melell Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 I have been at uni for 5 years now, my masters was in the social sciences but I have done quite a few politics and philosophy papers as well. I feel really depressed a lot of the time and I believe it is directly related to this. I have had the worst few weeks after doing lots of reading on middle eastern conflicts. At one point I fell asleep crying after reading a particular article. Everything is really doom and gloom, and it is like the factual things are just made worse by the social sciences perspectives- very, very few are optimistic. I have been feeling like **** for years because of this... thoughts? Link to post Share on other sites
Author melell Posted December 5, 2013 Author Share Posted December 5, 2013 (edited) ....................................... Edited December 5, 2013 by melell Link to post Share on other sites
gaius Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Unless you want to quit I don't know what else you can do really except try to develop some extra coping skills. I have to deal with dark stuff on a daily basis and as a result I've developed a very dark sense of humor. Are you sure that's even the root cause of your depression though? It's usually a much more deep-seated and personal issue rather than just what you read about. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Mario79 Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 A while a go I did volunteer work helping indigenous people located in very far away areas where people were already poor but there was also injustices happening to women there. I was upset we couldnt do more but also I feel there was a lot wasted time and management done by the NGO. Processes and bureaucracy, people who werent that involved with the cause. I tried volunteer work at work, and they treat like were going camping, even more wasted resources. It opened my eyes as to seeing how things work, its for image, or for grants and donations. Although I want to believe its not all like that. It left me depressed and cynical. But choosing to ignore it is worse I believe, and using that knowledge for something helpful and useful, maybe you'll have a chance to apply it like that. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
regine_phalange Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I felt like this during the first university I went to. When I dropped out and changed university, the gloominess was instantly gone. So, maybe it is a field that is not suited to your personality and preferences? It is never too late to change your mind... Link to post Share on other sites
spiderowl Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 It may be the subject area, it could be that you are prone to depression as some of us are, it could be the academic environment. There are all sorts of possible causes. If you are low, then reading something depressing doesn't help. It might help for you to seek counselling and you might get it for free if you are a uni student and your uni has a counselling service. It can really make a difference to at least identifying what could be behind your unhappiness. I'd recommend a book called 'Focusing' by Eugene Gendlin. It gives a unique way of identifying what feelings are about. It's very introspective so I guess not for everyone, but if you are an introvert you might find this very useful. It strikes me that you may not have any counterbalance to this life of studying deeply depressing and apparently insoluble subjects. You need a good social life, where you can get away from all this stuff with good and supportive friends. If you haven't got such a circle of friends, think about joining a special interest club of some sort - painting, antiques, films, for example - anything that gets you into a mixed-sex social circle. I think a lot of guys, for example, do sports and techie things and still find they are not in a mixed social circle. I suspect you'd find more support and understanding with women. Seeing things from a different perspective with friends who aren't working in the same area can be a real boost. Link to post Share on other sites
Mr Scorpio Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 Only you can really know whether or not it is your studies that is bringing you down. It seems unlikely to me, but I can only go by my own perspective. How is your life outside of school? Do you exercise? Eat healthy? Set aside time for relaxation and fun? Link to post Share on other sites
John316C Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 you feel like this because your not emotionally mature enough... you dont have boundaries, so negtive things seep into your brain... you need to work on your boundaries Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts