[–] 20630173? 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
If you're searching for happiness, but can't define exactly what will make you happy, stop searching. It may be right under your nose but you won't recognize it.
When searching for happiness, look inward. When you find happiness within yourself, independent of all others, you'll own it. No one can take it away from you, ever.
Tend to your own needs first. Ignore things that cause frustration, anger, and pain. Find a hobby. Do things you used to do that made you feel good. Express yourself with art, drawing, painting, or music. There are tons of tutorials on YouTube and they're all free.
Don't wait for others to bring happiness back into your life. Only you can do what needs to be done. Own it, forever. Depression is about the past, anxiety is about the future. Live in the now. Find one little thing each day that makes you smile. YouTube is full of meaningless videos that'll make you laugh.
Letting go of the past isn't about forgetting the past, it's about changing the way you think and feel about the past, and only you can change the way you think and feel. Anxiety about the future is a wasted emotion, wasted energy, and wasted time. You can't predict the future, it will never happen exactly as you imagine it, so live in the now, let the future come to you, and deal with it when it arrives.
I'm not a trained therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist. I'm a survivor. I struggled with depression for most of my life. It started gradually. Depression sneaks up on you slowly until it totally destroys your life. Don't expect it to go away overnight. It takes a while, but it can be done. I know because I did it.
Fifteen years ago I was consumed with thoughts of suicide. I had lost the will to live. I was depressed because I was poor and alone. Women aren't interested in men who are poor. I predicted my future as being poor, marginally employed if at all, and alone for the rest of my life. Then I began to change the way I thought and felt about those things, and it worked.
I'm still poor, but I'm making ends meet. I'm still single, but I don't have anyone looking over my shoulder, second guessing every decision I make. I've been single long enough that I don't know if I would even get any good sleep if sone one else was in my bed. I found happiness within myself, and I own it.
I play my guitars every day, just for the fun of it. I play with a 3D modeling application, Blender, (it's amazing and it's free) and I'm learning to create 3D digital models and video game assets. I don't expect to make a living at it, but it stimulates the gray matter and keeps my mind off of other negative things.
I'm not so happy that I'm bouncing off the walls, but I'm content with who and what I am. You can do the same. Hang in there, find help, don't take psychotropic drugs, they don't work. You'll never find happiness at the bottom of a pill bottle. Don't give up, happiness is waiting for you.
[–] [deleted] 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
[–] 20629750? 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
All the loving and kind encouragement here is helping me soldier on as I hope it's helping you too, Anon. We're all connected and your sadness is ours and your finding the strength to carry on whether you stay on Voat or follow Q lifts all of us too. I am so sorry the path is so, so hard, You are on the Hero's journey and we are all praying and with you as you travel with us. God bless!
I've been there, but it does get better. Try to find a Meetup group in your area with people who share some interests. You can find game nights, pub crawls, outdoor activities. When I moved to a new city and didn't know anyone it really made a difference. Good luck, hang in there and know that good things are really about to happen. Q is real and Trump is leading us to a much better world. And to be honest, weed might really help your mood. If you are in a place where you can buy it.
[–] 20630193? ago
oh is it that time of month again? We get one of these posts roughly that often.