Feeling Stuck and Unsure Where to Turn

[skylerclooney]

Hi everyone,
My name is Skyler, and I just joined. I have been reading through some of the threads, and this is the first time in a while that I feel people might actually understand what I am going through.
The last few months have been difficult. I moved to a new city for work in June, and at first I thought it would be exciting, a chance to begin again. Instead, I have ended up feeling completely isolated. I do not really know anyone here, and most evenings I come home from work to an empty apartment. At first, I tried filling the silence with television or endless scrolling on my phone, but now even that feels draining. The dishes sit in the sink for days, laundry piles up unfolded, and I often do not have the energy to cook, so I just eat cereal or skip meals.
Sleep has been another battle. I lie awake until three or four in the morning with my mind racing. I worry about small things I cannot control, replay awkward conversations, and convince myself I am failing at everything. Then I wake up for work after only a few hours of rest and stumble through the day half-present. It feels like I am watching my own life from behind a glass wall.
I have not told my family how bad it has gotten because I do not want to worry them. The truth is that I am scared of where my thoughts will go if I keep isolating myself. I have thought about contacting a therapist, but I feel stuck Pips NYT, as if making a simple phone call is too much, and a part of me keeps asking what the point is.
I joined here because I hope to hear from people who have gone through something similar. How do you stop yourself from shutting down completely when you feel so cut off from everyone? And how do you find the strength to take that very first step toward getting real help when even small tasks feel impossible?

[deeprhighrslowrbettr]

Hi! I am also new.

[Tom57]

Hello Skyler,

Welcome aboard here. I'm sorry to hear about what you're going through.

I feel like I'm going through the same thing. Though it's ironic from your situation because I have lived here for six years and I feel stuck. I want to move somewhere else, but I don't know where to go. I'm a single man, 68 years old, so it tends to be very hard for someone like me to just pick up, move, and then establish myself in a strange place. It would be easy for me if there was a place I could move to where I would know someone, but I don't know where it would be. I feel like I'm stuck with the comfortable-familiar, even though I feel like it's not the best.

It's a nice place where I am now, but lately, the area has been ruined by new high-rise apartments going up. They're under construction now which means a lot of noise and parking is a problem. The parking may get worse when they're completed. I personally don't see how people are going to move in to these new apartments when they're expensive and, as of now, there are already a lot of vacancies in the older apartments, including at where I am.

I only have one friend here and he's 89 years old. He doesn't want me to leave. He and I don't get together much. He's the only real reason for me to stay and he's not that wonderful. I'm retired so there's no job keeping me here and my neighbors are not that good. I don't have any suggestions for you because I have tried to make my life better, but nothing worked. Best to you.