Housing - need opinion or perspective or experiences

[teaandporridge]

im posting in mental health as I have depression and anxiety, currently on sertraline which is going well until I'm on my period. I also have alcohol issues, go to aa but haven't drank in 2 and a half years.

My mind is all over the place as I'm not happy where I'm living but I have no one at all to talk it through with that will give me a neutral opinion and I now can't stop thinking about it and have reached the stage where I don't even know my own mind anymore, I feel utterly demented and now exhausted with all the thinking!

We live in a council house which a lot would say we are very lucky to have, many would probably kill to have a council house with garden, but it's at the top of what feels like a mountain to me! It's a 40 min walk to get to the town and even longer, uphill, to get back home. There are buses but even getting the bus is a nightmare, I can't get on if there's a buggy on plus you're meant to fold the buggy and no one doesn't! I have an 8 month ds, so can't yet fold his pram but alwYs did when it was my older ds. I feel so isolated up here, if I go out anywhere in the morning or afternoon I'm absolutely exhausted by the time I get home, to the point where I feel like I need a nap. I know how petty this all must sound in comparison to the problems other people have, and I keep getting told I'm not grateful enough but I'm finding it so hard to stay constantly grateful. I don't even want to leave the house anymore, it doesn't feel worth it as I'm fucked every time I do!

Anyway, my point is I'd like to move to a private rent in the town centre, close to everything, train station, shops, beach, park and no hills! But obviously the cons seriously outweigh the pros when it comes to private tenancy plus it's about double our rent! Writing it down now I see how crazy an idea it is, my dp is set against it because of the obvious reasons.

I suppose I want to know if anyone else feels like this, does he place you live have this effect on your health. I've never been able to live somewhere isolated, it's always had the same effect on me, I don't know what's wrong with me. I see so many people just getting on with their life, really happy with their houses and gardens and I'd get rid of it all to live where it's busy?!

Poor you, I'm not surprised you get tired doing that, plus added loss of sleep from an 8 month old.

Could you do a mutual exchange?

I've been registered on the exchange site and had no interest but I haven't made contact with anyone. our street isn't very good plus it's mostly council flats where I want to go and my dp wants a garden

In your position is be looking at a mutual exchange to nearer everything, if you are in a fairly isolated position you will probably find that people will really want what you have. Please please don't go down the private rental route, at the moment you have a secure tenancy and you need that if your mental health is poor at the moment.

It might also be worth talking to your GP as possibly your medication needs a review, you still sound depressed and the exhaustion is part of it as is not wanting to leave the house. You need more support but you also need a review of the current treatment you are receiving.

Our local area (Essex) does a scheme called Therap4u which people can self refer to. There are lots of similar schemes across the country and Therapy4u is a national one. It might be worth a Google to see if they are in your area as they offer free counselling and support which it sounds like you could do with.

Do you have friends locally you can speak to?

I'll google that therapy thing. I'm planning on going back to the docs this week anyway, I was on 150mg dose of sertraline plus beta blockers as and when required, which are rubbish, but I felt over medicated so came down to 50mg. I've been generally ok but since my dp started full time work I've went down hill again. The fear just sets in and takes over me, I don't even know what I'm scared of! The only thing that's ever took it away was cocodamol but I ended up addicted to them! I'm going to look more closely at exchange, now that I'm a bit calmer I can sort the rational from irrational which sometimes is very difficult. Thanks for the replies