You are already happy. It is within you, I suggest you challenge yourself to the point of giving up and keep pushing. Accomplish something big, something that takes months if not years.

Thank you! @ReaDyO

I find just getting out of the house helps. I was out for about 3 hours yesterday and I felt better when I got home. When I am busy I can block my depression.

I have 2 major things that help.

The first is continue partaking in my hobbies. If I don't have any interests due to depression I try old hobbies. For example, I like to write so even when I feel shitty spending time creating.a story really helps me.

Two: live by your values. Reassess them often. I find myself feeling more fulfilled when I recognize my values and make choices based on them. They serve as guidance and when I realize I'm improving in areas I value it makes me feel good.

@mets @lonelyscorpio thank you both! Yeah I'm usually an outgoing, eneeegetic type of person who loves getting out and wants to commit to my goals and hobbies but I've been caved in for a year and half and I almost feel like I don't know myself. It's like I forgot who I was and my purpose. I've been dealing with major derealization and depersonalization and I'm trying to find ways to overcome and subdue this shit!

Spending time doing the things you enjoy doing should bring you some happiness. Get involved in activities with people who are positive and fun to be with. Avoid negative people. I find getting out of my house helps feel less isolated. I am less depressed when I stay busy. Take one day at a time and it will get easier. Continue to talk with people on this site. We are all here to help each other and give support.

Thank you. I'm outside now reading a book, enjoying this beautiful day! It's working! @sharaninmd

it's my view happiness is an absence of problems. The natural state of man is happy. Look at a small child: that is the natural state of man.

So take your soul and clean off the muck. Scrub it clean. Resolve your problems. Confront your woes. Once you have done this you will be left with something that is naturally positive.

@bridgie101 so true. I'm trying to think of ways to be happy and things that would make me happy but I can't seem to be creative enough these days to dream and envision. It's like I forgot. I still love my hobbies but I'm afraid it's not satisfying me enough. I have this paranoia that even when I go out and do the things I love, I might not be happy. I keep thinking what if I feel the same? It's weird. It's depersonalization. I'm trying to figure out how to overcome this!

Harcan I am so happy to hear you are trying things out. It sucks feeling like this, I love to do art but there are times I doubt my skill and just feel like giving up. I wasn't even feeling like I was in my body. I would feel so empty and like I wasn't even alive. Then I started working on challenging myself, putting myself in uncomfortable situations like joining a public speaking class, I was so damn afraid of public speaking. English is not my first language and I had so much anxiety. Then I took Muay Thai classes to challenge me physically. I was always the chubby kid and never athletic. I just did things that made me feel alive. If you are afraid of talking to girls or boys just talk to one, talk to them and make them your friend. You don't have to be attracted, just lose that fear.

Sometimes you just need a break. Go somewhere else by yourself and be away. Maybe a beach or the mountains. Just live my sibling. Just live. If you live anywhere near AZ I will come with you. Lets go to San Diego.

When I leave the house, it's a good day. I'm trying to walk my dog more, I enjoy comedies.

@ReaDyO thank you for that. Yes I'm challenging myself everyday. Even through all the lightheadedness and deliriousness I'm fighting and pulling through. It isn't the easiest but I'm reminding myself it'll all make sense soon! I guess I should be more optimistic about new relationships. I guess I didn't realize how much of an ego I had. I always felt like I'm good enough to not have to introduce myself first. But maybe I have it all wrong in how I'm looking at it. That's gonna be my new challenge. To introduce myself to a new person. It's gonna be awkward as hell for me because I'm just used to it being natural. Like meeting people at school or work and forming friendships. I have friends, I've just isolated myself from them for a year. I felt like I deserved more. I take care of myself and respect myself and deserve what I put out when it comes to friendships. But look what happened; now I have bad anxiety. And San Diego sounds so fun even though I don't know much about it lol! I'm all the way in New York.

Thank you I really appreciated the comment!

@mlm52 Yeah I've isolated myself from not just friends but TV as well. Lol I know it sounds odd but I wanted to detox myself from social media and tv. I'm a creative writer and I wanted to focus my time more on that. But for some reason I procrastinated, beat myself up because I felt so uncreative and it's been a year... Maybe a little over but who's counting. Anywho, I've bought a flat screen TV and have cable now. So even though I don't watch much because of the formed habit of not watching tv, I still try to watch at least an hour of it and it does distract me from my subconscious, depersonalized thoughts. Which is a step!

I was watching Weird Science yesterday and had a good laugh. That's one of my favorite classic movies!

Thank you for your comment and support!

Harcan,

That is hilarious. Leave that place, that may be the reason why you feel weird. Your soil is out of nutrients. Plant yourself somewhere else. lol. jk. I am glad you are staying open minded. and hell yes it is hard. But it is not impossible. You can do it, you will look back and feel again and you'll realize this has made you stronger. Be grateful to be alive, I mean shit, we can't even find life in the many planets in this galaxy so know that you're super special just in that aspect. Know that I got you and so many people on here do as well. Stay up and fuck that ego. Go explore this world. Fuck, I want to hug you right now yo. I know it sounds weird but I want you to feel alive to just FEEL again man. I just know exactly what you're going through. Sometimes all you need is a fucking heart hug and just cry.