I used to be very hopeful when I was younger, my head full of dreams. But life did not choose to conform to the shape of any of my dreams, plans, or ideas of what I wanted. And now I've grown a bit cynical & bitter about life, with depression & anxiety overshadowing everything.
@Astartiel this is when you need a friend to talk to, not to advise and "fix" you, but talk. And to find that your friend needs you as well.
@walterbays Yeah, since I have no in person friends nearby me and only have online friends, that’s hard to do. 🤷🏻♀️ One of the consequences of being a loner, I guess.
@Astartiel Well imagine that I were a friend, not some random Internet stranger or possible ChatGPT instance. Suppose I wanted to offer some suggestions somehow distinct from mansplaining because I care about depression. Then I'd start by asking whether you like to be a loner or would prefer otherwise? Who are your neighbors, your fellow town folk? What are your interests that others may share?
@Astartiel I came across a recommendation of this book about depression, first person, in an unrelated NYT story. Have not read it myself.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249042.Darkness_Visible
@Astartiel Sad how life changes our expectations but inside we're still the same little kid that used to have big dreams... When I was young, I was invincible, powerful, immortal, and the sky's the limit. Now, I'm lucky to still be mobile and able to wake up every day...so far.
And yet I still keep trying to make plans for the future, even if my dreams are much smaller now. I even taking things to help with that lifelong depression & anxiety to help me feel a little hopeful, on occasion. I just wish, on occasion, some dreams would come true…