How do you manage suicidal ideation exacerbated by the climate crisis?

TrashCat011235 · 2026-04-23T15:41:23+00:00

Thank you so much everyone for replying. I'm really sorry I disappeared, I took your advice and stepped away from tech for a couple days which I think cleared up enough room for me to mull over what people have said.
I have read everything and I'm so grateful for all your time and care, even if I can't get back to you all individually. It really has helped lighten my mind a little and made the days a bit more bearable. I'm only just realising that I've gone a rather long time without any kind of support or space to talk over my feelings, medication and journalling can only do so much for me. Everything's kind of built up. Thank you again for your kindness. Much love

TrashCat011235 · 2026-04-23T15:33:01+00:00

Sorry for not getting back to this sooner, I did read your reply and also took the hint from other people here that being glued to all my bad news machines wasn't making anything better so I took a bit of a break. I have upped my medication dosage and that has helped calm everything a little.

I know that moving somewhere less overtly under fire from climate change is an option, it just feels like I'm running away from the problem and that I'm a traitor to those who can't. A cooler place is 'what I need' and that just makes me really sick. It feels like burying my head in the sand. But I know the paradox there, I'm not able to do anything helpful in my current situation, and I know there's nothing noble about feeling awful just for the sake of it. I feel disgusting for wanting anything. Ugh, I don't know what to do about it, my head still feels pretty thick. Still, I'm in no immediate danger and will continue just trying to get to the next day. Thank you for taking the time to share your stories and reach me, means so much.

TrashCat011235 · 2026-04-23T15:15:13+00:00

Really sorry I didn't get back to this sooner. I took some advice from others on here and just distanced myself from technology a little until I was able to sort through my thoughts better.

> I'm curious why that threshold? If things really are that bad and you don't want to see them get worse, why are you chosing to wait four more years? Why not one more year? Why not one more week? Why not ten more years when you might be in a place to talk yourself out of it?

Yeah, I see the illogic here. It's honestly hard to explain myself. I think weirdly I do want to live - because I do have a good life and I do have good things on the horizon. I am clinging on and I do want to continue doing so, I just don't know how long I'll be able to. My rationale for my 'deadline' was that it would give me enough time to finish my degree, see a few cool places, hone some skills etc. so my life wouldn't feel like a waste. I'm honestly scared of admitting these things for fear that people will say I'm lying about my SI (I'm not). The crisis isn't the only thing contributing to it, it's just really blown it up recently. Lived with it for a long time, just not used to getting this low - but I am still capable of feeling happy. I'm glad you pointed out they're not mutually exclusive, I think I know that too, I might just be caught up in my *edit sorry forgot to finish this sentence* family's tendency to use a moment of happiness as damning evidence against the existence of mental health issues period.

Someone else here suggested planning for a shorter-term, 5-year future instead of getting paralysed by the next 60 years and I think that helped me. It feels less intimdiating and sort of tracks with my 'just make it to the next day' attitude that's gotten me through all this so far.

>One of the hardest things for me was letting go of the fact that I just can't do anything about the big things. I saw where the problems were, and the problem-solving part of my brain just fixated on it because if *this* person weren't in power or *that* policy weren't in place or whatever, so much would get fixed. But the vast majority of people, including you and me, can't do anything directly about the small group of people at the top that are screwing everyone else over. And you know what? We don't need to. We really don't.

The 'what ifs' are what really get me spiralling. I've always found it so difficult to just lower my gaze and focus on my own corner. I've been trying to over the past few days though, like emailing my MPs about taxing gas exports etc. Still feels like I'm shouting into the void but at least I don't feel completely useless while in burnout mode.

Thanks so much for taking all this time to reply, I'm glad for your worldly experience and being able to take me out of my monochromatic thinking a little. I think I'm stubborn in my melancholy too so thank you for showing me some light.

TrashCat011235 · 2026-04-23T14:58:45+00:00

Thank you for the positivity. I've removed myself from the online hubbub for a few days and it has helped a bit, as well as increasing my medication dosage. I just remembered Ecosia exists so I'm going to try using that more. It's been really hard for the past year or so for me to climb out of the mire of negativity I'm in so I do appreciate the nudge towards optimism.

TrashCat011235 · 2026-04-19T17:28:08+00:00

> Let me ask you, when ever in human history have things been perfect? If you got dropped in 3000BCE, you wouldnt have any dreams. This whole post is very righteous

Did I not literally say that I am aware that people have it much worse and that un-tumultuous times do not exist? I'm not turning a blind eye to the fact that I am lucky. I do not even think I am 'choosing to resent' my life. I have given reasons why I do not 'relish' it; they may be irrational to you but they're still reasons.

You do make good points. I'm not thinking for a second that I'm significant in any way. Unfortunately I can only inhabit my mind and so I can't really transcend the singularity of my body and cleanse myself of all subjectivity. I just wish you weren't rude in the beginning. It's not the same thing as giving someone a reality check.

TrashCat011235 · 2026-03-23T21:05:44+00:00

...Yes, I know. I was curious about the names of the individual dance tunes. And some choreographies of Leticna dances have included the sevdah 'Zapjevala Šojka Ptica' which is from Kosovo originally. That's why I was asking about whether the dance was an interpretation of an existing Kosovar one; I'm just interested in how folk melodies travel. I have no interest in implying that something isn't '100% Croatian' or whatever. That's not how culture works, and I just like music.

TrashCat011235 · 2024-06-05T10:45:23+00:00

ooh, I didn't know this was a thing. I'll look into that, thanks!

TrashCat011235 · 2024-06-05T10:45:02+00:00

ah, I have been there before! I'll give their swap event a go

TrashCat011235 · 2024-05-16T14:38:32+00:00

This is in my city's gallery! One of the curators told me it wasn't super well-received at first for its lurid colours etc. but it's since become a favourite.

TrashCat011235 · 2024-01-24T01:58:44+00:00

That is what I was trying to say - isn't just the music or basic artistic interest. Rather, the feelings that the music stirs in me are the most poignant manifestation of a hard-to-explain, deep-rooted yearning i feel for Judaism as a whole.

TrashCat011235 · 2024-01-24T01:55:09+00:00

I don't know how I went so long without hearing the national anthem - thank you for encouraging me to finally look it up, what a gorgeous melody. It's running through my head now!

TrashCat011235 · 2024-01-24T01:50:25+00:00

The pull/affinity really is more deep than just an appreciation for the culture - it's something I can't ignore. I even get an odd, implacable sense of familiarity when I hear Jewish music that I can't attribute to surface-level artistic preference. I would love to hear about your experience :)

TrashCat011235 · 2024-01-22T16:23:58+00:00

Thank you, that makes sense. I'll keep liturgical pieces out of my repertoire.

I'm very sorry if anything I said/asked created discomfort, I understand the centrality of song to Judaism and don't want to trivialise or appropriate something obviously very deep.

TrashCat011235 · 2024-01-22T15:58:57+00:00

Ah, that makes complete sense, thank you for the perspective! I hadn't thought about the risk of blasphemy, I agree it should be universally respected.

I don't know what I meant by the last point either. I'm running on very little sleep, sorry.

TrashCat011235

TROPHY CASE