r/exjw•
Common-Salt-1072

What did you do to find enjoyment in life again?

HELP

I basically grew up in the religion from age 12 to age 25 (currently 26M), I missed all of my teenager years living in a limbo where I didn't enjoy life because I was doing the good thing for god but also was not fully in because I was not that spiritual (I never was), I have not been in a meeting for like around 8 months and have not reported hours for like 5 of those 8, unlike most of you I haven't had harassement issues with the elders (you know, them asking me to come back) which makes me wonder how important I really was for them... Anyway, my parents also have not been there for a couple of months too but they watch it on zoom with no skip, I still live with them but it's been a while since that dynamic started to get a little embarrasing for me and we also have started to have issues with the neighbors for parking spots (I own two cars and my dad owns another two) which is another clue that I need to get the fuck out of here...

Would that help? I have had time alone at house, sometimes they leave town for like a week and I get to experience the 'live alone' thing which is fucking depressing, is basically me coming back from work and sitting all day with lights shut watching whatever it's on youtube until I go to sleep. I know it's not the same as living by my own but I have a deep deep feeling that my life is gonna be as empty as it is right now even if I move out. I tired dating and the girl I was with had avoidant issues (just like me) and left me with more questions than answers, then I started to pull back from people I was friends with at work (triggered by that) and ended up in a situation where I have no motivation to wake up in the morning, I feel like I am going to work for a future I don't even know if I ever gonna have and honestly I feel like I no longer have a direction to point at. I tried to fill the holes with material things, I bought the car I wanted when I was a kid, I bought the guitar my parents never wanted to buy me when I was younger, I bought the record player I always thought was cool, I bought the skateboard I always wanted to learn to ride only to find out that an ankle twisted is not that cool and easy to deal with when you are adult... none of that works.

It's always the same stupid paradox of not leaving the house because I don't have no one to go to and not having someone to go to because I don't leave the fucking house, at some point I tought on quitting the religion formally so my parents would be forced to kick me out and I would have no other option than looking for a place, but my little sister... I won't put her through that hell of having to shun me. I honestly don't know what to do, it might look like I am drowning in a glass of water but I legit don't know what to do and would be cool to hear from some of you guys who felt the same as me and did something about it.

Thank you, and sorry for the vent

Posted Aug 12, 2026, 3:20 AM UTC

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