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Advice on seeking help

MJae
Community Member

Hello,

I am seeking advice on how I approach help for depression/anxiety.

My backstory…In 2014, my Dad passed away in my 2nd year of Uni, which took a hard toll on my physical and mental state. I gained a lot of weight and was upset all the time. It affected my work and also my relationships with people. Being an only child, my Mum and I didn’t talk about it much which also didn’t help. The following years I began to pick myself up I started to change my diet and activities and lost a lot of weight, I was healthier and happier. I believed my personality changed from that and my confidence has not been the same.

However over the years, a couple times a month I fall into this depressive state, where I get soo upset over little things, I get frustrated easily, I cry and think so negatively. This week I reacted to something that was said to me and instantly blew it up out of proportion to myself and got worked up (not publicly but once I’m by myself). Last year I was given medication by my GP for my anxiety because my hands constantly shake (they still do a little) but I never continued them. I am not aware of any family members or friends who have gone through these feelings and I don’t think I am comfortable bringing it up to them.

Also, the next day or even an hour after the moment of being in this state or frame of mind, I calm myself down and relax, then to me it seems like I’m fine and that everything is ok…But really deep down I don’t think it is.

Sorry, back on track…So what I am really asking is:
- If I was to try and seek help, how do I initiate this conversation? I have never approached someone about how I’m feeling (Other than my partner, who is supportive and wants me to see someone).
- Is this a normal thing to be stuck with depressive and negative thoughts, then soon after calm down and think that everything is ok and that you were just having a moment? Would this behaviour be causing me to not seek help?

Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated,
Thank you

2 Replies 2

geoff
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni
hello MJae, not wanting to seek any help is because you're frightened on what maybe said or what they suggest, but what it means is that you have to accept that you need to talk to someone.
If you're 'stuck with depressive and negative thoughts, then soon after calm down', it's only going to be temporary, because it will all happen once again, that's what depression does to you, it teases you, that's the power it has, it's no different than what a yo-yo does, it leaves you but always comes back to annoy you, and it won't go away until you know how to cope with it, and that's what a psychologist is there for, to teach and let you understand and then be able to know what your trigger points are. Geoff.

Sophie_M
Moderator
Moderator
Hi MJae, welcome to the forums. It's good to hear you have a supportive partner, and are ready to take some steps to seek help.  

It's quite common to not know how to start a conversation around your mental health, so we have a section on our website dedicated to providing you with tips on how to do it:

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/have-the-conversation/talk-about-it

Have a read through, and please come back and let us know how your conversations went.