Depression

[The Quick Brown Fox]

On 14/09/2026 at 22:56, bmt said:

Hey mate, im in a similar boat. Feel free to reach out

Was going to say reach out if you need. 

 

If either of you need someone to talk to, drop me a message and I will share my number. Always here to listen. Grab a beer a bite or walk. 

 

You're never alone even when you really think you are 

[Lee Sweatshirt]

I'm having a bit of a wobble again. I mean, I've been wobbling since being signed off work in June - and I'm still signed off, though not by choice since around August, when I felt ready to return. The job I had was backfilled almost immediately after I went on sick leave, and it appears there are no other roles available for me to return to, so I'm in limbo, on SSP and just treading water. My employer, whilst seeming quite supportive initially, now doesn't really appear to be doing much to try to help me to return. So yeah, I feel like I'm in limbo.

 

Anyway, knowing this was likely, I'd applied and interviewed for another role and, despite interviewing well (or so I thought), I heard yesterday I was unsuccessful, so that was a bit of a kick in the teeth.

It'll pass I know, but man things just feel a bit bleak right now. I mean in the world as a whole, as well as my own situation. In one way, it almost feels liberating - like, I could find another job, maybe do something different. On the other hand, the job market seems pretty terrible, and I'm not really overly skilled - I sort of fell into what I've been doing, and I'm concerned about when/what I'll be able to get next (if I don't return in some capacity with my current employer, which at this point seems highly likely). I also don't really know what I'd like to do, so I can't even figure out if I'd like to use the time I've got now to up skill or learn something new.

Just feel a massive lack of purpose really, and hugely anxious about what the future might hold.

 

As I say, I know it'll pass - but writing this down somewhere is helpful. Hang in there everyone!

[Trav Le Bleu]

16 hours ago, fleshdaddy said:

I'm having a bit of a wobble again. I mean, I've been wobbling since being signed off work in June - and I'm still signed off, though not by choice since around August, when I felt ready to return. The job I had was backfilled almost immediately after I went on sick leave, and it appears there are no other roles available for me to return to, so I'm in limbo, on SSP and just treading water. My employer, whilst seeming quite supportive initially, now doesn't really appear to be doing much to try to help me to return. So yeah, I feel like I'm in limbo.

 

Anyway, knowing this was likely, I'd applied and interviewed for another role and, despite interviewing well (or so I thought), I heard yesterday I was unsuccessful, so that was a bit of a kick in the teeth.

It'll pass I know, but man things just feel a bit bleak right now. I mean in the world as a whole, as well as my own situation. In one way, it almost feels liberating - like, I could find another job, maybe do something different. On the other hand, the job market seems pretty terrible, and I'm not really overly skilled - I sort of fell into what I've been doing, and I'm concerned about when/what I'll be able to get next (if I don't return in some capacity with my current employer, which at this point seems highly likely). I also don't really know what I'd like to do, so I can't even figure out if I'd like to use the time I've got now to up skill or learn something new.

Just feel a massive lack of purpose really, and hugely anxious about what the future might hold.

 

As I say, I know it'll pass - but writing this down somewhere is helpful. Hang in there everyone!

You're right, it'll pass. Hope you find something soon. Maybe look for a job that you'd really like to do?

 

I've often thought that there's probably people doing jobs that I'd love to do, that they hate. I don't think there are many people who have jobs that they are ideally suited to. Just look at Russell Martin.

[RoboFox]

16 hours ago, fleshdaddy said:

I'm having a bit of a wobble again. I mean, I've been wobbling since being signed off work in June - and I'm still signed off, though not by choice since around August, when I felt ready to return. The job I had was backfilled almost immediately after I went on sick leave, and it appears there are no other roles available for me to return to, so I'm in limbo, on SSP and just treading water. My employer, whilst seeming quite supportive initially, now doesn't really appear to be doing much to try to help me to return. So yeah, I feel like I'm in limbo.

 

Anyway, knowing this was likely, I'd applied and interviewed for another role and, despite interviewing well (or so I thought), I heard yesterday I was unsuccessful, so that was a bit of a kick in the teeth.

It'll pass I know, but man things just feel a bit bleak right now. I mean in the world as a whole, as well as my own situation. In one way, it almost feels liberating - like, I could find another job, maybe do something different. On the other hand, the job market seems pretty terrible, and I'm not really overly skilled - I sort of fell into what I've been doing, and I'm concerned about when/what I'll be able to get next (if I don't return in some capacity with my current employer, which at this point seems highly likely). I also don't really know what I'd like to do, so I can't even figure out if I'd like to use the time I've got now to up skill or learn something new.

Just feel a massive lack of purpose really, and hugely anxious about what the future might hold.

 

As I say, I know it'll pass - but writing this down somewhere is helpful. Hang in there everyone!

I was made redundant at the beginning of the year from a media company I was with for fifteen years. 

 

The sector of the industry I was in has seen sharp decline in the past few years and hundreds of people left their roles at various competitors seemingly within the space of a few months. I was naive thinking I'd be able to find something given the sheer amount of competition and a decimation of the industry meaning a lack of hiring. 

 

I managed to find a bit of freelance work over the summer to keep my head above water, but now that's dried up and I'm constantly applying to find full time work in an adjacent sector in the hope that someone will see my experience and take a chance. I must've re-written my CV dozens of times. I've had a few interviews but nothing offered yet. The last one I had felt like an insult making me jump through hoops and then trying to low-ball me to the tune of tens of thousands on the salary. 

 

I'm starting to panic as the money is beginning to dwindle and I'm going to have to dip into my reserve savings which I'd earmarked for deposit on a house. 

 

Like you, I'm very worried about the immediate future as it's incredibly bleak. We've just got to remind ourselves that this is temporary and something will come up eventually. 

 

Edited yesterday at 12:33 by RoboFox

[Tommy G]

16 hours ago, fleshdaddy said:

I'm having a bit of a wobble again. I mean, I've been wobbling since being signed off work in June - and I'm still signed off, though not by choice since around August, when I felt ready to return. The job I had was backfilled almost immediately after I went on sick leave, and it appears there are no other roles available for me to return to, so I'm in limbo, on SSP and just treading water. My employer, whilst seeming quite supportive initially, now doesn't really appear to be doing much to try to help me to return. So yeah, I feel like I'm in limbo.

 

Anyway, knowing this was likely, I'd applied and interviewed for another role and, despite interviewing well (or so I thought), I heard yesterday I was unsuccessful, so that was a bit of a kick in the teeth.

It'll pass I know, but man things just feel a bit bleak right now. I mean in the world as a whole, as well as my own situation. In one way, it almost feels liberating - like, I could find another job, maybe do something different. On the other hand, the job market seems pretty terrible, and I'm not really overly skilled - I sort of fell into what I've been doing, and I'm concerned about when/what I'll be able to get next (if I don't return in some capacity with my current employer, which at this point seems highly likely). I also don't really know what I'd like to do, so I can't even figure out if I'd like to use the time I've got now to up skill or learn something new.

Just feel a massive lack of purpose really, and hugely anxious about what the future might hold.

 

As I say, I know it'll pass - but writing this down somewhere is helpful. Hang in there everyone!

How long have you been there? I guess they might be hoping you will hang on so they don't have to pay you off....if you've been there a while maybe wait a bit longer to be pushed.

[Lee Sweatshirt]

18 minutes ago, RoboFox said:

I was made redundant at the beginning of the year from a media company I was with for fifteen years. 

 

The sector of the industry I was in has seen sharp decline in the past few years and hundreds of people left their roles at various competitors seemingly within the space of a few months. I was naive thinking I'd be able to find something given the sheer amount of competition and a decimation of the industry meaning a lack of hiring. 

 

I managed to find a bit of freelance work over the summer to keep my head above water, but now that's dried up and I'm constantly applying to find full time work in an adjacent sector in the hope that someone will see my experience and take a chance. I must've re-written my CV dozens of times. I've had a few interviews but nothing offered yet. The last one I had felt like an insult making me jump through hoops and then trying to low-ball me to the tune of tens of thousands on the salary. 

 

I'm starting to panic as the money is beginning to dwindle and I'm going to have to dip into my reserve savings which I'd earmarked for deposit on a house. 

 

Like you, I'm very worried about the immediate future as it's incredibly bleak. We've just got to remind ourselves that this is temporary and something will come up eventually. 

 

Your story sounds very similar to mine, though I'm in automotive - so an industry where the writing has been on the wall for some time in this country. I've also been made redundant a couple of times, most recently last year and whilst I've had a few interviews which would have seen me move into a different industry, nothing has turned up yet. Ironically, the only roles I have been offered were ones in automotive - the same industry I know I need to get out of! But of course, there are bills to pay etc. so that sensible part of your brain kicks in when you're offered something.

 

I feel your pain with the re-writing of CVs and hoping someone will see the skills you have and how transferable they are, and take a punt. And with the savings dwindling. I'm already feeling it, despite being in an okay position, financially. As you say, something will turn up for us both but sometimes it's hard to maintain that sort of mindset when you're in the middle of feeling really, really shite! Hang in there mate.
 

27 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

How long have you been there? I guess they might be hoping you will hang on so they don't have to pay you off....if you've been there a while maybe wait a bit longer to be pushed.

Less than a year,, so really they'd have been well within their rights to just sack me off, which they haven't and initially at least, they were supportive. It also doesn't help that JLR have/are making redundancies, and whilst I don't work for them directly, the place I do does, so that likely has an impact on opportunities and why they are saying there's nothing to go back to, as yet.

I dunno. It just feels really bleak. I keep thinking I'd love to work for myself, find something I'm passionate about but really go for it, but I don't really know where to start. Or even to transition into something completely different, where to start or what to do - and also with AI becoming more and more prevalent, what kind of work has both a long term future and be something I'd want to do?!