I’m not sure where is best to post this. I’m currently at university, and it’s going okay, but I’m having a hard time cooking healthy meals for myself multiple times a day. 

I live with four other roommates, and although they are clean, friendly and respectful, I just don’t want to cook my food when they are there. I get a sense of anxiety about having to make conversation when I’m not in the mood, not having enough space to make my food and not having my own ‘freedom’ in a sense, because I’m fearful that I’m going to bump into them. When I come back from a day of classes and hear people talking in the kitchen, it makes me feel kind of low. I don’t get sweaty palms or start shaking, but I don’t feel good. I just want my own space. I struggle with depression, and one of my coping mechanisms is to eat unhealthy food, which I’ve been doing recently because I don’t want to cook.

I don’t know, I think it’s different with family or one or two roommates, or a roommate you know or have chosen, because you feel more comfortable around them. But being allocated with four other strangers (who, I know - I could become good friends with) is just kind of a struggle.

I think looking at the big picture, I’d ideally like to live in my own house with my partner. Although that is something I’m working towards, I can’t help but feel these moments of sadness where I have to do something that I don’t want to in order to achieve that.