so, I have recently been going through what feels like a mid-life crisis.. however, since I am only in my mid-20s, quarter life crisis seems more appropriate..
feeling like I have no real direction in life, that the things I try and do end up in failure, that my best days are behind me, etc..


So my question to those who have gone through a similar point in their lives is simple:

what did you do to help get past this dark point in your life?

Honestly, do something else. I pretty much stopped at nothing to get into school and change my situation. I'd recommend fighting like mad. Also, therapists are good.

Sounds like a normal situation to me.
Becoming an advlt can be scary and uncomfortable. You'll learn a lot from the experience, and in another 5 years go through it again.

What works for one person may not work for others. Just try to be honest with yourself, and hopefully your loved ones will help you if you struggle.

To use a cliche, life truly is a rollercoaster.

Its fairly normal for someone your age, I just had to go through that with my fiance seeing as how she turned 21 this September. Unfortunately I didn't get to see it through with her, but all I can say is everyone goes through this and everyone makes it through it. I can't tell you what I did unless you plan on enlisting in the Russian military and being ass deep in conflict, I didn't have time to worry about life because I was just trying to keep mine from expiring. But I know hundreds of people that got through it and I'm sure someone on these forums can help you more than I did.

I didn't do anything. Which was a bad mistake as I burnt out a few years later. What I should have done was spend more time figuring out what I wanted and less time doing what others expected of me, and certainly spent less time in the office and travelling there and back.

I started competing in kickboxing and got a small two door convertible. I don't know if that was the solution, but I feel pretty great, 6 years later.

is there some thing or some one that when you do or spend time with that makes you not hate yourself or just in general makes you stop thinking about your self and all the self criticism. spend more time with or doing those people and things.

Just wait til you have a baby, then you will yearn for life to be as it is now.

Best days behind you? It's all relative. In my early twenties I went clubbing a lot and getting drunk a lot. I had lots of excess money that I could spend on whatever I liked and I could sleep with anyone without consequence. They were awful. I enjoyed them at the time, sure, but now life really is progressing at an astronomical rate and I have zero desire to go backpacking round South America or go out drinking until 5am and make an idiot of myself. Now I'd rather spend quality time with people I care about. If I go out drinking, it'll be one or two drinks with my brother or a close friend. I have no desire to sleep with anyone but my wife. My career is progressing nicely but my new baby is my focus now.

These are my best days, I'd say. So far. That's the key, really, isn't it? Those two words, "so far". I can't wait until I retire. I think those will be the best of all days.

How about some perspective - what made those days you currently yearn for so much better than what you have now?

I went through my own 'mid-life crisis' when I was 27. For the first time it really hit me that I was getting older. I got into this habit of starting every other sentence with, "Back when I was young..." I must have said it twenty times a day: "Back when I was young...Back when I was young..."

Finally, the woman I was dating at the time had enough. She stopped me in mid-sentence and corrected me: "You mean, 'Back when you were YOUNGER?'"

That was the verbal slap in the face that I needed. I dropped my self-pity. After that, I stopped thinking about what was behind me and started thinking about what was ahead of me.

I went through something like that a few months back, i just stuck it out and now everything ever seems to be going right for me.

The best thing to do is just make the best of it and things will eventually start to seem better.

Sounds awfully like me. My wife knew me back in my mid twenties, when I was less saviory type. I did everything I could to avoid commitment. Life had no meaning what so ever. When I was 27 I had a bad break up with an ex and was drifting for around 6 months in a haze. I reconnected with my soon to be wife and had our first child a year later. Still wasn't quite sure where life was going or if I wanted this life. After my second daughter was born it all clicked. You ask any of my friends that are still around and my wife and they will tell you what a completely changed human I am. A little direction and a lot of humility and I never thought I could truly love something as much as I love my daughters.
Basically you need to find what drives you. You may not even know what it is but don't be afraid to do something completely different from what you are used to or even afraid of. Whether its just a change of scenery or lifestyle, do something different.

The only thing that drives me is pushing on through this life and to my eventual death. And the only thing I strongly look forward to is retiring from my current employer for that is where my salvation will come from.

One's success in life does not mean another will obtain the same. I really wish I was wrong about that, but there you have it.