Depression just after completing a degree

[refused]

I just finished a specialized university degree in my mid thirties that can help me get myself on track. But, I am experiencing crushing depression and low motivation. I currently work for a low wage compared to what my newly obtained education can provide. I feel low about my age, situation and the prospect of starting (another) career at this point of my life.

Has anyone ever been here? How did you press on and recover?

 

[WAITING TO DIE]

Congratulations on your degree.
I once lost everything at 32 and had to start over. The thought of so much change was extremely daunting.
The only way I got through it was to just get through each day as best I could without focusing too much on the future.

 

[Dot]

I just finished a specialized university degree in my mid thirties that can help me get myself on track. But, I am experiencing crushing depression and low motivation. I currently work for a low wage compared to what my newly obtained education can provide. I feel low about my age, situation and the prospect of starting (another) career at this point of my life.

Has anyone ever been here? How did you press on and recover?

Slf finshd Bsc @ 31 & Msc @ 34

Startng agn cn fl ovr-whlmng bt mght b wrth breakng thngs in2 smallr stps & thnkng abt wht u r lookng 4wrd 2 insted of thinkng of biggr futre wth lts of chnges-- evn wth creer chnge u wll stll b/ th/ sme persn u r nw - jst fcusng on smethng tht Njy mre insted

Ag = rlly jst a numbr & plnty of ppl strt @ stp dffrnt thngs thru thr lves

 

[Praestat_Mori]

Congratulations on your degree. Imo it's not too late to start sth new and you have a good base! It's worth trying!! Mid 30s with a good base is not too late at all!

 

[refused]

Thank you for the replies. Everyone is right here. It's not knowing where I will land in the future that is freaking me out. The outcome could very-well be positive, but I find myself always thinking it will be negative. It plagues my mind. I definately go about it one day at a time at the moment. That helps.

 

[TransilvanianHunger]

I just finished a specialized university degree in my mid thirties that can help me get myself on track. But, I am experiencing crushing depression and low motivation. I currently work for a low wage compared to what my newly obtained education can provide. I feel low about my age, situation and the prospect of starting (another) career at this point of my life.

Has anyone ever been here? How did you press on and recover?

Mid 30s here, went back to uni 6 months ago after realising that none of the stuff I've done until this point was in any way fulfilling or meaningful to me. If all goes well, I'll be starting my career in this field by the time I'm 40.

Going back in my head and thinking "if only I'd done this after high school, or in my mid 20s when I switched fields for the first time", but I didn't and, to be honest, I don't think I could've done it back then. Part of there reason I'm doing this now is having the experience of working in other fields and feeling completely empty. My previous experiences have allowed me to understand what I don't want, what matters to me and what doesn't, what I find meaningful versus what feels void and meaningless. I have classmates in their early 20s and I can see that their perspective is so incredibly different to mine. I'm not saying I'm smarter than them or anything like that, mind you, but it's undeniable that the 15 or so years of additional experience can be rather advantageous, especially in this field I'm in now.

That's how I press on. I sometimes feel like shit, a failure who didn't follow the "successful" path I was "supposed to" follow, and a loser who took until his mid 30s to figure out what the hell he wants to do with his life. But I don't think it could've happened any other way. And all that stuff about being a "loser" or a "failure" is just me repeating the nonsense I was taught, it is in no way a true reflection of who I am or what I'm doing. If anything, I'd say that having the opportunity to start again and spend my time on something that actually has meaning to me is quite a lucky position to be in. It hasn't been a smooth road, and I don't expect it to be any smoother in the future, but it's something I've chosen.

 

[refused]

Mid 30s here, went back to uni 6 months ago after realising that none of the stuff I've done until this point was in any way fulfilling or meaningful to me. If all goes well, I'll be starting my career in this field by the time I'm 40.

Going back in my head and thinking "if only I'd done this after high school, or in my mid 20s when I switched fields for the first time", but I didn't and, to be honest, I don't think I could've done it back then. Part of there reason I'm doing this now is having the experience of working in other fields and feeling completely empty. My previous experiences have allowed me to understand what I don't want, what matters to me and what doesn't, what I find meaningful versus what feels void and meaningless. I have classmates in their early 20s and I can see that their perspective is so incredibly different to mine. I'm not saying I'm smarter than them or anything like that, mind you, but it's undeniable that the 15 or so years of additional experience can be rather advantageous, especially in this field I'm in now.

That's how I press on. I sometimes feel like shit, a failure who didn't follow the "successful" path I was "supposed to" follow, and a loser who took until his mid 30s to figure out what the hell he wants to do with his life. But I don't think it could've happened any other way. And all that stuff about being a "loser" or a "failure" is just me repeating the nonsense I was taught, it is in no way a true reflection of who I am or what I'm doing. If anything, I'd say that having the opportunity to start again and spend my time on something that actually has meaning to me is quite a lucky position to be in. It hasn't been a smooth road, and I don't expect it to be any smoother in the future, but it's something I've chosen.

Thanks for this input, honestly.

Was thinking a lot today and this was a nice comment to come home to. I decided today to push myself to get back in gear and to focus on recovery no matter the difficulty. Your second paragraph resonated with me. I do have an opportunity, and it scares the shit out of me. I guess that's OK.