Cannot Work Retail Due to Feeling Suicidal. PLEASE HELP

Hi Greensad, I agree with the good advice here on Samaritans and GP. Both have helped me in past. I also have a simple chart I use, with tick boxes. When I'm struggling,  each day I do 1 thing for fun, 1 thing to achieve and 1 thing to relax. I keep the goals small and simple and keep ticking the boxes even when it doesn't (yet) feel it is helping. I am not the one who moved (my partner moved here), but I have had to stop doing the work I had been doing and felt I lost key sense of purpose and identity for some years. You may be able to find small ways that you can use your skills and experience in a voluntary/ local community setting. I volunteered for storytime at library which helped me to rebuild my working life and have something I loved. Remember that this time of year is difficult for many people, and that the jobs market here is very tough. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. This is a special community here. Sending you and everyone love and hopefulness for the New Year

I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling suicidal.  I too found it very hard to emigrate and settle down here.  I think many of us have had some trouble.  In addition to the professional services such as NHS and Samaritans we're happy to listen and offer advice as friendly faces 

I'm so glad that your start with NHS has been a positive one!  When is your appointment in January and will you be attending with anyone you know?

I struggled when I moved here and the NHS didn't take me seriously, it was an incredibly difficult time, also in an expensive location (London outer boroughs / Essex).  I found volunteering at a charity shop one morning a week was very helpful.  It was an easy job to get and I started to meet people and found a purpose.  It always seems that when one thing starts to go right others can fall into place.  Your GP was a great start!

I think most people have this hard time when they move here. I was on sertraline for 13 months because I could not get myself out of a very serious depression. And I know how it is when it comes to retail. Getting those first jobs out of the way are difficult, but important because it gets you references.
If you are still having a hard time getting work in your field, the best thing to do is volunteer. Volunteering gets you face time and references by suitable people. In the meantime, try looking for work in a less soul-crushing job. I'd recommend the leisure industry. Most places hire receptionists easily. Its still customer service, but not as insane as retail as you are working in a place trying to help people get healthier rather than trying to get people to buy as much as possible. That's what I did and it was crucial to have that experience here. Check your local council for openings like that. Also, try a temp agency! Might take a little while, but it pays better usually and its a foot in the door.

Hiya!  It's been a few days since you've been about so I'm just checking in.  How'd you celebrate the new year?

Hi Everyone,

I apologize for the late reply. I have been taking a break from being online and social media so I can become more centered and focused on feeling better. I am basically in recovery mode right now and I'm taking everything one step at a time. Thank you so much, everyone, for the offers of support and suggestions, I will definitely take these ideas onboard and work on feeling better.

Thank you for checking in. Best of luck with your recovery. 

Hope that you had a lovely New Year.

On the job front, volunteering is a great suggestion. The other one I have is potentially seeing if your local library needs peak relief staff (or whatever they are called in your area), essentially library staff who cover staff illness or holiday leave, etc.  There aren't permanent hours so you can still look for other jobs or schedule appointments as needed, or only accept a shift when you want to work. A lot of councils are cutting permanent staff so may be in need of as-and-when workers. If you are comfortable in a customer service role, it can be a lovely environment. You get to meet people without the pressures of retail.

I really hope that you find something to help you feel better, however that opportunity presents itself. We are all cheering for you.

I am basically in recovery mode right now

Sometimes just checking your mail and things like that are like climbing a mountain.