 PM

I think about that a lot too. It makes me really depressed when I'm already feeling sad and start thinking of the years that keep passing by while I get no where in life and see everyone around me moving on.

Canadian Brotha · 10-06-2009, 02:28 AM

When the thought that my B-Day is coming around soon spontaneously sprang to mind I suddenly felt old & unaccomplished in life, I'll be turning 22. It was the realization of how much of nothing I've done over the last 3 years. I think of it too often but when it hits me it hits fairly hard

JMX · 10-06-2009, 04:06 PM

I feel the same way you do. At the age of 23, I feel like I went through college without doing anything productive...didn't make friends, didn't join clubs, didn't do any research projects.

shadowmask · 10-06-2009, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canadian Brotha

When the thought that my B-Day is coming around soon spontaneously sprang to mind I suddenly felt old & unaccomplished in life, I'll be turning 22. It was the realization of how much of nothing I've done over the last 3 years. I think of it too often but when it hits me it hits fairly hard

It's the same with me, except I'll be turning 24

All we can do now is make the most of the future and try to stop dwelling on the past. Much easier said than done, I know, but I'm working on it.

Princesspoopla · 10-06-2009, 05:50 PM

I feel like time is just passing by too fast and every year it gets alot harder, and I feel like I'm just wasting my life away and I'm just not being able to enjoy it like how I want to. It's so hard when everyday is like a challenge and the future seems so hopeless to me.

djr86 · 10-08-2009, 03:21 PM

I have the exact same issue. It's really strange that all these other people can relate too...I thought it was just some wierd aspect of depression that only I have. I will be 23 next week and I feel like I should be turning 50 (I feel really old!). Like everyone else said, I guess people with depression and SA are troubled by the passing of time, yet it seems those of us with SA always stay the same and miss out on fun in life.

ArtisaRica · 10-08-2009, 09:11 PM

Thank goodness for that post!
I have always felt like this! Always. And when I turned 22 in May of this year I was in a really bad mood. It might be hard for you when you turn 22... as the "novelty" of being 21 is gone and you really do feel like "damn! I am older!"
But something that I have found to ease the fear of aging is to remember how awesome it is that you're a little bit wiser... and that wisdom can be really soothing. I am not sure if that does anything for you or if it even makes sense but it works for me. There is something about the comfort of going "ahhh! I am so glad that I know to never do that again!".

Anyway, I'm really glad you posted that. It sounded like my brain was talking to me when I read it!

gaz · 10-09-2009, 08:20 AM

I'm 28 and i'll be 30 before i know it. It feels like only yesterday when i was turning 20, and it depresses me to think how my life is being wasted in front of my computer. I remember my parents being 30 and i thought that was such a long way away!

I find New years eve to be the most depressing time of the year, i just don't understand why people celebrate it.

epril · 10-09-2009, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris87

I know this probably sounds so weird, but for some reason, the passing of time makes me really depressed. It started to get much worse when I turned 20, because I felt like I was so old (even though I know I'm still young). Now that I'll be 22 next month, I feel even worse. It's not like I'm 90, so I shouldn't be so unhappy. I just started my senior year in college, and I can't stop thinking about how fast time seems to have flown. I wish I could go back to my freshman year, but that's obviously not possible.

I'm not sure how this relates, but a couple of months ago, I watched The Sopranos from the beginning. Just seeing everyone change/age from Season 1-6 made me feel so unhappy. It's sad to me to think about all the time that elapsed between the 6 seasons (and to see visually how everyone aged slightly). I guess it made me think back to 1999 when I was so much younger. It's like that year is so close, but at the same time, it's becoming further away.

I attach an element of sadness to the progression of time, which is really a terrible way to live. I have no idea why I'm like this. Most people that I know don't really get upset about this type of issue.

I'm making absolutely no sense, but maybe someone will understand.

It helps to live in the present. Enjoy what you have now, and don't dwell in the past. Things are always changing, just try to condition yourself to seek out, appreciate, embrace new phases of your life and new experiences.

As a mom, I get melancholy and sentimental about my kids getting older, and then I tell myself, hey, they're still here! Those children are with me, right in front of me, the same people, just in a new phase of life!

Prakas · 10-09-2009, 10:29 AM

I have the same problem...going on 22...haven't done anything with my life that i'm proud of. seems like everyone is living their life and doing their thing, while i'm stuck and not moving on.

10-05-2009, 01:46 PM	#1 (permalink)
chris87 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: New Jersey Gender: Male Posts: 148	Passage of Time Makes Me Sad I know this probably sounds so weird, but for some reason, the passing of time makes me really depressed. It started to get much worse when I turned 20, because I felt like I was so old (even though I know I'm still young). Now that I'll be 22 next month, I feel even worse. It's not like I'm 90, so I shouldn't be so unhappy. I just started my senior year in college, and I can't stop thinking about how fast time seems to have flown. I wish I could go back to my freshman year, but that's obviously not possible. I'm not sure how this relates, but a couple of months ago, I watched The Sopranos from the beginning. Just seeing everyone change/age from Season 1-6 made me feel so unhappy. It's sad to me to think about all the time that elapsed between the 6 seasons (and to see visually how everyone aged slightly). I guess it made me think back to 1999 when I was so much younger. It's like that year is so close, but at the same time, it's becoming further away. I attach an element of sadness to the progression of time, which is really a terrible way to live. I have no idea why I'm like this. Most people that I know don't really get upset about this type of issue. I'm making absolutely no sense, but maybe someone will understand.

10-05-2009, 05:26 PM	#9 (permalink)
Neptunus Status: Authenticating Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: USA Gender: Female Posts: 2,841	Yep, once you hit the big 30, it's all down hill. Well, if it's any consolation, everybody's in the same boat. A 'lil something I try to think about when my knees ache. __________________ "When I stand before thee at the day's end, thou shalt see my scars and know that I had my wounds and also my healing." ~Rabindranath Tagore "Being gentle means forgiving yourself when you mess up. We should learn from our mistakes, but we shouldn't beat the tar out of ourselves over them. The past is just that, past. Learn what went wrong and why. Make amends if you need to. Then drop it and move on." ---Sean Covey

10-06-2009, 02:28 AM	#12 (permalink)
Canadian Brotha Status: A Lonely Soul Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada Gender: Male Age: 22 Posts: 1,792	When the thought that my B-Day is coming around soon spontaneously sprang to mind I suddenly felt old & unaccomplished in life, I'll be turning 22. It was the realization of how much of nothing I've done over the last 3 years. I think of it too often but when it hits me it hits fairly hard __________________ Listen To My Demo Album, "Soul Of A Man" Listen To Live Folkstyle Sculpting Facebook=Become A Fan Blogspot=My Poetry I See What I Want To See, And Read Into It What I Want To Read Depressions Blinding Me, It’s Clouding My Vision Of Positivity Stand Up Live Your Life, As People Do In Society Maturity Is Calling, It’s Time To Find Your Personality Everybody Knows Everything, When It Comes To People Outside Themselves ^^^An Excerpt Of Song Lyrics Of Mine^^^

10-06-2009, 05:50 PM	#15 (permalink)
Princesspoopla Status: one day. Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Canada Gender: Female Age: 19 Posts: 64	I feel like time is just passing by too fast and every year it gets alot harder, and I feel like I'm just wasting my life away and I'm just not being able to enjoy it like how I want to. It's so hard when everyday is like a challenge and the future seems so hopeless to me. __________________ If your heart wears thin I will hold you up And I will hide you When it gets too much, I'll be right beside you.

10-08-2009, 03:21 PM	#16 (permalink)
djr86 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Southern Maryland Gender: Male Posts: 89	I have the exact same issue. It's really strange that all these other people can relate too...I thought it was just some wierd aspect of depression that only I have. I will be 23 next week and I feel like I should be turning 50 (I feel really old!). Like everyone else said, I guess people with depression and SA are troubled by the passing of time, yet it seems those of us with SA always stay the same and miss out on fun in life. __________________ When all is said and done, there's usually more said than done. Learn to like your self, because you're one person you can't get away from.

10-05-2009, 02:06 PM	#2 (permalink)
Always been shy Status: SAS Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Gender: Male Age: 24 Posts: 26	I have this same issue. I think it's because passage of time reminds me that I am missing out opportunities to live life to the fullest because of SAD. Carpe Diem.

10-05-2009, 02:11 PM	#3 (permalink)
Rixy Status: Falling into Guru Muhk Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: UK Gender: Male Age: 17 Posts: 226	I've got the same problem and I'm only 17 :/

10-05-2009, 02:22 PM	#4 (permalink)
markx Status: Stir crazy Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: UK Gender: Male Age: 44 Posts: 674	I understand completely. The worst time for me is always New Years Eve - I can never understand people celebrating the end of another year. Surely that's a bad thing?! Many people say that time seems to pass faster the older you get and I'd have to agree with that. I occasionally think about making a fresh start and going to university, something I should have done when I was 18, but then I think that it's pointless starting something like that at my age. I know that in a few years I'll look back and wish that I had done it back in 2009. When I was young, I didn't have those same feelings though. Up until I was about 30, I was convinced that advances in medical science would allow me to live forever. I still think it's possible, but it's much more likely if you're the "right" side of 30.

10-05-2009, 02:53 PM	#5 (permalink)
ShyViolet Status: SAS Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Gender: Female Age: 29 Posts: 1,942	I feel that way too. I'll be 30 in June and the thought of it is just frightening and sad. Something about that number just makes me feel like youth is over. It's especially sad due to the fact that I am nowhere near where a 30-year-old should be in life. I also get depressed watching several seasons of a TV show and seeing everyone age. Or I'll watch a movie with a certain actor in it and then watch another movie they were in several years later, noticing how much they aged. sigh

10-05-2009, 03:12 PM	#6 (permalink)
Raptors Status: dreamin Join Date: Aug 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 123	I'm 16 and I feel the same way. I feel I've missed out so much compared to other 16-year-olds.

10-05-2009, 03:44 PM	#7 (permalink)
Havalina Status: SAS Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Niagara Falls Gender: Female Age: 24 Posts: 426	I am 23, turning 24 next month, in my last year of university. Every month that goes by, makes me feel worse and worse. I feel like my life is over and things will only get worse from here. The thought of time depresses me as well....a lot. It may seem like I am writing in an overly-dramatic way, but I'm not, this is how I really feel. I wish I could do more.

10-05-2009, 05:10 PM	#8 (permalink)
nubly Status: SAS Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: USA the greatest and best country in the world!! :) Posts: 7,065	yea it sucks. in 2-3 generations, unless youre famous, no one will have known you existed. its a huge bummer. i wish i could live on forever

10-05-2009, 05:27 PM	#10 (permalink)
Halcyon Daze Status: Paranormal Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Weirdoville, USA Gender: Female Posts: 225	I am conscious of this every day. It's soooo annoying. Every b'day is not a day to celebrate imo. I keep getting older, and yet not progressing. I compare myself to my peers and that does not help at all. Everyone is so judged based on where they should be for their age, and it's just a stupid number! Another way to categorize people, or the major way I should say. I feel jealous of those that are younger than me, and wish I could be younger. The months creep by relentlessly... I'm a bit of a Debbie Downer today

10-05-2009, 05:34 PM	#11 (permalink)
layitontheline Status: SAS Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Gender: Female Age: 20 Posts: 320	I think about that a lot too. It makes me really depressed when I'm already feeling sad and start thinking of the years that keep passing by while I get no where in life and see everyone around me moving on.

10-06-2009, 04:06 PM	#13 (permalink)
JMX Status: SAS Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Indiana Gender: Male Age: 23 Posts: 299	I feel the same way you do. At the age of 23, I feel like I went through college without doing anything productive...didn't make friends, didn't join clubs, didn't do any research projects.

10-08-2009, 09:11 PM	#17 (permalink)
ArtisaRica Status: SAS Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: NYC Gender: Female Posts: 3	Thank goodness for that post! I have always felt like this! Always. And when I turned 22 in May of this year I was in a really bad mood. It might be hard for you when you turn 22... as the "novelty" of being 21 is gone and you really do feel like "damn! I am older!" But something that I have found to ease the fear of aging is to remember how awesome it is that you're a little bit wiser... and that wisdom can be really soothing. I am not sure if that does anything for you or if it even makes sense but it works for me. There is something about the comfort of going "ahhh! I am so glad that I know to never do that again!". Anyway, I'm really glad you posted that. It sounded like my brain was talking to me when I read it!

10-09-2009, 08:20 AM	#18 (permalink)
gaz Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Wales, Uk Gender: Male Age: 28 Posts: 994	I'm 28 and i'll be 30 before i know it. It feels like only yesterday when i was turning 20, and it depresses me to think how my life is being wasted in front of my computer. I remember my parents being 30 and i thought that was such a long way away! I find New years eve to be the most depressing time of the year, i just don't understand why people celebrate it.

10-09-2009, 10:29 AM	#20 (permalink)
Prakas Status: Failure - Life Sucks Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Delaware Gender: Male Age: 21 Posts: 434	I have the same problem...going on 22...haven't done anything with my life that i'm proud of. seems like everyone is living their life and doing their thing, while i'm stuck and not moving on.