Are you Optimistic or Pessimistic about your future?

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I'm mostly pessimistic. Afraid of what would happen if my grandfather is no longer around. I'm really unable to make social connections on my own (this is not for a lack of trying!) I get really overwhelmed by the smallest life stressors. Life has become more complicated, not less.

I feel so hopeful if it seems that a friendship will start, but then inexplicably they disappear. Or I cannot maintain the contact due to my rigidity. Or I feel the person pulling away. My anxiety is too great to maintain relationships.

I am really scared, because life is very stressful. I'm scared of not being able to cope with physical illness. My surroundings have to be 'just so'.

Anyone feel scared or pessimistic about the future? Or do you feel reasonably content, or optimistic?

In the past I've had a panicked, fearful outlook like you describe, but I'm trying hard to turn it around!

I'm at a point now where I feel much more confident in my ability to survive in this world. I've been trying to research everything I need to know about future housing options, health care, financial strategies, etc., so I have a good basic plan for how I'm going to live for the rest of my life.

Socially, I am grateful to prefer solitude, so my happiness does not depend on having close friends or family members. (I know not everyone is built that way, and I feel lucky to be strange in this regard!)

My desires are simple - just a roof over my head (a rented room would be fine), budget groceries, clothes from Goodwill, use public transportation, and if I can always have a laptop computer or tablet or some such thing, that will keep me entertained.

I am a minimalist by nature, and having a simple, clear concept of what I truly need in life has helped me to be less afraid, given the reality that I have never been functional enough to work full-time, and need to survive on limited income.

I hope that you can work through your anxiety as well, and get to a place of feeling less overwhelmed!

By the time I was 11, three grandparents and my father were dead.

Through that experience it was undeniable that change was inevitable. When I was a teenager I was scared and angry at the world for a lot of stuff. As I grew older, I realized I was responsible for my mood.

If I chose to be unhappy, I would be unhappy. If I choose to be happy, I may not ALWAYS be happy, but I would be better at driving the negative thoughts away.

I am always optimistic about my individual future. I choose to be.

What I'm pessimistic about is the future of our culture.

That's another story.

Either way, get busy living or get busy dying.

To be perfectly honest I don't really think about the future. I can't.

Also I find it really difficult to think about the past as well.

Pessimistic

I try not to ponder it too much, for fear of driving myself insane.

But when I do, I'd say it's a healthy mix of negative and positive. Sometimes it depends on the day... an whether or not depression is rearing its ugly head again.

Pessimistic

Even though I can imagine myself having a good future.

Since I've been on meds I can't really think too much about what will become of me beyond a year from now. I'm just living for the present and the near future. So, I am an optimist about the near future because I am planning on getting married, although I don't see that happening any time soon because I can't even find a new job. So that's the pessimistic part of my view of the near future. What will become of me in 50 years time, I don't know. But I don't really think about that at the moment. Like I said, being on meds do prevent me from worrying about life that's too far into the future.

But I do get pessimistic about present things, like terrorists.

I'm incredibly worried about my future. I doubt I'll ever be successful, but I do hope I'm at least happy in the future.