I just did the same, dropping app by app over the month of February, keeping only TikTok for the purpose of posting videos and not doom scrolling.
It’s a very freeing feeling. I pick my phone up now, and I look at the home screen, and mind says to me “there is nothing to do here.”
And I sit it back down and go on with my day.
Of course I still come here, but now that I am not an a BST kick.anymore, this place is healthy and not very time consuming.
This is exactly why I stopped watching the news years ago. Drama and Crisis sell. So that is all they show now. The juiciest spin on the thing, not the truth.
There is SO MUCH GOOD going on in the local community! But none of it gets attention. Anxiety and Fear sell. Heart Warming does not.
The idea behind “anxiety sells” is that by highlighting potential problems or dangers, businesses can increase sales by making people feel like they need a product or service to address those anxieties.
Examples in Marketing:
Ok. I will step off my soap box now.
Back on the Soap Box.
Another issue I have with the news is the paid advertisements from the Pharmaceutical companies. There is no way they are going to do a “Investigation” on a Company paying them. I feel it is a get out of jail free card for them.
Sorry. Back to the topic.
I started therapy this week to work on coping strategies for my anxiety. I don’t know if it’ll help but figured it can’t hurt to talk to someone.
good for you dude, I hope your therapist helps you out, (I know mine has)
often just having the time spent working through stuff will help you evaluate the causes of strife, (but it takes time)
incidentally I really rate the self hindrance book - “how to be miserable”
it’s a bit of an eye opener (or was for me)
the accompanying cgp grey video gives a good flavour of the advice, but is only about 1/6th of the books advice, and less funny
It’ll help for sure, like you said at least to talk to someone. It’s great to get outside perspective on your thoughts and all that.
I really really miss therapy and my therapist Paul, but it was not covered by my insurance and just got way too expensive over time unfortunately so I had to take a break.
I should give him a call sometime
hope you are doing better after some therapy and/or lifestyle changes dude!?
Life style changes have helped with my energy levels. I’ve upped my anxiety meds as I’ve been having a hard time regulating myself.
I did try therapy but at some point it felt like a chore and just another thing to do so I stopped for now. Probably just need to find a different person but insurance coverage is lacking for mental health and there honestly aren’t many options that aren’t very expensive.
All in all I’m fine. Stressed and over eating (to the capacity that my stomach has been shrunk) as a coping method which is not great but hey I could have worse habits.
Brother, this is exact situation. I’ve been in a bit of a dark spot so I reached out to start up again, and we are gonna see if we can get insurance to cover some of this time, but I just really need to talk to a professional.
The cost out of pocket and then the drive after he moved office really did make it a chore, but I’m struggling out here, and idk if I have it in me to start over with a new therapist
I just started with some new meds and a new therapist. I recently reached a pretty dark place, but things seem to be improving.
Yeah I’m starting to wonder if quitting Zoloft could have waited til spring
I was recently started on Lamictal with fantastic results (of course YMMV). It has really helped my anger management (or lack thereof) 
just wanna pop in and say im a GREAT listener if anyone needs to get stuff out. I’ve mentioned it before in other context, but my academic background is in psychology so not a total rando with no clue if that makes a difference. i can also just listen and empathize without judgement or without offering advice if someone just needs a sounding board
let me be VERY clear that I’m not offering professional counseling. i do, however, think there’s huge value in speaking to someone with no personal connection so that there’s no fear of judgment and they aren’t part of your problem, hence therapists. but if you just need a homie to talk to, please feel free to dm me. i don’t think money should ever interfere with someone getting the medical or in this case emotional and mental help they need, even if they just need some support
stay healthy and safe yall!!
@Splizacular nailed it, never underestimate the power of talking to an impartial 3rd party. I too have a background in psychology/medicine and am quite familiar with mental illness and addiction, and I’m always willing to be that impartial 3rd party for anyone. Again, not offering professional counseling, just an open set of ears with lots of experience. Stay healthy everyone, and remember, someone out there loves you, warts and all 
Many of you know I have brain damage from a cardiac arrest and doctors think I’ve had other stroke activity, I know have chronic heart failure and my left ventricle is only ejecting at 20%. I’ve tried for 3 years now to get disability and was just denied for the 4th and final time. I’m just so frustrated I want to scream but I feel so trapped and I just had to get that off my chest.
Overall I’ve been feeling better with life but life sure keeps throwing stuff my way.
It’s been super crazy with work and various aspects of life. Thankfully the kids are fine and no one important to me is in bad health so I’ll take that as good just allot.
Adjusted my meds adding ontop of my anti anxiety a mild antidepressant which has been helping me regulate.
So nothing crazy just felt like talking into the void a bit
Thought I’d post a year later (last post a year ago). For me, not a whole lot has changed. Life’s in a rut, I’m unsure what the future is with my job, and the job search is discouraging especially when I’m slowly seeing the line of work I do get replaced by AI (that’s a whole different thread there). I guess this slump comes with age as I’ve entered the “protected age” realm. If I were younger I probably wouldn’t be fretting as much but here we are…
Also in the past year, I’ve been feeling like the real life version of Charlie Brown…get the days where higher powers just tells you “nope” at just about everything you try to do, even small petty things, or those days you’re just knocking everything down. It all adds up too and at that point you just throw your hands up and let the trolling universe win…
Yoyo and instruments have been my outlet…and if I had the time (Been knee deep in home projects) I’d be putting some time in on my surfskate…get outside, get exercise and come home feeling good. Hopefully soon I can start getting on board with that…(pun intended).
I feel you. Too closely. I also have many yo-yos and love my guitars. Also really enjoying a used finger drum pad I got recently.
I also feel you about higher powers. I asked for batteries like 3 times already and haven’t gotten any in a year. I finally just bought like $40 worth of batteries for my testers now, since I replace all batteries during daylight savings time. Also work in tech (with a media arts degree) so I’m about as obsolete as they come. My job just uses AI for everything and it boils my blood seeing 8 fingers and a mashed up face when I could have just photoshopped something. It’s been so long that I’m not sure I’m even any good anymore. I’ve abandoned my old business.
I’ve struggled to enjoy much of anything for well over a year now. Probably longer. I’ve lost track of time.
I feel yall. AI has my job as obsolete except the most sr like myself who can review the AI which has me worried when will I be replaced by ai that reviews ai…
Sadly most of my biggest struggles have been money issues on my extended family end causing friction. Friends who have been having more stuff that is happening and we have been trying to help and our local area getting scarier every day. We had two different shootings within a few miles of our house/kids school that where gang violence related and resulted in secondary injuries due to stray bullets hitting families homes that has us worried. That all to ignore the war that has had direct impact on my work life being at a federal integrator that has a part in supporting our troops and as such makes us a cyber target.
It’s just allot.thankfully my wife is supportive, I e found success in building my local club and state contest and my own family unit is solid. ( my kids are difficult but that’s just the ages it’s the season of our lives)
My job has been pushing AI more and more for my team, and I’m doing my best to show them that the only reason it really works is that we have Senior Devs on the team who can help keep technical debt from piling up.
I’ve been looking for a new job for over a year now, but the market is rough…and I’m getting “up there” in age in the eyes of many companies. As the CEO of my own agency said to a group of high schoolers during a presentation ( talking about their parents in the workforce), “they’re getting too old and too expensive.”
