[Disclaimer: although I felt very bad at the moment, I have never sough mental medical advise/treatment (something which I think is quite common). Therefore, I was never diagnosed of depression.]
Relocate. I know it is much easier said than done, but sometimes the chance just arises at the right moment. I guess that in a large community the chances for someone to be able to do it are quite high.
I left home, country, family and friends for 10 months for an study exchange (Erasmus) and it was a game changer. If you are lucky and with a bit of work, you even get to “choose” the people you interact with—and that most likely after some time will become friends—probably making you feel more connected to your friends in the future.
Since then I’ve been abroad for more than 10 years. I didn’t come back home for any period longer than ~6 months and sometimes being back has been challenging. This is because it is easy to slide back to old routines and behaviours and, therefore, feelings. However, and this is very important, when I did mentally prepare to avoid sliding back, it has been much better. By mentally preparing I mean just to think on the usual issues you had, and plan how to avoid, prevent or manage them. I then try to recall those thoughts from time to time when I’m actually back.
Having something that makes the experience of being back very different also works for me. Whenever my girlfriend has come (including the ~6 months period) all dynamics have naturally changed and I have felt very well (even though I think every time she’s came I have forgotten to mentally prepare before the visit).
I don’t think distance is what is significant but the fact that you are in an unknown and new environment. However, distance helps to make it difficult not to come back for a significant period of time, which helps you develop and settle in a new and happier mental state. I suspect that the fact of being in a country where a different language is spoken may also help because the environmental change is dramatically more significant.
I ignore if this is scientifically tested in any way. I do recall it mentioned in this 80000h podcast. So my advise would be not to plan a relocation only as a therapy against depression—although it doesn’t seem uncommon for people to relocate just to escape their environment; indeed it played a significant role in my decision. Rather, if you have the opportunity, the curiosity or just the will, I encourage you to try it and I think this will contribute significantly to improve your well-being.
I would add a general comment here: a relocation is also a good chance to change something one does not like of himself, e.g. stop smoking, change a particular behaviour. Often these behaviours are (at least partly) triggered by environmental clues that are altered when you move, making it much easier (this does not make it easy, though!) to modify them… If you have previously mentally prepared!
[Disclaimer: although I felt very bad at the moment, I have never sough mental medical advise/treatment (something which I think is quite common). Therefore, I was never diagnosed of depression.]
Relocate. I know it is much easier said than done, but sometimes the chance just arises at the right moment. I guess that in a large community the chances for someone to be able to do it are quite high.
I left home, country, family and friends for 10 months for an study exchange (Erasmus) and it was a game changer. If you are lucky and with a bit of work, you even get to “choose” the people you interact with—and that most likely after some time will become friends—probably making you feel more connected to your friends in the future.
Since then I’ve been abroad for more than 10 years. I didn’t come back home for any period longer than ~6 months and sometimes being back has been challenging. This is because it is easy to slide back to old routines and behaviours and, therefore, feelings. However, and this is very important, when I did mentally prepare to avoid sliding back, it has been much better. By mentally preparing I mean just to think on the usual issues you had, and plan how to avoid, prevent or manage them. I then try to recall those thoughts from time to time when I’m actually back.
Having something that makes the experience of being back very different also works for me. Whenever my girlfriend has come (including the ~6 months period) all dynamics have naturally changed and I have felt very well (even though I think every time she’s came I have forgotten to mentally prepare before the visit).
I don’t think distance is what is significant but the fact that you are in an unknown and new environment. However, distance helps to make it difficult not to come back for a significant period of time, which helps you develop and settle in a new and happier mental state. I suspect that the fact of being in a country where a different language is spoken may also help because the environmental change is dramatically more significant.
I ignore if this is scientifically tested in any way. I do recall it mentioned in this 80000h podcast. So my advise would be not to plan a relocation only as a therapy against depression—although it doesn’t seem uncommon for people to relocate just to escape their environment; indeed it played a significant role in my decision. Rather, if you have the opportunity, the curiosity or just the will, I encourage you to try it and I think this will contribute significantly to improve your well-being.
I would add a general comment here: a relocation is also a good chance to change something one does not like of himself, e.g. stop smoking, change a particular behaviour. Often these behaviours are (at least partly) triggered by environmental clues that are altered when you move, making it much easier (this does not make it easy, though!) to modify them… If you have previously mentally prepared!
I hope it helps.
n=1, of course, but I relocated soon after and stopped being depressed.