this post was submitted on 17 Feb 2024
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me_irl
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That's the worst part of being 30+ for me. Not enjoying anything anymore. Being able to afford a 4090, but video games just aren't fun anymore like they used to be. And the few high school friends I had all disappeared and moved on with their lives before I even reached 25. So now the only form of enjoyment I get comes from my car. If I didn't have something that was fun to drive, I'd have nothing.
At first I thought it was just depression. But I went to several psychologists; tried various anti-depresssnts and mood stabilizers but none of them do anything for me. So I don't think I have depression. The body simply does not want to enjoy anything anymore once you get older. Sucks, man.
Just want to point out that the efficacy of treatments isn't an indication of whether you actually have depression or not. Took me many years to find a working combination of meds and therapy, and it's still a struggle.
You mention your friends moving away, this could be loneliness/isolation. Made me think of this article: Why Americans Suddenly Stopped Hanging Out
If I were to play "internet therapist" here (which is totally always a great idea) I would suggest to try spontaneity. Shake things up, go outside your not-so-comfort-zone, because it sounds to me like what you've been doing isn't working. And logic dictates the only way to find something that does work is by trying something different.
Reach out to the high school contacts who weren't your friends, chances are there's a large% of them also feeling isolated, and you will have shared experiences.
And don't give up on therapy/therapeutics. Everyone's isolated right now, despite what their screen tells them
I'm almost 30 and I stopped enjoying video games long ago... probably late teens into early twenties. It kin dof stinks because it's a great solo activity, get I just can't get into it. People say I should find a hobby, but everything just feels like "work" to me. When I get home at the end of the day, I only have the motivation and mental capacity to veg out on the couch or online. Mine isn't depression either. It's just like I don't have the mental capacity to do stuff like that for whatever reason. I actually enjoy watching people play video games, just not playing them myself.