I got da blues [another sob story from a random depressed ATOTer]

[UNCjigga]

Okay, I admit it. I'm depressed. I just got back from a week at the beach with my family and I'm already depressed! Don't get me wrong--I love my family and I enjoyed my vacation, but I'm not ready to come back. It seems I've been so busy lately that I've hardly given any thought to whether or not I was happy. Well, I had time to think about it at the beach, and I realized I'm not very happy with where I am in life.

Let's summarize:

- I grew up in the bustling Toronto metro area, and I'm now living in an upstart, conservative Southern city with lots of growing pains.
- I'm living with parents/grandparents on the FAR outskirts of town so I'm a 30 minute commute to work and 45-1 hour away from all the cool bars/clubs. Basically, no one my age lives around me. Parents like having me home and are unwilling to help me move out.
- I work for a small startup consulting company focused on a BORING niche market that hardly exists...and I'm getting paid diddly (hence the live with parents problem.)
- Middle East stuff stresses me out (I'm brown [Indian] but not only do I have a Jewish uncle, but I also have LOTS of family in the Middle East/working for companies in the Middle East...including my dad.)
- My short-term goal is to move out, quit my job and take some continuing-ed business classes (one of those executive track programs) but I only have enough cash on hand to do one of the three!

This is just the tip of the iceberg--there are other issues I won't even get into here. I am being punished for the lifestyle I led in college and I've had enough! I need to get out of this funk and move on! THEN I can start thinking bout girlfriends or settling down.

Has anyone been in a similar bad spell in their life (esp. straight after college?) What did you do to get out of it?

 

[Nefrodite]

lotr ^

 

[Jfur]

Originally posted by: uncJIGGA
Okay, I admit it. I'm depressed. I just got back from a week at the beach with my family and I'm already depressed! Don't get me wrong--I love my family and I enjoyed my vacation, but I'm not ready to come back. It seems I've been so busy lately that I've hardly given any thought to whether or not I was happy. Well, I had time to think about it at the beach, and I realized I'm not very happy with where I am in life.

Let's summarize:

- I grew up in the bustling Toronto metro area, and I'm now living in an upstart, conservative Southern city with lots of growing pains.
- I'm living with parents/grandparents on the FAR outskirts of town so I'm a 30 minute commute to work and 45-1 hour away from all the cool bars/clubs. Basically, no one my age lives around me. Parents like having me home and are unwilling to help me move out.
- I work for a small startup consulting company focused on a BORING niche market that hardly exists...and I'm getting paid diddly (hence the live with parents problem.)
- Middle East stuff stresses me out (I'm brown [Indian] but not only do I have a Jewish uncle, but I also have LOTS of family in the Middle East/working for companies in the Middle East...including my dad.)
- My short-term goal is to move out, quit my job and take some continuing-ed business classes (one of those executive track programs) but I only have enough cash on hand to do one of the three!

This is just the tip of the iceberg--there are other issues I won't even get into here. I am being punished for the lifestyle I led in college and I've had enough! I need to get out of this funk and move on! THEN I can start thinking bout girlfriends or settling down.

Has anyone been in a similar bad spell in their life (esp. straight after college?) What did you do to get out of it?

Work on imroving your skills/education so you can land a much better job (maybe in another city). Once I graduated from college, I took a wild chance and ended up doing a job that was interesting but not "me" for 4 years (paid very crappily, too). It was hard to work up the courage to "escape" but I did and am much happier for it. Take a risk!

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Except for the Middle-East situation it sounds a lot more like you are simply bored than depressed. Boredom can bring you down, but it is nowhere near a real depression. As for the situation there: It's quite normal to be worried, but not yet cause to be depressed. Nothing has happened to your family, they are still alive and well. Break out of the boredom and you'll look at life in a different way too.

 

[Yo Ma Ma]

It can be a tough transition going from college/student lifestyle to a full-time working adult type of lifestyle, perhaps moreso since you are also more isolated on top of that. Why not concentrate on finding a new job, perhaps more challenging and better paying, and moving out of your parents' home. If current finances do not allow for this then try saving a bit more before this step.

You probably do not need more training to find a new job, but you can make that a goal in your new position to continue your education part time while working, that's what I did and it was rewarding.

 

[gotsmack]

I have to drive 57 miles each way to and from work, but I kind of like my job.

Move back to toronto.

 

[UNCjigga]

Originally posted by: gotsmack
I have to drive 57 miles each way to and from work, but I kind of like my job.

Move back to toronto.

Heh, moving back could still be an option, however I think I'm now more 'American' than Canadian (and I have my citizenship interview in 2 weeks.)