Getting depressed over extremely specific things.

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Guineapigged
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24 Nov 2012, 2:46 pm

This is about special interests, I guess.

Sometimes I get really upset over my special interest, but I can't "talk it over" with anybody because it's so specific and unless they happen to do some research on my special interest and plan an equally specific response, they won't be able to make me feel better.

Can anyone relate? How do you deal with it?



windtreeman
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24 Nov 2012, 4:58 pm

Heck yes. This might not even be relevant to what you're saying (what is your special interest?) but when a specific severe weather event is predicted but fails to materialize, I'm usually incredibly sullen/gloomy and depressed for a few days to weeks depending on how epic it might have been. Anyone without an exemplary knowledge in atmospheric sciences had best not even try to talk to me about it ('winter's not over!' 'maybe it'll be windier tonight' etc.) I deal with it by venting endlessly on meteorology groups that consist of like-minded individuals. I feel like, if other people share my displeasure, I'm apt to recover more quickly. Things are a bit better now that I'm educated enough to predict the weather and access all of the technology that professionals and experts have at their disposal...I'm typically not as irritated if it's my own forecast that goes awry.


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24 Nov 2012, 6:21 pm

Guineapigged wrote:
This is about special interests, I guess.

Sometimes I get really upset over my special interest, but I can't "talk it over" with anybody because it's so specific and unless they happen to do some research on my special interest and plan an equally specific response, they won't be able to make me feel better.

Can anyone relate? How do you deal with it?


Of course I get depressed over really specific things. Thankfully I know people who are knowledgeable about my special interest, so I can moan to them. 8)



IdahoRose
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24 Nov 2012, 6:27 pm

I'm not sure if this is a similar thing, but I'm depressed over my lack of a special interest. My interests have all revolved around fictional characters and I want my next special interest to revolve around fictional characters too. Everyone I talk to says that they can't help me because it's my brain and I have to figure out what makes me happy. The only problem is, it feels like I have tried everything and nothing brings me happiness anymore; nothing "clicks" with me. I just don't know what to do anymore. I feel like I'm driving myself crazy over it.



Guineapigged
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24 Nov 2012, 6:30 pm

windtreeman wrote:
Heck yes. This might not even be relevant to what you're saying (what is your special interest?) but when a specific severe weather event is predicted but fails to materialize, I'm usually incredibly sullen/gloomy and depressed for a few days to weeks depending on how epic it might have been. Anyone without an exemplary knowledge in atmospheric sciences had best not even try to talk to me about it ('winter's not over!' 'maybe it'll be windier tonight' etc.) I deal with it by venting endlessly on meteorology groups that consist of like-minded individuals. I feel like, if other people share my displeasure, I'm apt to recover more quickly. Things are a bit better now that I'm educated enough to predict the weather and access all of the technology that professionals and experts have at their disposal...I'm typically not as irritated if it's my own forecast that goes awry.


No, that is very relevant and you described how I feel very well.
My special interest is SpongeBob, so very different to meteorology, but I get moody for a similar reason - if a new episode doesn't get the ratings I'd hoped, or if there's a new episode I don't like etc. There was a study that came out last year that got a lot of press coverage, about how SpongeBob supposedly causes learning difficulties, and I was so depressed about that (because I couldn't stand all the negativity about my favourite thing in the world) I hurt myself and ended up in hospital. But I couldn't tell anybody why I did it, because it would have sounded so ridiculous. I can recognise that it's unreasonable to be so upset about a cartoon, but I don't know how to stop those feelings.

It's just embarrassing. As an adult I should be depressed about money or relationships if anything.



tjr1243
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29 Nov 2012, 12:16 am

I can completely relate to this. I get depressed (and anxious) over very specific things. It is a double-edged sword, because I know exactly what would make me feel better (temporarily), but it takes that specific thing to get over it.

This is why over the years I've been unable to connect to most mainstream self-help... Usually the stuff that helps others contain extreme generalities:

"You win some, you lose some."

"You can succeed."

"Distract yourself."

"Enjoy the moment."

Or worse, trying to explain the [very specific thing] one is depressed about may result in misunderstanding. For example, being depressed about something very specific related to a special interest may lead to a well-meaning person discussing the special interest IN GENERAL when the worry or depression may be related to one very specific branch of it.

Or it can be so convoluted and hard to explain. People may hear "key words" that make the worry appear to be about something slightly different than what it actually is. Or may address the subject broadly rather than zoom in on what is specifically bothering us.



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29 Nov 2012, 5:11 pm

Oh yes, it's happening right now. I am semi-losing my special interest, I've harped on about it enough here so I'm not going to go into it all again, but what I can say is it is not really doing me any good. I don't want to stop the special interest though because I love having this particular special interest, but at the same time it is inviting more stress into my life. I'm already on edge in case something comes along where I will become unable to ''feed'' my special interest, and I'm afraid it will die away after a while and my brain just won't want to learn more information about it any more. I love writing stories about my special interest, but as soon as it stops, the interest will fade away after about 9 months to a year, and writing stories about it will just become boring and meaningless. This is what I'm afraid of happening.


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