Who to talk to?

[Moon_beam]

Hi,
I've had several episodes of depression over the last 10 years, since I was 17/18, being more often depressed than not. Medication helps and I had a set of CBT a few years ago. Though I know I've made progress, I feel like I've come to a stand-still: I've gone from being upset from being anxiety and worrying, to accepting perhaps 'this is it'. Yet if 'this is it': just about keeping my job and earning enough to rent a comfortable little studio apartment, but no time or energy for career development, meeting people and building relationships or maintaining friendships, to be honest I don't have anything more to give and I just want out. I'm not trying to be self-pitying, I know I have a good, safe life, but all I can see in the future is trudging through the same day everyday til I'm an old wizened spinster dying alone.

Anyway, I don't know anymore if this is depression, just me and my personality, or normal. As I suspect the latter options, and a doctor would just send me off as being silly and suffering a bout of quarter life crisis/pre-30 crisis, I don't know who to talk to. May be I just need to chat to someone. But without close friends or family I can't think of how to do that. Perhaps I have to move for a total change my living and working circumstances, but I'm exhausted and scared to think even where to start. Does it still sound like something medical/psychological could help, or if I just need to get a grip on myself somehow?

Thanks.

[Gary Turner]

I would pop to your GP - there's lots that can be done on the psych side. Perhaps counselling is appropriate for you - expanding the way that you think, helping you plan, realise what you have, what you could have, and what you need to do to get that have.

Doing the same thing though will get the same result. What do you need to do to get movement? What can you do differently?

And when you think about change, what's the worst that can happen? That you smile and become the person and have the life that you want?

I would take the steps that you feel you need to take - yet take those steps, and do your best to take the right step forward. If you aren't sure how, then yep, seek some help. It isn't a sign of weakness - as a sportsman I had numerous coaches, physical therapists and even a hypnotherapist on board. I needed them to help me get where I wanted and needed to be!

So get movement - and if you aren't sure how, seek the right help to get that movement...