The 3-months depression?

at the expat bbq, i thought i detected that a common expat experience is to go insane after being in the UK for 3 months.  a brief period of insanity... well at least i hope it is brief, because i have just embarked on this 3-months depression.  i'm having serious bouts of homesickness.. kindof going a bit nuts.  i know it will pass...  in reality, i can't imagine leaving here any time soon.  i really do love this place.  perhaps this dichotomy is the source of the insantiy.  

I don't really know what the timescale was for me.  I certainly had some depression my first few months here and homesickness and all.  But I've been ok since then and the homesickness hasn't been too bad for me.  In fact, nearly non-existent.  I think it's my kids that I miss the most and that's really what kind of triggers it for me.

There's definately a cycle.  After the first six months or so, I was losing my mind.  Tears every day, nearly.  I hated this place.  I still have those days, but I feel differently now.  I can't say I feel at home here, but I'm not sure I'd feel at home back in the states now either.  I'm in between....

I know I've adjusted to life for the most part, but it will probably take another couple of years before I really feel at home (she said crossing her fingers and saying prayer).  

There are days tho when I don't think I'll ever really *like* it here.

All you can do, earlapricot, is hang in there and wait for the sun to come back out.  And it usually does....just don't blink or you'll miss it.  

HUG!!!!

Well I hope the soriee cheered you up a bit...and if it didn't I'll just have to organize another one.    As for the 3-month depression all I can say is I think it may depend on the individual.  For me personally I go crazy every 3 months or so.  Hey at least I'm consistent....during that time I am a total monster 24/7 - Glen detects it right away and sends me
packing.  

Well I hope you had some laughs last night (and I could bet that you did) and know that it's normal.  Some may have it more than others (I fit into that category) but I'm sure it hits everyone from one time to another.  Even with the best acclimated Americans living here.

i def have my bad days   i do love it here but miss everyone so much.  i try to keep myself really busy so i dont think about it much, but when i do .... watch out!! steve wishes he could send me packing, hehe.  

Boy was I glad to read these posts!  Hi, I'm Syreeta by the way (Newbie to the forum).  I've been living in Surrey for the past 3 months and I think I must have cried over nothing atleast ever other week.  I've even taken a few online depression tests and lets just say I wasn't too pleased with the results.  I was a Flight Attendant but I gave up that job to move over here and get married to my English husband.  I assumed my change in mood must be due to me not being on the go as often as I was before or maybe I just miss the sun.  I really appreciate when it's sunny outside!  Thankfully my husband is very understanding and is a great support to me.  But it's also nice to know that I'm not going crazy.  As much as I love living here, it does take some getting used to.  Hugs to everyone who has been down this road before.
Hope to chat with some of you soon
Syreeta

hi syreeta...welcome to the site.  love for you to post in the introduce yourself forum...kinda give us all a brief intro of yourself.  where ya from, how long ya been here, etc, etc.  maybe by hookin up on this site we can make life a lil rosier for ya.  glad you found us.  we get together on tuesday evenings for live chats come and be and part of it.  

I cried myself to sleep every night for six months.  You're not alone.  I'm in the throws of the "three months depression" as we speak but it's because I'm NOT there.  One of these days I'll get it right I'm sure! lol

BTW welcome to the forum Syreeta!  Nice to have you!

I am with you so far Hovis,

   I have been battling the deep blues...  because I am not there yet... they come ever few months like clockwork.

   5 more months, 1 year since seen my baby...  I will make it  I hope
Michele

I went through the depression somewhere between 3-5 months as well. Being Post-Partum did NOT help at all, I was going crazy, and hated it here. But, it did get better, and I am usually feeling at home here these days. There are still bad days, tho I don't know about the cycle of them, PMS doesn't help those either, he he. I cannot imagine moving back Stateside at this point, it's just not home for me right now, my family life is here. I do want to someday. This experience has heightened my patriotism, and my appreciation for the things that I had previously taken for granted.

Hang in there earlapricot, it will pass.  

ye gods.   glad it's not just me!  I wasn't too bad for the first few months because I was enjoying the whirlwind...exploring life with my Love and getting married (blah blah blah)...but after that...erg.  I like England...to visit.  Living here was not in my plans for life.  Now I'm faced with the fact that not only will I be living here for the rest of my life....it'll be in the same house for the rest of my life (barring a miracle).    As I said, not something I'd planned on.  That said, I've made a few friends over here, I adore my husband, my mother in law is one of my greatest friends...so it's not all misery.  My suggestion is St John's Wort...kill the weepies!  It'll make ya feel better.  
wench

 I like England...to visit.  Living here was not in my plans for life.

I'm of a similar mind, wench.  Greatest place on earth for a visit, even and extended visit...but not the place I want to spend the rest of my life.

We have plans to go to the US someday, though.  So I'm not facing an eternity here anyway.  I'm glad to hear you've made some friends!  Wish I could say the same.   :-/

 My suggestion is St John's Wort...kill the weepies!  It'll make ya feel better.  
wench

Well, that and chocolate.  Lots and lots of chocolate.....and when that fails, there's always pasta.

(Who me?  PMS?  No, never bothers me!)  

Well, that and chocolate.  Lots and lots of chocolate...

And do always keep in mind that dark chocolate is chock full of antioxidants, so you can ward off both depression and cancer at once!

Come to think of it, red wine is also antioxidant-rich--I recommend combining the two! (But don't mix wine and Wort.)

MMmmm...red wine...chocolate...there may be a New Diet there...

Ah, c'mon Wish...don't online friends count?    As for the PMS thing...well, for a brief while I was a fan of Feminax, but now I'm a fan of Depo Provera....as long as I take my iron pills (being slightly anemic) I get NO PERIOD!  Seriously.  Last one was oh, Octoberish.  
wench
mua ha!