An Unusual Place Helped Me Find Purpose as a Depressed Teen

When I found out that Yahoo Answers shut down forever on May 4, 2021, I felt like a dear friend had passed away. After all, the platform helped me figure out my purpose when I was depressed, and life made no sense whatsoever. 

As a '90s baby who didn't feel at home in the real world, having Internet access from a young age was a blessing. I immediately liked places like chatrooms as they allowed me to connect with like-minded, "weird" people. I also enjoyed trying out new things online, so when I discovered Yahoo Answers, I signed up immediately. The democratic question and answer format, wherein anyone could ask and anyone could answer, appealed to me. Soon, I was hooked. Reading others' questions and answers was fun, but the part where I could write my answers was soul-satisfying. Of course, I enjoyed asking questions, but it didn't compare to the joy I felt when I wrote answers.

Finding My Purpose with Depression Took a While

Since I was an average 14-year-old girl, it took me a while to figure out that helping people via writing was my calling. But the moment I did, it was a wonderful feeling. For the first time in my life, I felt it was possible to have an interesting job that I could do well. Up until then, I had always believed that I would either get a dull job that I would struggle to keep or not find one at all. Due to depression, I felt it was crucial to have a purpose to go on living. Otherwise, there was no point in struggling every day. Yahoo Answers gave me hope at a time when I had none, and for that, I will always remember it fondly. 

After graduating as an IT engineer at 22, I had no idea what to do next. Becoming a software programmer or tester was my only option, and neither interested me. Upon introspection, I decided to go back in time and remember what I loved to do as a child. Apart from singing and reading, writing that helped others was a memory that came to mind. I decided to do just that, and, well, I have been writing professionally for eight years now. 

Today, I firmly believe that inspiration, even epiphanies, can come from the most unexpected places. All you need to do is keep an open mind and allow yourself to have new experiences.