I thought I was over it, but I'm not, and I'm sad about it

[Bannanachair]

Three years ago, in early 2016, my dog died. It was a preventable thing, at the very least, and I strongly feel that she was murdered by the vet who was meant to be looking after her (she had nearly recovered from a minor infection and I planned on picking her up after that weekend, then I found out that an hour later she had passed away - there was definitely foul play). It fucked with me for a long time, but I thought that, at long last, I was over it - even if it took me a year or so, I hadn't been brought to tears over it in almost a year by now. Then, just now, I found an old photograph of her when she was a few-months-old puppy and I was eight years old, and I realized that she never got an opportunity to be eight years old, having had her life cut short halfway through it, and now I'm barely stopping myself from crying.

It was three years ago this past February when she died and it still brings me to fucking tears. I can't fucking stand it. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to get over something like this? I've tried other dogs, but they're just not the same. I've moved houses four times since then, once literally across the entire world, and it still gets me. This is absolutely fucking miserable. I feel better than this most of the time, but sometimes I can't right now I'm just really fucking sad and I absolutely hate this.

The reason for the ambiguity in the title is that the reasons for the emotion aren't the problem anymore, the emotion is. I need advice for how to deal with this chronic sadness that keeps coming back.

[happysupercooldude99]

I'm afraid that sort of thing is normal. My cats died around late 2017 and thinking too much about them brings me to sadness; to think that their lives were cut so short.

There's nothing wrong with being sad about something as long as it doesn't obstruct your day-to-day activities too much. Being sad about your dog could last for many more years if you bottle it up, or you could get over it tomorrow. The point is, being sad gets it out of your system, like when you've ranted about something that makes you angry and afterwards, you've forgotten the whole thing.

My advice is just to be sad. Before long, you'll know that she's at peace now, and that you can always cherish the good memories you have of her.

[Bannanachair]

Thanks, man. The feelings come and go.