Thinking of some philosophies to help me cope in life
I have been depressed a lot lately, and I know it's due to comparing myself to my peers around me and feeling sorry for myself too much. I will always hate having Asperger's because it's just in me, but I am trying my hardest to think more positively by breaking things into chunks instead of letting it get me down. When bad thoughts try to attack my self-worth, I try to think of these:-
''I'm all I never need to be''
''I ought to put my differences aside and just smile and laugh with them''
''Life goes on''
''So I smile at people in the street and they don't smile back. Does it matter? Keep practicing until it becomes more natural in my body language and then I might get more people smiling back''
''They have more friends and I don't. It's just the way it is''
''What's the worst that can happen?''
''OK I'm not being invited out for meals or on vacations with them. But they like me, and that's all that matters''
''Live with it''
''I shouldn't believe everything I hear. Everybody has different opinions and I can't take every opinion as facts''
''So people keep staring at me funny today. I know I don't look or act strange, but whatever it is they have a problem with, they've forgotten about it now''
''OK that was a wise/unwise/obliged/subconscious/etc decision I made''
I am not trying to get rid of my emotions so that I go about like an emotionless robot. But whenever something upsets me, I try not to keep on thinking about it. I just feel depressed or whatever about that thing for a little while after, and try to think ''well life goes on, it's happened, can't change it, at least I might have learnt something from that silly social faux pas I made and show that I won't do it again or settle it if they ask so that they understand the next time, if they don't ask then just forget about it, it is not the end of the world''.
Does anyone else have any more philosophies for life that might help us depressed Aspies? I suppose I will get some rude replies from people that have more bigger problems than I have, and if so I don't mean to offend you. I'm just trying to help myself and hopefully some other Aspies here who are suffering with self-pity. It's called ''training your brain''.
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Female
I think you are a very wise woman Joe.
from what you have said above it looks like you are turning a corner in your life.
If you can stick to your philosophies then I reckon you will be fine.
If I think of any, I will be sure to post them for you.
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we have existence
Here's one I just got from another forum:
"When they say something which hurts just take a cold scientific view of a carbon based biological machine wasting their energy in creating waves in the atmosphere to get a release of chemicals which make them feel better about themselves."
Those are good philosophies! Some things I tell myself:
- Suffering is a part of life. A certain amount is inescapable, and it's okay.
- I'd rather be hurt by a bully, than to be one myself.
- I forgive myself for being oversensitive, and easily hurt. It's just how I'm wired, and not my fault.
At the moment I am feeling rather desperately lonely because literally all of my mates have a boy/girlfriend, and most of them are socially awkward but still have managed to find someone for them. All I get is married men after me, which is no good at all and is such a great shame.
But anyway I have two choices; either have a breakdown and scream and cry that I'm lonely and hate everyone who has found love, or read and take in the appropriate philosophies to help me wade through this mini crisis. I ought to be strong, and listen to these I have recently thought up:-
''I'm as good as anybody else, so if there's hope for them then there's hope for me''
''You never know what's around the corner''
''Believe it will happen and it will, even if it takes time''
Or a more firm philosophy:-
''Stuff is bound to happen, deal with it, live with it''
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Female

