Do you ever feel worthless?

[happyfred]

All the time....tough to get past that...once it takes hold of your confidence. :/

 

[JackOfSpades]

I've heard learning a language helps prevent Alzheimer's, which may be a good idea even though I'm nowhere near old age yet. It's funny you bring up gaming, while I'm certainly less of an avid gamer than I was, I still game a bit too much. I guess because it's cheaper than wasting gas to drive to all these random places where I won't actually do anything but hide in the corner.

I actually started learning some French for the reasons stated above. And also playing chess again. I feel like just the same way these things can prevent Alzheimers, I feel like they can help with clinical depression and a host of other mental health issues. Every thought and feeling and cognition is brain related, so what better thing to exercise and take care of than that. I think the benefits of activating the brain cascade down through all it's other uses.

 

[NightTimeForever]

I actually started learning some French for the reasons stated above. And also playing chess again. I feel like just the same way these things can prevent Alzheimers, I feel like they can help with clinical depression and a host of other mental health issues. Every thought and feeling and cognition is brain related, so what better thing to exercise and take care of than that. I think the benefits of activating the brain cascade down through all it's other uses.

Good suggestion about chess, though I've never played. I've also read many articles that claim that extreme social isolation can over time lead to Alzheimer's. I think having a decent social network would help me quite a bit.

 

[JackOfSpades]

Good suggestion about chess, though I've never played. I've also read many articles that claim that extreme social isolation can over time lead to Alzheimer's. I think having a decent social network would help me quite a bit.

That's interesting. I never heard the correlation with social isolation and Alzheimers. I have heard the social isolation and schizophrenia connection. I think it suggests we do need this constant stimulation and at the very least, an influx of new thoughts and opinions coming in. I think our thoughts don't exist in a static state but carry a trajectory. Social isolation and living inside ones own cognitively faulty thoughts, where every confirmation is evidenced by something logically wrong, is disasterous.

 

[gustavofring]

I've heard learning a language helps prevent Alzheimer's, which may be a good idea even though I'm nowhere near old age yet. It's funny you bring up gaming, while I'm certainly less of an avid gamer than I was, I still game a bit too much. I guess because it's cheaper than wasting gas to drive to all these random places where I won't actually do anything but hide in the corner.

I think positive stimulation of the brain is definately necessary to feel good. Gaming, like browsing web, watching TV and movies is mostly escapism and consuming. If this becomes a daytime activity instead of leisure time then you must be careful. It's just like exercising and eating well to keep the body healthy. Input determines output.

 

[sullyS25]

Great post, Sully.

Thanks, Im glad you liked it!

 

[lauraelena43]

All the time

 

[NightTimeForever]

That's interesting. I never heard the correlation with social isolation and Alzheimers. I have heard the social isolation and schizophrenia connection. I think it suggests we do need this constant stimulation and at the very least, an influx of new thoughts and opinions coming in. I think our thoughts don't exist in a static state but carry a trajectory. Social isolation and living inside ones own cognitively faulty thoughts, where every confirmation is evidenced by something logically wrong, is disasterous.

I agree that we at least need to have semi-regular stimulation to remain mentally healthy, in the long haul, anyway. I think being social has positive hidden elements that aren't entirely known yet, and if I remember right Socrates referred to humans as "the social animal."

I think positive stimulation of the brain is definately necessary to feel good. Gaming, like browsing web, watching TV and movies is mostly escapism and consuming. If this becomes a daytime activity instead of leisure time then you must be careful. It's just like exercising and eating well to keep the body healthy. Input determines output.

I suppose it depends somewhat on the game, but yes I've been trying to expand my horizons and college has definitely helped with that, to an extent. I play games because they don't require me to go outside, and are a form of novel stimulation. But, I do make it a priority to make it outside for at least 10-15 minutes every day. I feel like I deteriorate if I don't get outside for at least that!

 

[Earthcircle]

I feel worthless all the time. I will soon be 48 years old, and I'm still waiting for my life to start. I would start it myself, if I knew how.

 

[superfluouslyme]

At least twice a day.

 

[OceanMist]

That's probably true, but it's whether or not that "something" can be marketed in such a way as to be useful in sustaining or attaining decent living circumstances, you know?

Well, anyway, despite my social isolation I do feel better that I'm pursuing academia, at least I've broken out of the rut I was in for seven years. I just hope this new rut doesn't last for the same amount of time or longer, concerning the antisocial aspects of my current situation.

This social anxiety dilemma has persisted ever since I was a teenager, and I'm wondering if there'll be a change of fortune for me, and I can change this pattern.

One of my biggest fears is being old and alone, without having any type of relationship experience. The other is confirmation that I'm indeed worthless.

So you are talking about jobs. Well, in that case, I still think you'd be good at something, as everyone is good at some job.

The problem with that is the jobs that I am good at are practically minimum wage jobs. I guess I'm good at delivery driving, but I also think a monkey would be good at my job.

Losers like me without college degrees are kind of stuck in monkey jobs.

All bad jokes aside, I know what you are talking about. I guess I've just learned to be a minimalist and accept that I'm going to be working crap jobs for the rest of my life and just making enough money to get a crappy apartment somewhere.

I see money as just a supporting mechanism, and nothing more. I do think it's overrated as if I did have a $50 G a year job, I'd probably be in the same boat with no friends and probably no g/f like I'm in that state now.

Gustav brought up something really good that relates to all guys who have SA and don't have an active social life, he spoke about gaming, internet, movies, and tv and ways of escaping and consuming time. He's so right about that.

It really hit home because it eerily explains my life right now.

What I'm trying to say boils down to this, we who are having problems with depression and loneliness all are doing this, substituting alone activies for social activies. It's why so many people suffer from boredom, depression and worthlessness as you spoke of feeling.

It's not natural to avoid people and socializing with people. There is something in our brains that desires social stimulation. I find myself getting sick of staying home so much and staring at a tv or computer screen all day just to have something to do.

What sucks is that I know what's wrong with me, it's just I also know that I usually don't like socializing. I kind of leaves me with nowhere to go except doing things playing Halo 4 to pass the time so I don't kill myself.

I don't feel worthless, but I feel helpless. I have a problem, know what it is, but there isn't really a great solution. I remember back when I had a social life, I still had issues with depression.

 

[GhastlyCC]

100% Of the time

Only purpose I'll ever serve is as worm food.

 

[NightTimeForever]

So you are talking about jobs. Well, in that case, I still think you'd be good at something, as everyone is good at some job.

The problem with that is the jobs that I am good at are practically minimum wage jobs. I guess I'm good at delivery driving, but I also think a monkey would be good at my job.

Losers like me without college degrees are kind of stuck in monkey jobs.

All bad jokes aside, I know what you are talking about. I guess I've just learned to be a minimalist and accept that I'm going to be working crap jobs for the rest of my life and just making enough money to get a crappy apartment somewhere.

I see money as just a supporting mechanism, and nothing more. I do think it's overrated as if I did have a $50 G a year job, I'd probably be in the same boat with no friends and probably no g/f like I'm in that state now.

Gustav brought up something really good that relates to all guys who have SA and don't have an active social life, he spoke about gaming, internet, movies, and tv and ways of escaping and consuming time. He's so right about that.

It really hit home because it eerily explains my life right now.

What I'm trying to say boils down to this, we who are having problems with depression and loneliness all are doing this, substituting alone activies for social activies. It's why so many people suffer from boredom, depression and worthlessness as you spoke of feeling.

It's not natural to avoid people and socializing with people. There is something in our brains that desires social stimulation. I find myself getting sick of staying home so much and staring at a tv or computer screen all day just to have something to do.

What sucks is that I know what's wrong with me, it's just I also know that I usually don't like socializing. I kind of leaves me with nowhere to go except doing things playing Halo 4 to pass the time so I don't kill myself.

I don't feel worthless, but I feel helpless. I have a problem, know what it is, but there isn't really a great solution. I remember back when I had a social life, I still had issues with depression.

Yeah, I'm not sure why gaming is so prevalent among socially anxious men (as opposed to women), but it is for some reason.

I do agree that at a certain point, money doesn't buy happiness. I think after certain creature comforts are met, money probably isn't much of a factor, according to the psychological studies.

And, when I said worthless, I did mean in general, but livelihood is more of a concern for me than the other deficits in my life right now, but they are a close second (such as a decent friends network).

Probably why I am not any good at minimum wage jobs is because I can't focus on them, I find it hard to focus on much of anything nowadays, and I think that is because of the depression. I am getting better, though, but it's still a long way from where I want to be.

Sorry, I seem to be floating around topics here, bunch of distractions at the moment.

And don't feel to bad, I don't have a college degree either, I'm going at an extremely languid pace in college, and most likely won't attain it any time soon.