I don’t understand how people overcome trauma or negative life experiences

I’ve battled depression for 12 years, have been on so many different medications and have been into a psychiatric ward three times.

I don’t understand how people muster up the will and energy to keep on living.

Every moment I constantly carry the weight and pain of bad life experiences from the past. It’s like a one thousand pound brick of pain is constantly sitting on my lungs and weighing me down.

Every breath I breathe in takes effort and every positive experience I have; only reminds me of pain from my past.

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travelguy01 · 41-45, M

You’re being told wrong things.

You’re being told that you are bound by your past experiences. This is a lie.

You’re being told that in order to move forward you must continually relive and reaccount your past traumas, because that what therapists say. But again, this is a lie.

It’s not a lie in the sense that these people are intentionally trying to harm you. But it’s a lie of ignorance. Everyone is following Sigmung Freud’s version of psychology. Where the past and “traumas” define your current and future self. But it’s incorrect. As with lost things, the most popular interpretation of something (in this case, human psychology), is incorrect.

There is no “trauma”.

The past means nothing now.

You can choose your own current self right now. But you don’t believe you can or that you are even allowed to. Because of what “they” say.

But “they” don’t matter either. Do what you want, regardless of what anyone else says or thinks.

You should look into Alfred Adler’s interpretation of human psychology. It is much more accurate and true. You can be in control.

Start with reading The Courage To Be Disliked. It’s a popular Japanese interpretation of Adler’s beliefs, which is very very easy to understand and put into practice.

Then, start reading about Stoicism. The Daily Stoic is a good place to start.