Heading for a full-blown midlife crisis

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you taking therapy or an antidepressant? Two years ago I felt like I was on an endless treadmill (long slog) of work, childcare, eldercare, and it was work, work, work and I was quite depressed. I started worrying I would have a melt down and leave my entire family and job and got on the smallest dose of lexapro which has helped me so much. Maybe you really do want a major change and that's okay, but also just want to point out that sometimes it's okay to ask for help or go on a vacation, explore a new place, try out a new hobby around town first before jumping off the deep end. You could just be bored.

Oh I'm definitely bored. Existentially bored. And yes, already on an antidepressant. I don't need help in a domestic sense; my responsibilities aren't overwhelming or anything. Just boring.

I love a vacation-- travel is my joy-- but it's all waiting for me when I get home. The boring job, of course. The aging parents. The stupid DC social norm of "I'm slammed these days, what's your schedule like in September."

I just want to say f(u)ck it and leave and start fresh. But how/ where/ then what?

But remember - wherever you go, there you are. Travel provides novelty in your life. Is there a way to capture novelty into the day-to-day grind? Can you pick a few things to spend 10 or 15 minutes on a day for a week and see if they spark anything? Do you have any community you can invest in, preferably something easy like a coworker or neighbhor or someone you'll see regularly by default? This one is realy hard and takes forever, but it pays off a ton.

I know, it is not easy. I've been there. Sometimes I'm there again.