I Don’t Care For Anything, I Feel As Though I’m Wasting My Life.
Question
I’m an 18 year old male, living in California. Over the past few weeks my motivation to do anything has gone way down. I haven’t been to my college classes in almost 2 & a half weeks, because I simply am not motivated to go. I just don’t want to do anything. The only thing that gets me out of this funk is being with my friends and playing video games because I don’t have to worry about anything. I stopped working out, put on a few pounds, and I have a job. That seems to be the only thing I’m really motivated for because I get money for anything I want. But other than that, I don’t want to do anything. I honestly feel like I have no place in this world and I’m destined to just sit on my ass (sorry for the language) and do nothing forever. What should I do doc?
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Answer
You fit the description of someone who is depressed and anxious. When playing video games and being with your friends you do not have to worry about anything. The fact that you state this make me wonder if you feel pressured and worried about school, homework, quizzes, exams and term papers? These are the factors that cause countless number of college students to feel stressed and overwhelmed.
That fact that this loss of motivation raises the question of why this has happened over the past several weeks. You need to ask yourself if some additional stressors have interfered to increase your burden. Some additional stressors are problems at home, loneliness, breaking up with a girlfriend, and even drinking to excess and using drugs. Any of these alone or in combination, along with school issues, are enough to cause depression.
There are a couple of things you need to do. First, it is important that you get back to the gymn and resume working out. We know for a fact that exercise relieves depression and stress. It will also help you get some of that excess weight off.
In addition, you would help yourself by seeing a therapist so that you can talk about your problems and issues. Your school has a health center that usually has a student counseling service. Speaking to the school counselor or psychologist can be very helpful in sorting out your difficulties. This, along with exercise, are things I am strongly recommending.
Doing nothing about this will only cause you to feel worse. Feeling helpless and hopeless is never good. Get yourself going, exercise, go to the counseling center and get help.
In other words, get yourself moving and get yourself back to class.
Best of Luck
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