A couple of months ago I started a new job alongside my Master’s. I was lucky enough to have lots of good friends and supportive family around me. And yet I felt like my world was caving in.
I felt huge pressure to succeed immediately in everything I’d taken on, focusing on the things I was struggling with and not the things I was doing well at. This lead to a string of panic attacks, feeling tired all the time and extended periods of low mood. On the surface I had everything, but deep down I just felt like shit. And then on top of that, I felt ridiculous for feeling upset because I’m a privileged, middle class man who’s been dealt a pretty decent hand in life. What right do I have to not be happy? And then I’d beat myself up for that.