I want out of this horrible country

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I'm just tired of the exploitative economic system that keeps me living paycheck-to-paycheck as a practical economic slave. I'm tired of the culture of apathy towards others and "pull yourself up by the bootstraps". I'm tired of the capitalism and commercialism everywhere. I'm tired of the overpriced inadequate healthcare system. And I'm tired of not being able to go to work or shopping without worrying about a random lunatic showing up with a gun. And besides, my whole family lives abroad so I have no attachments or roots here anyway.

I've been thinking about traveling abroad to teach English for years. I got my TESOL certificate all the way back in 2014. But I never mustered the courage to actually do it. There are just too many things that can go wrong.

I have severe depression and anxiety issues, and I'm prone to emotional breakdowns from time to time. In a foreign country, I'd be completely dependent on my employer to maintain my legal residence status. I will not have any kind of disability benefits or protections in that situation, and it won't take long for my employer to terminate our contract once they notice my very noticeable psychological issues. Best case scenario is that they'll let me stay out the duration of my contract but won't renew once it ends. And if I lose my job I'll also lose my visa.

Even worse, finding psychiatric treatment is extremely difficult and unreliable in many countries. If I can find a psychiatrist, there are no laws to prevent them from sharing my medical information with my employer. I need medication to manage my anxiety and depression, but these meds are unavailable or even illegal in many parts of the world.

So as much as I want to escape from this country, I just feel trapped by my mental health problems. And I'm not getting any younger in the meantime.

Sometimes I think the same thing, but many other countries have strict criteria as to who can emigrate. Usually the only options are to marry someone in that country or to have a very high-demand skill. Some countries, like Japan, don’t allow anybody to emigrate.

But I totally understand your situation.

Please get it straight. To "emigrate" is to LEAVE the country. To "immigrate" is to move TO the country.

If you (a Texan) were to move to Canada, and both Washington, and Ottawa allowed it, then the US would be "allowing you to emigrate", and Canada would deem you a "legal immigrant".

It sounds like you have a specific country in mind, eg China?
Because most of the issues you list is not a (big) problem in Sweden. I would expect this applies to all Nordic countries and many others too, but I know Sweden best.
That said, the immigration laws are quite strict and I'm not sure a TESOL certificate is enough to work at a school as a teacher here.

/Mats

Even if it was worth migrating to the UK (which I don't think it is), its immigration policies are downright hostile unless you own a factory or something. If you're in the USA, maybe a state such as California would be slightly better?

Cost of living on the west coast is through the roof.

Only the Deep South and the Great Plains—the most conservative parts of the U.S.—are affordable to the middle class now.

I do not wish to ever become a citizen of Trumpistan.

I know people who live in California. Don't know their income but they seem to be getting away with it. Not a very big house, rented, and they have jobs at Amazon. Arkansas (a province of Trumpistan) has practically no laws to protect tenants from landlords, and the rents are way too high for what you get. And the weather sucks. And the insects. The people are often very friendly as long as you're white, heterosexual, and don't mention politics or religion (unless you're a right-wing Baptist, in which case it's fine).

What do you even work as?

Loneliness has always been one of my biggest struggles. It is difficult enough for me to make and keep friends here, where I've lived for many years and am familiar with the local culture. How will I build any kind of social life in a foreign country where I don't even know the language?

I've known some people who had similar housing arrangements in the past. They always are in cliques and can only afford the rent by being in a group that splits the bills. To get into a group like that would require NT-level networking and social skills and an indeterminate amount of time spent getting to know the right people.

I remember some years ago I was homeless and trying to figure out places I could go. I found an ad on Craigslist for a community home in Boulder, CO, that accepted temporary residents who were struggling. I emailed them explaining my situation, and they responded by sending me a literal wokeness purity test. I couldn't make this sh!t up.

If you're not rich enough to live on the West Coast or in the Northeast, this is what to expect from your state:

1. "Fetal heartbeat" abortion bans. Abortions banned after 6 weeks, no exceptions for rape or incest.

2. Continued discrimination and vilification of LGBT people.

3. General trend toward theocracy.

4. Stifling and censorship of the arts.

5. Demand that schools not teach CRT, but teach creationism.

6. Voter suppression, resulting in a one-party (GOP) state. Democrats, indies, third parties and even moderate Republicans shut out of the political process.

7. Marijuana would remain illegal, in order to continue the War on Blacks--er, Drugs.

8. Any attempt to change any of the above is an attempt to "persecute" whites/men/straights/Christians.

9. Any attempt to regulate infrastructure would result in (insert state here) "becoming California".

10. Anything to the left of Marjorie Taylor-Greene is considered socialist or Marxist.

Last edited by Tim_Tex on 05 Jul 2021, 6:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I can understand that, I've lived here for 10 years and haven't managed to get any kind of social life or friends. In this respect Scandinavia is probably a bad choise.
Anyways, I was just saying that all countries are different.
Just two examples:
Healtcare in China is very bad and quite expensive, in Sweden it's paid for by taxes and ranks very high in quality.
English in China is with a few exceptions not spoken while in Sweden someting like 99% of the people speaks it, often at a high level.

/Mats

You sound more like a typical democrat to me (didn't you say you were registered as republican before? If that changed, pardon myself on that). Why can't I be skeptical of CRT and believe illegal and even some legal immigration in my country is to be questioned or has overstayed it's welcome, and supported Trump for my own reasons, while at the same time I have little issues about sexual content and nudity in video games or other media at all or is actually open to the idea of social programs and socialized healthcare (in moderation)?

Even if the only "wrong" issues were suggesting that immigration be restricted but were otherwise "good" everywhere else, I am still considered far-right even in America right now. There is no such thing as the "center" or "moderate" in reality because the parameters are always shifting. Did you also see the after mentioned positions as "far-right" 15 years ago?

On to another note with OP, I honestly don't know about details but the only thing I can tell you right now is that I wish you luck whatever you do.

You say you have a TESOL certificate, so there is no practical barrier to you leaving the country.

English is the most widely spoken 2nd language, so it is possible to get by and meet people with just that. But once you decide on a destination, it would be a good idea to learn at least the basics of the local language.

If you move to any reasonably developed country, your medications will probably be available there. I haven't had a problem.

I find it easier to live in another country than my own. People expect foreigners to be weird, so my weirdness isn't as much of a problem. (This includes romantic relationships.) And I've never felt at home, even at home, so I might as well be a misfit somewhere else.

I've lived in 5 foreign countries and visited many more. My suggestion for you would be East Asia (Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia--not China) or East Europe (Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, etc). All these countries need English teachers. Western Europe is fine but opportunities for you would be limited. S. Korea might also be a difficult adjustment, for me anyway. The Middle East pays well but is not an easy place to live, culturally.

As you said yourself, the only thing you need is the courage.

Last edited by Benjamin the Donkey on 06 Jul 2021, 12:38 am, edited 2 times in total.

to get legal residence in sweden you must pass a fairly rigorous literacy test [in swedish]. i have a neighbor who went through all that.