can't get off the internet

hey guys,

so I spend a great deal of my time depressed. As in, I've been depressed to some degree most of the time since childhood. And I spend lots and lots of time staring at a screen. I will often put netflix on and just get lost reading articles on the internet about a variety of topics for hours and hours on end. Sometimes I draw while playing netflix but a lot of the times it feels like a chore, like most things in my life. I feel like I'm wasting away. This last summer I decided it was time to make a change and significantly cut down my computer usage, but I ended up becoming severely depressed because it was like I lost my security blanket and I was just left with all of my thoughts and feelings that I'd been pushing down by numbing out my brain. I ended up going up on my meds and I felt better for awhile but I'm falling back into my old patterns. Was wondering if any of you also struggle with this and if you've found to turn it around and become more productive.

I'm really stuck and I hate the way my life is right now and I'm struggling to find any sort of purpose or motivation.

I found that when I was depressed, the internet was an escape. I wasn't getting any work done cause I could focus on that so I would surf online. I would get obsessed with one thing, like buying a lamp, or rug and search for the perfect one for several hours a day at work, only to not buy one.

I did not see it until I realized I was depressed, and got meds and am coming out of it. If you are feeling stuck maybe talk to your doc about increasing the dosage or switching. You don't have to live that way.

I'm the same way. I literally spent 8 hours at work yesterday on the internet, not working. When I'm not at work I'm constantly on my phone on the internet. Yesterday my counselor suggested I start small - I put down the phone and turn it off for 30 min, then give myself permission to check it for 5 min. Then work up to 45 min, an hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, etc. Same with being on the internet at work - literally set a time limit that I can't be on it and then have a short set amount of time that I can check in, but limit it to just that amount of time. I'm terrified to try it but I know I have to start somewhere and nothing will change if I don't change my behavior.

Good luck!

Does it help to write what you feel longhand like a journal, or just a stream of consciousness instead of going on line if that's what you want to avoid? It helps me sometimes, but I'm relatively old so less likely to compose my thoughts on the computer.

Maybe you should got to sites that deal with depression and anxiety , may I suggest looking at the claire weekes videos . Or go to moody gym site .

i was really bad at one point i was using the computer morning noon and night but it will and can make you really depressed i fill my days with exercise and making music seeing people ect i use the internet for about 3 hours a day unplug and chill or go to bed

Hi! I'm having a similar problem - when I'm more depressed, I tend to stick to the internet. I found something very useful when I need to focus/study (still at uni) - it's a freeware tool named Focal Filter.
Into this program you can enter all the webpages you usually visit and spend a long time at (e.g. youtube, pinterest, facebook in my case), and you can set how many minutes/hours you want to block them. Until the set time you won't be able to reach these sites (e.g. if I set that I want to block youtube for 2 hours then I can't visit this site for this amount of time). After the set time you can visit these pages again.
Here's a link to Focal Filter's website, they explain nicely how it is used. I hope it can help a bit.
FocalFilter - Block Distracting Websites

I'm the same way. Since I finished school, there are so many things I've been meaning to do that didn't get done while I was a student, but all I've done in the last 3 weeks, really, is lie around and stare at a screen. I do think it is a diversion. This week has been really bad. I've been horribly depressed, been meaning to get up, get out of bed, clean, go for a walk, go out, do something and I just feel rooted. And then I feel restless and nervous because there is so much to do. But I have no energy. It's almost making me worse.

I've been in the same boat. During my most recent (and very very long) depression I spent 90% of my waking hours staring at a computer screen, most of the time playing games. It's definitely a diversion and can really take over your life. I suggest that, to change, you start with baby steps. Get away from the computer for 15 minutes. Even if you only do it once the first day, it's a start. Either work toward longer breaks or more breaks (the latter works better for me). I wish you luck with this.

I know ai spend way to much time on the Internet and it kills my productivity. It's just that when I'm depressed nothing seems worth doing, everything sounds like too much work aand the terrible thoughts swirling around in my head just won't go away.