Wtf even is the cure?
In my 20s? Drugs, alcohol, and live punk shows
Now in my 30s, 8 hours of sleep every night, staying physically active everyday, getting plenty of sun, always have something to look forward to(cooking on the weekend, taking a day trip just to explore, spending a whole day at home with my phone turned off messing around with blender, unity, or just writing code), enjoy the small things like reading a couple pages of a book I like every evening
I have ADHD so boredom is like death anyway
Find hobbies to help get you excited about things and less bored. If nothing appeals to you, you might have clinical depression
Drugs and alcohol, and music.
Yes, I have felt that way many times. For me personally, the worst ones were caused by other mental health issues.
When I started recovery from alcohol abuse about 15 years ago, I had already blown up my life as I knew it and sobering up meant that I had to deal with it and it was just so fucking tedious. I didn’t see the point in struggling to get better if what was waiting for me was a start from zero. I had to get a shitty job, start exercising again, and find a new career path before I stopped wanting to just drink myself to death.
Then a little over two years ago, an antidepressant (Effexor) that had worked wonders for me for years started doing me dirty. Insomnia , night sweats, crippling anxiety, tachycardia, the works. I cross tapered onto Paxil and I was better for about 2 months then it got bad again in the same way. That’s when shit got truly miserable, because coming off of Paxil is withdrawal hell. I had the same problems but even while I was in pain to the point of suicidal ideation, it was also boring. Like Groundhog Day in hell. I wish I had a remedy for that one, but it was just white knuckling the whole way. The one thing I can say is that if you go through anything like that, you either need a support structure of friends and family, or you need to get yourself into intensive outpatient or inpatient treatment.
I’m okayish now on a different medication regime with Cymbalta, but there are side effects. I’m actually stepping down on it starting today because I’ve been waking up in full panic attack every morning for the past 3 weeks. It sucks, but it’s life and it’s real.
For you, OP, my first suggestions are things you’re not going to want to do because you don’t want to do anything, but it’s super fucking important to get out of this. Exercise. Sleep. Watch your diet. I know others have already mentioned it, but these are the real lynchpins of mental health. So far as the anhedonia is concerned, the thing I keep coming back to is if you think an activity was important to your previous sense of self, you just have to start doing it again. Not jumping back in with two feet, but dipping your toe, consistently, and with regularity. You’d be surprised what does come back with a nudge.
IANAD but you might look into alternative treatments like TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) or Spravato (low dose ketamine). Some people have had success with magic mushrooms and LSD, but besides being illegal and supply purity concerns, people react differently and there’s a risk that it can make things worse.
Finally, you can ask your psychiatrist about GeneSight testing to find out what meds are likely to work for you. It’s not perfect, but it beats the medication merry-go-round that most new patients end up on until they find something that works.
That’s just ADHD
No. I have effectively defeated boredom.
Never in history has the average person (caveat: I live in a developed nation) had access to so many varied hobbies and forms of entertainment.
A more significant struggle is finding meaning. I have succeeded there too, but it is more of a challenge.
Care to share your wisdom?
It could be so many things, so hard to give advice. For me, a big part of it was sleep related, and I could only fix it with medication; if you have adhd it may be similar. The medical issues gave me the feeling of I’m painfully bored but my body refuses to do/enjoy anything, and I just want the sweet release of
deathdeep sleep.On the other hand, I was also so used to delaying gratification for school/work that I literally didn’t know how to enjoy myself. I think finding the little things that bring you joy and incorporating it into your daily/ weekly/ monthly routine helps a lot. Something like: on Sundays I get to eat pizza or if I reach my short-term goal/milestone, I’ll take myself to the cool place I never get to go to. I started doing this after getting a dog. So literally train yourself to love life like a dog.
You need hobbies
My cure is to try new hobbies/activities. Especially ones that require your complete focus. Like Motorsports. Personally I have a lot of anxiety when it comes to singing in front of people, resulting in everything else disappearing during the vocal lessons I for some reason signed up for.
It used to make me sad that I couldn’t hold a single hobby, but I guess I’m just not built for it. Trying different ones as often as needed is more up my alley
My cure:
- Take a walk every day. No headphones or music, just take a walk through your neighborhood, nature if it’s nearby or anything. Aim for an hour each day, at least 30 minutes.
- Look for non-screen hobbies, or at least non social media hobbies. Things like drawing, writing, making music, woodworking, 3d printing Warhammer, or even reading books. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t work on your hobbies a lot though.
Besides this I hear people being positive about journaling, but I’ve never tried it.
That sounds like anhedonia which is a major symptom of depression. You should consider seeking help.
Regular sleep, exercise and reaching out to others who care about you can all help outside of professionals though.
“Talk Therapy” is a waste of time
I tried Lexapro and Welbutrin now… eh idk all I felt was the placebo effect of “OMG Is this gonna save me?”
But then the novelty dies off and idk if its even doing anything and it takes too long and I just drift off it and not really stick to schedule…
Unfortunately that is often how drugs for the brain work, or don’t in your case. There is often a lot of trial and error to find something that works for you. They also take a good couple weeks to even start working properly which doesn’t help.
Addressing underlying problems is the best cure for problems. You need to push yourself to explore the world more, maybe visit somewhere new, or take on new life projects like a job, volunteering or study.
I hate talk therapy so much. It’s awkward and makes me stressed as hell. I always feel much worse afterwards.
why do you say talk is a waste of time, if communication were a waste…why bother even making this post at all?
I mean the clinical type.
Makes me feel worse than before…
“Talk Therapy” is a waste of time
Starts multiple threads per day to talk about his mental health issues.
The cure is doing something that benefits someone else. Hedonism is inherently boring.
What do you do when you feel bored?
On Friday I sat by a lake and ate a hotdog. On Sunday I walked up a hill and looked at a ruin of some sort.
Neither was very stimulating but I was not in a hurry to get home and be more bored. I also got some exercise and sunlight.
I know it’s time to find a new hobby that truly interests me.
Or, reflect on your life and see what’s draining your energy. It’s best to talk to a trusted friend.
