Coming off of a recent breakup has made me realize that for the majority of my adult life, my truest happiness came from women and only women. If I in a relationship and it was going well, nothing else really bothered me - school, friends, work. Failure in those fields seemed insignificant because "I still have a girl that loves me and everything will be ok." And when I wasn't so hot with the ladies, it's the exact opposite. Success in any of those fields doesn't seem to make me any happier because "I don't have a girl, I can never be happy without a girl no matter what else I have going on for me."

I am in graduate school expecting a very well paying job when I come out, have friends and family that love me, and have basically everything a person can ask for. But I cannot even begin to appreciate it if I am currently doing poorly with women.

Even for example, if I am at home playing video games or doing whatever alone. If I know I have a girl/multiple girls that I'm doing well with then I'm very upbeat and I enjoy myself. But when I have nothing going on for me in the girls department, I'll be depressed and have no energy. Even though the current situation is exactly the same - I'm just at home alone playing video games - the thrill and happiness I get out of it hangs completely on women.

This problem of mine has led me to become way too needy and clingy - driving girls out of my life which makes me sadder and more needy. It's a deadly cycle.

How do you guys live a balanced life where your entire happiness isn't 100% dependent your success with women? I know many of you will say go out there and find something you like, but there are plenty of things I like that don't involve girls. I just can't enjoy them if I know I'm not doing well with girls. I hate this problem and it's really holding me back in life right now. Hopefully you guys will have some wise words for me as this sub has helped me grow so much in the past years.