Okay, so you admit that things need to change, or something horrible is probably going to happen. You may be contemplating suicide, or checking yourself into a mental institution or drug addiction clinic – it may be anything. Whatever it takes, life needs to change, and it needs to change tremendously.
To help with identifying the problem, here is a list of traumatic events or conditions that often cause a person’s life to really suck. This list is not complete, it is meant to help you to think about what the problem might be. You may choose one or more from this list, or you may conclude that your life sucks for another reason. Trauma can sometimes be stacked, when one traumatic event happens right after another, or during another. How many of the events or conditions can you relate to?
- Alcohol addiction
- Drug addiction
- Sex addiction
- Food addiction
- Cigarette addiction
- Guilt
- Shame
- Fear
- Sickness
- Accident
- Domestic abuse
- Constant pain
- Grief
- Poverty
- Severe confusion
- Molestation
- Hunger
- Incarceration
- Horrible living conditions
- Toxic people in your life
- Violent people in your life
- Bad reputation
- Bullying
- Depression
As you can see, the list can go on and on. Most likely I have listed something that is affecting you, but you can have other horrible things in your life also. When you identify the problem, or problems, you may want to write a sentence like this.
My life sucks because I am afraid I might have to go live on the streets.
Once you make this kind of statement you then have something to work with – a place to begin. In the language of a twelve step group it would be worded as…
“I admit I am powerless over my circumstances and my life has become unmanageable.”
Sometimes, however, we don’t like to admit that we are as bad off as we are. We often let our pride and ego get in the way of admitting that we have failed at life, or we have allowed ourselves to get in such a bad situation. We try every way in the world to save face, and keep up a good front. If we are not careful, we can let our pride and ego kill us.
Humility and honesty are necessary at this point. We need to get real with ourselves. We need to look inside and admit the truth. If we are helpless and hopeless the way we are living then we need to admit that, and think of doing what we need to do to get out of the mess we are in. It will probably require us to surrender to the reality of our situation, and ask for help.
The Global Association for Trauma Recovery is here to help. We provide articles and links to resources that can help you get your life on track. You may be surprised how much benefit can come from allowing those who have walked the walk of emotional pain, fear, depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues guide you into a better tomorrow. We want to help. Don’t hesitate to reach out.
This article is a slightly revised excerpt from the book LIFE SUCKS: Is There Hope for Me? By Steve Holder. It is available on Amazon.com.
