I think I need help but I don't know how

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Hello,

My parents divorced when I was 10. I think because of that, I had to grow up fast and also I didn’t really know how to express myself in that sense.

Sometimes, I feel like care too much and love too much, be it in friendships or relationships to the point that I hurt myself emotionally. Once, someone told me I needed help because I was sharing my problems and that hurt me. Due to that, I stopped sharing in detail and just gave surface levels information.

Now that I am in my 20s, I struggle a lot with expressing myself and I overthink a lot. As much as I like to say that I’ve tried to ‘lessen’ my overthinking, it seems like it’s getting bad over the years. However, I do try to have some me-time by reading to stop myself from overthinking. But sometimes, it doesn’t work.

I may have a lot to say but I don’t know what else to say, I do think I need help but I don’t know who to approach or where to start.

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Hi @purpurun

Thank you for sharing with us your feelings and worries, we’re here to support you.

I’m truly sorry to hear about the challenges you’ve faced, especially with your parents’ divorce at a young age. I can tell that you’ve navigated through complex emotions and experiences, and I appreciate your openness in sharing your feelings.

It’s completely understandable that such early life experiences could shape your approach to relationships and self-expression. It sounds like you’ve developed a coping mechanism by turning to me-time activities like reading, and that’s commendable!

Here are some questions to think about, and share with us if you’re comfortable:

  1. Have you considered talking to a professional, like a therapist or counselor, to explore and process the emotions related to your parents’ divorce and your challenges with expressing yourself?
  2. Is there a specific aspect of overthinking that you find most challenging, and are there particular situations where it tends to be more pronounced?

Additionally, here are a couple of suggestions:

  1. Reach out to close friends or family members whom you trust and feel comfortable with, gradually sharing more about your experiences. This might help create a support system that understands and encourages your emotional expression.

  2. Consider researching local mental health resources or counseling services. Professionals in these fields can provide guidance and support as you navigate your journey of self-discovery and emotional well-being. There are some wonderful and affordable options out there, such as Family Service Centres and online options for counselling:

Remember, seeking help is a courageous step, and there are people and resources available to support you. You don’t have to face these challenges alone. We’re here to support you too.

Let us know what you’ve decided to do? We want to hear you out and journey with you. Hear from you soon.

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Hi @purpurun !

Thank you for sharing your worries with us! If I hear you correctly, it seems that you managed to trace your struggles of self-expression back to a particular incident, and I commend you for your introspection. I’m sorry that the incident made you hesitant to share with others due to the possibility of hurtful remarks, I can only imagine the tension that arises between wanting to lessen the burden of overthinking with not wanting to share too much. :sweat:

Additionally, it sounds like you have a big heart for those around you, and it must’ve been really upsetting to care for others only to get hurt in the end :confounded: Your kindness is very respectable, and I’m sorry if anyone has ever made you feel that you care ‘too much’

I really like how it sounds like you have been taking measures to counter this problem! When the thoughts get loud, it is completely understandable that sometimes reading or certain coping strategies may not be able to counter those thoughts, though it can get undeniably frustrating and helpless if you can’t take a break from constant thinking :persevere:

I hope the resources that cottonsoul has shared would be a good starting point for your journey of help-seeking, if you intend to embark on it as mentioned in your post! I respect how you have already taken the first step to share your story with us, it takes a lot of courage to do so and to acknowledge that you may need support to help counter your overthinking on top of what you have been doing! All the best! :crossed_fingers:

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Hi cottonsoul,

I would like to apologize for the late reply and update, but since then, I’ve decided to go ahead and talk to a professional.

It definitely lifts my spirit and lessens the burden on my shoulders.

Thank you for the help and tip, I am very thankful for it <3

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Hi grassjelly,

Yes, I do agree I have a big heart for people around me and I do get hurt easily but I do know what is worth hurting for and what is not.

Thank you for your kind words, I truly appreciate it.

I do agree that taking that big step to seek help is not easy but now that I have, I am not afraid to do it again. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Hi @purpurun

I’m really so glad to hear this, and I’m so proud of you for taking that step :slight_smile: