Have you ever hit bottom, philosophically speaking?

Question:A few times. But then you realize that philosophy has no bottom.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: A few times. But then you realize that philosophy has no bottom.

I've had low points, sure, but since it could always have been worse, I've never hit absolute bottom.

I'm not sure, I have come close I believe. When I had so little self esteem I couldn't stand to look at my face in the mirror.

But I think if I had hit rock bottom I would have done something more drastic - started self harming, attempted suicide, turned to alcohol or drugs. So, strictly speaking I'd say no. But I have often wondered if I just have a better coping mechanism than some of my more...volatile friends that has enabled me to remain calm even when I feel awful.

Philosophically speaking, i think i probably hit bottom when i started going to church, because i opted not to think philosophically in order to preserve my faith, rightly or wrongly. This was a big mistake, because it led me to feel depersonalised and cut off from my own truth.

I lost my sense of humor for a while in prison. Does that count?

peace and love

Yes, I have. I had a huge existential crisis, though I eventually got over it. It is all a matter of what path you chose in life. People who have existential crises usually have not found their path in life. I chose the agnostic path. If you are depressed, look at your beliefs, sit down, and think. Therapy helps as well.

Everyone has low points in their lives. If you think about it, that has to be true because if there were no low points there couldn't be any points above them.

My low point was in my senior year in college. I was working on my BS in chemistry and I realized that I would make a terrible chemist. I was very clumsy and clumsy chemist don't live very long. I had invested all of my energy up to that point in my life in that goal and it wasn't until my senior year that I realized it would always be out of my reach.

I dropped out of school, lived a sort of bohemian life for a year before I got sucked into the military during the Vietnam war, 1965, and eventually ended up as a computer programmer. I became a pretty good computer programmer. I considered myself successful with a career of 36 years before I retired. Married and raised three kids, who have all gotten college degrees and have successful lives now. One is a airline pilot, the second is a Ph.D. candidate at a prestigious university, and the third is a top notch computer programmer.

The key to dealing with my low point was in not expecting any quick solution to my problem. You have to give yourself space and time to resolve the issues. That may be hard for your parents to understand. The main thing to think about is what goals have you set up for yourself that are not realistic and what goals can you substitute that are realistic and also would make you feel like a worthwhile person.

Ironically, now that I'm retired I'm a graduate student in the philosophy department of a local university. Philosophically speaking, I am enjoying life, studying the philosophy of science and cognitive sciences.

Yes, but when I realized that God was all I had, I realized that He is all I need.

I haven't, cos I keep on falling..

Hitting bottom's just the beginning of the next fall, so one'll never really hit the bottom at all.