When I finished my first year of university, I had a month solid of no lessons before moving back home. During this time, I had no friends to hang out with. No family around to talk to. I'd spend day and night in front of my laptop, watching let's play videos of various games and people, trying to entertain myself with their voices raging or explaining games while talking to a couple of people over msn and playing the occasional game on the xbox. It was depressing. It was lonely. I felt like I was in a downward spiral that would ultimately lead to me crying myself to sleep every night. Then, one day in my infinite boredom, I decided to give in to a friends begging and watch my little pony. I saw the memes. I saw the hype. I didn't understand why it was popular, so I relented and tried it out. I was instantly hooked. After spending 2 days watching the entire series, I thought I'd look more into the community. When I looked for a pony forum, I clicked the first reasonable link. Everypony.com I joined the forums, made a welcome thread and found the community very welcoming. I felt accepted and welcome. A few days later and I was curious and clicked the radio link on the front page, wondering what a pony radio stream would actually play, unaware of the entire music scene. Caught up in the chat with all these new people to talk to, all these songs and videos to watch and enjoy, I found my problems were long forgotten. I was comfortable. I was happy. But most of all, I was ignorant. Ignorant of the fact that my problems were merely forgotten, not solved. Fast forward 2 months, now a radio DJ, living at home. I realized I have a social life, a family, chores to be responsible for. These problems caught up with me and I was unprepared to face them. I got into a rut. I felt the world was out to get me, and for the first time in that time I realized that I couldn't just push my problems away to be with my new friends. I had to stand up and face them, otherwise I'd never be happy. I realized that there's only so much support I can get from the website and radio. I had to put my own effort into solving these problems. Fast forward another 2 months. I'm now community admin for the site. I get on with my RL friends, seeing them when I can. I do my chores and my school work on time and in good quality so my parents and teachers are happy with me. I spend time with my family instead of ignoring them, and they are happier to spend time with me. I've come a long way in a short time and I have nothing but my friends here to thank for that, most of all my loving darling Flash who's got me through the tough times. The moral of the story is, when one joins this site, it's easy to get swept in the rush of people to be friends with and the general good nature of the site. For the first month or so it's easy to forget problems in your life as you try to spend as much time with your new friends. But these problems will catch up with you, and unless you stand up and deal with it, you may find that your time spent is gets progressively more depressing as personal problems loom over you. We're here for you. We will support you through your troubles and do everything a good friend would do. But we can't solve all your problems. That power lies within you and you alone. I believe in you. Everypony believes in you. And soon enough, you'll believe in you too. ~Foxytail 2nd December Edit I'd like to thank everypony who have responded to this thread, giving me encouraging words and sharing their own stories. Most of all, those who have said these words have helped them with their own problems. It's people like you which make this job so fulfilling and I hope that I can continue my high standard of work to ensure that this community is as strong as it can be. Everypony is somepony important, together making this site a great place to be for everypony. ~Foxytail
That is deep, and quite reassuring. Although I am not facing anything that depressing it made me feel well. Thanks Foxy.
Ah, depressing moments. Really, there's one common thread that connects them all. Depression sets in when one is without purpose. When one is in a rut, or lost without anything to do, or just too tired to try. Sometime it lasts one hour, maybe a day, or maybe several months. For some, it lasts them their entire life. Some people look for an easy way out, for someone to come and save them from this black beast. Sadly, no one can save you from your inner daemons besides yourself. You have to have the willpower to turn the wheels from the rutted road and to take to the fields. One must have the resolve to give oneself a task, a purpose. One must have that inner spark to ignite the fire that will illuminate them, dispelling the darkness that tries to take their soul. Perhaps this is a tad bit poetic sounding, but that does not mean it is any less true. In any case, for some, this purpose is a new hobby. In other cases, this purpose is an education, a community such as ours, or something else of the sort. For many, in fact, this determination factor is religion. Regardless of what your motivation is, the important thing is that you have one. To quote the quotable thread, "Keep your hopes high, or low, or whatever you want, as long as you keep them somewhere." If you need something to inspire you, try to change your enviroment. Change your room, or take a different path to wherever it is you go to every day. Change your mind and character, if you want, as long as you change. One you change, you are a different person, and can leave your problems behind, for you are no longer their owner, as you are no longer the you of the past. If TL;DR : Stagnation is the root of depression, and change is the cure. Remember that a man can not cross the same river twice, for it is a different river, and neither is it the same man. Remember this, and enjoy what is fleeting, for it will never be the same.
And you have proven yourself a worthy staff member, for sure. I can't really judge for anyone, but from what I've seen, you've done an excellent job maintaining the site and keeping things positive. I respect you for that, and probably will until this site eventually dies down. Keep up the good work! *Cough* On second thought, I should probably say that this is the most wise/interesting thread I've ever seen. It's a great thing that people are willing to share their experiences with others to help them get on.
Wow I relate to that story so much, it's almost as if I wrote it myself. I too watched the show out of boredom and then got swept up by the community. Creating videos that were finally getting more then a few views just because they were about ponies, was addictive. I also got addicted to finally feeling like I was appreciated and considered important within a community. I made an overwealming amount of promises to create videos that were just too ambitious and that I didn't have time for. Ever since my best friend went into a different class group, I have really seen him and I began to get really lonely. But since discovering that my city has got more bronies in it then ever dared hope, so I attended a meetup. But I had such a severe case of alcohol poisoning and dehydration that I ruined it for myself and had to leave really early before I vomited and made us all look bad. The dehydration was effecting my brain so badly. I could barely speak, It took ages for me to respond to things people said to me. I must have seemed like a slow retard to them all. So that was another reason I decided to bail on the meetup. I have explained this to them and they were understanding so not just are they willing to see me at another meetup, but I am hosting the next one. Well it's a little different I have invited them all to help me shoot a brony documentary for school. I was getting further and further behind on my school work and I have dug myself into a pretty deep hole and have been getting more depressed as it seems more and more insurmountable. I think I have one last chance to catch up this weekend after I shoot the documentary. Otherwise I am really worried that people will blame my fixation with the fandom to be the cause of me failing. It kind of is, but it's mostly because of alcohol it makes me very lazy. So yeah, sorry about all the depressing threads. Going through a rough time.
I relate to that story a bit too, I too was alone during my last two months of college...but I had no internet, no cable tv, no video games and no ponies. Just me, a couple books and movies I had read/watched 50 million times already, and my thoughts. I also didn't get swept up in in the pony storm as much as some of you, I did get pretty swept up in it for a week or two, but I already had so many other things to do/think about that it kinda kept me grounded. I think a lot of ponies can relate to your story in some way, and should take what they can from your message.
It's kind of interesting, but I was feeling a bit down a while back, and after some soul searching realized what was bothering me, but not sure what to do about it. Then I read this, so I took a break from ponies, worked on my story writing and other ideas (not all of which worked out), and now I've come back, feeling all the better for it. Thanks Foxy!
Nice to see a mere few words can change lives so profoundly... Also, condolences to Thunder_Wave, if he reads this. I find this thread more relevant than the actual thread somehow... Remember. Sometimes, distraction is the best cure, but sometimes the worst. It's up to you which you think it is this time.
I have a similar story. It was a rough summer for me. Almost all my friends from last year have left me. I became super depressed. I couldn't figure out what it was. Something in my life was wrong. It was something I had always known about. I considered all the possiblities. Am I transgendered? Well I'm certainly effeminate but no. Am I gay? No. I had a lot of depression over this and my little pony helped tons. I can't thank it enough. The bright and coloful ponies always put a smile on my face.
Brilliant stuff, Foxytail, it's threads like this that people what this site is all about and you should handle yourself, very good.
Odd, I read this at tne low point of my life and yet... I smile. Those who know me either hate me or think they know me, The few who call themselves my friends know that when I smile, something really powerful influenced me, and even that doesn't happen. Inspirational, yet saddening, for I know I shall not reach good status wherever I go, wether it be a job, a forum, or a game. But this tells me: "You click a link and be who YOU are, and you may become happy." And that is not something I've heard for a long time.
ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygo-osh! This completely describes me! Well, at least until the part where you became a DJ... I'm still hoping for that, and the part where everything finally caught up to you. But still, I find it funny how so many of us have similar stories, and how much this community supports everypony else.
I can't believe I wasn't told of this thread. I'm cyclothymic, which means I go to extreme highs and lows in terms of emotion. There are varying amounts of time when it changes, and at the moment, Its quite stable and neutral. At school, with my friends right beside me, I felt I was not wanted, and so isolated, things that have been around me since about 2yrs ago. probably a more heartbreaking thing, is that my friends didn't really notice, taking it as something of my personality (i'm really quiet and shy anyway) up until recently, when school had finished in November, while really sad it was, I was able to control it, putting a happy face on things, and not letting people worry. I am unsure of the reason but recently, the highs and lows have been very severe. Not life-threatening, but close to it. Admittedly I've been crying a lot recently, something I actually haven't done in a fair while. I joined this site after reading a thread about stages of bronydom, wondering where I would fit - turns out it was denial. Ever since being on this site, and with a large group of similar people, I have never felt so much contentment. The always supportive people here, without even knowing it, has contributed tremendously to making me feel better in the darkest of times. Whenever I log on, i feel a rush of relaxation and purposefulness. While I'm not 100% better/normal, I can safely say I know where to turn to in the darkest of days. (God, tears are streaming down right now)
That's right, chin up Viper, your friends will always be there for you, and you know I've always got your back.
