I’ve been going in and out of this cycle for years.
My story goes like this:
I’ve been abused for as long as I remember.
Since third grade, I started skipping school. I showed early signs of psychosis then.
After that, I was a bully. I was sure my classmates were after me, and I would retaliate by bullying others.
One day, I realized what I was doing, and that, in addition of being abused, it made me dissociate from myself.
But later, I was abusive again. I hurt one person I now deeply love. I was forgiven, but I can’t forgive myself.
I tried overdosing soon after it. It just didn’t work. And that’s when my attempts started.
I’ve tried drowning myself once, when I got high on prescription drugs. Except I stopped shortly before the last step, and I don’t know why.
I’ve tried hanging myself. But every time I failed. I was very angry with myself. I was still conscious. Later on, a part of me, angry that I’d do such a stupid thing, would stop it.
I don’t think I’ll try to kill myself again soon. I suppose it’s a good thing, but I just feel hopeless and numb.
I am trusted, but it feels like I’m lying to people. They don’t know what I’ve done, or how I deserve to die because of it. I want to die. A part of me thinks it’s a extreme way of thinking, but you know what? I don’t. Like mine, all abusers deserve to die. I’m no exception.
The problem is, they (including me) were good people sometimes.
Which is where I am right now. I’m simultaneously a piece of shit and a good person. I can’t wrap my head around that.
I guess the solution to my problem is to forgive them, and forgive myself too. It feels wrong, though.
2 comments
I’ve always felt that forgiving others is important, but that we have no right to forgive ourselves. In that sense, when we betray others we betray ourselves worst of all. We can only live with it. Hate it. Shame it. Carry it with you as a reminder to be stronger and better. Speak the truth, be open about it. Don’t lie to others, or yourself.
Just because you were a bad person, doesn’t mean you can’t keep moving towards the ideal of a good person. You both deserve to try – in both senses. Absolution isn’t always possible. But atonement is. Sometimes it’s all you can do, and running away or dying isn’t acceptable because you owe it to others and yourself.
Follow your heart.
Did you try full suspension hanging or just partial?