How to fill the void?

[depressed-trash]

I feel empty almost all the time. I usually don't feel sad anymore it's just nothing. Please don't say anything along the lines of exercise, healthy diet, meditation/mindfulness I've heard all that before I need real answers.

[hypercat54]

Have you seen a dr and do you have a diagnosis? Therapy? Meds?

[Sabio77]

thank you for sharing. it is hard to break the cycle of depression. but I have been thru 3 deep depressions in my life. I totally get how it can make a person feel and the environment. even though sometimes we dont feel like being around anyone, its best that you do at least a little talk or see a person daily. focus one positive task be fore lunch, one positive productive task before dinner time and something for yourself... self-care in the even before bed. its a plus if you squeeze in a self care task one in the morning and one in the after noon. simple as hair/teeth/shower/dress, make a bed, pick up an item/clean up a room... depending how you feel. the goal .. write it down in a journal. in a week, look back at it. this will help you focus on the good things you accomplished in a day. one step at a time, one moment at a time, one day at a time. this will pass. here if you want to talk.

[Hidden]

I can empathize. I have much the same situation.. I don't feel depressed, I lack motivation to get up and do much of anything.. I'm wondering if this lack of motivation , could be a side effect of "Social Isolation"?If so, I'm open to suggestions as to how it can be dealt with.

Don't worry, you are not alone.

[Hidden]

Well my first question is what do you mean by empty? Do you feel lonely as in you don't have anyone in your life or do you feel empty of emotions, like you are numb, or do you feel empty as in you don't have meaning? or is it all of these? For each thing there can be different answers. If you feel lonely then unfortunately the only thing you can do is try and meet people. And if you have barriers, such as social anxiety or trust issues then your first step is overcoming those obstacles before you progress. Not saying you have to completely fix anything but if you can't trust others and open up then you will never be able to get closeness with another as genuine closeness requires you to be vulnerable and it requires a space where the other person feels safe enough to be vulnerable with you. If that can't be done then you will feel distant from others. If you feel numb, then perhaps you are overwhelmed or maybe you are just burnt out from all that is going on. Take some time each week and make it solely for you and your self care. If you feel like you have no meaning, then the first step is to work on self compassion and self love to get yourself able to be open to those things. In order to find meaning we need to have something we love doing, not just a hobby but in work as well. You need to want to do your job because you are passionate about it. If you hate your work you are going to be sad and feel empty because it won't satisfy you. Now please hear this part there is no simple fix here. It's going to take time no matter what the issue is. But that is really my point, you need to figure out what the issue is. Above all else be patient and kind with yourself. Along they way allow yourself to be in the moment and enjoy the small things. Even if that means just sipping a cup of coffee in the morning. Allowing yourself those small moments of joy will help you feel more at peace and allow you to pull some happiness into right now. Another thing that helps with this is having a gratitude journal. Just writing down some things we are grateful for helps us to be more happy in the moment. It lets us see that everything isn't always gloom and doom and that we are allowed to be happy right now.

[Hidden]

I’m so proud of you for speaking up!!! And asking for help!! Well, I have three easy concrete things you can do right now.

1. Change your screen name to something positive. The way we talk to ourselves matters, and seeing the words “depressed trash” and knowing they refer to you, is heartbreaking. You’re crushing your own soul. You are not trash. You can change it in settings. Try something positive like, “learning_soul” or “i_want_to_behappy”. Something uplifting. A wish. A dream.

2. Watch a counselor or therapist on YouTube. For some reason, it’s amazingly effective to see someone who is talking about your depression.

3. Keep posting here. You need encouragement everyday and one post isn’t going to cut it. Post everyday. Check in. Help others here too. Keep going!!

[cbgrace1980]

I think you are not feeling a sense of purpose. I believe God has given us all different purposes and sometimes it can be difficult to discern what they are. We are born to love others, care for ourselves, and be in community with like-minded people. I hope that you have someone that you can talk to that will cheer you up. You are welcome to vent here anytime. We are here for you!