I feel depressed

So, lately I've been feeling very depressed.

It all started on the 9th of November when I went to a Karate seminar and I told my instructor I didn't want to participate in the competition they were holding. Apparently, he took that as a "personal insult and embarrassment" and seriously lost his temper with me. His behaviour was so egregious that I reported him to the police.

Then I got coerced into dropping the police report on the promise of reconciliation and was banned anyway.

I recently sued them for victimisation under the Equality Act 2010 in Scotland, and as part of their defence statement they released a lot of new details that I was unaware of.

For example, a guy I thought was my friend was actually having secret conversations with the instructor discussing how to get me to drop the case and then ban me afterwards. My online posts were being deanonymised and used against me. When I complained to the head of the organisation in Scotland I got told that this guy "acted in good faith" and they were not taking any action against him.

On top of that, I sold my house and used some of the money to start a business, which completely flopped. Now I'm looking for a job and struggling big time. I still have enough money to last approximately 1.5 years, but I've basically been unemployed for a year and it's starting to take a toll on my mental health.

I did just do an interview with a French company called Plasseraud IP to start working as a European Patent Attorney in Paris. However, they've arranged a follow-up call to tell me the result, and I'm not really sure I can face being told on a video call that I didn't get the job.

I just wanted to talk to some people here about it, and vent a little bit.

sorry you are going through a difficult time. life will inevitably present challenges to all of us. talking about it and opening up is a great first step!

Please be kind to yourself and realize that everyone has difficult chapters to go through in life and at times they feel interminable.

You can and will get through this. One second at a time. One minute at a time. One hour at a time. One day at a time.
The human spirit is indomitable, and I can tell you from personal experience, often times -- the greatest challenges of my life that have made me want to give up -- on the other side has been the best opportunities and experiences that has made those impossible times worthwhile.

You're not alone. You can message me if you'd like to talk.

I'm so sorry to hear that you've been feeling this way; but glad that you've felt comfortable enough to reach out here

I'd second seeking out a therapist, though I know from personal experience that it is a difficult process to admit that you could use help - particularly for someone used to puzzling through hard problems themselves and having been taught to be 'self-reliant'

I'd recommend Psychology Today as a good place to start, which should have many listings of therapists, which you can sort through to find a good fit:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/counselling

I've also found the directories of psychology - or, in the medical school, psychiatry - departments at local universities, to be a good place to look through.

Please feel free to message me as well, if you need someone to talk to.

Fishing is the best therapy.

Go fishing with someone. Take a charter. Just go fishing.

The amount of times I have had another guy in a boat and had a good chat.

Gives someone a chance to open up and loose some baggage. The amount of times someone has thanked me for the day for more than the fishing.

((And I will tell you I have heard more than one person divulging 10x more heavier situations than yourself…..not taking anything from your situation 😉))

Just go fishing 🎣 trust me.