Dear Appletree7,
It’s great you’ve reached out for support. Having a lot of changes combined with health challenges can certainly be very hard. I can relate to your post as I moved from the city to a regional area in 2022 and I’m dealing with health challenges too. I also experience loneliness and I’ve struggled to connect with people in my town, my few close friends living back in the city.
Do you have any hobbies or interests that may give you an opportunity to join a group with similar interests? I’ve found where I am that things are a bit limited in this way, though there are a couple of free meditation groups in neighbouring towns I’ve thought of joining as something peaceful to do with others in a non-demanding context. I have found even just being around others some of the time helps, like sitting in a local cafe for a bit instead of being home alone.
I think what’s tricky is that as anxiety and depression take hold, we can go into a bit of a downward spiral and then it’s even harder to reach out and connect with others. I feel the answer is to gradually and gently reach out into the world at a pace we can handle, like you have by reaching out here. I think as we experience more connection with others we start to feel better, but it’s just getting through patterns of isolation that can be like a form of protection when we feel vulnerable.
It’s a big thing to change states and be in totally new surroundings with new people. Are there any nature places you connect with around you? One thing I’ve done when moving to new places has been to get to know local parks, lakes, beaches, nature walks etc. That has helped orient me a bit and establish a bit of a sense of belonging in the location.
When I lived in the city I did join some Meetup groups for a while. That was a bit helpful in making some connections over similar interests. You could check out the Meetup website to see if there are local groups in your area that relate to you and your interests.
I’m happy to chat anyway if you want someone to talk to and share more about what you are feeling. I know how hard it is feeling lonely. You are welcome here anytime.
Take good care,
Eagle Ray
