Feeling depressed and wondering where to go from here?

[Lovely Difficulties]

I'm feeling a bit down, and posting on here always helps me find direction. When I finished college, I moved to a new city to start my career. While I had a good job, I still felt down and lost. I didn't have an established group of friends, my family was far away, and I felt a bit empty. I ended up switching jobs, but I find that I have been longing for my previous one still, which was my purpose for moving to the city. I at least had more friends there. I realize that I wasn't 100% satisfied and searching for something to make me feel more fulfilled, but it was less about the job and more about my personal life. I haven't built a strong support network or family and have grown to really miss being closer to mine. I have activity buddies, but no romantic companion, sadly. When I go back to see my family and old friends for the holidays, I get a sense of comfort and feel depressed my first week back. Even though I've advanced my career, I've felt lonely. I'm sure it'd be different if I had in-laws or a personal reason to be where I'm at.

 

At the same time, there really isn't much career opportunity near my family for me, and I find that it has changed since I was there. I just am seeking to be stable and feel like I'm at home, and I find that I continue to keep searching for something that makes me feel fulfilled. Right now, I'm wondering if it makes sense for me to move back near my family, but then I end up talking myself out of it. My family believes I should stay and continue building my adult life. I've been in this city now for three years. I've also considered returning to my old job where I felt that I fit better and was my home here.

 

Any advice?

[Floveet]

Hello !

 

Ill tell you a bit of my story and you'll see that you are not alone, but mostly what you have to do and learn to feel better.

 

Firstly :

I have no home.

I was born in France, my father was military, lived in Africa for few years, to Reunion Island for 10 years, went back to France for Highschool then another city in France for University.

Moved to China for a year, went back to another city again in France and finally went back to China to change from one city to another.

 

Finally im now in Shanghai for just 2 years.

 

How do I feel ?

I am a French guy, who don't speak French anymore, living in a country where I don't speak much of the language, working my ass off to succeed in my career with the risk to lose everything and go back to France where I have nothing.

 

I almost have no friends, mostly relations and networking I have built.

Nothing is real.

 

Here comes my advices :

Do what you like; what's your hobbies ?

Check forums of your city, go out, discover what you have around you.

You don't need people to bring you there. But mostly you need to kill the fear that makes you vegetate in your apartment afterwork or on Week-end.

 

By doing that you will face two possibilities :

- Meet amazing people and start some strong relationship

- Meet *******s and be disappointed because they will hurt you.

 

In any case, you have to stay strong. Life is easy if you know where to start with.

 

Being lonely, missing home is pretty normal. But imagine for me ... I don't even have a home....

I am 26, renting an apartment with a Cat and a Chinese girlfriend.

 

It's a choice that you made. Have a good career and realise what you want and dream of.

 

So what's your objective, what do you want to achieve in life ?

Keep note of that in your mind and always try to give your life a chance to bring new ideas, new stuff you've never heard about.

Then i can assure you that you will lose that empty feeling.