Joy and meaning

One thing about you I got to know already...you talk to much to others to be deeply deeply depressed. Not saying that you don't suffer from some existential vacuum all modern man suffer from and probably need to raise a tid bit your serotonin levels but don't worry you are not a serious case. As to your topic yes you are right joy and happiness cannot happen with words alone so what ?

1 - Get some freaking pills.
2 - Get an hobby or work that you really like after getting the pills. Occupy your time be productive.
3 - Stop feeling sorry for your unlucky sorry azz and use your brain power to do something about the problem before it gets worse to the point you wont even talk about it in forums any more. That's when you really get sick. Right now you come of as an attention seeker which is also another problem that can be sorted out.
4 - Have a nice day and profit from sensible good advise. Move on !

Hello, this is a truly important subject.

True, external things such as family, friends--even a favorite food--can to a limited extent bring a feeling of joy. (Acts 14:16, 17) Why, just anticipating something good can bring joy! (Compare Proverbs 10:28.) However, the joy a person derives from external circumstances or material things can be short-lived. On the other hand, external circumstances at times seem to rob us of joy. For example, a young man named Jim expresses how his secular job affected him: "I hated my job . . . I couldn't see spending my life just to advance some company that didn't seem to really care about me as a person. Plus, many of the people I worked with were backstabbing, insincere people."

Trying to induce joy artificially likewise proved a dead end. Recalls Jim: "I've been involved with drugs of all kinds since I was ten years old. But I became a very mixed-up person. I was sick of the life I was leading: drinking, taking drugs, and partying. Life had no meaning or purpose. I asked myself, `Where can I find something better?'"

Jim's experience in this regard reminds us of that of King Solomon. He, too, learned the futility of trying to find joy through self-indulgence:
Is there a way of life that is not vain, one that brings joy even under the direst of circumstances?

The Source of Real Joy
"The joy of Jehovah is your stronghold," said Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 8:10) Yes, joy emanates from Almighty God because, for one thing, he is the Creator of all good things that can bring true joy. "Strength and joy are at his place," says the Bible. (1 Chronicles 16:27) The real way to attain joy, therefore, is to have a friendship, a relationship, with the Creator himself such as Abraham enjoyed! (James 2:23) Can such a friendship bring joy? Consider what the psalmist said: "Your [God's] friendship is better than life." (Psalm 63:3, The Bible in Living English)

In passing let it be noted that Jim in time came to appreciate these facts. Today he is a joyful Christian. How could friendship with God bring joy? For one thing, God is "the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him." (Hebrews 11:6) In serving God, one need not fear that one's efforts are in vain or go unnoticed. The smallest acts of devotion are deeply appreciated by him. (Compare Mark 12:41-44.) And when Jehovah blesses his faithful friends, his blessing "makes rich, and he adds no pain with it." (Proverbs 10:22) In fact, lovers of God look forward to enjoying the reward of eternal life in his New Order where "righteousness is to dwell." (2 Peter 3:13) Such a hope is a real cause of joy for Christians!

Another thing to consider is that "joy" is a fruit of God's spirit. Yet God generously gives his spirit to his friends upon request. (Galatians 5:22; Luke 11:13) What is the result? The psalmist proclaimed, "Happy is the people whose God is Jehovah!"--Psalm 144:15.

I don't understand why this thread was tagged "atheism."

I suppose those who live with the Lords grace and company are always happy was the point some idiot tried to make...it speaks wonders about most Christians mind set.

It's often a bit of a catch 22 when using diagnostic labels in discussions as many of the labels are simply descriptions of observed (or reported) symptoms. Brain studies of people with the diagnosis have focussed on certain areas that seem to operate differently than non-diagnosed. However, no one knows the level of joy felt by a person.

Maybe the neural effects (of dopamine release for example) for you and others with the diagnosis are less than other people, or maybe releases are not appreciably different across your experiences. Everyone's own descriptions of what they feel is fuzzy, and we don't know what another person is feeling when that person says that he feels happy or sad. And since you have found an activity that does lead to what you call joyful or meaningful, perhaps you can practice quietly telling yourself that your compositions bring joy to others and meaning to your existence; noting how many times you can tell this to yourself each day. There have been studies that describe the effects of positive and negative self talk. Good luck

I got no problem with that because if life isn't fun and includes sufficient pleasure highs, then - **** it all.

But aren't you being a bit limited in choosing where to get high? Not that composition isn't a worthy one, I like that one too, but for similar reasons my composing goals have been frustrated.

Open up a the field lot and don't be afraid to aim high.

And BTW, **** 'fame and fortune', it ain't all it's cracked up to be.

Fame n fortune or titles....hahaha, fools gold !