Thanks for the encouragement. Fortunately it's not needed for me at this point in my life, but I think maybe the circumstances of how/when that behavior is needed has been lost on the crowd here and unfortunately for far too many people in general. I don't push down my emotions and ignore them and I don't advocate for that because it's unhealthy - but what I do advocate for is not soaking in a bathtub of my own misery for weeks like I used to do in high school/college/early post-college. Going out and doing something else to distract instead of wallowing has had a great effect on my life, has allowed me to work through some of my personal issues from gaining new experiences/perspective and I feel extraordinarily better for having forced myself out of my comfort zone and experiencing more of what life has to offer. Laying around and soaking in the misery allows your emotional/mental muscles to atrophy whereas pushing yourself helps create inner strength. I've gone from an emotional and suicidal wreck to being pretty happy... without medications or "finding any gods". Just regular activity, eating well, socializing and exercise. Overall, I'm happy and it's in a way I did not know possible 10+ years ago.

This is my personal opinion, but overall I think the concept of maintaining mental and emotional health, especially within millennials and gen z, has morphed into something that's incredibly unhealthy as the "wellness and self help" sector has become more profitable via capitalist vultures, where many have decided wearing emotions on sleeves at all times and basking in their personal sorrow and anger while refusing to make any life changes is totally reasonable and okay instead of actually aiming to feel better or change - and making any "change" comes down to simply altering a medication. I feel this way based on three things: 1) a drastic increase in memes that glorify refusing to go out, grandstand on feeling bad and constantly joke about pushing others away socially. 2) People I know who get sad and then just disappear for 2 months, refusing to text, accept hang outs, etc. 3) I've overheard people discussing and comparing the number of times they meditate per week like it's a competition... which misses the point of meditation entirely and comes off as more of a westernized "productivity" thing than a healthy, healing activity or lifestyle.

Somehow wallowing in misery, hating everything and everyone and disengaging from life has become a huge money machine in the US and I feel too many people are hellbent on propping up that industry culturally. It's gross and I'm exhausted by it.

Sorry for the vent, just been seeing too many "it's okay to be unsocial and hate others and do nothing with your life" memes and seeing too many friends waste away lately and needed to get it out.