So, what's wrong with me?? help? suggestions?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

This is going to sound really strange - at least to me it is - and I’m not trying to whine or sound sorry for myself, I’m just describing my life at the moment.

I have no passion. I feel that I am driving along a road that has no ups and downs, no potholes or speed bumps. I used to be passionate about my work in my local church, but that particular church has dissolved and, although I am going to another church, there just seems that there is nothing that is worth getting passionate about.
I am not particularly interested in sports, playing or watching, although at one time I was a state level swimmer - and I enjoy watching the Aussie swim team in action (we are the best by the way :smiley: )

I find it hard to get excited/passionate about almost anything, my little brother has his interstate GF over for a week, and I should really be excited for him, but I just am not able to be.

My life revolves around my work, which involves lots and lots of travelling to little country towns in Western Australia taking portraits of children and families. I only get home on the weekends, and I am so tired that I have a hard time getting around to visit my friends.
I’ve been like this for the last 4 and a half years. I’m getting sick of it.

Anyone got suggestions?

Thanks.

Lee

2

IANAPsychologist, but I think you may need to talk with one.

A co-worker of mine feels like this every so often. She’s been on an anti-depressant for about a year and a half, and it seems to have worked wonders.

I think that anytime these feelings of apathy and/ or sadness extend over a several month (or worse, year) period, it would be a good thing to seek professional help to get you feeling better.

Take care. :slight_smile:
Happy

3

Lee,
Your condition may be secondary to any number of medical problems. Please see a doctor. Loss of interest in activities you previously enjoyed (anhedonia) can be a symptom of depression. You should also be checked for thyroid problems, anemia, etc.

4

LeeJam I would second the suggestion to go see a GP. The symptoms do indicate depression although other problems such as low iron levels can be considered.

I’d also suggest a week off work to relax and spoil yourself.

Hugs - leechbabe

5

Taa Leechbabe :slight_smile: the only problem with taking a week off is that I’m a casual and won’t get paid squat if I’m not working… otherwise, it’s a loverly idea :slight_smile:

Happy Lendervedder, psychobunny I will go to the Doc’s eventually. just gaining the courage to.

6

How about a day off just to spoil yourself - forget your obligations and just do fun relaxing stuff?

Read that book you always wanted to, have a movie marathon, long hot bath, massage - many more ideas but I’m sure you get the picture.

Every so often I do this, I figure the dishes will be there tomorrow, my MIL wont die if I don’t call, a day of only eating take out food (to avoid cooking) wont kill me. I love those days of course they are all to rare but that just makes it more special.

7

True. I am having one of those today :slight_smile: although it’s a little hard to have a long hot bath in a shower…

8

I always say that life is what you make it. If you are not happy with the way things are, take a step back, look at your life, and change it. I do agree with the other posters, go see a doc. It can’t hurt, and it might give you a little motivation to sort things out and select a different path.
It seems like you have some other issues that are bothering you that you don’t wish to discuss, and sometimes a stranger and/or professional can get you on the right track to solving the problems that ail you.
Take care, and relax…
TOO

ps. If you can’t wake up in the morning and look at a mirror and laugh your ass off at what you see, you are taking life too seriously…

9

TheOtherOne I have a good sense of humor - I like Monty Python - that should say a lot :slight_smile:

I love reading this board, it keeps the funny bone tickled…

I suppose what I am trying to achieve is not a sense of stability, rather I would like to be passionate about something… I believe that everyone needs to be passionate about something, but I have not found anything yet…

I dunno… Perhaps there isn’t anything in particular that I need to be passionate about, I really don’t know.

Lee

10

{{{LeeJam}}}

O.K. You need things to be passionate about, huh…

You could start with promoting G’Dope :wink:

You could be an Assistant Goo-Stalker (see Leechbabe for the appropriate paperwork)

You could …

seriously. Have a think about things that you enjoy or like. Things you may not be passionate about, but make you smile, or at least feel a little better. Do you enjoy fresh air ? Tall places ? Hustle-and-bustle or peace and quiet ? Animals ? Computers ? Studying ? Reading ? Plants ? Music ? Arty-crafty stuff ?

Maybe you could learn how to make soap, or rock climb, or horse ride, or scuba dive, or bushwalk, or learn a new language, or help clean up your town, or volunteer with a local charity (kids, environment, disadvantaged, etc).

I know how it can feel when you can’t see much hope of things improving. Give us a long post, detailing your likes and dislikes (here, or over at G’Dope) and I’m sure you’ll get thousands of suggestions, and hopefully there’ll be one buried in there that will fire up your interest. I’ve always found this community valuable in helping to pull people through in rough times… if you let them :slight_smile:

11

mmm assistant goo stalker!!! :smiley:

ok. here’s a long post about my likes and dislikes… it may be a little (read seriously) disjointed :slight_smile: but you get that…
Likes: (sort of major)

Music - from classical to metallica. although I can’t play an instrument to save my life. I can sing though.

Children - (they taste like chicken) KIDDING!! I’d like to have 4 or 5 kids, and enjoy working with them, as I have done since I was about 14.

Photography - it’s what I do for a living, but I am beginning to wish I could change careers or something.

Reading - I’m into fantasy in a big way, but also enjoy reading the odd autobiography and non-fiction.

Cooking - I love cooking, but haven’t got a lot of time to do such, although I will be making a stirfry tonight.
Other things I enjoy/like are:

this board, and the G’dope.
Medieval weaponry, history (although I’m not a buff in that area),
Computers - although spending too much time with them makes me really annoyed :slight_smile:

Spending time alone by myself in this great big country of ours.

Chatting to friends over a coffee, although I’m also content to read a book in thier presence if they are doing the same.

I am not a particularly boisterous person, I love a good laugh and I seem to spend most of my time doing that :smiley: It’s good for me.
Dislikes:

I am not into the nightclubbing scene at all, I’d much rather read.

The general public. Individually, people are fine, but put them all together and the mob mentality reverts to the lowest level, which is why I don’t like being in crowds.

I suppose I have more Likes rather than Dislikes, and I don’t really know why I am not passionate about something. (insert scratching head smilie here) :slight_smile:

does that help?
Lee

12

mmm assistant goo stalker!!! :smiley:

ok. here’s a long post about my likes and dislikes… it may be a little (read seriously) disjointed :slight_smile: but you get that…
Likes: (sort of major)

Music - from classical to metallica. although I can’t play an instrument to save my life. I can sing though.

Children - (they taste like chicken) KIDDING!! I’d like to have 4 or 5 kids, and enjoy working with them, as I have done since I was about 14.

Photography - it’s what I do for a living, but I am beginning to wish I could change careers or something.

Reading - I’m into fantasy in a big way, but also enjoy reading the odd autobiography and non-fiction.

Cooking - I love cooking, but haven’t got a lot of time to do such, although I will be making a stirfry tonight.
Other things I enjoy/like are:

this board, and the G’dope.
Medieval weaponry, history (although I’m not a buff in that area),
Computers - although spending too much time with them makes me really annoyed :slight_smile:

Spending time alone by myself in this great big country of ours.

Chatting to friends over a coffee, although I’m also content to read a book in thier presence if they are doing the same.

13

whoops!!

14

I’ll give it a stab and suggest some things.

Music : Consider learning an instrument, preferably one that allows you to sing along with it, but anything that tickles your fancy.

If you like kids, but aren’t in a position to have your own ATM, think about joining a scout group or something similar. There’s also programs where you can spend time with kids as their mentor (BigBrother, I think).

You like photography and don’t like crowds (are you my long-lost brother ?) Perhaps you need to inject new enthusiasm into it… Get out in the bush and try your hand at landscape photography (can you tell I recently attended a Ken Duncan seminar ?) Perhaps you could look for new jobs, and continue photography, but as a love, not a necessity.

I can share the love of reading with you :slight_smile: Perhaps you need to set yourself a goal of learning something new, something that would interest you, say perhaps, Chinese history or the life of Alan Bond ? Perhaps you could try your hand at writing some fantasy ? Or you could join in the next book swap we do ?

Cooking : Try Google. There are so many recipes online that I bet within half an hour you’ll have a year’s worth of recipes that you’d be dying to try out.

Have a look through your personal phone book and think about the people you miss most. Call them up and arrange a get-together. Go paintballing, or sailing, or bird-watching, or coffee drinking.

Jump on a plane and come visit us :smiley: We need an excuse for another SydDope.

Are there things you’ve always wanted to do ? I have a list in my head that is huge. Pick one and work towards doing it, even if it’ll take a year of saving, just knowing that you’re working towards something makes it easier. Ever had the urge to do a cooking course in Thailand ? Jump out of a perfectly good plane that’s going land anyway, with a backpack full of silk ? Get lost in the Museum of London ? Watch beautiful sunsets while reading your book in front of a campfire in a State Forest, miles from anyone else ?

Get addicted to chat (IRC #straightdope -> standard disclaimer about how it has nothing to do with SD, Chicago Reader or Cecil)

I’m sure you could e-mail any of the Teeming Handful, and they’d be happy to come up with suggestions. The easiest thing, really, would be to come and visit Sydney, since I’ve often been told that my enthusiasm is infectious, you could go home all infected with Goo-happiness :smiley:

My e-mail is in my profile if you ever want to vent or share. If there’s nothing above that piqued your interest, let me know and I’ll think up another list :slight_smile: