Posted by joe schmoe on February 26, 2013, at 16:19:31
In reply to In the wake of depression, where are my hobbies?, posted by zonked on February 26, 2013, at 7:40:53
I understand completely. In my case social anxiety robs me of both the desire to socialize and also any reward from socializing if I force myself to do it. This is true for me even on benzos and SSRI's. I can function in social situations, but it is not particularly rewarding. Often I don't have the mental energy and just stay home. In that respect, the meds are something of a failure. At best (and this is of course significant) they allow me to work without excessive stress. But they don't make me an extrovert, contrary to nonsense books like "Listening to Prozac" which give you the impression that an SSRI will turn you from a shrinking violet into the most popular person in town.
The fact is, it is a LOT harder to make new friends as you get older, whether you have a mood/anxiety disorder or not. Meds don't change that.
This is also a brutally tough society to be single in past a certain age, as it is very hard to meet new friends, and most people do things with their partner or family and are not looking for friends. If you are not already plugged into a family or social network in your area, well, I'll just say I have found it impossible to break into one, after decades of effort.
I think the Internet and computers in general also tend to drain interest in hobbies, since it is easier to keep clicking, whether it's internet surfing or playing a computer game, than do something where you have to do everything (as in most hobbies) without the hobby objects doing anything themselves. On the other hand it does give some social interaction, such as on this site, where doing something like sitting by yourself and painting would not. Is it a curse or a blessing? It's hard to say.
poster:joe schmoe
thread:1038869
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20130222/msgs/1038927.html