How do you get around feeling empty?!

How do you get around feeling empty?

for the longest i hungered to own nice things (for like 8 years I'm 18 now cuz my family has always been poor(i was the kid that had to stay home on the field trips cuz my parents couldn't pay 4 it)) and i finally gotta good job and i bought new clothes shoes hats a hdtv a car a sound system a keyboard and a zune... and i was happy 4 like a month but now i'm back to feeling empty again... any suggestions

2 weeks ago
Well i'm close to my lil bro but he's only 5

Emptiness is not a result of material poverty but rather emotional and/or spiritual poverty. You are trying to fill an emotional void with things that create excitement for a time, but become old and familiar really quickly. What you're missing is a sense of connection and meaningfulness in your life. I won't speak to the spiritual aspect, as I'm not a theologian, other than to say it may be helpful to you to research and explore different faiths until you find the one that resonates with you. But in regard to the emotional emptiness, my guess is that you may have been emotionally neglected growing up. This can be true especially in very large families-not necessarily for lack of love, but rather lack of attention and time where you had an opportunity to feel special. It certainly isn't true in all large families and emotional neglect can occur from many other situations as well, such as a narcissistic parent or a depressed parent or one who was incapable of providing the necessary nurture and comfort that reassured you that you were loved and important and valued. Emptiness is often a search for both meaning (knowing that we matter and that our very existence is important to others) and belongingness (something we identify ourselves as part of that is larger than just ourselves-for many it may be family, for others it is a group of friends or even a profession).
My suggestion is to try individual counseling which can provide you with a corrective experience and a model as well as tools for self-soothing and help you to discover those things about yourself that make you unique. It will also serve to help you identify and validate your emotional needs, which are clearly not being met, and support you in finding ways to meet those needs (the essence of self-esteem). People often shut down emotionally when their environment is emotionally neglectful and this leaves them feeling empty and numb, always searching for the next thrill that will make them feel alive. Therapy helps you reconnect with the feelings and needs that are buried and to establish healthy, reciprocal relationships where you feel connected and valued.
Good luck, and also kudos for recognizing the issue so early. So many turn to drugs and other addictions as a way to fill up the emptiness. Your insight makes you an extremely good candidate for psychotherapy.