[Serious] Redditors who felt like they would never ever find a romantic partner and then did: what advice would you give to those who feel the same way now?

No, please just listen. You're assuming I don't put in effort and I'm making excuses for not putting in effort. That's why you're not understanding. I put in effort when I'm in a healthy frame of mind. But the experiences I have of dating are detrimental to my confidence and mental well being, therefor I have to take frequent breaks. If I don't take such breaks, my mental health spirals downward. Therefor, persistence and consistency are not an option. I don't have the luxury of just continually putting myself out there, as in taking risks, making myself vulnerable, and facing rejection, because the act of doing so is not sustainable. As a result, I have to consistently take breaks to focus on myself and work through the negative feelings of rejection.

This is far different from just going to the gym. At first, exercise sucks but with hard work and consistency you build a habit and it becomes routine. It gets easier the more you do it. Getting rejected by women I like never gets easier. After years of trying, it still sucks, and sucks more and more with age.

/r/AskReddit Thread Parent