Well, yes. You can definitely do this, but you really have to find something you care about and that motivates you to get up and go. Many people have changed their lives in their forties and fifties by doing this. I do think there are some ground rules, however.
1) Willingness to put in the hours of work required to acquire new skills, even if this may be harder for older people than it was when you were in your 20s. Set a schedule and stick to it.
2) Willingness to work with other people who may be younger and more skilled than you are in your new area, i.e. put your ego aside and accept a junior role relative to people who may be a decade or more younger than you.
3) Eliminating alcohol and recreational drugs, and getting your body into decent shape via an exercise program - it can be light exercise, but if you're working your mind all the time, you have to do the same with your body.
There are no guarantees of success, of course. Some useful resources are community college courses in areas you are interested in and which might result in job opportunities, online forums of various sorts, public libraries which provide books and other learning opportunities relative to what you think you might like to do. Overcoming procrastination and laziness should be at the top of your mind at all times.
Most importantly, it's just the feeling that you're moving forward that is worth the effort. It's like a fish swimming upstream against the current - at least you're getting somewhere - vs. a log being swept downstream by factors out of your control.
As far as breaking out of a depressive episode, I hesitate to give anyone any advice, but psychedelic therapy (psilocybin) under controlled conditions has a good track record for many people, if available. I think adopting a program of physical and mental exercise is more valuable in the long run, however.
1) Willingness to put in the hours of work required to acquire new skills, even if this may be harder for older people than it was when you were in your 20s. Set a schedule and stick to it.
2) Willingness to work with other people who may be younger and more skilled than you are in your new area, i.e. put your ego aside and accept a junior role relative to people who may be a decade or more younger than you.
3) Eliminating alcohol and recreational drugs, and getting your body into decent shape via an exercise program - it can be light exercise, but if you're working your mind all the time, you have to do the same with your body.
There are no guarantees of success, of course. Some useful resources are community college courses in areas you are interested in and which might result in job opportunities, online forums of various sorts, public libraries which provide books and other learning opportunities relative to what you think you might like to do. Overcoming procrastination and laziness should be at the top of your mind at all times.
Most importantly, it's just the feeling that you're moving forward that is worth the effort. It's like a fish swimming upstream against the current - at least you're getting somewhere - vs. a log being swept downstream by factors out of your control.
As far as breaking out of a depressive episode, I hesitate to give anyone any advice, but psychedelic therapy (psilocybin) under controlled conditions has a good track record for many people, if available. I think adopting a program of physical and mental exercise is more valuable in the long run, however.