[Monkey9]

(Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom)
This is something I really needed to read - thanks a lot. And well done on your recovery, and good luck for your future

No problem at all. All the best. It won't fix everything, but you'd be highly unlucky if it didn't help.

[2cool]

(Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom)
Yeah, I've been thinking of joining a sports or dance club, but I guess I've just been a bit too lazy to. Anyway, I think I'd rather get out of my town tbh as I'm getting rather tired of this place.




Not necessarily. For example, I'm really depressed about the economy in this country because it means I haven't been able to get a job. And the job market is apparently much better in Australia, so it could benefit me better there cos I can get a job and useful work experience, have fun travelling as well and hopefully when I come back to the UK the job market might be a little better for me.

I tried getting back into education this year but it didn't work out, and I found A Levels seriously difficult right after GCSEs so I doubt one more year is gonna make much difference. Education's not for everyone after all anyway.

I also have this problem of getting a boyfriend, and so maybe I'd have some better luck in a different country, since the guys here seem to be no good.

Theres plenty of jobs here if you willing to do the less desirable jobs. Carers are always in short supply (check any jobs section of a newspaper), for example. Agreed educations not for everyone, its certainly not for me. Why not start an apprenticeship? how you going to fund a gap year? will cost many thousands just to have a working holiday in australia

[CherryCherryBoomBoom]

(Original post by 2cool)
Theres plenty of jobs here if you willing to do the less desirable jobs. Carers are always in short supply (check any jobs section of a newspaper), for example. Agreed educations not for everyone, its certainly not for me. Why not start an apprenticeship? how you going to fund a gap year? will cost many thousands just to have a working holiday in australia

I've been rejected from every type of job I've been trying for, including apprenticeships. It's funny how people seem to have this misconception that apprenticeships are easy to get on until you actually try for them yourself. I really don't want to try for jobs here anymore because all the constant rejections just depress me, and I don't think things are gonna get any better any time soon.

I'll try to persuade my parents to give me the money for the trip, and then I'll maybe pay them back eventually. I'm sure if I can convince them that it's a good enough idea for me, then they'll agree to it.

[MagicNMedicine]

It depends who you are. Travelling is not easy and there will be times when you are on your own and have to be resourceful and self reliant so people that have persistent depression and loneliness might be heading into disaster if they try and go travelling however it is an incredible form of escapism from small problems like relationship break ups as once you are travelling, literally within about 2 days things from back home seem like another world.

I met a lot of people on my travels who had stories about why they did it, to get away from a break up or something back home and it does help you get some perspective on things. I went travelling about 6 months after finishing uni, and before I went I had things on my mind, I'd split up with a girl about 3 months before I left and it rankled a bit, I hadn't figured out what I really wanted to do with my life, I was just a bit tetchy and stressed and not at ease with myself. I headed off to Africa just after Christmas and then when I came back to England the following summer I was totally chilled out, I was much more 'zen' about my life, in fact the first two months I was back in England, chilling out in the English summer, were possibly the most settled I have ever felt mentally in my life, I was proud of achieving all the things I'd set out to do on my travels, had met a lot of new people, had had lots of time to myself in beautiful locations well away from home to thing about things and figure out what I wanted to do in life, and I was ready to move on.

One danger I'd warn about is some people can't leave their travels behind. They come back to England and immediately start moaning about how crap life is here and how they wish they were still on their travels. I saw this from some people who I'd met on my travels, on their facebook statuses, they whinged and whinged about how they wanted to be back on the beach in Cintsa or whatever. Some people that like travelling have a really negative mindset about the UK and because its not the hedonistic beauty of being on the beach with young party people all the time they refuse to accept that they can improve their life in the UK.

But for me, my travels were the best thing I ever did, I still think about my adventures a lot, I have a lot of great memories from travelling on my own, but I kind of got it out of my system in those 6 months. I don't have any desperate desire to go travelling again in the same way. Sure I'd like to visit places on holiday, if I get opportunities to work abroad for a while I will do but I don't know if it would be the same second time round, I felt 'right' for travelling then, now I'm not so sure. But also I've got my life at home more in order and a job I like anyway, so I've got less to be escaping from.

[NewFolder]

Might be worth checking this site before you plan any further with Australia:
http://www.immi.gov.au/visawizard/
Their entry/immigration policies can be very strict.

[CherryCherryBoomBoom]

(Original post by NewFolder)
Might be worth checking this site before you plan any further with Australia:
http://www.immi.gov.au/visawizard/
Their entry/immigration policies can be very strict.

I'm not planning to immigrate permanently or anything, if that's what you're thinking. I just want to travel there for a year on a working holiday visa, which I've read isn't too difficult to get.

[2cool]

(Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom)
I've been rejected from every type of job I've been trying for, including apprenticeships. It's funny how people seem to have this misconception that apprenticeships are easy to get on until you actually try for them yourself. I really don't want to try for jobs here anymore because all the constant rejections just depress me, and I don't think things are gonna get any better any time soon.

I'll try to persuade my parents to give me the money for the trip, and then I'll maybe pay them back eventually. I'm sure if I can convince them that it's a good enough idea for me, then they'll agree to it.

Suspected you weren't planning on paying for this yourself. Also, I was offerered a college and work placement as an electrician before 6 form. Didn't take it because it was with one guy and not a company so I knew I couldnt progress / wouldnt have any work with him after the apprenticeship. The works there if your suitable.

p.s: advice isnt bad advice just because im not saying 'yeah you go for your year out and have fun instead of putting in some hard work like everybody else has to '

[CherryCherryBoomBoom]

(Original post by 2cool)
Suspected you weren't planning on paying for this yourself. Also, I was offerered a college and work placement as an electrician before 6 form. Didn't take it because it was with one guy and not a company so I knew I couldnt progress / wouldnt have any work with him after the apprenticeship. The works there if your suitable.

p.s: advice isnt bad advice just because im not saying 'yeah you go for your year out and have fun instead of putting in some hard work like everybody else has to '

I'm honestly getting too depressed to keep constantly trying at things and then failing. I need some time to breathe and think properly about things, then hopefully come back a bit better and stronger. It's not that I don't want to do responsible things, it's just that I'm not getting the opportunities or something always goes wrong. You probably don't understand what I'm going through, but I keep having all this bad luck and it's rather draining after a while. It's not my fault the economy is the way it is in the UK, and I'm fed up of feeling like I'm being punished for it.

I might have a security job for the Olympics this summer, although even if I get it it's only a temporary job, so after that it's back to square one. Depression aside, why even stay here when I currently have no responsibilities and there might be better opportunities elsewhere?

[needingsomehelp]

(Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom)
Has anyone ever done it? For example, you had a crap job or no job, hated your education or wasn't doing any, didn't have a good love life/social life and was getting so down about life, and decided to one day leave your normal life to go travelling somewhere for a certain amount of time?

I figure it probably wouldn't help people who have severe/chemical depression very much, but I'm wondering if there's many people who had depression mainly triggered by bad circumstances, which then got better after they took a good break which allowed them to have a breather and think about things, and be in a different and more positive environment around more positive people?

I'm really interested to hear some stories, both good and bad, about what you did and how it helped, short term or long term.


And before someone says something like "go see a doctor for your depression", yes I've done that several times but they're not really helping me much, and so I'm trying to find other ways to help myself get better. I'm really considering doing a working holiday in Australia, as I think it could cheer me up and will probably do it soonish if I manage to get the money for it.

I was having a tough time of things at the end of my A- Levels (eating disordered and depressed) and so decided to take a year out before uni (i have an offer to study medicine). I spent most of the year working and sorting myself out but in a few weeks, i am going travelling. I'm hoping it will give me the push i need to recover and that when i get back, i will be better able to cope with uni and life in general. I know not to expect a miracle but i'm a hell of a lot better than i was this time last year in terms of the depression, just need to sort my eating out. Hopefully, i will post back in here when i get back in september and let you know how i got on

[cmab52]

(Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom)
Has anyone ever done it? For example, you had a crap job or no job, hated your education or wasn't doing any, didn't have a good love life/social life and was getting so down about life, and decided to one day leave your normal life to go travelling somewhere for a certain amount of time?

I figure it probably wouldn't help people who have severe/chemical depression very much, but I'm wondering if there's many people who had depression mainly triggered by bad circumstances, which then got better after they took a good break which allowed them to have a breather and think about things, and be in a different and more positive environment around more positive people?

I'm really interested to hear some stories, both good and bad, about what you did and how it helped, short term or long term.


And before someone says something like "go see a doctor for your depression", yes I've done that several times but they're not really helping me much, and so I'm trying to find other ways to help myself get better. I'm really considering doing a working holiday in Australia, as I think it could cheer me up and will probably do it soonish if I manage to get the money for it.

I have not experienced depression myself, however my mother is a psychiatrist and she often advises her patients who are depressed to exercise. Im not sure of the full details, but I'm know that during exercise you release a special chemical called Endorphin's. This is what helps you to feel more happy, and relieve depression. Problem is, most people are too depressed to do it. Travelling is a great idea, so if you do take up the opportunity be sure to do lots of exercise!

[CherryCherryBoomBoom]

(Original post by needingsomehelp)
I was having a tough time of things at the end of my A- Levels (eating disordered and depressed) and so decided to take a year out before uni (i have an offer to study medicine). I spent most of the year working and sorting myself out but in a few weeks, i am going travelling. I'm hoping it will give me the push i need to recover and that when i get back, i will be better able to cope with uni and life in general. I know not to expect a miracle but i'm a hell of a lot better than i was this time last year in terms of the depression, just need to sort my eating out. Hopefully, i will post back in here when i get back in september and let you know how i got on

Hi, good luck on your travels and hope all goes well for you

(Original post by cmab52)
I have not experienced depression myself, however my mother is a psychiatrist and she often advises her patients who are depressed to exercise. Im not sure of the full details, but I'm know that during exercise you release a special chemical called Endorphin's. This is what helps you to feel more happy, and relieve depression. Problem is, most people are too depressed to do it. Travelling is a great idea, so if you do take up the opportunity be sure to do lots of exercise!

Well, if I'm going to be backpacking, I expect to be doing quite a bit of walking anyway . I already walk quite a bit now, which is the most exercise I get these day really, but I'm trying to do a bit more.

[cmab52]

(Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom)
Hi, good luck on your travels and hope all goes well for you



Well, if I'm going to be backpacking, I expect to be doing quite a bit of walking anyway . I already walk quite a bit now, which is the most exercise I get these day really, but I'm trying to do a bit more.

so does exercise help then? Hope it does, and all the best with your future, hope you get better soon

[CherryCherryBoomBoom]

(Original post by cmab52)
so does exercise help then? Hope it does, and all the best with your future, hope you get better soon

Exercise does a little in the short-term, but there's other things I need to work on in order to become depression free overall. Thanks.

[2cool]

(Original post by CherryCherryBoomBoom)
Exercise does a little in the short-term, but there's other things I need to work on in order to become depression free overall. Thanks.

I think your underating exercise ! you say its short term, so if you exercise 4-5 times a week, then thats only 2 days a week your not feeling the benfits?

edit: worked well for stress for me, forgot all about it for the rest of the evening each time

[Alexander94]

I find camping a great help to my depression and anxiety, fresh air, some hard work (but of a different kind) and a change of scenery can do wonders. Do something that makes you feel good. Keeping busy and almost trying a different life works for me!