tw: suicidal thoughts
iām (m19) a uni student in germany and wanted to put this into words because people here seem understanding, and i find it hard to talk about this with anyone i know.
iām attracted to men and also can feel attraction to women, but i can only comfortably imagine a future with a woman. at the same time, i feel like actually falling in love might only happen with a man. iāve never really had a relationship, and this makes me worry iāll never experience romance and also the aspect of openly comfortably talking about romance in life. i feel like i can only properly feel romantic feelings towards men. i know thereās nothing wrong with being gay or bi, but i still wish this part of my life was different. imagining myself openly dating a man makes me uncomfortable, and i struggle with being associated with gay stereotypes.
the confusing part is that i donāt think most people around me would reject me. people whoād reject me or actually see me differently and be appalled is my family. itās more that i hate the idea of them seeing me differently, even if they were accepting. knowing that theyād now think about me differently would make me feel exposed. and now i feel like im running out of time and have to fix this issue of mine asap because the more time goes by the more people get used to this mask i wear and will see me differently when i decide to out myself if i ever do. and that sounds easier said than done, but to me itās more, they get used to this version of me that isnāt completely me and then they will definitely see me differently once i out myself and try to express myself better.
because of this, i monitor myself a lot. if someone asks why i donāt have a girlfriend or makes a āthatās so gayā comment, i stop reacting naturally and start thinking about how a straight guy would react. then i overthink my answer, their reaction, whether they noticed something, etc. this used to happen mainly around one friend, but now that im in uni iām scared of it happening with almost anyone. i usually understand what triggered it, but that doesnāt help me stop. and this overthinking that comes along with the self monitoring is so intense, it gets me into a depressive phase. but overthinking doesnāt just happen in these types of situations but in general i overthink so so much. i replay moments in my head and monitor myself and regret. even in situations not regarding my sexuality.
i distance myself from people i actually like because getting closer means more personal conversations. even uni group projects make me anxious because spending more time together could lead to those topics. a friend regularly invites me to things, but i hesitate and barely initiate anything myself. i really enjoy being with her, especially alone, but worry about her bringing others or noticing and commenting on something. i feel like a bad friend, even though i really do want closeness. ever since im in uni, iām not experiencing any feeling of being excluded because the people iām surrounded by are so welcoming. but itās just me isolating myself to protect my mental health and prevent myself getting into a low. and even if this is what prevents me from getting into a low, itās depressing itself that i have to isolate myself in order to protect myself because i naturally crave social interactions as well. iām introverted but sometimes i spend so much time alone that i really appreciate moments with people i love and appreciate. especially ever since im in uni, i know there are people who are willing to get to know me but itās just me keeping a distance and that makes me feel terrible.
sometimes i wish i could start over somewhere where people knew a less guarded version of me from the beginning. my current relationships are real, but i hold so much back. i almost have no contact with my school friends because of this even tho they always welcome me in. changing that now feels uncomfortable because everyone is already used to how i act. i even hesitate to meet new people because i donāt want more people getting used to that version of me. being alone is comforting because i donāt have to monitor myself, but iām also really happy when people want to spend time with me.
during depressive lows, this gets much worse. i have suicidal thoughts. aside from the usual thoughts, i often think, why was i born this way when all i do is struggle because of this?? if i do, will afterlife really be better? what if i get punished and itās not a relief after all? i wish i could sacrifice my life to save someone elseās life who would appreciate life and live as they wish for. also during these thoughts, i never open up about them because when im having these thoughts, i donāt want help. my biggest fear is attempting and surviving and living with the consequences. i start thinking, āwhy am i studying, dancing or taking care of myself if iām not going to be around anyway?ā i can still force myself to do things, and i havenāt stopped loving dancing, but i lose motivation because i canāt imagine a future. people i love and the life i still hope for are part of what holds me back but mostly the fears that i mentioned.
one instance was when my sister noticed something gay on my phone and she didnāt comment but i know she saw it, and that whole night i stayed awake and also tried to scratch my wrist open to numb the pain and maybe bleed out but i knew i couldnāt because she stayed over at my place and i had to suppress those feelings and thoughts.
iām scared of another low, especially during exams. part of me knows itāll pass, but then iāll have to deal with everything i neglected. sometimes iām already worrying about that while itās happening, but still canāt make myself care enough to act. being busy distracts me, but once the stress is over, the thoughts come back.
right now iām not in a low, but that mostly means iām relieved i donāt feel that bad. iām still unhappy with how things are. sometimes even feeling really happy makes me uncomfortable because i get less guarded and worry iāll do something iāll overthink later. or i start reminding myself of everything thatās still wrong.
and i recently realised that iām jealous of couples and my siblings being able to experience relationships so naturally. or generally be able to express themselves freely and live life freely especially in the romance /sex aspect of life because itās the norm. i feel like iām wasting my youth avoiding things i want. then i feel guilty because iām financially secure and have so many opportunities, so i question whether iām spoiled or just too sensitive.
i generally canāt open up about ALL of this at all and therefore i often talk to chatgpt during lows, but feel like i keep repeating myself without getting anywhere. i really canāt imagine this aspect of my life getting better because i cant imagine anything changing. i feel like ill always struggle with this and i dont know how to fix this and live a life im really happy with.
i do want to get better. i can imagine working, dancing and having friends i feel completely comfortable around. i just donāt know how to get there when understanding my thoughts hasnāt made them easier to handle. nobody knows i feel this way and am struggling, and another reason i also isolate myself is because itās mentally draining for me to suppress these thoughts when i have to act like im completely fine.
i tried my best describing my situation but i know there are many details missing that i canāt think of right now bcs these are already a lot of thoughts i had to squeeze out of myself, since itās not easy for me to explain many aspects of my mental health since im still figuring it out and canāt explain everything.
does anyone have advice for me?