neferkamichael

Innercircle, over 1 year sober is just FANTASTIC, congratulations. I'm over 4 years sober now and still struggle with depression. For me I think the problem is that leftover condition called the expectation of instant satisfaction that the chemicals did temporarily provide. Work has been goin really well lately and I got the money to afford a shrink, think I'm gonna go ahead and do it, rootin for ya.

Soberwolf

Congrats on your year+ Innercircle

Tanz

I have been thinking about that a lot recently. Today I tried to blame my depression on being out of work (and of course that would depress anyone, naturally), but when I was in work, at the top of the ladder and earning a very high wage, I was on the brink of suicide. I was bored and busy! We all know alcohol is a depressant, so even a fun-filled life would make one suicidal - everything seems boring. Now that I do not drink I am not as intensely depressed, but I want to bridge the gap between having nothing and having everything I am supposed to have by now. It's that building a new life out of nothing burden.

jmunns81

It's funny how those of out of work often feel like they are wasting their lives because they don't have a career, yet those who do have jobs also feel they are wasting their lives for various other reasons. I wonder how much of this type of anxiety is a product of advertising and social media, where we are made to watch people who appear to have fulfilling and event filled lives.

CelticZebra

I think the advertising industry and the media can make a huge difference to how a person views themselves. It's peer pressure in western 'civilisation' I think that doesn't help the addictive mind when recovering.
I've suffered from my 'black dog' for over 20 years. I find that the more work I do on myself, self-discovery, self-knowledge is so far the best 'work' I've ever done in my life. I find knowledge useful and 'enjoyable' exercise: I like walking but much prefer to walk along the coast or out in nature than walk the dogs around the block - it's the difference between the things I HAVE to do and the things I WANT to do. I also used to be very shy. The more I've come to accept myself the less I mind what others think.
Keep on keeping on

Driving my wagon of hope through beautiful views on my road to myself

Bassmasters

So I'm going to start with the practical advice. It's pretty straight forward. Too easy to figure out. Which makes me believe this isn't what you're after at all. I mean, obviously the past can't be changed, and you're still around, so why dwell over what you didn't do, when you're actually continuing to do what you don't want right now?

The solution is incredibly easy, yet you're not ready. That's to break the cycle. You're as if an addict, without the substances. The way we best get over something is by embracing the next. I once had a girl I was stuck on, and someone told me the easiest way to get over her was to shag some random chick ASAP. Boy did I flip out on him, until I stumbled into such a situation, and ... it was true, hehe.

So you're not really after that, but if you bothered to read it all, you'll come back to it eventually. What you're really after is emotional support. Sorry. I'm sure you'll find that in another post before or after this one.