Where am I supposed to get this van from?

I don't need to take drugs to suffer from depression and apathy. I've had that one for free since before 2nd grade.

I just had a chat about drugs with my son this week.

It always bothered me that I was told "Drugs are bad, mmmkay?" but when I met some stoners that weren't living in a van down by the river, it made me wonder what else they had lied to me about, and I disregarded EVERYTHING they warned me about. Got in a little trouble, but just enough to learn from, and I've kept my shit together. I've also seen other's lives fall apart.

So, I was open and honest with him. I told him to be smart. Remember that alcohol makes you act without thinking, and pot makes you think without action. Set rules for yourself so when your mind is altered, you don't need to rely on it in tough situations. Everybody's drunk and wants to go for a ride? Don't get in that car. You will want to act without thinking, so remember your rule. You have a big paper due on Monday? Don't smoke until it's done, because you won't get more creative, you'll just not do it.

And I told him that there are lines he shouldn't cross. Meth, opiates, and cigarettes. I told him about a friend who's been hooked on meth for years and how she's ruined the lives of everyone she interacts with. And cigarettes don't really fit in with the rest of that list, but he knows I'm a slave to the things, and I told him how I went from the only non-smoker in the group to over a pack a day for the past 20 years.

I hope he was listening, and respects my honesty enough to stay safe, happy and successful.

Jokes on those people, now people live in vans on purpose (and I definitely can't afford one).

People vastly underestimate the influence of chronic illness when it comes to adverse living situations

When you're struggling to be productive and work due to health reasons, society treats you like trash, and often won't give you the support you need. And this is a lot more common than people are willing to admit

Dude that apathy is no joke...

Kind of at that point right now. Everything seemed to be looking up in life, right on the cusp of everything going great, debt coming under control, future looking bright. Then just as my gf was finishing up nursing school, she breaks up with me, essentially says she’d been using me for the last year or two to make ends meet until she graduated. Everything I’d been thinking about was our future together, now none of that means anything. We have a kid together, so we still have to interact, but she treats me like a stranger now. Life just feels meaningless, it’s made the election easier because I honestly don’t care if everything burns down now.

Is "don't suffer major depression" supposed to be useful advice?

Yeah but like, if you're feeling depressed, have you tried feeling happy instead? Durr! /s

I think you never heard your suggestion growing up is because there are many that had no choices or ways to avoid major depression.

Doing drugs, and not going to college are active choices that people can make. Bodily and environmental chemistry as well as genetics can be causes as well as formative years being abused or neglected can certainly lead to major depression. This says nothing of what life throws as us assuming you make it through childhood okay. Those aren't things that a person can choose to avoid to avoid major depression.

That's how I was with smoking. I tried a hit and it felt gross, but one day we were drunk and I tried a friend's clove cigarette. Cloves, for anyone who doesn't know, numb your throat and mouth, so I didn't get any of those terrible sensations but I got one hell of a head rush. It turned into bumming smokes while drinking, to buying a pack for the weekend, to switching to camels, to full blown smoker.

dont suffer major depression

wow thanks im cured /s

How would that advice be useful?

Username checks out.