this post was submitted on 23 Jun 2024
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I'm almost 35 and realised is not going to happen. I will never become adult or reliable enough for any woman to take a glance at me. I'll never fall in love or experience sex.

There must be a way to stop this feeling. People say hobbies but honestly I don't like anything or i give up on everything. I don't wanna try new things anymore.

Edit: some of you are really nice. But to those of you who keep insulting just because my post is a downer they I'll just block you. Why don't just ignore my post instead of leaving nasty comments?

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[–] [email protected] 82 points 4 days ago (1 children)

You need professional therapy, not "advice" from Lemmy

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Certainly better than nothing. Going to a therapist can be hard, both mentally and economically.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 4 days ago (1 children)

It's not better than nothing for OP. He uses Lemmy to get attention instead of accepting the advice people give him. He will never improve as long as he is using this place as an incel stomping ground.

Just look at his responses in this thread from several days ago: https://lemm.ee/post/34057938

He has no desire to improve. Only to wallow in self pity and get as much attention as possible from well-meaning people on the fediverse.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 days ago (1 children)

While your response is harsh, I think there is merit in it. A professional would work on the undelying issue, rather than daily placating of feelings.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 4 days ago (2 children)

We can see from the past few weeks of activity that OP is not going to improve by continuing this behaviour. Just look at the conversation they had with @[email protected] in the thread I linked.

That was somebody who was genuinely trying to help and giving OP as much support and empathy as they could muster. And you can see OP just has no desire to improve his situation. He just wants attention.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 days ago

That's kind of you to say, thanks.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago

It seems a common trend on tiktok, etc. people crying on camera about how sad they are for internet points and attenrion, it is bizarre to me

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 days ago

Lemmy advice for someone struggling who really needs therapy for a harsh problem can definitely be worse than nothing

[–] [email protected] 50 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (2 children)

Oh fuck off, I just realized this is that same attention whoring piece of shit @[email protected]

You're upset you got banned from all the asklemmy munis for posting so much "woe is me" crap aren't you? So now you've evaded your ban by creating a new account...

Listen, if you aren't going to accept anyone's advice, you are just wasting everyone's time by posting. Everyone has told you what you need to do. Seek therapy, stop being so down on yourself. Do literally anything to improve your situation instead of shitposting on Lemmy.

[–] Meltrax 17 points 4 days ago (1 children)

It's so obviously the same person. If anyone ever desperately needed to get the fuck off the Internet and go touch grass, it's this guy.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 days ago

I was stunned when I saw it wasn’t that guy. Jokes on me, because yeah, very clearly the same dude with a new account. He seriously needs to log off, go to the gym, and see a therapist

[–] [email protected] 15 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Man we already got a local victim whore?

Community is really taking roots

[–] [email protected] 7 points 4 days ago

Nature is healing ✨

[–] [email protected] 38 points 4 days ago

honestly I don't like anything or i give up on everything. I don't wanna try new things anymore.

That sounds an awful lot like depression. That's nothing to do with being in a relationship or not; it's not healthy to not be able to enjoy anything or take interest in anything. Forget about the relationship stuff. You can be and deserve to be happy without one. You need to address the other stuff first.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 days ago

There must be a way to stop this feeling.

Been there. I'll keep it short. The way is to get professional help. Therapy and/or medication.

Since you have no job, first step is to get on whatever low/no income insurance is available to you locally.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 4 days ago

Have you never deconstructed it before? Like, close your eyes and imagine to yourself, what defines a relationship? What defines the kind of thing I want to be in a relationship with? And what can I offer for that?

A lot of people who seek relationships lack them because they're narrow about it, even just me mentioning I'm asexual has violated a lot of mens' visions unfortunately. People today have less of an imagination than they used to, that's the issue.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 5 days ago

You really don't, humans are by and large social animals, so while you might be able to suppress that feeling, there's little chance to get rid of it entirely.

I agree with the other comment though that you need to build general social circles first and foremost. That's how most relationships start anyway, through mutual hobbies and interests.

Just don't go waltzing into any hobby gardener meetup with the only thought in mind to find a partner, but rather get involved with something you care about and then see what happens. Be that a book club, board game session, arts & craft stuff, sports, or whatever, just make sure it's an actual interest of yours.

And if it's the no sex part that contributes to your insecurity, then seriously, find a paid companion. If that's illegal where you're at, find a place you could go without repercussions. I've seen people transform over such encounters, no matter how frowned upon it might seem in society.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (5 children)

Hobbies is the answer.

Join a gym, go once a week until you want to go more.

Go to trivia at a bar that does it the same day every week.

Find a local club for an interest you have.

Find things that happen on a schedule that you have to show up for.

The problem you’ve described, in my experience, is that it sounds like you don’t have a life for anyone to join you in.

Nothing comes easy, even hobbies, you have to decide you want to do a thing and then do it on purpose even if you don’t want to do that thing in that moment.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago

I am coincidentally also 35, and had similar sentiments following my most "recent" divorce (4 years ago!)

Your comment is bang on mate. The second to last paragraph really hits home but it's something that I really needed to acknowledge and accept if I ever wanted to move on.

Went to a gig recently, was in a mosh pit for the first time in over a decade, and a fucking LOVED every bit of it, bruising and all.
You just gotta find your vibe, and it takes effort, but once you do others will see your vibe and want to jiggle with you (I'm not great at analogies hopefully this makes sense).

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 4 days ago (8 children)

Are you asexual? If not, you're going to have sexual attraction. Turning that off isn't going to happen. Now, you can have sex without being in a relationship. But, normally people do strive to have a romantic relationship and I doubt you can switch that off without some serious drugs.

I think many men that experience these feelings turn to anger. They blame society, women, other men, etc. They turn to toxic mentors who tell them how to be "alpha" and seek advice from "pick up artists". Do not do any of that.

Your attitude sounds like depression. You have given up. You say you aren't reliable or an "adult". Do you want to be those things? Or do you want to be miserable that you're not those things? Those seem to be your options.

Being miserable is easy. Just do nothing. Be lazy. Have regret.

Being the person you want to be is hard. It is for most people. Most of us are in some stage of trying to be better people.

"Either experience the pain of progress or the pain of regret".

Being miserable can be comfortable if that's what you're use to doing. It's your safe space. Other things are foreign, strange, and scary.

You'll have to work really hard to break that cycle. Your mind will be screaming at you to stop trying to better yourself. "There's no point!"... " "Just give up and go back to bed!"...

You'll have to work to reject those thoughts and demonstrate to yourself that you can. And eventually, you'll notice it won't be as hard or scary.

So, make a plan and start with small things.

Or continue to give up and feel miserable.

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[–] Stovetop 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago

What, like gardeners and cleaners and stuff?

Worth their weight in gold, darling

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (5 children)

Please get therapy. I started a few years ago and I went from autistic virgin in his late 20s who had never been on a single date to guy with a girlfriend. It's never too late if you are willing to put work into yourself.

Also, even if you can't afford therapy, at least read "The Six Pillars Of Self Esteem" by Nathaniel Branden. Just skip all the parts where he talks about Ayn Rand. And do the homework at the back of the book every day if you can, once you finish reading it. That book was maybe the thing that made the biggest difference for me in changing my attitude about finding a relationship.

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[–] Meltrax 7 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Oh great. @[email protected] is back. Let's see how much attention we can draw to ourselves today, shall we?

[–] testfactor 8 points 5 days ago (3 children)

You say you don't like anything or give up on everything, but what does that look like? I assume that you don't spend 8+ hours every day staring at a blank wall. You must do something to fill your time.

But if you are truly finding it difficult/impossible to be interested in the world around you, then your issue isn't that you don't have a girlfriend my dude. It sounds like you're suffering from pretty severe depression.

And I hate to break it to you, but untreated mental illness is definitely a mood killer, and not just with the ladies. You're gonna need to get yourself into a better place, or you're gonna drive more than just romantic partners away.

But I'll tell you, you're awfully fatalistic for 35. Women tend to pretty holistically prefer guys in the 33-40 bracket. You're not past your prime in the slightest. A little self confidence and a little investment in the world around you, and I think you'll find that you will attract people no problem.

And hey, maybe I'm wildly off base. I know I'm making a lot of assumptions based off a very small paragraph. And maybe I'm reading you super wrong. If so, I apologize.

One thing to keep in mind though. The idea of a relationship and sex you have in your head? That's a fantasy. Both are great things certainly, but when I was younger I feel like I built them up to be something deifying in my head. That once I had them, all my greatest desires would be met, and that life would be finally "complete" for me.

Understand that relationships are work. Fulfilling work, but work nonetheless. They require just as much "sticking to it" as any hobby that you haven't stuck with, if not substantially more. And let me tell you, you're absolutely not going to want to do it all the time. It requires a lot of dedication and perseverance.

And don't build up sex to something more than it is. Its great, certainly, but I promise you're putting it on a higher pedestal in your head than it deserves.

But all that to say, right now, you're in love with the idea of a relationship, not the reality of one. I'm confident that you'd find the reality to not be what you've dreamed of it. And the problems and struggles you have in your life are rarely made easier by adding more work and responsibilities.

Take care of yourself and get to a point where you love yourself and the world around you as it is, and I think you'll find that the rest of this will kind of take care of itself.

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[–] mocha_lotsofmilk 6 points 4 days ago

Couldn't even use different verbiage on his new account after getting banned everywhere lmao

[–] thezeesystem 4 points 4 days ago

As someone who has friends before in a similar situation as you, you may have certain limitations or disabilities and the best option is, yes it's work but it's extremely gratifying is to go and find a good therapist that you can talk to to help understand yourself and your predicament.

That's my suggestion of the best course as you have potentially other underlying things you don't realize like severe codependency (from my experience from my friends I used to have, not saying you do)

If you simply just don't do anything nothing will change and it will get worse and worse.

(Just in case your hyper dependent with your parents) Just absolutely do something if you care about yourself at all. Your parent(s) will not be there forever, they can't sustain you forever.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

My wife and I happened to meet because each of us had a mutual friend that by chance brought us together. It all happened randomly. I say this because it was through friendships that we met. I never would have spoken to her if not for two completely unrelated friends bringing us to an event.

You gotta find yourself having fun with friends before you find a partner. I would wager that is a healthy way to go about things. Just get out and talk to some friends.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Maybe try travel? Bring your laptop / deck / switch so you can game on the road. But do it from some place new. If you can work from home, maybe try moving around on short term rentals. Doesn't need to be anything exotic, could be the next town over.

Anything to break up your routine a bit. Don't look at it as a means to an end. Try and enjoy the journey itself

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[–] foggy 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

Alrighty. Hi there. I'm 36. In a relationship for over 2 years with a lovely lady who is 2 years older than me. It's both of our first real long term relationships. So, for starters, don't lose hope on your age.

I've dealt with some pretty low lows, in terms of mental health. Something tells me, having been in the neighborhood of where you're at not too long ago, that this isn't going to land 'motivational,' and something tells me you likely think motivation is a big part of what's missing. Maybe not, idk.

Motivation isn't what's missing. It's discipline. Motivation doesn't come to anybody every day. Discipline fills the gaps and keeps it all together.

Okay, maybe you're listening. So what. Discipline. Discipline how? Where? In what sense?

For me, it was too easy to dislike myself, write it off, and escape. Escape into marijuana, videogames, reddit, YouTube... It'd suck up a whole day with ease. I wouldn't feel any better, but at least I didn't have new things to hate myself for. Same old same old.

Someone explained this to me, and it stuck. I didn't hate myself because I sucked on some empirical level. I hated myself because I was sucking. I was letting myself down. I told myself I'd go on a little hike.

Then I didn't, because fuck it. Ill order delivery. And then I was hating myself. And it clicked, a little bit. Maybe not clicked... It glimmered. Like a fucking firefly. Idk. I felt worse for not going on a hike because I had set out to do that. Hmm. How long have I been low key hating myself for abandoning everything and retreating to my escapist lifestyle of videogames and reddit and YouTube and weed? 🧐

The next day, I begrudgingly went on a hike. And it sucked. I was out of shape. Sweaty. Uncomfortable. Panting for air. But I did it. And by the time I'd gotten home, it'd only been like 3 hours. Like, less than an H bomber guy vid. And I still had time to watch an H bomber guy vid.

So I started out on a mission of discipline. I decided instead of starting my day off with a big rip and 5 hours on the couch, it would be a hike. Then a coffee. Then hygiene (let's be real I wasn't showering every day. If I'm hiking every day, I'm gonna need to refocus hygiene a bit too).

My dude, when I tell you that the person who walked into my apartment every morning with a hike and a coffee on the books was a fucking different guy than the person who would be stoned on the couch having done nothing by that time, I am not exaggerating. And like, Id still rip that bong and chill on the couch for a bit. But as this habit got solid, laying on the couch wasn't...enough.

Suddenly the YouTube vids Im watching are educational, and I'm going after cybersecurity certificates. Suddenly I'm play, recording, writing music again. Suddenly, I'm dating.

I mean, it wasn't sudden. I don't wanna sell you snake oil.

What I'm saying is no one wants to hear it but the answer is discipline through exercise. Commit yourself to a 2 mile walk. 1 mile out, 1 mile back. Every day. Start there. If you aren't disabled, this is really not a tall order. You can do it.

If you've never seen the post before, check out No Zero Days. It definitely motivated me when I was really low, but it took a solid decade before I turned it around.

Edit: wanna add that when my gf and I started dating Id been unemployed for about 6 months. I just landed a job as a bartender. I was really, really just getting back on my feet. So, if you're thinking there's no women out there who will take a chance on someone who is at a low point? Some will. It helps if you're actively working on improving yourself, a lot.

[–] foggy 2 points 4 days ago

Here's the full No Zero Days post, copy/pasted from reddit.

Ouch. Sounds like you're having a tough time max. That sucks. I've been there, so I kinda know what you're talking about. I've been in the ever circling vortex of self doubt, frustration, and loathing. It's no bueno. I know. If you don't mind lemme tell you a couple things. You can read em if you want, read em again later if you feel like it. But honestly man, if I spend all this time typing this out to you and you don't let it be a little tinder for your fire, well, you're just letting us both down. And you don't HAVE to do that. You don't HAVE to do anything. But you get to choose.

(Who am I? My name’s Ryan and I live in Canada. Just moved to a new city for a dream job that I got because of the rules below. I owe a lot of my success to people much cooler, kinder, more loving and greater than me. When I get the chance to maybe let a little bit of help out, it’s a way of thanking them. )

Rule numero uno - There are no more zero days. What's a zero day? A zero day is when you don't do a single fucking thing towards whatever dream or goal or want or whatever that you got going on. No more zeros. I'm not saying you gotta bust an essay out everyday, that's not the point. The point I'm trying to make is that you have to make yourself, promise yourself, that the new SYSTEM you live in is a NON-ZERO system. Didnt' do anything all fucking day and it's 11:58 PM? Write one sentence. One pushup. Read one page of that chapter. One. Because one is non zero. You feel me? When you're in the super vortex of being bummed your pattern of behaviour is keeping the vortex goin, that's what you're used to. Turning into productivity ultimate master of the universe doesn't happen from the vortex. It happens from a massive string of CONSISTENT NON ZEROS. That's rule number one. Do not forget.

La deuxieme regle - yeah i learnt french. its a canadian thing. please excuse the lack of accent graves, but lemme get into rule number 2. BE GRATEFUL TO THE 3 YOU'S. Uh what? 3 me's? That sounds like mumbo jumbo bullshit. News flash, there are three you's homeslice. There's the past you, the present you, and the future you. If you wanna love someone and have someone love you back, you gotta learn to love yourself, and the 3 you's are the key. Be GRATEFUL to the past you for the positive things you've done. And do favours for the future you like you would for your best bro. Feeling like shit today? Stop a second, think of a good decision you made yesterday. Salad and tuna instead of Big Mac? THANK YOU YOUNGER ME. Was yesterday a nonzero day because you wrote 200 words (hey, that's all you could muster)? THANK YOU YOUNGER ME. Saved up some coin over time to buy that sweet thing you wanted? THANK YOU. Second part of the 3 me's is you gotta do your future self a favour, just like you would for your best fucking friend (no best friend? you do now. You got 2. It's future and past you). Tired as hell and can't get off reddit/videogames/interwebs? fuck you present self, this one's for future me, i'm gonna rock out p90x Ab Ripper X for 17 minutes. I'm doing this one for future me. Alarm clock goes off and bed is too comfy? fuck you present self, this one's for my best friend, the future me. I'm up and going for a 5 km run (or 25 meter run, it's gotta be non zero). MAKE SURE YOU THANK YOUR OLD SELF for rocking out at the end of every.single.thing. that makes your life better. The cycle of doing something for someone else (future you) and thanking someone for the good in your life (past you) is key to building gratitude and productivity. Do not doubt me. Over time you should spread the gratitude to others who help you on your path.

Rule number 3- don't worry i'm gonna too long didnt' read this bad boy at the bottom (get a pencil and piece of paper to write it down. seriously. you physically need to scratch marks on paper) FORGIVE YOURSELF. I mean it. Maybe you got all the know-how, money, ability, strength and talent to do whatever is you wanna do. But lets say you still didn't do it. Now you're giving yourself shit for not doing what you need to, to be who you want to. Heads up champion, being dissapointed in yourself causes you to be less productive. Tried your best to have a nonzero day yesterday and it failed? so what. I forgive you previous self. I forgive you. But today? Today is a nonzero masterpiece to the best of my ability for future self. This one's for you future homes. Forgiveness man, use it. I forgive you. Say it out loud.

Last rule. Rule number 4, is the easiest and its three words. exercise and books. that's it. Pretty standard advice but when you exercise daily you actually get smarter. when you exercise you get high from endorphins (thanks body). when you exercise you clear your mind. when you exercise you are doing your future self a huge favour. Exercise is a leg on a three legged stool. Feel me? As for books, almost every fucking thing we've all ever thought of, or felt, or gone through, or wanted, or wanted to know how to do, or whatever, has been figured out by someone else. Get some books max. Post to reddit about not caring about yourself? Good first step! (nonzero day, thanks younger me for typing it out) You know what else you could do? Read 7 habits of highly successful people. Read "emotional intelligence". Read "From good to great". Read “thinking fast and slow”. Read books that will help you understand. Read the bodyweight fitness reddit and incorporate it into your workouts. (how's them pullups coming?) Reading is the fucking warp whistle from Super Mario 3. It gets you to the next level that much faster. That’s about it man. There’s so much more when it comes to how to turn nonzero days into hugely nonzero days, but that’s not your mission right now. Your mission is nonzero and forgiveness and favours. You got 36 essays due in 24 minutes and its impossible to pull off? Your past self let you down big time, but hey… I forgive you. Do as much as you can in those 24 minutes and then move on.

I hope I helped a little bit max. I could write about this forever, but I promised myself I would go do a 15 minute run while listening to A. Skillz Beats Working Vol. 3. Gotta jet. One last piece of advice though. Regardless of whether or not reading this for the first time helps make your day better, if you wake up tomorrow, and you can’t remember the 4 rules I just laid out, please, please. Read this again. Have an awesome fucking day ☺

tldr; 1. Nonzero days as much as you can. 2. The three you’s, gratitude and favours. 3. Forgiveness 4. Exercise and books (which is a sneaky way of saying self improvement, both physical, emotional and mental)

Edit: Wow reddit gold? Thanks! No idea what to do with it or whats the deal but many thanks!

Edit2: Someone asked what I meant by "much more when it comes to how to turn nonzero days into hugely nonzero days". The long and short of it is a simple truth, but it's tough to TOTALLY UNDERSTAND AND PRACTICE. It's this: you become what you think. This doesnt mean if I think of a tree, I'll be oakin' it by august. It means that the WAY you think, the THINGS you think of, and the IDEAS YOU HOLD IN YOUR MIND defines the sum total that is you. You procrastinate all the time and got fear and worry goin on for something? You are becoming a procrastinator. You keep thinking about how much you want to run that 5 k race in the spring and finish a champion? Are ya keeping it in mind all the time? Is it something that is defining your ACTIONS and influencing you DECISIONS? If it is, then you're becoming the champion you're dreaming about. Dreaming about it makes it. Think and it shall be. But do not forget that action is thought's son. Thoughts without actions are nothing. Have faith in whatever it is you've steeled your mind to. Have faith and follow through with action.

Ok, Ryan that's a bunch of nice words n shit, but how does that help me turn slightly nonzero days into hugely nonzero days. Do you believe all these words you just read? Does it makes sense to you that you BECOME WHAT YOU THINK OF? Ask yourself: What do I think of? When you get home and walk in the door. (how quickly did you turn that laptop on? Did turning it on make you closer to your dreams? What would?) At the bus stop. Lunch break. What direction are you focusing your intentions on? If you're like I was a few years ago, the answer was either No direction, or whatever caught my eye at the moment. But no stress, forgive yourself. You know the truth now. And knowing the truth means you can watch your habits, read books on how you think and act, and finally start changing your behaviour. Heres an example: Feeling like bunk cause you had zero days or barely nonzero days? THINK ABOUT WHAT YOURE DOING. and change just a little bit more. in whatever positive direction you are choosing to go.

[–] Cornpop 2 points 4 days ago

Hire a prostitute

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago

For me, it always faded with time. Usually about a year and a half after my last relationship ended.

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