Advice on Depression and fish keeping.

[Scrappy71113]

Hello; Don't know how to address depression on a discussion forum. So, won't try. Since rehoming is not off the table, such seems the thing to do. Same for a dog, cat or any other animals under your care.
If or when you find work, then you can try again depressed or not. I have had to cut back my active tanks a time or two and start over later. Good luck.

Not asking advice for the depression, just for how to cope with the tank maintenance.
As far as work goes, I have a job, it's just a horrible job that's chipping away at me and breaking me down. I need to find a new one. The issue isn't a lack of income per say. I have the funds to feed them, get the things they need. It's the lack of energy, the lack of mental capacity to handle day to day life.
I'm going to try some of the advice given, and see how it goes for a few weeks. If I can't get my head in the game, I'll definitely rehome them.

 

[HUKIT]

I think most people have gone through a hard time at some point in life including myself. I’m a chronic overthinker and tend to hyperfocus on the negative aspects of my life far more than the positive. I use my fish room/display tanks as a distraction. This allows me to completely forget about everything that’s happening in life and just focus on the task at hand. There are also rewards for that too as seeing positive changes through your fish whether it’s growth, color, or breeding activity. Those little wins will definitely add something positive into a negative situation.

 

[Conchonius]

We've all been there, in one way or another. At the end of the day the brain is an organ, and its issues are no different than issues of other organs. You need rest, recuperation and treatment, which unfortunately is hard to find.

Can you automate the water change process? Even a small secondhand pump and a hose should make it much easier. Although with depression, the issue I expect is that it is difficult to start the process, rather than finishing it once you're past the initial hurdle. I would recommend underfeeding as well - fish need very little food to keep themselves going, and it would keep the water quality higher, which they need more.

Oscars don't need washed lids or scraped algae, either, so don't worry about that. They can live in mountain dew-colored green water just fine, it's the nitrates they care about. As long as you're doing regular water changes, you're not failing them in any way.

Engaging with a community helps, and MFK is a community. Maybe make plans to post improvement photos of the fish, and use that as an excuse or motivation to get them to a better place?