What’s a very common thing that you just cannot relate to?

Being happy. Seems fake.

I know I have depression, am seeing a therapist, and am on an anti-depressant, but I just have no semblance of a welcoming interest in life, let alone sustained joy. To the point where people who do seem happy all the time strike me as highly annoying and possibly mentally disturbed.

There’s also some misanthropy, Weltschmerz, low self-esteem, and existential ennui thrown in there. Yet I am a functioning member of society and have accomplished some things that take discipline and confidence.

This might be part of why I think advertisements — which is what I originally thought to post as a reply — are so non-persuasive for me: I cannot connect with (paid) strangers enjoying anything, let alone Product X. I have never once to my recall seen something advertised that wasn’t a movie trailer that I thought “I would like to buy that good or service.” Perhaps related, good movies are about the only thing that can briefly make me feel excited in a positive way.

The only time I felt a continual period of what I think was happiness was with my ex, but I joined Reddit to participate in /BPDLovedOnes, so... loop back to the beginning of this.

/r/AskReddit Thread