Hi.

I'm a newcomer to this forum.

Nice to meet you all.

I've been struggling with depression for many years now. Recently, it developed into full-blown anxiety-attack, panic attacks sometimes.

I have been seeing a psychotherapist since June last year. It helps. He knows his job.

But......I am still far from getting better.

One aspect of my problem is I live in a country where this issue is still not handled efficiently : FINLAND. The issue of depression is widely-known here, but they have no effective methods of dealing with it.........besides pumping one full of pills.

I moved here 11 years ago. The adjustment was cruel. A few times I thought about packing it in, and leaving. But, I stuck with it. I learned the local language........got a full-time job......tried my best to involve myself in social networks, so I could meet and make new friends. etc, etc

I thought this would solve everything. It sure made it easier, but there was so much lacking. My biggest problem is a lack of friends. I have nobody to whom I can turn to for help...........or just someone to call up and talk, meet for coffee. Just a friendly face.

I'm a 38-year-old, recently-divorced male, living alone

I am still lucid enough to realize that the "living alone" part is probably the worst aspect of my life now. I find that I cannot stay in the apartment more than 5 minutes without falling into an abyss-like anxiety episode, where I lose touch with reality.

My head is filled with thoughts--- bad, hurtful, negative thoughts and emotions. They consume me completely ALL THE TIME. I cant even think of anything else.

Lately, I have been trying my best to avoid coming home to early. I go to work, and then I am done, I try to stay outside as much as I can. I even walk home sometimes (a distance of 15 km), just so that I wont get home too early, where I'll be alone again. When I eventually get home, I am too tired to do anything besides take a shower and collapse into bed.

Weekends are the worst. Having no job to go to on saturdays and sundays, I simply go out. Walk.........jog...........sit in a cafe or bar...........anything, to avoid staying home (((((

I came on this forum to talk. Meet like-minded people, and just talk

I cant talk to anyone where I live (besides my therapist)

[ChangingMyMind]

Welcome to the forums. I am new myself. I also suffer from depression and anxiety. Both had be under control pretty well for 11 years but I recently made changes to my medicine and it has been very touch and go.

Today is filled with anxiety, I know how you feel about not having many friends to talk to. I just moved to this area a few years ago and haven't meet anybody really so I do not have a good social circle. I live pretty far away from family too but I do have my spouse.

I also try to stay away from being alone, be that at home or in the car, anywhere really because the anxiety is worse when I'm alone.

Hang in there! It will get better. This place seems to help me cope a bit so hopefully it will help you too.

Originally Posted by ChangingMyMind

Welcome to the forums. I am new myself. I also suffer from depression and anxiety. Both had be under control pretty well for 11 years but I recently made changes to my medicine and it has been very touch and go.

Today is filled with anxiety, I know how you feel about not having many friends to talk to. I just moved to this area a few years ago and haven't meet anybody really so I do not have a good social circle. I live pretty far away from family too but I do have my spouse.

I also try to stay away from being alone, be that at home or in the car, anywhere really because the anxiety is worse when I'm alone.

Hang in there! It will get better. This place seems to help me cope a bit so hopefully it will help you too.

Thank you so much for your friendly words

I wish the same would happen for me

I recently got divorced, so thats out of the question. But, the thing is, I'm not exactly worse of, because even when I was married, I was still "alone". My wife was not exactly the type of woman who understood this, no matter how hard I tried. Its one of the reasons the divorce was inevitable.

[littlemiss44]

I too suffer from depression and extreme anxiety. I.have one close friend whom I can call but I have anxiety that something bad might happen to her. I also have a fiance. But what if something happens to him too? Then I'd really be up the creek with no.paddle. I wish my circle of friends was alot bigger. Then I.have social anxiety and meeting new people seems insurmountable. I worry they won't accept me and my illness. The two people I.do have mean the world to me. God givth.and.He.takes away. I.know God never gives me more than I can handle but geez will this dark cloud ever be lifted? I can feel so alone in a crowded room full of strangers. Who wants to get to know a depressed person who lives with extreme anxiety? I know I'm worth knowing tho and I hope you feel the same way about yr self. It calms me down to know that even tho I have these afflictions I.am still worthy of love, care, support and friendship..I'm glad you have a therapist where you live. Meds seem to be the answer anywhere you go I think. A good pdoc will listen to you and yr desires to not be over meditated. A good therapist will help guide us so we don't have to.live in the depths of depression. Guide us to a new way of thinking so we don't fall into self pity. I know I've struggled with that for many years and I still do from time to time. Have you ever heard of dbt? It stands for dialectical behavioral therapy. Learn to use our wise mind...to understand that mindfulness practice can get us out of the rut. Just don't things to think about. Go check it out and google it. Ask yr therapist about it. They probably have heard of it. Good.luck to you and if yr feeling lonely just send me a pm and I'll.listen

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Thanks to all for your welcoming and warm messages

I am seeing a therapist once a month. He's good, talking with him helps

But, I need more. I need FRIENDS. I need social contact. I need a purpose in life

I am recently divorced. My spouse and I were together 5 years only. Even when we were still married, I was still alone. she was not the sort who understood any of this, even though I tried to talk to her. Its the main reason we decided to go separate ways

My anxiety does not only stem from something happening to someone I care about. Mostly from something bad happening to me

These thoughts are in my head 24/7.