No matter how hard he tried, local resident Bob Smith just couldn't shake off his depression. He tried therapy, medication, and even meditation. But nothing seemed to work. That was until he stumbled upon the world of professional gaming.
Bob spent hours upon hours watching CS:GO tournaments on Twitch, dreaming of one day becoming a pro himself. He scrimped and saved every penny to buy himself a decent gaming setup, convinced that this was his calling.
Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and Bob's addiction to CS:GO grew stronger by the hour. He spent all his waking hours practicing, watching tutorials, and reading strategy guides. But as hard as he tried, he just couldn't seem to improve.
One day, Bob decided he was ready for his first-ever competitive game. He scoffed down a bowl of cereal, took a deep breath in, and clicked the big red "Competitive" button. Within seconds, he found himself in a game with four complete strangers, each with a username more absurd than the last.
Bob tried his best to play as a team, but his lack of skill was painfully obvious. He was the first to die in every round, and even when he did manage to get a kill, he was usually outplayed by his opponent. The other players on his team verbally abused him, calling him every name under the sun. They even accused him of being a "smurf" - a player who pretends to be bad in order to lower their rank and destroy players of a lower skill level.
Bob was devastated. He had put so much hope and faith into this game, but it had let him down. He was back to square one, with his depression stronger than ever. He tried to remind himself that it was just a game, but the insults he received played over and over again in his mind.
But Bob wasn't ready to give up just yet. He kept playing, hoping that eventually, he would get better. He joined online communities and Facebook groups, looking for like-minded players who could help him improve. He even started streaming his games on Twitch, hoping to gain a following and, with it, a sense of purpose.
But as hard as he tried, Bob just couldn't seem to catch a break. He was still terrible at the game, and every defeat felt like a personal attack. The more he played, the more he realized that he wasn't cut out for this world. He had pinned all his hopes on something that was never meant to be.
In the end, Bob gave up on CS:GO. He thanked the community for their help and support but admitted that he was just not cut out for this world. He went back to therapy, realising that playing video games was not a cure for his depression.
As he locks up his gaming PC, Bob can't help but feel a little disappointed. For a brief moment, he thought he had found something that would make him happy. But now he knows that true happiness doesn't come from a game or a hobby - it comes from within.
