Off My Chest

1558 readers

40 users here now

RULES:

I am looking for mods!

1. The "good" part of our community means we are pro-empathy and anti-harassment. However, we don't intend to make this a "safe space" where everyone has to be a saint. Sh*t happens, and life is messy. That's why we get things off our chests.

2. Bigotry is not allowed. That includes racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, and religiophobia. (If you want to vent about religion, that's fine; but religion is not inherently evil.)

3. Frustrated, venting, or angry posts are still welcome.

4. Posts and comments that bait, threaten, or incite harassment are not allowed.

5. If anyone offers mental, medical, or professional advice here, please remember to take it with a grain of salt. Seek out real professionals if needed.

6. Please put NSFW behind NSFW tags.

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

orphiebaby@lemmy.world

orphiebaby@lemm.ee

themeatbridge@lemmy.world

a stupud ad made me realize how unappreciated I feel (lemmy.zip)

submitted 1 week ago by GrayBackgroundMusic@lemmy.zip to c/goodoffmychest@lemmy.world

8 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I'm not here to advertise for them that's not the point. It was for a suicide prevention / awareness clothing brand. The shirts are kinda corny, but well meaning. The thing that got me was the voice over. It was basically validation that things can get tough and that the listener could handle it.

No one in my life does that. The only person who ever did was my mom and she died (too young) a decade ago. I haven't had any substantial emotional support since she passed. My dad is an abusive POS. My wife is stuck in her own head. My kids aren't supposed to do that, it's too much for a child. My friends... Never call first. It's always me starting anything. Literal months have gone by if I don't start anything.

I'm surrounded by people but I feel so alone. I don't actively wanna "check out" most days, but damn that ad made me realize how much I crave validation. I really want someone close to me to tell me on a regular basis that I make their life better.

I don't think anyone gives a shit. I know if I ended it, they'd miss the paycheck I provide, but I feel like that's it. I know my kids would be worse off, by far, and that's probably a large chunk of why I'm still here. I love them so much. They're the best.

I'm struggling to post this because I know y'all internet strangers will be nice about it, but that just feels like I'm fishing for validation which makes me feel guilty. But didn't I just say I wanted validation? What the fuck is wrong with me.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] ponderless@lemmy.today 5 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Nothing is wrong with you it's human nature to want to be understood and accepted and validated.

Finding people who will be a part of your life and not just in it takes time, but they exist. But for them to be there they need to know they are needed. They can't read your mind even if we think we're being obvious.

Vulnerability is seen as a weakness far too often. But it is a strength because you are opening yourself up to someone who can help protect you.

Therapy could be a good start to help you see green flags in relationships as well as red flags.

It's tough, maybe one of the toughest decisions you can make to better yourself, but one of the most important as well.

[–] reptar@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Therapy was huge for me. I was in deep OP, for many years. Still very much a work in progress, but I went very long before stopping most everything and getting help.

I had the luxury of vacation time and healthcare. Ironically, finally being out of the emergency survival mode gave me the opportunity that probably should have been pursued at least a decade earlier.