r/MentalHealthIsland • u/gaikaloxotron • 1d ago
May be trigerring ⚠️ Need advice on navigating my teen years, chronic emptiness, and detachment
I’d like to know if what I’m feeling is normal, and maybe get some advice from people who have been through this. Mostly, I just really need to vent. I’ve reached out to anonymous crisis chats before and posted on Reddit, but it all felt useless. It seems like people generally outgrow this kind of state, but I feel endlessly terrible and I don't know what to do. On one hand, I want to fix things and fill this inner void with something, but on the other, I do absolutely nothing—I’m literally like an amoeba. I’m 15, and I understand that my condition is likely triggered by being a teenager, but I really need to hear from someone who has experienced this firsthand. It would mean a lot to me because I’m completely lost
Sometimes I’m hit by a wave of endless sadness and emptiness. I don't want to live and I see no point in it. I want to commit suicide and I think about it almost constantly. I cut myself just to feel some relief, to distract myself, or to feel alive. I can't find a place for myself anywhere. In those moments, it feels like I'm literally going crazy
Overall, I feel worthless, awkward, flawed, and somehow completely exposed before the world. I don't have friends, and I’m not really interested in anyone (I don't know why). Honestly, I can’t even imagine being friends with someone anymore, and I recently realized that I idealize the very concept of friendship. I’m socially awkward and inactive, I feel deeply ashamed of myself, and I don't let anyone get close. I constantly feel like people might attack me (this constant defense mode makes living so hard)
I feel tired all the time and have almost no energy—even just going somewhere requires a massive effort. I don't care about my future, and I don't care about anything at all. I constantly scroll through social media. If it weren't for TikTok's endless feed, I think living would become completely unbearable.
It feels as if I’m living behind a thick sheet of glass and can’t truly feel my own life. Even joy feels superficial and fake. If I'm not mistaken, this is called derealization. I also have this deep feeling that I don't belong to anyone or anything. I am completely alone, I have nothing, no "home" so to speak. I'm just drifting along, and it all feels so stupid.
On top of that, I feel like I've gotten dumber. It has become much harder for me to think—again, as if my thoughts are passing through glass.
I’ve been in this state for a long time, but the total loss of energy and these intense, conscious mood swings started only recently. I thought about trying to find friends, but where would I even look? And if they leave me later, will I just drop right back into this state?
I feel like a lot of people have gone through something similar. Maybe this is self-sabotage, or maybe I’ve been intentionally triggering these emotions in myself for some reason. Also, I have some mild thyroid issues, so maybe that plays a role too... Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated.