finding mental toughness

[laura1989]

good morning everyone,

i am here today because i am finding it very difficult to find anyone to talk to about my current struggles. i'm not very active on this forum but tend to turn to it when i don't know who else to vent to. i'm sorry for this but i do hope someone can still give me some advice :(

i posted awhile ago about a tattoo i got that did not turn out as i wanted it to. i felt very depressed about the new tattoo and even after it completely healed, i just could not make peace with it or accept it on my body. i have other tattoos that i never felt this way about, so i wasn't expecting a new addition to feel so unnatural and unwelcome on my skin. eventually, after several months of having this tattoo, my anxiety and depression finally calmed down (it was bad right after i got the tattoo), enough for me to think a bit more rationally about the tattoo and whether i should just try to accept it or not. i lived day to day without thinking about it as much, but i still was not happy with how it looked, and everytime i caught a glimpse of it in the mirror, the depression began to creep back.

i decided that the only thing to do was to be proactive about this situation by having it removed. i have begun the laser process and it has really spiked my anxiety. the tattoo looks absolutely massacred right now, covered in blisters and healing skin. i feel absolutely horrible about having done this to myself and am really struggling day to day. i'm on the verge of tears constantly and it's affecting my work, sleep, eating, workouts, and how i interact with my poor hubby that's trying to help me through this.

i don't know if many of you guys have been in this type of situation but i think i am just looking for a virtual hug or words of encouragement to help me cope with this problem. i think most regular people would be upset about this type of situation but because i suffer from anxiety and depression to some degree, i am finding it more difficult to cope with it.

thank you all so much and hoping everyone is well.

[Im-Suffering]

good morning everyone,

i am here today because i am finding it very difficult to find anyone to talk to about my current struggles. i'm not very active on this forum but tend to turn to it when i don't know who else to vent to. i'm sorry for this but i do hope someone can still give me some advice :(

i posted awhile ago about a tattoo i got that did not turn out as i wanted it to. i felt very depressed about the new tattoo and even after it completely healed, i just could not make peace with it or accept it on my body. i have other tattoos that i never felt this way about, so i wasn't expecting a new addition to feel so unnatural and unwelcome on my skin. eventually, after several months of having this tattoo, my anxiety and depression finally calmed down (it was bad right after i got the tattoo), enough for me to think a bit more rationally about the tattoo and whether i should just try to accept it or not. i lived day to day without thinking about it as much, but i still was not happy with how it looked, and everytime i caught a glimpse of it in the mirror, the depression began to creep back.

i decided that the only thing to do was to be proactive about this situation by having it removed. i have begun the laser process and it has really spiked my anxiety. the tattoo looks absolutely massacred right now, covered in blisters and healing skin. i feel absolutely horrible about having done this to myself and am really struggling day to day. i'm on the verge of tears constantly and it's affecting my work, sleep, eating, workouts, and how i interact with my poor hubby that's trying to help me through this.

i don't know if many of you guys have been in this type of situation but i think i am just looking for a virtual hug or words of encouragement to help me cope with this problem. i think most regular people would be upset about this type of situation but because i suffer from anxiety and depression to some degree, i am finding it more difficult to cope with it.

thank you all so much and hoping everyone is well.

Take note. Anxiety is a state of confusion. And a lack if confidence in ones own inherent abilities. A turning away if you will, a blind eye to your own emotions and feelings. Anxiety is then an attention grabber, you see.

The determination and desire to problem solve is proportionate to the degree of anxiety in anyones life. Whether those problems are mental physical or both. Either one fears and avoids, to which the state of bewilderment is fertile soil for stress, or faceing and solving whatever life presents to you.

Even those problems that seem beyond your control. In those cases, acceptance is paramount rather than resistance, you see.

[Jayni]

Been there! I had a tattoo with my ex's name on it that I never really liked, but then hated the reminder of him after we split. I went through the laser removal process and it hurt so much! But I somehow felt I deserved the pain for my stupidity for getting the tattoo in the first place. I have other tattoos as well that I don't hate. Just so you know the removal process took me ten treatments over a 2 year period. I had 2-3 months of healing between each treatment. Of course it's going to look terrible! You have to do everything you can to help it heal and keep it out of the sun. Be patient, it won't stay like this, I promise! But to be honest (and everyone's skin reacts differently) afterward there are white splotches on my skin where the tattoo was. I ended up later tattooing over it. Your results will depend on your skins and the type/color of ink that was there, etc. I hope your anxiety about this situation dissipates when you just remember that it won't stay as it looks right now. I will say a prayer for you...