Loneliness- anyone found a cure?

[GetSomeGumption]

I've been doing a bit of sole searching about my life and believe that a part contribution to my MH issues (depression,anxiety) is loneliness. I (stupidly) moved away from home at 18 for uni and never went back to where my parents live. I am now stuck somewhere that I can't leave because my DP has a super specialised job that is only possible here (or london and manchester, and here is the best place out of those for us).

My family are spread out across the country and it is just so amazing when we all meet up. We all muck in with cooking, help each other out with babies and children.

I have been partly thinking about joining a church, but I'm not in any way shape or form religious. But I would just like a way of meeting a group of good people with similar values and developing a support network. I love to meet people of all ages, and actually find that I get on with people better who are from different generations than from my own.
Has anyone had any success with this? Or any other way of creating a support network? Is it just a pipe dream?
My fantasy would be to live in a commune (separate houses, shared land) where kids can run free, everyone helps out with the gardens and communal work, there is always someone to chat to.
I've been reading a book about how loneliness has contributed to mental health problems and I'm enclined to believe it.

Soul searching, of course. Not searching for a sole.
Awkward.

Are you in a remote/isolated area. What hobbies do you like doing? Can you join a club to meet like minded people. You could try religion but I personally would feel a bit of a fraud.

Not remote or isolated in the slightest! But in a job with very antisocial, unpredictable and constantly changing hours, sadly.

In many ways you’re right. It used to be families lived close, friends lived close, and there was much more of a ‘local social support network’.

But that was partly to do with how society was, lack of transport etc.

I’m on my own a lot. I used to be lonely, but I actually prefer my own company a lot of the time.

Maybe you could do some voluntary work, get a dog - or borrow one! Or maybe there’s a crafting group near you ie knit and natter etc?

We (me and dp) are thinking of buying an old 5 bed farmhouse with my DS and ddil, where we could all live together with dgc. It could work...

Singlenotsingle- I've definitely had that thought and discussed it with my parents. Not sure DP is too keen though! And I do like my personal space!

I always find it useful to try and focus on what I have, rather than have not.