7
There's a meme in Norway for this where professionals always ask "did you try hiking?"
Seriously though did you try hiking? There are no problems in the back country. Or people.
Ain’t a bad idea.
Round about 10 years ago I lived alone in a little cabin in the woods. I didn’t have much in the way of money, didn’t need much of it either. Wood stove, books from the library for entertainment.
Shit, I was way calmer and happier when I lived in the woods.
See a professional, seriously, because this sounds like textbook early depression.
Sadly, I saw 3 different professionals, it does not work.
I was expecting that they won't have a magic phrase to say and solve my issues before I go to them and I partially went due to the advice of the people around me.
After going and finding out myself, I can confirm that I was right.
Therapy takes work, my friend. Professionals can't help you unless you want help and are willing to work toward change. If you're expecting some external factor to "fix it for you," you're going to be disappointed
Therapy isn't geared towards men who don't know how to put their expressions into words. It's geared towards women. Many professional therapists agree that Therapy is not suitable for all men. Therapy is W.E.I.R.D. Designed around White, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic. It's only one tiny slice of the pie when it comes to human emotions, expression, and the science of psychology - which makes psychology -- at best -- a pseudoscience.
As a (male) psychotherapist, I really have to disagree with you on all counts. A common goal in psychotherapy is to learn how to recognize and describe your internal experience. Lots of people struggle with this, men and women. Every single person walks into therapy with a different set of circumstances and a different set of objectives, and I've never once heard a single psychotherapist say "therapy is not suitable for all men." That doesn't make sense.
Anecdotally, it is true that men seem less likely to approach therapy with willingness. This is a trend I've noticed, and is by no means a rule. What this demonstrates is a difference in socialization and acculturation between genders, so that men and women tend to "start" psychotherapy in different places in regards to social/emotional development. But psychotherapy as a discipline is absolutely not geared toward women over men.
This is sexist af
If you think me pointing out that therapy isn't designed around how men operate somehow makes ME sexist, you need to step back and evaluate yourself.
Why'd you respond to this guy and not me, who posted a long, professional response ten hours before him? Btw, I agree your take is sexist, because you're basing your view on stereotypes of men and not on any evidence.
Therapy is a vehicle, and you are the driver. You're only going to move forward if you drive.
That being said, finding a therapist you work well with is hard, and, in my experience, takes quite a few tries before finding someone with whom you are comfortable.
My suggestion is to find someone who specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and literally read this post to them. I've had luck using Alma to find a therapist (in the US).
I genuinely hope you are able to work through this - I've been there, as have many people. You can do this, and you're not alone
Whether it's through professionals IRL or strangers on the Internet, it'll require effort on your part. You're going to have to want to be an active participant and willing to work on yourself. It will be a process, not a single event.
What does "work on yourself" mean in this context?
Changing habits, thought patterns etc. A therapist can't do that for you, that's something you have to do yourself thus "work on yourself"
I am tired from people who talk in wide way that can be applied everywhere and would result in nothing.
To add to this, I was following therapist orders, it did nothing.
That is actually is kind of what I meant when I said that I assumed that they don't have a magic pharse, meaning that they their orders and pills sadly did not work and I was right in the sense that they were unable to solve my issues as I expected.
This question is way above Lemmy's pay grade. I hope your situation gets better. People are right in saying that if self-help fails then it's time to give professional help another chance if that's accessible for you.
I do listen to a lot of podcasts and have recently heard something relevant from an expert in the field:
The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos: How to Find Your Purpose
Episode webpage: https://omny.fm/shows/the-happiness-lab-with-dr-laurie-santos/how-to-find-your-purpose
Your post history also indicates that you're routinely steeped in the worst doom news that social media serves up. It seems like it would be worth taking a break from consuming this material and find alternative ways to spend your time.
Change your name and/or pronouns. Half joking, a lot of us live overcast lives as a result of feeling trapped in someone else's life. If you don't have friends then what's there to lose?
Been in that state a lot. That's classic depression. Evo-psych has some stupid ideas but their read on depression is solid. That urge to withdraw from society is a human urge. The urge is designed to lead to either, you leaving your band of primates to seek another, or your fellow group members coming and finding you to show how much you matter to them. Modern life doesn't let that happen though. So many of our relationships are digital or just shallow so no one can tell you're leaving, and changing your group in a real way is hard. If you want to feel betterment you have to use your rational brain to seek out what your body is instinctively reaching for. Pick something that you have always cared about, and go to a real life event centered on that thing. This can be almost anything, as long as there are real people, really sharing a physical space. Talk to the people about that thing. Don't do it just to tick it off the list, you have to pay attention to what they are saying because you need to be able to articulate their ideas and then respond to them.
And to continue your real life event thing, even just going outside and watching something happen can help get the ball rolling. It won’t be quite the same, like you said, but it won’t at all be a waste of time. Even going for a regular walk in a somewhat busy area can help, especially if you get to say high to a dog or something(which plays into your interaction thing).
I've read through all the replys here, so I'm not gonna suggest something that's already been suggested. You've already given your opinion on therapy, and on changes/new things.
Let me start by telling you this. You say you don't have a bright future to wait for. My friend, none of us have. Your future is what you make it to be. You set your own course and build your bright future yourself, no one else is gonna do it for you. That's life, and that's what makes it beautiful.
If therapy doesn't work for you, that's fine. I personally don't believe in medication for these kinds of issues, but that's my opinion. Try meditating. Seriously, it does wonders. Start with a few minutes a day and gradually increase, doesn't have to be hard. It's gonna make you into the kind of person who takes a step back and thinks about life.
I do agree with others here that it sounds like you need to find your purpose. Purpose isn't necessarily something you actively look for, sometimes it's just something that pops into your head. For example when meditating or doing other things that don't require any active thinking.
Also, one more thing: If you don't like doing new things, try removing something. Take a digital detox, as I like to call it. I do it from time to time, and I always enjoy it and I come back with renewed energy and motivation for life. Just a few days or a week where you don't open any social media, digital entertainment (music, streaming, web surfing etc.) or anything else not strictly necessary. You're gonna be bored first, I'll tell you that. But then you're gonna find out how nice it actually is. You're gonna start craving for something to do, and if the rule of digital detox is set in your mind, you're gonna start finding new things to fill your time with. Like taking a walk or reading a book. Though it does require determination.
What I like to do when I'm in a digital detox period, is to remove entertainment focused apps from my home screen on my phone, and then put my screen in black & white (called reading mode on some phones) to make it "boring". That's definitely gonna help you.
Life is short, please make something out of it, for your own sake.
Psychedelics
Get a dog. Always happy to see you when you get home, will pester you relentlessly into moderate excercise, #1 wingman for meeting friends or significant others.
Did you try jerking off?
Goddamn I wish I could. People describe it as pleasurable and then relaxing. But I've never been able to do it. It's like either the nerve endings aren't hooked up right or there is some sort of brain defect, but I lack the ability for pleasure there, myself.
Sorry, I'm not the OP.
I'm almost afraid to ask, but are you sure you're doing it right?
I've tried various different areas. If there is some sort of secret technique that everyone just magically knows, I could never figure it out.
… what are you working with down there?
Vulva/vagina
Without much else to go off of, the best all purpose advice I can give is: lubrication. Best wishes to you!
Temporary pleasures don't fill the void.
It would work for small amount of hours before returning to the void of nothingness.
Maybe smoke a joint.
We should hang out some day.
All you a girl with sweet boobage?!
No, but my wife is! 😏
She sounds hot, can I hang out too?
Sure! You like board games? Or retro Nintendo? We got plenty of both!
Therapy
Antidepressants
Antidepressants just make you feel nothing. In many cases it's worse than not being on them.
You need different antidepressants. I'm on prozac, and it only makes me feel better.
Either get used to change in the hopes it will become better, or get used to being miserable in my life you have now. By the way, you’re gonna be uncomfortable in One Direction or the other, so I suggest you choose the better one.
If you hate your life now, but are also terrified to change, you’re gonna have to decide which one is worth, and during that discomfort: things staying the same, the way you hate it, or enduring the terror of the unknown, your life, possibly improving.
I don't think you fully got me here, so let me explain it better.
I feel anxious if I have appointment with a doctor for normal test or diagnosis, I feel anxious about having any new thing introduced to my uneventful days, no matter it's significance.
This happens to a LOT of us with ADHD.
Welcome to my world, friend. It's not as if I don't have friends because I couldn't put on the societal mask and make them; I just simply hate humans that much. Only people I can stand being around are philosophers. People who take a step back and think about the world from a unburdened point of view, and people who talk about what the solutions might one day be.
Only thing that ended up saving me is my wife and children. I would have clocked out long ago. Find someone that hates humanity with you, and cherish them. Or find someone who loves humanity to balance you.
this post was submitted on 21 Mar 2025
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