I feel lonely!

[sugarplum1999]

Hi everyone. How do people deal with loneliness? 
I am not from Australia and I suffer depression and anxiety. Last year I moved in with my boyfriend but we had to move to a different houses after 9 months due to some issues we had. He is an alcoholic and lost his job and he got injured at the time so he had to move with his parents because he couldn’t afford rent with me. Now, that we don’t live together I feel so lonely even though we talk over the phone everyday sometimes, but I feel lonely and pretty sad, can’t cope with depression on my own, I was thinking to go to a psychologist but I can’t afford it as I don’t have Medicare. I was wondering if someone could give me some tips and advices on how to cope with these issues. Thank you in advice! 

[DidYouEverDoubtMe]

Howdy sugarplum1999, sorry to hear you're having troubles. Do you have any hobbies and things you like doing? For some people it's not the same but chatting online, for me at least, can provide some solace. I've been alone most of my life which let me tell you is not great health wise but I do at least enjoy my own company, I find just putting myself out there quite hard as I have the social skills of a baboon but I feel like I have other qualities that can in some ways make up for it. But let me tell you how I cope: I enjoy learning (so lots of media consumption), where I work most of the people are nice to me, I also have a once a week book club at night where we all hop on zoom and chat and also play games and stuff. And just generally I try to keep my treasured family and friends close. I'm still lonely but I get by. I am kind of also hoping that a community member might know where to look for a professional to talk to, well I guess here is a great start 😄

[james1]

Hello sugarplum1999,

Welcome to Australia and to these forums, though I wish you'd had a nicer experience so far. I understand it's been a really stressful and lonely time and you don't have access to some services since you don't have Medicare.

Can I suggest upfront giving the Beyond Blue phone lines a call to talk about what health care options you have as someone without Medicare? Not only can they give that kind of practical advice, they are also trained to help talk to you. I've called them a few times in the past and found the people I spoke with to be very compassionate. Perhaps that can be a little extra support for you too.

Otherwise, there are some cheap/low cost ways to find companionship and maybe even friendship. I used to go to some meet up groups for sport and also a book club, organised through an app called Meetup. They tend to be just little community groups organised by regular people, so don't usually come with a significant cost (if any). Would joining something like that for a hobby you enjoy, or want to try out, seem achievable or helpful?

James