Can’t help 'ya. Sorry.
I always recommend volunteer organizations to my single guy friends. Many volunteer organizations are populated overwhelmingly by women so they’re usually glad to have a guy around. And if you like pets or kids, there are lots of opportunities in those areas (animal shelters, kid-related organizations), and the women in these organizations are usually impressed by a guy who likes pets or kids. A great foot in the door.
I also like the take-a-class idea. Personally, I always find it easier to sit next to someone in a class and start talking about the topic or the instructor or something related as opposed to going to a bar and trying to walk up to a stranger with no idea of what to talk about or what she might be interested in. Good luck!
Was in substantially the same situation almost 2 years ago.
One thing I’m very happy about now, is that I made sure to wait almost a full year before dating - from what I hear from others in our shoes, the first few months especially are rife with bad mistakes.
I took up new hobbies, joined some classes, did volunteer work. All excellent ways to meet people, though not neccesarily to date. More for social contact.
I was very fortunate in getting a lot of dates out of E-harmony.
Odds are, you’re a bit of a ticking bomb right now, with lots of unresolved issues. You might also be somewhat limited in conversation topics due to your recent experiences. Much better to let those mellow, rather than have them mess up “too-early” attempts at meeting someone and so prolonging the funk.
Things definitely get better. I’ve been happier in the last year than in the decade preceding it. One of the tricks is realizing you don’t have to be defined by your relationships with others.