Dwelling on the past.

Post Reply New Topic

From time to time, I get the feeling that I barely exist and that usually leads to a feeling that could be described as depression. When I get this feeling, I start involuntarily thinking about all the mistakes I have made and all of the stupid BS I have done in my past. I try to tell myself to look ahead, but then I think of how my mistakes will hinder me in accomplishing the things I want to accomplish. If I am to do anything with my life, I will have to find a way to control this feeling. I will have to get past the mistakes I have made, the people I have alienated, the horrors of my childhood, and anything else that may hinder me on the road of life. The question is, how? That may be something I have to find the answer to myself, but i'm open to any feedback.

I do the same thing often.

The good thing about past mistakes, however, is that making mistakes is how people improve. If there was no failure, there would be no growth.

I've felt that way too.
I found writing all the stuff from the past down helps a bit, as does talking about it to my therapist.
I concentrate as much as I can on my aims for the future/present and I don't think about the past so much.

I also dwell on the past. I think that maybe if I did things differently, my life would have gotten better much faster. My biggest thing is that I have regrets about two years of my life that I wasn't quite myself. I did that to myself, and I've moved on.

I dwell a lot on the past sometimes and like you I think of all the mitakes and people i've alienated. The problem with learning from past mistakes for me is that it doesn't seem to happen. I remember my mistakes but for some reason do not learn to avoid the same ones again.

I think that my past mistakes either make me angry and arrogant at times (like I am being rebelious with a f**k you attitude), or they make me reluctant with people (like I reckon they will be bad for me just like that time in the past). But I don't seem to learn anything constructive and can made the same mistake several times.

Often I try to forget the past and just get on with it.

I too, recycle the past. It was worse when I was younger. However, I have now had over 5 decades of life experience to deal with the unpleasant experiences, and mistakes of the past, and to acquire coping methods to pull out of the misery history loop. You need to find things to do to keep yourself occupied and distracted. It will take time to get good at it, but it will be time well spent. It has certainly helped me.

I too have been here before...and it is a truly sad state of mind. You just feel utterly powerless and useless for anything, including your favorite hobby.

It's because of our collective memory of the past and noticing our canges meticulously...at least we also remember the good times in vivid detail. Try focusing on where you want to go for now.

I have this problem too.

To the point in which I verbally tell my mind to "Shut Up" and to stop replaying all the bad memories.

It doesn't really help though. >_>

I have this. Ive always had this, Intrusive memories of past mistakes. Many of the mistakes i made i couldnt make sense of at the time but then suddenly hit me years later only to haunt me from then onwards, i have thousands of them, a whole catalog in my head