What can I do to improve my life?

Question

I am 21 years old and currently trying to get my life on track. I am taking antidepressants/antianxiety medication called Cipralex for depression and anxiety disorder. I am also going to start counselling soon.

In the meantime, I am having a hard time finding work and it seems I get sucked into my friend's problems and end up being their rock.

What can I do to improve my life? I would like any changes ie. good jobs, etc to look for, clubs to join, etc to improve my life and getting my life in order to become a happier, well-rounded person.

Thanks!

Answer 1

Volunteer to do story time reading for children at the local library.

It is a plave to get away, you can find enjoyment in reading the kid's stories and children, young ones, tend to give unconditional and genuine affection on a level that poses no threats. A few of the little blighters will be little ash wholes, but most won't. And it is something you can easily walk away from after giving it a try should it not improve your outlook.

Answer 2

I understand how you feel, I was that very way at your age.
Your friends lives overflow into yours and nobody seems to ask you how you are doing. Their problems come first and there are no seconds.
It can be hard finding work right now, the economy is tight, with the war going. The housing slump and auto industries are in a bad way. The jobs trickle down from them mainly.
So just keep looking and keep your head up.
Some ways to upgrade your life are being active in your community. Volunteer at the hospital or with the Red Cross, or maybe your church.
Join a group that is involved with things you enjoy like a photo club or kayaking or whatever. The newspaper somedays list activities for those groups. It is a great way to learn a hobby or skill and meet new people. Some of those people may need help at work or know a great guy to meet if you are single. It is called networking and it is the BEST way to make contacts and find new opportunities to expand your life.
If you are shy, it gets you out of your shell. Just go and force yourself to meet just one person. Then as you get better or more confident, it just builds from there.
Tell people you meet that you are looking for work, don't sound desperate, keep your dignity, but let it slip out that you are seeking new career ops.
As far as the depression and anti-anxiety meds., I would look it up at WEB MD.com or somewhere like that to read about the side effects and contra indications. Read the product literature on the web or the pharmacist to see if this drug is really right for you.
My father was a pharmacist and it is always recommended that any medications are studied by the patient and if something doesn't seem right, talk with your doctor, pharmacist or counselor. Sometimes the side effects of the medicine is worse than the depression...
I tried acupuncture and acupressure for my depression and it was effective over a few sessions.
It does help sometimes to help others to get your mind off your own problems, but be sure you do your own service when the time is due.
Search the internet for those key terms like
depression or anxiety
Cipralex
employment
networking
happiness
joy
career advancement
or terms that are directly related to your interests like
photography
cooking
marine biology
or whatever it is that starts your engine.
Follow the links and learn as much as you can.
Put it into action and see what happens.
Force yourself to do things you haven't done before.
Explore yourself to find out who you are, and love that person for who she is, was and is going to be.
Depression can come from many causes, but I think it mainly is not liking who we are or our situation at the time.
If you change one of those things, you will shake the depression and anxiety.
Be around people that are supportive.
Avoid creating more responsibility for yourself now, just focus on the things that matter.
Finding work, even if it isn't a dream job.
Keeping your life in order and
loving yourself even if life really sucks.
Life will change, remember that.
Happiness is circumstancial by the definition of it.
Joy comes from the Spirit of God, the spirit of love that he puts in us, for him and for ourself.
Joy is the fruit of the spirit.
Pray that God will open a door for you. Ask Seek Knock.
Ask him to light you feet so you will know how to step in the darkness of your soul. He will guide you on a right path.
Ask for forgiveness and grace. Wisdom and courage.
Don't ask for money, but ask for your daily bread.
Love your neighbors as you love yourself.
Breathe deeply, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Shallow breathing creates anxiety in your body.
Breathe!
Relax and be good to yourself, but responsibly.
Have some fun, cheaply and safely.
Smile until you fool yourself that you are happy.
Hug somebody
Kiss an old man
Smell the flowers
Run barefoot in the sand or mud or rain.
Remember that child inside that didn't want to grow up.
Do something nice for a stranger without any reward or knowledge of who did it. anonymous act of kindness.

Answer 3

You should do some volunteer work. Help out with Big Brothers/Sisters, volunteer on a suicide hotline, offer to babysit for a new mother while she takes a desparately needed nap. Go to the nursing home on Tuesdays and read to the folks there. Teach adult literacy classes twice a week. Serve plates in the soup kitchen. Talk to the mentally ill people in your community and stop feeling sorry for yourself. Get out there and do it!

Volunteering helps others, of course. But you will be amazed at how much it helps YOU. Your self-esteem will sky rocket. it will be easier for you to find jobs if you feel really good about yourself.

Furthermore, volunteer positions very often turn into paid jobs. Find a cause that you are willing to work for and make a difference in your community.

Answer 4

Give the meds and counselling a chance to work, some meds can take 2 weeks or more to start giving full effect.
Then I found the playing feild was levelling out and light at the end of the tunnel. I started to see options/changes and then started making choices
Even with the same illness everyone is different
The main thing is you know you have a problem and are doing something about it and like many of us you will make it

Small Steps my friend , but many of them

Answer 5

You have a couple of good things going for you here. You are a rock to your friend in need, even with problems in your own life. And you have the desire for improvement and a belief that you can get there. This is a lot.

You like to help others, so a job in nursing, or being a waitress, or sale person are jobs where you can use your ability to help others.

You can join a church, where you will find others who are looking for improvement and want to help others. Join a church with happy, well rounded members.

Answer 6

well you are on the right track by asking. its important that you can recognize your short comings. I think first you need to sort things out and sometimes you need to get a pencil and paper and actually right down some things. I have always sorted out life by listing my dreams and my abilities to see which of the dreams i can make a reality. And then you need to prioritize your list and usually you have to go over it at least twice and maybe go over it with someone. If you want you can practice on me by telling me what you want with no limits just say if you could be any where in the world where would you most want to be and list the places. And do the same for a job, if you could have any job in the world what job would that be and list a few.

Answer 7

sorround your self with sucessfull people...positive people....get rid of the friends who are a constant damper. Focus on goals and what the outcome of achieving those goals will be. Picture the things you can buy with the money you are making after you get a degree from college, start your own business, writer a book to help others with your same problem...ect. I find that volunteering at convalesent homes is a great thing! Those elderly people admire you so much!.....but basically souround yourself with positive things!!! I woudl reccomend reading the book Faboulosity by Kimora Lee Simmons...its very inspiring!!!!!!

Answer 8

Until the other things come around, pick a subject in which you are interested and study. You will find it easy to have such effort block out the other negative elements. Learn to tell your friends no. Tell them that you have things you must do and that you just don't have the time to take on their problems. What you will likely find is that they and not very good friends and that at least some of them have been using you.

I had a close friend who had problems and he came to me to find solutions. Finally I had to tell him that I couldn't keep being his 'rock' and that he would have to work on his own solutions. He did just that but never came back. He wasn't a real friend.

Answer 9

College is good for meeting peers and stuff if that's your thing. Just take random classes at the JC and see what comes out of it. Maybe join a study group. I deal with problems by taking my dogs to obediance school. That is my way out. When I was taking guidence counsling at the college I learned that sucessfull people are people who are always working on a goal. I see this so much with my sucessful sisters they always have something going on in their life.

Answer 10

Google this "Nam myoho renge kyo"
I belong to a buddhist philosophy group (SGI) for the past 3 years and have found that really uplifting. Not only are the people really inspirational, but I have made lots of new friends and accomplished so many goals I never would have had the courage to achieve. They are really supportive without having a hidden agenda.