Honey, I made it to 36 having occasional wild crying jags, and my life is pretty great. I still cry hysterically sometimes. It’s a hard thing to go through, but also, it’s no big deal in a way.

Your post made me smile, because it’s so exactly what it’s like to have this kind of attack. Is it like this? Is it like that? Am I making it worse? Are people secretly good to me I just don’t see it? Do I need X? Do I need Y? I can’t figure it out!

No **** you can’t figure it out. Your brain is in a state of panic, which is making it hard to think clearly. But the good news is that you don’t need to figure it out. If you’ve got any meditation experience or calming exercises or stuff like that, this is a good time for that. It’s also OK to just say “**** it” and watch cartoons all day and try again tomorrow.

Try to see this as an attack of some kind, like, a crisis that comes and goes. The reason they come is that there are underlying issues, of course. You’re having a hard time in college/making friends/being young/being human. Dude, that stuff is hard. I agree with Peppermint that it might be useful to talk to a professional about that stuff. But it’s important to recognise that that hysterical version of you isn’t “how bad it really is” or a sign you’re truly losing your mind or anything like that. It’s just a sign that you’re under pressure, and it’s not always easy to handle. That’s OK.

You highlight some good signs, you’re opening up to a friend, you have happy days. That’s great. That really counts. Having a fit does not mean your good days don’t count. It just means you’ll have to wait a while to catch the next wave. Wild fluxes will happen on the way to being happier. It’s normal.

Hope you’re feeling a little calmer. Post again with anything you want to say.