As-salamu alaykum - I was in a very dark place, but I climbed out

As-salamu alaykum. I wanted to share my story because for years I felt completely stuck, and for the first time as an adult I actually feel hopeful about the future. I was that typical “doomer” type from about 15 to now (I’m 31). If you’re feeling the same, maybe this will help - I finally started seeing light, and it’s possible to get there. For a long time I was just existing. Decent student but lazy, able to get by without really trying. I went to university to study to be a teacher because it sounded right, but it wasn’t for me. The worst issue was crippling social anxiety when I started that new path on my own - I just couldn’t connect with people. It wrecked my grades and left me feeling awful. I numbed out with lots of weed, endless doom-scrolling and video games. It became a cycle that made me lazier and more depressed. After four semesters of that downward spiral, I thought I was done. I quit and switched to marketing. The first few weeks I was motivated, but the same thing happened: couldn’t bond with classmates, and the only friend I made dropped out. I stopped going to classes and slid back into the same hole. The worst part was living at home the whole time. My social life was basically nothing, and the idea of having a wife in the future didn’t even cross my mind. My mom got so worried she asked a local kindergarten if they were hiring, without telling me - the mom of my childhood friend worked there and word got back. He called asking if it was true and how I was doing. Super embarrassing. At the start of last year I said, “enough.” I realized the biggest thing I needed to change was my social skills. I started tiny: greeting the cashier, making small talk with people in line. It actually began to feel okay, and surprisingly a bit enjoyable. For the first time in forever I saw progress - a small light at the end of the tunnel. I also started wanting to be more marriage-ready, so I joined a gym and lost a lot of weight. The physical change was big, but the mental shift was even bigger. Waking up didn’t feel like being worthless anymore. I actually felt good. As I improved, I set bigger goals: cut out sugar, hit at least 5k steps a day, even started running (which I used to hate). My mindset flipped. I began thinking of life like a game where instead of leveling up a character, I was leveling myself. It sounds silly, but it helped me push through bad days. About eight months in, I feel amazing - probably the best I’ve felt. Recently I had a friendly chat with a sister at the gym and we exchanged numbers - I even made the first move, which feels wild considering where I was at the start of the year. I also picked up a job through a casual conversation with someone who knew a person looking for a driver. I’m searching for my own place to move out. My life isn’t wildly impressive yet, but how I feel now is like a whole different life. Last year I was deeply depressed and low on energy; now I’m full of energy, motivated, and actually excited for a new day. So if you’re in a similar spot: you can do this. Start somewhere. Take that tiny first step. It’s the hardest part, but it gets easier after that. May Allah make things easy for you and guide you on the right path.