Did you guys have existential crisises growing up and how did it change?

r/

Im 22 and ever since I got hit by a car last year (i didnt get hurt thankfully) I think I’ve developed some ptsd as I get nightmares imagining if a truck hit me and how vulnerable I actually am. A close family friend I knew whos a year younger also died that same year. It just gave me a very shocking wakeup call about my mortality and how at any moment something tragic could happen. Since then I’ve had bouts of existential dread and they dont go away, like if this is really my only moment of consciousness how scary it will be to just not exist anymore.

For those who’ve had similar feelings when they were younger, do they get easier when you get older? Or will I always feel this fear

Comments

  1. valley_lemon Avatar

    Treat your trauma, and onboard additional skills for dealing with trauma and improving resilience.

    Don’t sit around waiting for your psychological, physical, or neuropsychological problems to just magically get better.

    Books I wish everyone got gifted somewhere around 16-18yo:

    • The Resilience Workbook: Essential Skills to Recover from Stress, Trauma, and Adversity

    • The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook

    • The Self-Esteem Workbook (A New Harbinger Self-Help Workbook)

    • Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle

    • The Modern Trauma Toolkit: Nurture Your Post-Traumatic Growth with Personalized Solutions

    • It’s Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People (see also DoctorRamani youtube channel) – because even if your parents were pretty cool and you’re good at choosing friends/relationships, you’re going to work for and/or with narcs all your life.

    • If Applicable:

      • Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving: A Guide and Map for Recovering from Childhood Trauma
      • Healing Your Wounded Inner Child: A CBT Workbook to Overcome Past Trauma, Face Abandonment and Regain Emotional Stability
      • Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents
  2. no1oneknowsy Avatar

    Hmm…yes but yours sound trauma related so recommend therapy not reddit.  Also, being with people helped me