Hi all,

I’ve always been a fan of Tiny Buddha’s loving, supportive, encouraging environment. I’m currently going through a hard time and am hoping for some support.

I’m 22 years-old and have struggled with depression on and off since I was 18. I got my heart broken the other day by someone I really connected to and cared about. I haven’t dated anyone in a few years and he was the first guy I really opened up to. Long story short – we met at a wedding, hit it off, and tried dating long-distance. He came on very strong – he made plans for the future and it seemed like his feelings were very strong for me. We did go through a brief period where he was concerned about us being long distance. We talked about it and things turned around. I was looking forward to seeing him soon and thought we’d reconnect when we could physically be together again. But suddenly his feelings changed (even though we were going to be seeing each other this weekend). He said he didn’t feel the connection anymore and ended things. It seemed to come out of nowhere and really hurt because I had been waiting for weeks to see him, and he ended it right before that happened. I really got my hopes up about us having a relationship. I have gotten my heart broken many times and I avoid relationships because of it. I was happy being alone before I met him, but now I miss having someone. I am so heartbroken and feel so alone.

I’m currently at a point in my life where I feel generally lost and unhappy. I have felt this way since graduating from college in 2016. I worked in a childcare job but recently quit because it became too stressful. I applied to graduate school but unfortunately did not get in. I’m looking to reapply this fall, but I’m very confused about what career to pursue. Right now, I’m taking some time to figure this out through job shadowing. My problem is I don’t know what will make me happy. I don’t know how to make big life decisions. I just feel overwhelmed, lost, and confused. I think my experience with the guy I was seeing brought me such happiness in the beginning – and since I lost it, I am feeling down. I have already set up an appointment with a counselor. I’m just trying to get through this. Any loving, supportive words would be truly appreciated.