What Would You Do If You Had a Life You Could Not Enjoy Any More?

Ruthanne

Ruthanne

Caregiver
Location
Midwest
What Would You Do If You Had a Life You Could Not Enjoy Any More?

I don't mean to be dismal but just wondering what you would do if your life changed so much there was no real enjoyment anymore? :eek:
 

It would take a lot of uncontrollable pain for me to consider ending my life...and that’s the only reason I can think of for doing something so drastic.

Or..for whatever reason my whole family was wiped out...I just wouldn’t want to go on in that case either.

My life now isn’t as enjoyable as it was a few years ago but I still like it, boring as it is sometimes.
 
I think I know what you mean.....and i hope I am wrong.

First, I think I would try very hard to 'lower' the bar on just what it takes for me to "enjoy"

I truly believe that many of us [seniors] are enduring this, to some degree. And finding the new "enjoy" is not easy.

Bottom line?....I have no profound answers/opinions. But again, just try to find new enjoyments. Maybe just as important try to forget the 'old' enjoyments. I told some one not long ago, having a good memory is not necessarily a blessing. Somethings are better off forgotten.
 

If there was "no real enjoyment," it would depend on what was the reason. Having a horrible, incurable disease, or losing one's entire family, might be good reasons for ending it all. But just feeling that there was no enjoyment left in life sounds like clinical depression to me. I would seek medical help.
 
I think that if I was suffering with a terminal disease, in constant pain day and night, needed medical attention on a daily basis just to stay alive, was unable to care for myself at all, etc. I would probably commit suicide. I'd either do it on my own, or do it legally with 'assisted suicide' doctors.

Other than that, just 'not enjoying' life, would lead me to go out and do something I would enjoy, maybe help others or animals to bring more meaning to my life, etc. To me nature is a big healer, just being out there among nature away from the city, is a breath of fresh air in more ways than one.

We all have some control of our lives, thoughts and attitudes, if my life changed to put me in a negative state of mind, I'd work to change back to positive. Basically, 'life is good', it's also short, we're all blessed to even be here especially living in America compared to some other countries....I'd make the best of it before it's over. Look to today and the future, rather than dwell of failures of the past, etc.
 
If/when life becomes unbearable, because of chronic pain and/or the inability to do those things I enjoy doing, without the help of others, I have my exit plan in place: clean, quick, easy, painless. I will not be one of the drooling, sleeping, wheelchair-bound residents of the countless nursing homes in the world, as long as I have the strength to prevent that.
 
CeeCee said:
It would take a lot of uncontrollable pain for me to consider ending my life...and that’s the only reason I can think of for doing something so drastic.

Or..for whatever reason my whole family was wiped out...I just wouldn’t want to go on in that case either.

My life now isn’t as enjoyable as it was a few years ago but I still like it, boring as it is sometimes.
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rgp said:
I think I know what you mean.....and i hope I am wrong.

First, I think I would try very hard to 'lower' the bar on just what it takes for me to "enjoy"

I truly believe that many of us [seniors] are enduring this, to some degree. And finding the new "enjoy" is not easy.

Bottom line?....I have no profound answers/opinions. But again, just try to find new enjoyments. Maybe just as important try to forget the 'old' enjoyments. I told some one not long ago, having a good memory is not necessarily a blessing. Somethings are better off forgotten.
Click to expand...

SeaBreeze said:
I think that if I was suffering with a terminal disease, in constant pain day and night, needed medical attention on a daily basis just to stay alive, was unable to care for myself at all, etc. I would probably commit suicide. I'd either do it on my own, or do it legally with 'assisted suicide' doctors.

Other than that, just 'not enjoying' life, would lead me to go out and do something I would enjoy, maybe help others or animals to bring more meaning to my life, etc. To me nature is a big healer, just being out there among nature away from the city, is a breath of fresh air in more ways than one.

We all have some control of our lives, thoughts and attitudes, if my life changed to put me in a negative state of mind, I'd work to change back to positive. Basically, 'life is good', it's also short, we're all blessed to even be here especially living in America compared to some other countries....I'd make the best of it before it's over. Look to today and the future, rather than dwell of failures of the past, etc.
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treeguy64 said:
If/when life becomes unbearable, because of chronic pain and/or the inability to do those things I enjoy doing, without the help of others, I have my exit plan in place: clean, quick, easy, painless. I will not be one of the drooling, sleeping, wheelchair-bound residents of the countless nursing homes in the world, as long as I have the strength to prevent that.
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To all of the posters: Well, I'm not suicidal or thinking of it. Just thought that people have good ideas of what to do when life seems to suck. Thanks for the answers so far..:eek: I think there are more people than we know who's life has ceased to amuse them.
 
bad marriages can make u feel really bad - no fun anymore - staying to please the kids is bad too- but some people have too ' money being the main source that makes u stay
and fear to what u can do etc .. so what your asking is what would we do '' ?
if it makes u ill then for what ever reason go - my answer ………..
 
What I’m seeing a lot of is suicides by famous people...seems there’s one almost every week.

Also...and this is gruesome so I apologize in advance...seems most hang themselves...I just don’t get that.

Lots of teenage suicides lately too...don’t know what’s going on? Drugs??
 
Not that I'm feeling that way...just blue today..but for those who feel really hopeless here is a song for you~

 
"Hedonism" is the pursuit of pleasure and intrinsic goods as the primary or most important goals of one's life. I suspect that those whose main reason for being lies outside of their own personal enjoyment are much less likely to be afflicted in that way. Just my humble opinion.
 
Well, we all have a breaking point. Some people are more courageous than others & will hang on to life, regardless of how miserable it is. I have a couple of friends who cherish life so much that they look forward to each day - something I would not do if I were in their situation. I really admire them.

Personally, I would handle a very bad health situation the same way we handle it for our pets. We don't let them suffer needlessly, & neither would I.
 
I'm not sure, because I've never been to a point where I felt life wasn't worth living. That said, I'm beyond the "go and do and see" stage and I enjoy just being in my home, reading, gardening, putzing around. I enjoy being outside in the sunshine and making something good to eat... very basic but that's what I like and I'm lucky to be able to have things the way I want them. Occasionally I like to go shopping or go to lunch with friends, but for the most part I'm happy just being home.

With the internet it seems like I can be as social as I want, while being able to shut it down when I want. So I feel very lucky to have so much convenience in my life. I'm also grateful to have my sweet husband and a crew of great kids and grandkids. I suppose as long as I'm healthy and feel good, I can't imagine my life not being worth living.
 
If I had a life I could not enjoy anymore and I was still able-bodied, I would start looking outside myself to find enjoyment. I would volunteer to do work that would make me feel I was making a difference, be that the environment, a hospital, a homeless shelter, etc. There are always places that can use our help. Serving others and our planet would be a good way to kick start a "change in attitude". At least it would be a start. For me, personally, if I were to volunteer to help the environment, that would make the most impact.
 
So far, life is pretty good. However, If I reach the point where I can't get out and enjoy doing things anymore, and have to "survive" on prescription drugs, etc., my attitude will probably change. At that point, a "Dr. Kevorkian" would be someone I would be very interested in meeting. My living will clearly states that if I have to be hooked up to machines, and lay in bed all day, just to maintain a heartbeat, the DNR will certainly come into play.
 
treeguy64 said:
if/when life becomes unbearable, because of chronic pain and/or the inability to do those things i enjoy doing, without the help of others, i have my exit plan in place: Clean, quick, easy, painless. I will not be one of the drooling, sleeping, wheelchair-bound residents of the countless nursing homes in the world, as long as i have the strength to prevent that.
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exactly!
 
win231 said:
Well, we all have a breaking point. Some people are more courageous than others & will hang on to life, regardless of how miserable it is. I have a couple of friends who cherish life so much that they look forward to each day - something I would not do if I were in their situation. I really admire them.

Personally, I would handle a very bad health situation the same way we handle it for our pets. We don't let them suffer needlessly, & neither would I.
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Very well said. I agree with you completely.
 
The only situation in which I can see myself considering ending my own life would be an illness with no hope and intolerable pain. Most everything else can be gotten through. I'm certainly not going to shoot myself because I'm not having any fun lately or the end of a romantic entanglement. We can't expect life to always go our way or that we'll be free from anything sad or discouraging.
 
When what ever it is that we do to enjoy life is taken from us.....then our lives become somewhat,[perhaps seriously] altered. Does not matter if [others] understand or not. It only matters that we feel the void. And only we can fill it . Or......??

The {Or} part is THE most personal decision we could ever make....if it comes to that.

Someone noted Kevorkian....I wish he were still in business...who knows?...I may feel the need to someday call him. We never know what tomorrow might bring.
 
rgp said:
When what ever it is that we do to enjoy life is taken from us.....then our lives become somewhat,[perhaps seriously] altered. Does not matter if [others] understand or not. It only matters that we feel the void. And only we can fill it . Or......??

The {Or} part is THE most personal decision we could ever make....if it comes to that.

Someone noted Kevorkian....I wish he were still in business...who knows?...I may feel the need to someday call him. We never know what tomorrow might bring.
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He died in 2011.
 
Last year I had a radio frequency ablation on my lower back at L4/5. Had plenty of them throughout the years with no problem. This time something went seriously wrong. I woke up screaming in more pain than a human should have to bear and unable to walk.

On the third ER visit, with no pain relief in sight, I was asked the usual routine question. Did I think of killing myself. This time I answered yes. The next question is do you have a plan? Yup. I was immediately moved to a different area of the ER where I got to have a discussion with several people.

To to make a long story short, I finally got pain relief cause it was pain relief or death for me, and I had the means and will to end it. It’s taken 9 months to regain the ability to walk a mile or so, but not all at once. Before this, I could walk five miles a day. I am still iffy on stairs, and I can drive short distances. But these challenges were not the problem.

The pain was the problem. I had to take a lot of pills just to get the pain down to a level 8. I was a chronic pain patient before this happened, I am still a chronic pain patient. But I’d rather be dead than be in that level of extreme pain again. So, yes, I would end the pain, one way or another. Enjoyment of life was non-extent, there was only pain.
 
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