Retirement Blues

by Leonora Rianda
(Albany, Oregon, USA)

Been retired for over two years and I'm a mess!

I don't love my life anymore. I'm trying to build some kind of community to replace the one I had through work.

I volunteer my time three days a week at our local soup kitchen. I also volunteer time at our local humane society.

I used to love having time to myself but now I fret and worry when I'm alone.

I'm at the end of Trans-Cranial Magnetic Stimulation therapy my psychiatrist signed me up for to eradicate depression. It seems to have worked; I don't feel depressed. But I'm intensely anxious and often in despair.

My husband on the other hand loves retirement and could stay home all day doing nothing and be perfectly happy.

Has anyone else been through something like this and lived to tell about it?

Comments for Retirement Blues

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Change not Replacement
by: Sue/NC

I had to change a lot and continually re-adapt in my older years/retirement. I could not replace exactly--or at all--some of the things that went out of my life.

I did new things. I re-learned to like arts and crafts and activities that I did a bit in my child and teen years. Not in the same way, but in a new way.

Depression is not that uncommon. Overstimulation from work, social media, or caring for others may need to be left behind rather than replaced. A sudden collapse of all that and lethargy is common.

Only movement and new habits can root out that lethargy.

I find "volunteering" and "taking care of people" energy-draining. I got a shelter dog instead and put energy into things that love me back. A spouse will give you plenty of "volunteering" right at home . . .
Blood needs to get gently pumping, and breathing needs to get more deep and satisfying. This is your time to serve yourself.
Blues
by: Canadian Retiree

I understand how you feel. I’m 5 years into retirement and I don’t have much going on in my life either. I take water colour painting classes which helps but other than that it’s pretty dull. My husband is retired and loves it. We don’t seem to be on the same page anymore. Our house needs updates and repairs. I have to go most places alone. He doesn’t want to do much anymore. Like you I have depression and anxiety issues. It’s good you’re getting medical treatments for your depression. I was on an antidepressant which helped but I don’t want to depend on it. It’s just one day at a time basically. So you see you are not alone!
Humane society
by: Anonymous

Try being a humane society dog foster. If you really want to be ‘at work’.

Take a pregnant dog (I recommend a small one). Be there for their birth. Walk the mom 5 times a day and keep her fed. Run mom to the humane society vet as needed. Take pups in for their shots.

Up at 6, cleaning kennels, feeding pups and mom (once they start to wean around 6 or 5 weeks), walk them, have kids over to hold them. Repeat.
This will only give you a little bit of time to bathe eat read etc. Keep them for 8 weeks, and return to humane society.

Once I thought I was getting a small dog having just a few pups. Instead I got a 40 pound pregnant dog with worms. Got that all treated. Then she had 10 -- count them 10 pups. Needless to say they grew every day, and every week I would have to enlarge their playpen, like major remodel. At 5 weeks a relative died so I needed to travel and passed them on to other foster homes.

Good luck.

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