Someone here

No.... I don't take any medication currently

@Mu_ indeed

Yes that's pretty accurate. It's a way of relaxing and letting myself go. Escapism. But also there is the physical addiction. Once that nicotine is well established in your blood stream..you start physically depending on it to get going like food and water. It's hard. I'm making some progress recently in battling the addiction tho. I do get the sun. I eat fruits and veggies every now and then. I sleep a lot because I feel fatigue often. Definitely. Thanks . I need to make improvements in my diet and fitness. And I definitely need to put the damn cigs down. I didn't smoke for about two weeks now.. So I guess I'm making some progress. BTW may I know what pills you might suggest that can help with anxiety symptoms and can be without side effects?

Thanks. Will definitely look it up.

@Mu_ I agree. Though easier said than done. Maybe the luxury of modern life grows tendency of attachments. And it doesn't help with being unconditionally on with whatever have you. I've been wrestling with the idea of suffering for a while and I feel like I'm not making much more progress on that issue.. the evolutionary process of the universe towards a more desirable state makes more and more sense to me and it's hard for me to see it any other way. I disagree with the idea that everything that the universe experiences is desirable.. but rather that it's a necessary byproduct of evolution, which we can eventually overcome as the universe converges towards greater and greater self-love. Not enough suffering yet actually. I guess otherwise I definitely wouldn't keep riding in samsara like a chimp. Lol jk. Thanks

1 I eat whatever I find in the fridge lol. Sometimes it depends on what I can afford. I don't have a specific diet. Most of the time.. It consists of carbs (rice.. Pasta.. Bread etc) and meats. 2 I sleep 10 hours a day. 3 no exercise. 4 I'm addicted to cigarettes. 5 no digestive problems. No toxins etc 6 I took Prozac and serenace last year during a depression phase. I casued me chronic fatigue.. So I stopped. 7 kinda. Feeling low energy. Anxiety. And mild depression.

True. But you don't understand what 'Nothing' means. What is the difference between illusion and reality?

Lol. Don't know. The universe is infinite. Has no beginning and no ending .. Didn't pop from somewhere.. Because every beginning requires a beginning. Endless.

@Mu_ thanks. That was helpful. I guess I understand what you're saying but it's one thing to apply it in life. And to kinda grasp it intellectually. Maybe.. The problem is that I'm trying to escape myself. If there is an end to suffering it would require that I totally accept myself however I am. The paradox of suffering is that the only way to escape it is to surrender to it. Avoidance won't work. But surrender seems like the unthinkable.

Yeah I understand where you are coming from now. Let's say I'm anxious that I might get cancer in the future (I'm a heavy smoker btw)... So basically what I should do is trying to reach a state of "so what? Fuck it! I'm not the only one who gets cancer etc".. Such that I view it more objectively? ....... But the ego doesn't care about what's objective I guess .. I only care about what's helpful for me. Not sure if trying to put it in a 'cosmic' perspective will help.. Cuz the ego only cares about its own narrow perspective and little life. Some stuff are just near impossible for you to accept.. Death and fatal diseases are examples. But I guess I should accept the non-acceptance? Lol

@seeking_brilliance thanks. Will look it up. ? I find this approach brings more anxiety lol. How do you use this uncertainty to relax your anxiety.. When anxiety stems from uncertainty?

Hedonism is a philosophy of life which says that all that matters and all that is worth pursuing in life is pleasure. Achieving a life of Maximum pleasure and minimizing pain is basically the point of life. Now of course life is pointless and the point is subjectively assigned by the individual... But that is the only worthy point of life. The only point that makes "sense". simply sitting about more on the sofa..eating more good food and going to the pub with friends often. Banging people (or getting banged).. Etc. Maybe even trying drugs for the fun of it. Why not? Pain is bad. Pleasure is good. And good IS good. It's it's own goal. It's the end purpose. - - -so is the hedonistic attitude. What are some flaws of this way of life? Do you actually secretly believe that that's the way to go? Where can this approach of life fall short? Can you present some arguments against this philosophy?

Hedonism is a way of life.. A lot of people In this Era adopt it. characterised by openness to pleasurable experience. There are many qualms about hedonism. It is rejected on moral grounds and said to be detrimental to long-term happiness... As you can see some of the replies here pointing that out. That by engaging in short term pleasure.. That's actually antithetical to long term happiness. Several mechanisms for this 'paradox of hedonism' have been suggested and telling examples of pleasure seekers ending up in despair have been given. But is that the rule? If so.. how much pleasure is too much? . The relation between hedonism and happiness is really tricky.... At the individual level it is similarly linked with hedonistic attitudes and also correlated with hedonistic behaviours such as frequent sex and use of stimulants. In most cases the pattern is linearly positive. The relation between happiness and consumption of stimulants follows an inverted U-curve... As you develop tolerance.. Now you need to do more extreme kinds of pleasures to get similar buzz. @Nahm curios about your take on the subject. You sound to me like a hedonist sometimes lol.

?Good for you Thought shall never let you buy into that fully tho lol jk Thanks

@Nahm very helpful. Thank you . Although I'm not sure if by 'not true' just means the content of the thoughts is not true just in the now.. Such that 'there is no such thing as death in the actuality of the present moment'.. Because obviously the anxious thoughts doesn't say 'death is now "or' you going to die now '. It's always referring to the inevitability of death in the' future '.so I guess I need to work on forgetting about the future and create a better connection with the present?

.. 1 Leo is still young. 2 Leo is not your typical spiritual Guru. He is more of a life coach and an intellectual. Philosopher you might say. Not your "kiss my feet and take my grace" type of deal.

Why those feelings don't resonate? Because they make me feel anxious and sick. They don't feel good. No worries. I agree . If you felt me argumentative you can ignore me. But I'm just trying to be clear and honest. For example.. I just woke up this morning and feeling worried and stressed for no apparent reason at all. I guess that's what I mean by I'm not consciously creating those feelings. If that makes sense. What's the difference between what you call suppressing as opposed to expression (I guess)? Can you give me a plan it list of tips (practical) as to how to deal with this? BTW meditation used to make me calm. But I don't find enough motivation to meditate recently due to the same issues.

Well I don't observe myself 'creating' them. As in I don't consciously create those negative thoughts and followed by body sensations (body shaking). It kinda occurs uncontrollably. I find feeling terrible that's right. Which is why if it was under my control to erase them.. I would have done so. I took SSRI last year and it worked somewhat but I stopped after few months because It causes terrible side effects. And now these worry issues kinda pop up again.

@Zigzag Idiot what are you talking about?

I don't think so.

That's.. Just.. Like... Your opinion.. Man!

This

@mmKay Gotcha. Those work both ways for me.

There exists in Our universe 4.5 trillion galaxy... Think about how crazy big this is. I find it weird and more than just a coincidence that only this little planet evolved life forms and intelligence and conscious beings.. How lol? In fact I'd think that there is definitely other living beings in the universe.. And even more intelligent and advanced than us.. Maybe even they brought us here in the first place..lol... What do you think?