While I love the sentiment, I have to say leaving Discord was one of the worst choices I ever made, not because Discord is inherently better, but because of the friends on it. I was in a very different state mentally and left without warning, and I regret it everyday, even though I'm back on Discord and some of my friends were willing to accept me, I still get a very intense feeling that what I did was unforgivable and I shouldn't be given this chance to talk with them again. It feels like leaving someone waiting for a high five and returning it months later when the hype is gone... I'm mostly inactive because I feel so wrong and I really don't deserve friends that are so nice. While I made the choice to leave and I knew the consequences, I don't wish anyone else to make that same mistake, leave with confidence, not with a cloudy mindset, worsening depression, and way less friends.

[–] Soullioness@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't think anyone blames you for leaving. Social networks are notoriously bad for mental health. And I think everyone takes a break from time to time. You don't deserve to feel so bad. 💜

[–] CaptainAlchemy@lemmy.one 4 points 1 year ago

Thank you :) From one internet surfer to another, your comment was acknowledged and very appreciated. I wish social media wasn't as prevalent as it currently is, but still nonetheless I appreciate the kind words and the time you took to write! <3

[–] thecdc1995@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The part about it being unforgivable sounds extreme. How can there be "consequences" for simply temporarily opting out of a chat app?

Losing touch with friends for a while definitely sucks but if you need a break from literally an app then real friends will accept that.

[–] CaptainAlchemy@lemmy.one 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I left way more than once, so leaving several times and expecting people to accept you again and again sounds like a chore and not everyone is going to keep accepting you.

[–] Mallowmarsh@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

I don’t know, I have a discord friend who leaves every once in awhile, and it’s just their thing, and we welcome her back with open arms every time. No big deal, leave when you need to and come back when you’re ready :)

[–] Fizz@lemmy.nz 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't think other people see it that way. It's very common for people on discord to disappear for days/months then pop back in.

[–] CaptainAlchemy@lemmy.one 2 points 1 year ago

Yeah I suppose thats true, I was very much in a different mental state when I left, so much so I deleted my account, one person I was good friends with checked in with my phone number and made sure I was okay. I only wanted to share my experience because some others viewing might be in a similar state I was in, terrified of technology and *almost left it all behind. I have very good people though and I couldnt be more thankful. :)

[–] spleenfiesta@feddit.de 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Don't be so hard on yourself man, your friends accepted you back because you provide something that they don't want to give up! Social Media is not healthy for us humans. You were able to take a step back and realize that maybe you made a mistake in how you executed moving away from a platform with your friends on it, mistakes happen and it sounds like your friends understand that and you also now understand how much they mean to you, it's growth

[–] CaptainAlchemy@lemmy.one 2 points 1 year ago

Thank you for the kind words! Stay safe, friend.