I think that's great your going to try. Fake it till you make it. Ugh so hard to do.

Why not take a class in something you love. I'm taking floral classes and I love it. There are meetups that do things like see movies together to coffee meetups to hobbies. The meetups are free. Continuing education has lots of fun classes, but they cost money. I use to feel like you until I signed up for free yoga in the park and a knitting meetup. You might enjoy that more than volunteering. I don't particularly like volunteering and I have done it before.

thanks SO much for your input guys! :)

I say follow your heart. I tend to fake it too often when I'm down or out - but it's all I can handle sometimes. Do you know what it is about volunteering that you don't like? Maybe something else will pop up as you think about it? Good luck, Mark. HUGS!

thanks spacekat! Meow! :)

Hi Mark,

I agree to your own heart be true but keep looking and keep trying!

Enthusiasm is all, it's infectious and really helps us know we are in the right place!

Hey Mark, I agree with Ruby. Find something that suits you not someone else's version of you. When you know you'll feel it

Oh!! Oh!!! Volunteer at an animal shelter!! You'll be helping all those homeless pets and you'll make friends w/them and they will love you and you will love them back. It'll be great!

...ok, too pushy? Just an idea. :)

thanks guys! I am getting ideas!

Big hug for you sweetie... If it's not something that you want to do then so be it... You do get out and you work... Maybe she's just trying to get you more social in some way??...Is that the point Mark?

As bbipolar wrote "Meet Up' has all kinds of ways of getting social... x

thanks Jan!!

Dobies rite. I have a friend who volunteered at a dog shelter and surrounded by so much love from the doggies. She loved it so much and didn't really have to deal much with the public if she didn't want to, she got hired for a permanent position

i am a firm believer in "fake it 'til you make it," but in order to "fake it" you have to have some level of investment in what you're doing, some sense of committment to seeing it through. don't just volunteer because your therapist suggests it - find something you want to do: work with animals, read to kids, adopt a granparent, volunteer in a co-op or community garden, it has to be something you have an interest in and as you do and become more invested in the activity and people you'll "make it' - becoming more invested and genuine in your interest. i really look at "fake it til you make it" as an expression to break us out of inertia and isolation. once you get going, you feel better and want to be interacting and doing. good luck in choosing something that sparks your interest and investment!