Major Life toll

[Catt57]

7 years ago I was transferred to another state with my job. I moved alone all by myself. I knew nobody in the area. Was laid off due to restructuring. Still no close friends to talk to here. No family here either. 5 months later still no job. Very lonely and depressed. Don’t know how to get past this

[kenster1]

hi do you have family back were you used to live.maybe go back and stay nearer home again.if not an option get yourself out volunteering or take up a new hobby that way you get to meet new people and make new friends.

[Hidden in reply to kenster1]

Great advice!

[Newman91]

I was in the same situation...I moved to another state when I got promoted in my company. I moved 10 hours away and had never even been in the state before I moved there. It has taken me 4 years to finally become happy where I am yet. I struggled for many years because I had no friends at all...this year I focused on the people I already had around me and started taking initiative to hang out and have fun and it has worked out for me. I realized I could have friends once I opened myself up and allowed myself to have friends

[Catt57 in reply to Newman91]

Thank you for the advice. I will certainly keep that in mind

[Rowand]

Hi Catt. It is always hard to start over, in a place all by yourself. There are many ways you can begin making acquaintances which often turn into friends. Are there any folks you worked with before restructuring that you have been able to keep in contact with? One way I always found worked, fairly quickly also, was to find a good local church and start going on a regular basis. People tend to be fairly welcoming in a good church, and there are often opportunities to join activities and/or groups where you can meet new folks. Many also have "single" groups which is a really good way to meet others. Also, finding volunteer opportunities in your community also is a good way to begin to meet people. I can remember a time I was out of work, miserable and found an opportunity to volunteer with a local Head Start program, ended up with a full time job plus lots of new friends. Never underestimate volunteer opportunities, they often lead to job leads.

[Catt57 in reply to Rowand]

Yes I’ve been going to church since I moved here. Need to get more involved. Just started volunteering at the hospital. I’ve been trying to get in with the post office buts it’s a long process. Hoping to get some answers on that today.

[Rowand in reply to Catt57]

That is great. Be sure to let me know how the post office works out. It sounds like you are taking some real positive steps to break out of this "funk". The more you invest of yourself the more others invest in you. Is there a Bible study group at church you could join? That is always a good source of friends and positive relations, plus helping your relationship with God stay healthy and keep growing.