--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For years my life alternated between…" description: "\"For years my life alternated between depression and acute anxiety. One night I woke up in a state of dread and intense fear, more intense than I had ev..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/eckhart-tolle-81_anxiety_for-years-my-life-alternated-between-dep_1048760.jpg" --- # For years my life alternated between depression and acute… ![“For years my life alternated between depression and acute anxiety. One night I woke up in a state of dread and intense fear, more intense than I had ever experienced before. Life seemed meaningless, barren, hostile. It became so unbearable that suddenly the thought came into my mind, I cannot live…” quote by Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/eckhart-tolle-81_anxiety_for-years-my-life-alternated-between-dep_1048760.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/eckhart-tolle-81_anxiety_for-years-my-life-alternated-between-dep_1048760.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/eckhart-tolle-81_anxiety_for-years-my-life-alternated-between-dep_1048760.jpg) > “For years my life alternated between depression and acute anxiety. One night I woke up in a state of dread and intense fear, more intense than I had ever experienced before. Life seemed meaningless, barren, hostile. It became so unbearable that suddenly the thought came into my mind, I cannot live with myself any longer.” [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker describes a period of severe depression and anxiety, feeling life is meaningless and contemplating self‑destruction. **In simple terms:** Severe mental distress leads to thoughts of ending life. Key Takeaway Seek help and support. Themes mental health despair existential crisis Mood somber urgent Type personal cautionary When to use this quote - therapy sessions - crisis hot - support groups Key Concepts psychology mindfulness Questions to Reflect On - What coping strategies help during crises? - How can others offer support? A Different Perspective May trigger distress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acute Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acute-anxiety-2494766/) [Alternated Depression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alternated-depression-2494768/) [Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Barren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/barren/) [Depression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depression/) [Depression Acute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depression-acute-2494767/) [Dread](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dread/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Hostile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hostile/) [Intense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intense/) [Intense Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intense-fear-558409/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Meaningless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaningless/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [One night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-night/) [States](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/states/) [Unbearable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unbearable/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [Intense fear comes in waves; the body can't stand it for long at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-harris/intense-fear-comes-in-waves-the-body-can-t-stand-it-for-long-at-a-time/) [Thomas Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-harris/) > [“When a person is faced with intense fear or sheer horror, they show their strength not by trying to be though, but by recovering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-mol/when-a-person-is-faced-with-intense-fear-or-sheer-horror-they-show/) [Maurice Mol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-mol/) > [“To avoid having to live in a state of such painful, intense fear, many women will begin to do some very complex psychological maneuvers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/to-avoid-having-to-live-in-a-state-of-such-painful-intense-fear-many/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) > [When I was a child, I had an intense fear of going to prison. I wasn't on the run or anything - my crimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-pascoe/when-i-was-a-child-i-had-an-intense-fear-of-going-to-prison-i-wasn-t/) [Sara Pascoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-pascoe/) > [“Fear is the oldest and strongest emotion known to man, something deeply inscribed in our nervous system and subconscious. Over time, however, something strange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/fear-is-the-oldest-and-strongest-emotion-known-to-man-something/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [“Saw the intense fear in his eyes. But my heart was gone. It had left the moment I saw his signature.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-richardson/saw-the-intense-fear-in-his-eyes-but-my-heart-was-gone-it-had-left/) [Angela Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-richardson/) > [All political and religious systems have their root and their strength in the innate conservatism of the human mind, and its intense fear of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-la-follette/all-political-and-religious-systems-have-their-root-and-their/) [Suzanne La Follette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-la-follette/) > [I had often thought that if I managed to live through the war I wouldn't expect too much of life. How could one resent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-sajer/i-had-often-thought-that-if-i-managed-to-live-through-the-war-i/) [Guy Sajer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-sajer/) > [This overwhelming desire to be close to you directly conflicts with my intense fear of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-gordon-levitt/this-overwhelming-desire-to-be-close-to-you-directly-conflicts-with/) [Joseph Gordon-Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-gordon-levitt/) > [“It is sad to me how intense fear frosts my happiest moments. This is a trend in my life due to years of losing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teal-swan/it-is-sad-to-me-how-intense-fear-frosts-my-happiest-moments-this-is-a/) [Teal Swan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teal-swan/) > [There's no love more intense than the love we have for our kids-and where there is intense love, there is also intense fear lurking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/there-s-no-love-more-intense-than-the-love-we-have-for-our-kids-and/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [I was deeply identified with a very unhappy, egoic entity I believed was "me." For years I lived in depression and continuous anxiety. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/i-was-deeply-identified-with-a-very-unhappy-egoic-entity-i-believed/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [One night I couldn't sleep and I was up and just Googling random stuff and I'm like, 'Hmmm, PETA.' I saw all the videos…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellie-pickler/one-night-i-couldn-t-sleep-and-i-was-up-and-just-googling-random/) [Kellie Pickler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellie-pickler/) > [No, I was never that kind of guy. I believed in true romance; one-night stands are always going to leave you feeling cold and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/channing-tatum/no-i-was-never-that-kind-of-guy-i-believed-in-true-romance-one-night/) [Channing Tatum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/channing-tatum/) > [We have a thriving subculture of 'independent' American movies that makes an impact on America as a whole roughly equivalent to that of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-jay-epstein/we-have-a-thriving-subculture-of-independent-american-movies-that/) [Edward Jay Epstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-jay-epstein/) ## More by Eckhart Tolle > [“The voice in the head that never stops speaking becomes a civilization that is obsessed with form and therefore knows nothing of the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/the-voice-in-the-head-that-never-stops-speaking-becomes-a/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Thinking, or more precisely identification with thinking, gives rise to and maintains the ego, which, in our Western society in particular, is out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/thinking-or-more-precisely-identification-with-thinking-gives-rise-to/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“A powerful spiritual practice is consciously to allow the diminishment of ego when it happens without attempting to restore it. I recommend that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/a-powerful-spiritual-practice-is-consciously-to-allow-the/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [To become aware of the subtlety of nature you need to be alert. The moment you become alert you become still... thinking subsides. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/to-become-aware-of-the-subtlety-of-nature-you-need-to-be-alert-the/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [When you are not honoring the present moment by allowing it to be, you are creating drama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/when-you-are-not-honoring-the-present-moment-by-allowing-it-to-be-you/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [On a deeper level you are already complete. When you realize that, there is a joyous energy behind what you do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/on-a-deeper-level-you-are-already-complete-when-you-realize-that/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Life will give you whatever experience is most helpful for the evolution of your consciousness. How do you know this is the experience you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/life-will-give-you-whatever-experience-is-most-helpful-for-the/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [You may not yet be able to bring your unconscious mind activity into awareness as thoughts, but it will always be reflected in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/you-may-not-yet-be-able-to-bring-your-unconscious-mind-activity-into/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“War is a mind-set, and all action that comes out of such a mind-set will either strengthen the enemy, the perceived evil, or, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/war-is-a-mind-set-and-all-action-that-comes-out-of-such-a-mind-set/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Whenever you step out of the noise of thinking, that is meditation, and a different state of consciousness arises.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/whenever-you-step-out-of-the-noise-of-thinking-that-is-meditation-and/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Get the inside right, and the outside will take care of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/get-the-inside-right-and-the-outside-will-take-care-of-itself/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [It is very hard to tell when I started to be a spiritual teacher. There was a time when occasionally somebody would come and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/it-is-very-hard-to-tell-when-i-started-to-be-a-spiritual-teacher/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Most people spend their entire life imprisoned within the confines of their own thoughts. They never go beyond a narrow, mind-made, personalized sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/most-people-spend-their-entire-life-imprisoned-within-the-confines-of/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Let the end of the world be inside you, then you don't need to fear the end of the world out there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/let-the-end-of-the-world-be-inside-you-then-you-don-t-need-to-fear/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [“Jeste li zabrinuti? Razmišljate li često: »Što bi bilo da sam...?« To znači da ste se poistovjetili s umom, koji se projicira u neku…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/jeste-li-zabrinuti-razmi-ljate-li-esto-to-bi-bilo-da-sam-to-zna-i-da/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) [Explore all 1,493 Eckhart Tolle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) ## More Anxiety quotes > [“Anything that you find yourself worrying about regularly may find you suddenly wanting unrealistic changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nagisa-tatsumi/anything-that-you-find-yourself-worrying-about-regularly-may-find-you/) [Nagisa Tatsumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nagisa-tatsumi/) > [Bein Crazy is the least of my worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kerouac/bein-crazy-is-the-least-of-my-worries/) [Jack Kerouac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kerouac/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [“Fear of seeing a police car pull into the drive. Fear of falling asleep at night. Fear of not falling asleep. Fear of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-carver/fear-of-seeing-a-police-car-pull-into-the-drive-fear-of-falling/) [Raymond Carver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-carver/) > [I get nervous when I don't get nervous. If I'm nervous I know I'm going to have a good show.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beyonce-knowles/i-get-nervous-when-i-don-t-get-nervous-if-i-m-nervous-i-know-i-m/) [Beyonce Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beyonce-knowles/) > [“Every invention comes through anxiousness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rakesh-wadhwani/every-invention-comes-through-anxiousness/) [Rakesh Wadhwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rakesh-wadhwani/) > [“Do Not Be Anxious 25 e “Therefore I tell you,  f do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/do-not-be-anxious-25-e-therefore-i-tell-you-f-do-not-be-anxious-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Nothing happens on its own, you have to make things happen. If you really want to come out of your stressful situation than you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/subodh-gupta/nothing-happens-on-its-own-you-have-to-make-things-happen-if-you/) [Subodh Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/subodh-gupta/) > [“I guess if we're talking about my anxiety, the even truthier truth is it started way before that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-winfrey/i-guess-if-we-re-talking-about-my-anxiety-the-even-truthier-truth-is/) [Kerry Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-winfrey/) > [I was a very good student. Procrastinating gives me anxiety, and getting a B really ticked me off. Sure, I didn't always want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josie-loren/i-was-a-very-good-student-procrastinating-gives-me-anxiety-and/) [Josie Loren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josie-loren/) > [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [The party in Alobar’s head, which agitation and anxiety were throwing, now was crashed by a notion: existence can be rearranged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/the-party-in-alobar-s-head-which-agitation-and-anxiety-were-throwing/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [As you know, I have been very open about my struggle with social anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-walker/as-you-know-i-have-been-very-open-about-my-struggle-with-social/) [Summer Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-walker/) > [Anxiety is not to be managed it is a sin that needs to be repented of](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-driscoll/anxiety-is-not-to-be-managed-it-is-a-sin-that-needs-to-be-repented-of/) [Mark Driscoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-driscoll/) > [“I’ve always seen this in you, ever since you were a little girl — this hunger to love other people into their highest selves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-elisabeth/i-ve-always-seen-this-in-you-ever-since-you-were-a-little-girl-this/) [Jennifer Elisabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-elisabeth/) [Browse all 4,944 Anxiety quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For years my life alternated between depression and acute anxiety. One night I woke up in a state of dread and intense fear, more intense than I had ever experienced before. Life seemed meaningless, barren, hostile. It became so unbearable that suddenly the thought came into my mind, I cannot live with myself any longer.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eckhart Tolle" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/for-years-my-life-alternated-between-depression-and-acute-anxiety-one/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Anxiety" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/for-years-my-life-alternated-between-depression-and-acute-anxiety-one/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/eckhart-tolle-81_anxiety_for-years-my-life-alternated-between-dep_1048760.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/eckhart-tolle-81_anxiety_for-years-my-life-alternated-between-dep_1048760.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/170/eckhart-tolle-81_anxiety_for-years-my-life-alternated-between-dep_1048760.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“For years my life alternated between depression and acute anxiety. One night I woke up in a state of dread…” — Eckhart Tolle", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Eckhart Tolle", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "For years my life alternated between...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/for-years-my-life-alternated-between-depression-and-acute-anxiety-one/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/for-years-my-life-alternated-between-depression-and-acute-anxiety-one/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```