I've been struggling with anxiety, depression, and ADHD for the last three years, and I'm genuinely trying to improve myself, but I feel stuck in the same cycle.
I'm preparing for an entrance exam, but I haven't been able to clear it, not because I never try, but because I can never stay consistent. I study properly for weeks or months, and then one small mistake happens. Maybe I miss a day or fall slightly behind, and suddenly the guilt and pressure take over. I start thinking about all the time I've already wasted, and then I stop studying completely for days until I somehow get motivated again.
It's always all or nothing for me. Either I put extreme pressure on myself, or I don't study at all. If I isolate myself, I eventually get lonely and burned out. If I don't isolate myself, I get distracted. Either way, I end up falling behind.
My exams start tomorrow, and honestly, I'm not prepared again. I studied for a month, then my mental health crashed and I couldn't continue. I'll give this attempt as practice, but I know I probably won't clear it.
My next attempt is in January, and I'm posting this because I want to hold myself accountable. I've promised myself for three years that this time will be different, but I've always fallen back into the same cycle. Still, I want to genuinely try again and hopefully come back here in January saying that I finally cleared it.
But how do you learn to accept disappointment without completely giving up? How do you stop one bad day or one mistake from turning into a week of not studying?
If anyone has escaped this all-or-nothing, guilt → avoidance → more guilt cycle, please tell me what actually helped you.