Sterling Rivera opens up about his mental health struggles that led to the abrupt closure of his YouTube channels in 2025. He discusses his recovery, new hobbies like golf, and plans to return to YouTube with collection videos and occasional streams. Sterling apologizes for his sudden disappearance and shares optimism for the future.
Hello everyone. For those who may not know me, I am Sterling Rivera. I’m here to provide an explanation and update on what’s been going on lately. Over the years, I’ve had several YouTube channels, and last year I operated two channels: SR Gaming Zone and SR Movie Zone. On July 31st, 2025, I abruptly closed both channels, which understandably left many of you worried and confused.
First and foremost, I want to deeply apologize for leaving without any notice. That was not like me, and I regret causing any concern. The main reason for my sudden disappearance was due to serious mental health issues. I was battling severe depression, anxiety, and stress. Work became overwhelmingly busy and exhausting, leaving me with no energy to create videos or stream.
During my free time, I focused on spending time with family, enjoying activities I love, and watching movies. As many of you know, I am a huge movie buff, which inspired the name of this channel, Movie Guru 2000 — a nod to my passion and birth year.
I watch movies almost every day and consider myself a movie guru. Films are one of my favorite forms of entertainment, and I’ve always enjoyed sharing that passion with you. However, I experienced a massive burnout from YouTube and even from writing reviews on Letterboxd, which I used to log and rate movies.
I created a new Letterboxd account during my time away, where I continue to track movies I watch and rewatch. Feel free to check out my diary there to see what I’ve been enjoying.
Some negative interactions on social media deeply affected me, contributing to my decision to disappear for my own sanity and mental health. I felt the need to step away from everything to focus on myself. Towards the end of 2025, I faced some very rough patches, including the passing of my grandmother in October, which triggered depressive episodes.
Thankfully, since the beginning of this year, my mental health has stabilized. I haven’t experienced any severe depressive episodes and feel much better.
I also want to acknowledge that deleting my YouTube channels was a mistake. I put a lot of time and effort into my videos, including let’s plays, streams, and collection videos. Anxiety sometimes causes impulsive decisions, and I regret that choice. Unfortunately, those channels are gone now.
Aside from watching movies, I’ve developed a new hobby: golf. It has become a favorite sport and a therapeutic activity for me. In September, I started a golf YouTube channel called Golfge Geek 2000, where I post short videos of my golf swings, often in slow motion. Golf has helped improve my mental health and I look forward to playing more as the weather warms up.
I also have an Instagram account under the same name, where you can follow my golf journey.
I’m back on social media after seven months of focusing on my well-being. I plan to return to YouTube but with a different approach. I won’t be doing discussion videos like I attempted last year, as they didn’t feel right to me.
Instead, I will focus mainly on collection videos showcasing my movies, video games, CDs, and more. I plan to share my entire collection in parts over the next couple of weeks, starting mid-February. Before that, I want to show off my newly redone bedroom and basement, where I’m currently filming.
Regarding movie reviews, I’m unsure if I’ll do them again. If I do, it will be brief opinions rather than in-depth analyses, as detailed reviews became tedious for me.
Additionally, I’m planning a live stream playing PGA 2K25 on my golf channel, Golfge Geek 2000. This will be a chance for you to catch up with me, ask questions, and have a Q&A session. I might also play other golf video games on that channel when I have free time.
I want to thank everyone for their patience and support. I hope to stay consistent this time, but I acknowledge that life can be unpredictable. If I disappear again, I hope you understand it’s for my mental health.
Once again, I apologize for the abrupt disappearance and any worry I caused. I’m doing better now and optimistic about the future, especially with exciting movies coming out this year.
Thank you for watching and reading this update. This is Sterling Rivera wishing you all a good night. I look forward to reconnecting with you soon.
Peace out.
