Why keep living, what's the use?

Why keep living, what's the use Wow, we just don't get many questions at all about suicidal thoughts - mainly because if this happens during a chat, we're supposed to refer someone straight away to a suicide hotline, where people have far more training than the minimum that listeners need to start here at 7 Cups . . . But that doesn't answer the question now, does it: The thing is there's 3 parts to this answer: the first part is about how uncomfortable it is to be having doubts about continuing to live, the second is that there may be some signals that your brain is sending to because you're reading this right now, and the third is (of course) the answer to the actual question. Feeling like life is not worth living anymore is a horrible, horrible type of pain, and basically until you've had it yourself, you may have no idea how distressing that sort of despair can be to experience: and even when you've "been there" yourself, doesn't mean that you can say "I know how you feel" to someone else who may be experiencing these types of doubts. Given that I've said that, I know that, if you're reading this question right now because you've been having thoughts like this, it is just about certain that you are in a huge amount of pain, and I want you to give yourself a huge pat on the back for being so brave and putting up with such a nasty feeling so far, and especially for taking the first step to read about what you can do to answer this question. There is an answer to "what's the use", and I promise I'm getting to that . . . One thing that's important to know about thoughts like these is that, especially if they're been coming on for a while, they are very likely a symptom of clinical depression. Now depression can be caused by a plethora of reasons - grief, disability, sickness, loss, physical pain, even a few specific illnesses, like thyroid issues. Depression involves a brain chemistry phenomenon which works sort of like a chicken and egg cycle - it can be debatable which condition originally caused the other. Certain hormones, for example seretonin, can be reduced by depressive thinking (feeling sad and experiencing negative thoughts), and that lack of seretonin can itself, in turn, cause more depressed feelings and thoughts. Psychologists have worked out that negative thoughts cause sad feelings (there are a lot of "der" moments in psychology!!! - psychologists often have the job to prove scientifically that thoughts apply to everyone which people tend to already "know" about themselves ). Those sad feelings and negative thoughts and the seratonin deficiency that was caused (or was caused by) them can also a consequential effect of making the body feel tired and lethargic, which in turn also reduces the seratonin levels further. So if you're having thoughts like this and already feeling tired and listless, or maybe even like staying in bed, chances are really good that your body already has a deficiency of "happy hormones" (like dopamine or serotonin). Even a deficiency of melatonin can start this sort of depression-cycle reaction, so if you have these sort of thoughts it's also a good time to notice whether you've been missing out on enough sunshine (- the skin produces melatonin in the sun - even with sunscreen on - and long winters, especially in polar countries can produce a phenomenon called "seasonal affective disorder," which has been related to melatonin levels). The important thing to know about this is that staying in bed actually means that your seratonin levels are further reduced as a result of lack of sunshine and exercise (which is why so many illnesses can cause depression). In fact during these current times, for many people, the drastic change of missing their usual exercise during the COVID lockdowns is itself causing this same seretonin level drop in many people, which after a while has actually led in turn to the sort of thoughts that lead up to questions like the one above: people who have been stuck working from home don't realise that even for a "low exercise" job, they do a lot more walking and standing up at and on the way to and from their normal workplace, and missing that exercise can trigger a drop in seretonin, which can lead to sad feelings and negative thoughts like this. The good news about this same triangular cycle (negative thoughts > sad feelings > tired / unexercised body > sad feelings > negative thoughts > tired / unexercised body) is that scientists have discovered that this cycle can be broken at any section of the triangle. For instance, even if you start exercising a little bit, even while you're still stuck in your room, it can have a direct effect on relieving sad feelings, both straight away, because you're a bit happier about having taken a proactive step to lower your depression, and after a couple of weeks, when the seratonin levels actually change. Here's some links to some in-bed workouts - the third one is a video: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/how-to/a35234/exercises-you-can-do-without-getting-out-of-bed/; https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/bed-workout-255681; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7gJ9C0nl44. But our body is not all we need to pay attention to if we have thoughts like this of course. There can be other negative thoughts which precede this "edge of despair" sort of thought. If you examine what is running through your head now and then and look for a set of very common thoughts which are nevertheless not really logical or helpful, chances are that one of them has been churning around before the despair started to kick in. We've got lessons on "cognitive restructuring" - how to recognise and challenge these unhelpful thoughts, as well as thinking of more helpful thoughts to replace them with - at https://www.7cups.com/depression-help-online/ as well as the same challenge for unhelpful anxious thoughts at https://www.7cups.com/anxiety-help/ - the lessons are a little mini course, which can sometimes be a bit confronting, so don't worry about taking a break and having a chat about something if the urge strikes you. There is no rush to learn this stuff, in fact it's like chess - it takes a while to put what you learn into practice - but learning cognitive restructuring can really work wonders to cut down the anguish that negative thinking can cause. Remember that once you've learned to recognise and challenge unhelpful thoughts, they are still going to pop up from time to time - that's just how human minds work, so don't be angry or disappointed if you notice that happening. Feelings are signals that mostly come from a different part of the mind than our consciousness - trying to fight feelings can be like trying to hold back the tide. The good part of this analogy is that feelings also come and go, thankfully faster than the tide. It often doesn't seem like it, but even when you're really low with depression, some times are worse than others, and that means that some times are logically better than others. The most desperate and painful times actually come in waves which eventually recede. (Average time for the most intense and painful feelings is 30 - 90 minutes: sometimes what saves you if these waves come is a persian expression that is around 1000 years old, which states "this too shall pass". In my case a really good comedy movie, or anything to distract me from the worst feelings ). Being able to accept painful feelings uses the same skill that is used to accept physical pain, and there is a 7 Cups course that teaches this "ACT" skill, called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, at https://www.7cups.com/act-therapy-techniques/ that's really worth a look. Now I know I'm telling you a lot about these courses, as if they are more important than they would actually seem, but what most people don't realise is that when people go to the best private mental health clinics, they are paying about $60 -70 000 dollars per month to learn these very same skills. (Of course these clinics also have nurses to help you deal with difficulties and psychiatrists visiting every day, as well as exercise therapists, private psychologist sessions, a GP to check the whole of your body, great food and someone watching to make sure you're safe, but the topics from each of the lessons on these courses are the same topics for inpatient group sessions which psychologists also teach - I'm not saying that doing these courses is better or even the same as going to a private hospital, but for many people these hospitals just aren't an option). The skills on these courses all take practise and a fair bit of self-exploration and growth, which in itself can cause growing pains, but if you're aleady having thoughts like this then you're already quite likely aware of massive psychological pain. If you're in Australia, the good news is that where most private health insurance takes 12 months of payments to kick in, mental health hospital cover only takes 2 months before you can claim - so if you're already feeling like this, and you think you can hang tough for a couple of months, its definitely time to make your first private health insurance payment right now. This is about $200 - $300 in Australia, and worth every cent. Many public hospitals in Australia are vastly overcrowded, have involuntary patients, who can be scary, disturbing and dangerous, very few (if any) of these lessons, nurses who are overburdened, and a medical model, which means they will put you on drugs which may or may not be the right ones at the time - the psychiatrists there are just as overworked as everyone else, and you can be prescribed medication before you even get to meet the doctor. Of course there are some really great public hospitals specialising in mental health in the capital cities, but for the most part in Australia, unless you just happen to live in the right suburb to be sent to those specialist hospitals, public mental health inpatients are all lumped together in a ward that's just a part of the local general hospital, which has no training, little activites and is a very depressing place to be - as if you needed that to deal with as well. The reason I'm talking about hospital is that with thoughts like "Why keep living, what's the use," you're already down to a 3 or a 4, and you should be thinking about hospital for certain if you reach a 2 - 3. Depression/happiness is measured on a subjective scale of 1 to 10, and 10 is mania, which is no good, because even though mania can feel fantastic, feeling like you're 10 feet tall and bulletproof, or like you're a spiritual messenger from God, this state can lead to really bad decisions, where you make a fool of yourself, put yourself in unnecessary danger or spend all the money that you've ever had as well as get yourself into a mass of debt. So lets say that feeling relatively calm, content and mellow and neither happy or sad is a 7 - that's a great place to coast, and 8 or 9 without any particular external event to justify that sort of jubilation, like winning the lotto, acheiving an important goal, being on a fantastic cruise or getting married is also a signal that there's something to worry about, and it's time to check out your mental health with a doctor. As soon as you've been starting to feel sad or negative, you've been hitting numbers below 6.9 and now that you're down to contemplating whether it's worth it at all, you've definitely made it down to at least as low as a 4. At below 4 it gets to feeling inclined towards suicide, or having "ideations" of suicide, where you imagine doing it, and at below 3 you're starting to make plans about how you'll do it, at 2 you're starting to get together the tools, and below 2 you're making attempts. So obviously a good time for the turning point is now. Right now at 4 is a good time to hit your GP up for some seratonin / dopamine adjusting medications (or melatonin replacements, which need a liver test done before starting a course, because they can have side effects which lead to reactions in the liver). These hormone-adjustment medications take 2 - 4 weeks to take effect, and you might need a temporary mood stabiliser in the meantime to take away the painful nature of thoughts and feelings that you've been so brave to endure. I know it doesn't feel all that great to take pills for your mind, but you've put up already with all this psychological pain, and no one deserves at all to feel so much psychological pain that they start to say "Why keep living." If you had caught this at the "I don't seem to be able to get a break" stage, it would maybe have been reasonably safe to get away with just exercise and learning some issues to deal with "stuff", but now it's got to a stage where that amount of psychological pain might get in the way of being able to even concentrate enough to be able to learn the skills you need. You don't deserve this pain, and if you can't afford a lovely private mental health clinic, it's still worth getting a prescription to get some relief, if only just while you're "on the mend." There's one more important skill that I want to introduce you to, and that's dialetic behavioural therapy, most importantly the part where you get back to knowing and liking yourself, by identifying your favourite values, and by doing positive activites as if they were medicinal measures - medicinal painting; medicinal music; medicinal yoga; medicinal . . . whatever normally makes you happy. Because you've already got yourself down to a 4, these positive activites might not feel like they're as much fun as they usually do (at least straight away), but you're also used to coasting at around 6 - 7, so they have to make up for starting from a few steps behind the start-line. The 7 Cups course on "managing emotions" at https://www.7cups.com/help-managing-emotions/ has a great list of positive activities to "prescribe" for yourself, and these will help get you on the mend and on the way back. Maybe you can schedule yourself for two or three of these per week at the same time as you get started on some medication to help you through the toughest times - don't worry, starting on medication does not mean that you will be stuck with taking pills for life - most people are okay after they turn the corner and get back out of the "beyond blue" stage. One thing to note, during the time before the effects of hormone balancing medication, exercise, cognitive restructuring, act, dialetic therapy and positive activities kick in, is that there are actually times when things get easier, and even when you have a chuckle or two: the depression will fool you that every day is always hard all day and nothing has been funny at all - it's important to really stop and take specific notice during this period if something good happens or occurs to you, because the depression can trick you into forgetting something good has happened at all. Lastly, like I promised, here is what "the use" is - the reason why it is worth all this nasty distress and pain: you ARE special, utterly unique and the world needs you and has a plan for you. I KNOW this for a fact, because if this fact didn't exist for you, then it sure wouldn't exist for me - I don't deserve this reason to exist any more or less than anyone else, even if some people seem to have more reason to exist than me. The only reason that anyone else in the world is special is because you personally (yes you!) are special, and always have been. The proof of this is that you and I are alive. Right now, the depression is in the way and blocking you from seeing that, but there is a specific reason for you to be alive, and something coming up in the future that you're here to see or be a part of, and which might not even happen if you're not here. There is a light at the end of this tunnel, and you don't have to know exactly what that light will reveal to justify toughing it out and taking the steps to make it back into the sunshine. When you've made it through, or started to make it through, drop me a line - I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for reading this and thanks for contemplating that there is a "use", a reason and a really good chance for you to come back out of this darkness. Welcome to the road to recovery . . . take care, and don't forget we at 7 Cups are here for a chat, and you don't deserve or need to do this recovery alone. All the listeners at 7 Cups are forward to hearing from you, all day, and any time.

Life is a wonderful thing. It's full of surprises and amazing adventures. You have so much to see and experience, that's why you should keep living. There are people who love you as well, so please keep living for them :)

Why keep living? What's the use? That's a great question. Most of us face it at some point. After all, everything's going awful, we're alone, and nothing seems to get us out of the route we're stuck at. If living is only harming us, why continue? Because of others. Your existence affects other people. Right now, there are probably a few who, even though you don't know it, care about you. People you've met before, people you haven't met yet. Their lives have been changed because of you, and you're now connected. You could give up living, it's true. You could give up at any point. But you could also stay and become stronger. Learn from what you've lived through. And use those experiences to help others. Use that strength to save others. I would've liked to give up in the past. I couldn't. And I know some people are glad I didn't. I am writing this answer because I didn't give up. But I'm also writing it because I struggled. I could not say any of this if I hadn't felt useless. If I hadn't wondered, "Why keep living?". Because the question isn't actually "Why keep living?". The question is "Everything is awful, why keep living through it?". Because it will not last forever. You can survive it. And it will make you stronger, just by outlasting it. And others will need that strength. Please hold tight.

Because some day youre gonna be the reason for someone else to continue living. Youre gonna be someone elses world. You think there is no point? Have you ever seen the world? Do you know how amazing the world is and all there is to see? Do you know how much music and art has gone untouched by your eyes? The people and experiences you have yet to come upon? There is a pleuthera of reasons to live. Most importantly is because you are you and there will never be another you. So dont take that from the world. The world needs you. Cause there will never be another you.

I understand what you may be feeling at this moment. However, I start to think about my dogs, bare with me here. When I start thinking about my dogs, I start to feel happy. I love them so much. So when I start feeling worse and worse, I stay here and think of them. They have helped me get through so much.

There’s always a reason to live. Even if you dont see it. One day you’ll look back and think about where you came from. You’ll be happy one day with a family and you’ll finally be happy. It’ll all be worth it

Life is definetly worth living because everyone is born with a reason and a meaning. You are loved by many people, although it may not seem like it. If you keep living, you are able to experience the wonderful events in life that shape who you are and life gets better, no matter how hard it might be, you will get through it. i believe in you. :)

Living is amazing. Through this life we experience so many different things. There is so much in the world to see, and youll only see a bit of it. People are amazing and there are so many great experiences out there for you. You are a human being and that is amazing. Thousands of years got you to this point right now, you are meant to be here friend.

There are a million squilliom things in the world to see eat experience. Might be on your bucket list, might be in your horror list or your childhood fantasy ! For all you know you dont know half the great things the world has to offer! Curb your fear . Go ahead. !

For achiving better life. You need to have ambitions in you life.Live for happines.Go ahead what you want.

Because there is always something to discover. There are new and incredible things around us and to live means to see them and experience them. It's not a grand reason but it's something that gets me through.

Because as much as the world fucked us up. It is real and the only way to say to life to shove it, is to show no matter how many time you were push you're not just gonna lay there and go down easy. Then when you succeed and won your battle against the world rub it in its face!!

There are many reasons to live, no matter it be family, friends, or even your pets. Your life is important, no matter how you see it. You can ask someone around you and they will tell you the same. If you don't feel the reason to live, you should talk to a professional. If you are feeling suicidal pleas call the suicide hotline or 9-1-1

Because things might be tough right now but they won't always be. So much can change in a week, let alone more. I promise you'd regret not sticking around to see all the wonderful things life can offer. You'll find so many distractions and you'll laugh at your own past sad thoughts. Please stick around.

The opportunities you’ll have later in life. The people who love you. The ways you’ll change the world.

You matter. You may not think so, but it's true. Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, then it's not the end.

We keep living because we are given a reason to live. We may not know why now, but it takes time to know why.

Life is an important thing. We are all here for a reason , weather its to become rich or be loved by a family member or even just helping people on this website! its all important. Your family loves you! your future wife or husband will love you! your kids in the future will love you!!Just be patient and you special thing thats worth living will come along!!!

The answer is: the meaning of life is whatever you want it to be. That's the good and bad. It's only bad if you can't decide for yourself what your personal meaning is. In other words: the point of living is to live: live your life the exact way you want to. Many people get hung up here, because they thing they are "supposed" to be doing something. You aren't! Do what you want as long as it is healthy and lawful. If it is not lawful, make fighting that law your meaning!

Life is like weather therell be a storm that lasts forever but youll make it through and see the sun

People say that life isn't a choice. But it's your choice to live it and to live it well. Living life means; meeting new people, trying new foods, traveling etc. Life can be wonderful but it all comes down to want you want and how you want it to be!

Life, while incredibly painful at times, has plenty to live for. Now, I don't know your situation at all, however, I can assure you there is hope. Yeah yeah, cliche, I know. But trust me, there is truth woven in many stories. While you may think that life isn't worth it, allow me to try and sway your mind. I've been in the same mindset before, questioning the point of life, if it's worth it, why I should endure- and for what. Really, it's about having something to fight for, if not yourself and your future, something or someone you love. Because while this world is very heartbreaking, it is also very, so incredibly beautiful. We have music and food, dancing and culture! Bookstores and tales of romance and adventure. Medicine that can help, people who save lives and try to minimize the damage that life throws at us. We have animals and oceans and forests and the sky, and long road trips. We have nature. We have the ability to see the good in other people, and to trust and love with no regrets. If you have any goals in life- even some that you don't even consider possible- reconsider. Maybe finding a career, or following your passions, interacting more with family, finding love and friendship; the list is endless. If you don't have a goal, if you don't see a purpose, just trust me on this, hold on. Keep trying. There is hope. Take it one step at a time, try not to overthink too much. Trust in yourself.

Even though it really and truly does not feel this way right now, life is worth living. Sometime in the future, there will be something you will be meant to do or say. And without you, that thing will not be done or said. I'm not going to tell you to keep living for everyone around you or use guilt as a method to stop you from taking your own life because when you think back on this years later, you will be able to think "Wow, I lived to see all of this for myself. Not my family, not my friends, just myself. And that feels good."

Every minute of the day gives us the chance to start over and create a new path. Our lives are not perfect but they are meant to be explored and go experience different things. Yu can always try to take a step back to re-evaluate things and find a different angle or approach in a situation. Life is full of mistakes and wrong turns but that's also a new way of learning and trying a different path. Every life is precious and deserves a chance. When things get rough I just take a step back and breathe and relax.

People often ask that question when they cannot seem to find any purpose or meaning in life. Well, that happens because there isn't any pre defined meaning or purpose of life. Life is a blank canvas, there is nothing to be found there, everything that you want has to be created. That's what they mean when they say, "Find what you love and let it kill you" - you have to find the thing that matter to you and give your life working towards achieving it. The better you get at it, happier you will be and so will be the people around you. People usually come up with a counter-argument, "Nothing really maters and everything is meaningless". Well, the pain that you're feeling, obviously matters because it is forcing you to give up on life, the pain that you're feeling is there for a reason and it does have a meaning. And if you really think about why you're feeling the pain, you somehow already know why it is there and what is causing it. All you have to do is get up and eliminate that reason. Now, the main trouble with that would be that you have to go out of your comfort zone to do that and people don't like being vulnerable. But everything comes at a price, you have to sacrifice something in order to achieve something(be that your comfort zone). But in the pursuit of achieving something you have to know yourself, know what you're good at. As Einstein said, "you cannot judge a fish for its ability to climb a tree" - so know what you're good at(self awareness is a key element for self development), if you're good as a fish(metaphorical example) stop comparing yourself to the Horse. And as long as you know that YOU CAN BE A SHARK AND NO ONE CAN STOP YOU FROM DOING THAT!

Statistically speaking you have a point. Dying has a better outcome than living when we keep the odds of hardships and a certainty of a favourable end. But according to statistics we should have met aliens by now. Why die? What's the point? Whats the need to go into non-existence? By living you atleast have a life, by dying there might be nothing or eternal hell as per your belief.

Think about the small things in life like smelling wet dew on grass. Reading a book on a stormy day, experiencing a belly laugh. Feeling the warm sun on your skin. Slowly make our way toward bigger things like family and friends that push you to continue. Making a list of all the beautiful things you will be missing. Life is hard, and there never is a clear answer in life, but there are many things to live for; it just may be harder for others. If your really considering suicide, please call the suicide hotline. I also suggest seeking help. Asking for help doesn't make you weak it makes you stronger.

your life matters. Every single person has a purpose on this Earth. Your spirit and presence does matter to someone, even if you do not see it directly. Every choice you make will affect someone else's life. People love you even if you can't see it.

There would probably be a lot of answers to this (and my answer is subjective and many answers will be) but Friedrich Nietzsche once summed up that: "Life can be meaningful enough to justify it's suffering" And the idea behind this is that all of the tragedy in your life can be justified with the meaning you can find in your life.

I don't know how many times I have asked myself this. At different times in the day, night, it didn't matter, this question constantly crept in. But I began to realize that my experience, and my life, could give life to others. If I could share my experiences, and my knowledge, then maybe that will make at least one other person realize that they are useful, and need to keep living.