Should I be depressed?

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jul 17, 2014

It's not a matter of should you be depressed, but ARE you depressed.

Many of us have traveled off the beaten path to get to our ultimate goals; you must run your own race in deciding what is best for YOU.

I was on a twelve-year plan when I finished my BSN, and I don't regret it. :no:

Best wishes.

pmabraham, BSN, RN · Jul 17, 2014

Good day, nursingstudent018:

You can choose to live in your past or in the present which is a gift. Do check with your doctor or naturopath as neutransmitters being out of sorts can impact depression. Do consider counseling. It is ok to be depressed; but it's never healthy to stay in that spot (and a lot of times we need help getting out of that spot).

Thank you.

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Jul 17, 2014

SNAP OUT OF IT! There's absolutely nothing you can do about the past except learn from it so you don't make the same mistakes over and over again. You made some bad decisions and now you're dealing with the consequences. It's not the end of the world. It's OK to be sad & have a (time limited) Pity Party if you need one but then you need to pick yourself up and just get on with it. Successfully dealing with adversity will help you become resilient. There is a ton of evidence that resilient people live longer, healthier & happier lives.

So - from the perspective of an 'old'. . . no one can get entirely through life without doing some dumb things. If you're lucky, you get those out of the way when you're young with plenty of time and energy to re-group. It's much worse to do dumb things when you're middle aged... more to lose, more serious consequences.

In five years, you'll be rocking along in your successful nursing career - looking back on this phase of your life and shaking your head... "what in the world was I thinking?". Just hide/delete all the incriminating pictures on your timeline.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Jul 17, 2014

I did not even start nursing school till age 45 and eventually finished grad school. We are talking about your life, not your friends. Maybe you need counseling on why you feel depressed?

jennyincze · Jul 17, 2014

In my personal opinion I would recommend you seek out a counselor who can better assess your depression.

As of starting nursing school I am in a similar situation. I graduated from high school and with my AA in elementary education in 2009. I was 18. I went to school for 1 semester to pursue my BA in elementary education and dropped my classes due to being uninterested... I got Fs in my classes that semester because it was after the drop date. I then owed the money back for financial aid, which I didn't have, so I quit.

I returned to school with the help of my mom (she paid 1300 to pay off what I owed) and enrolled in nursing prerequisites. I became pregnant during this semester (2012). I was doing well until I found my daughter would be born with a fatal birth defect, congenital diaphragmatic hernia. As I tried to juggle classes, OB appointments, pediatric surgery and pediatric cardiology appointments I started to fall behind. I dropped my classes so I would not make Fs again.

My daughter passed away at 6 days old and this is what kick started my drive to get back into school. I now want to be a neonatal nurse practitioner. My cumulative gpa is only 2.55 but my nursing prerequisite goa is a 4.0! I start my nursing core classes in September. I am now 23 and will be turning 24 after two weeks into the program.

When we graduate in December of 2015 I will be 25. I will go on with my BSN and graduate at 26 ( I only have 4-5 semesters because of my previous AA) and then I will try to get into UFs neonatal nurse practitioner program. Which could take some time because I need to gain NICU experience. But even if I get Into the NNP program at 26-27 I will be at least 30-31, maybe even 32... most likely when I am all done with their DNP program.

My advice to your is to find your driving force and never give up. I get discouraged one minute but then look at my daughters picture and think how I can make an impact in the NICU, to the tiny patients and to their families.

Good luck!!! You will do just fine **hugs**

mgfam · Jul 17, 2014

I graduated in this year while I was 30 and this is my first degree. I had several jobs during my 20s. Never get depressed because you look backward, or compare your peers that feel you are less successful than them. At least, please look forward, and see how wonderful your future will be, and you should be glad that you have made your right decision not during your 40s.

aeris99 · Jul 17, 2014

I dropped out of high school at 16. Had two kids at 19 and 24. Went back for my GED at 26 and got my LNA license. Enrolled in college at 30. Accepted into both a 2 year ADN and then a 4 yr BSN program. I'll be 36 when I finish.

I've made some really, really bad choices in the past. I did seek out counseling, built a support system, and did my best to learn from my mistakes.

You can do the same! Get some help. Assess your chosen path and decide where to go from here. I can not stress enough how much counseling did for me. I've struggled with anxiety, depression and ADD since I was a kid. Getting perspective on it and help to work around my weaknesses has made all the difference. You can do it too! ((Hugs))

laKrugRN · Jul 17, 2014

It's never too late to do the right thing. All that matters is you are on the path to your goals NOW. Learn from those mistakes, and hey be thankful you had crazy party years so someday you won't look back and wish you had done something crazy. You had your fun, and now you'll have your degree. You'll get the best of both worlds.

elkpark · Jul 17, 2014

I had a similar background, started nursing school at 25 yo and started grad school (nursing) in my mid-30s. So I was a "late bloomer," so what??? I made some dumb decisions when I was younger, but all of that just becomes a "blip on the radar" as time goes on. It's what you do going forward that counts.

Best wishes!

lmnop9999 · Jul 17, 2014

I'm in the same boat as you. I am 24 and partied my way through undergrad with NO worries about the future. I graduated, realized that I f*cked up and wanted to go to PA school but realized how competitive it was. Took my nursing prerequisites and did great, and am HOPEFULLY starting my ABSN this spring or next fall. I was soooooo depressed/ashamed this past year because a lot of my friends are graduating with their masters, or are already nurses and starting NP school. I look back and literally have no idea what I was thinking throughout college, but I am extremely grateful and happy that I realized it when I did. I also may have never discovered my passion for healthcare if I didn't screw up before. Everyone has their own path in life, and in 5-10 years you will be a nurse/NP and this will all seem silly. Even though you feel old, 26 is EXTREMELY young. Some people go their whole lives without any direction, and spend their 20's working dead end jobs just to make money, so you are on the right path. These are the things that I try to think about when I start getting mad at myself for making bad decisions in the past :)

mrsboots87 · Jul 17, 2014

This is not meant to be rude, but REALLY? you re 26, and the few others who are depressed about when they were "younger" are still pretty darn young t be so worried about life. It's not like you will die at 50 and have only half your life left. You made mistakes, it sucks, stop living in the past, and look at the future. What matters is that you are on the right track now. You didn't even really make mistakes. You were living your life and enjoying the freedom of being young and having fun. Theres nothing wrong with that. There is no rule stating everyone must be starting their career by 25. Would it be nice, sure. But also think about all the things your friends missed out on because they were studying. Nothing wrong with pursuing education at a young age, but it does not make them better and there is no reason to feel down about yourself. The simple fact is that your friends took a different path. Everybody does. Theirs led them to careers at a younger age to have fun later, yours led to fun first career later. I didn't start nursing school until 26. (am currently about to go into block II). I have friends who are already graduated with a few years of their career life under their belt. I chose to have fun, go on adventures, then start a family, then go to school.

If you are seriously very upset by this, then I suggest you see a counselor. There is nothing wrong with seeking help when you cant help but feel depressed. Depression is easy to fall into and hard to get out of.