How are you?

[RainbowsAndUnicornss]

What do you say when someone asks you this?
I'm a bit fed up of saying yeah fine just to move on. I don't have any close friends I see regularly & I'd love to open up but I never know if people are genuinely asking or they just feel they have to

Bump

Not sure. Have you tried something in between? Variation on, "I'm struggling a bit, but will get there in the end", or whatever feels most like your situation, without doing a bit emotional off-loading? If you do this, you can gauge reaction from there. I'm thinking they've got the opportunity to engage you a bit more about it, if they're up to it, or just move on if it was a token gesture on their part, iuswim.

Should read BIG emotional off-loading. IME you don't need to imply everything's fine when it isn't. Some people are capable/willing to be more supportive than others.