Depression

Depression affects people in Australia every day. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with depression.

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Jeriava How do I talk to my doctor?
  • replies: 8

I’ve been struggling with my life for the past 7-8 years but I finally made an appointment with a doctor. I feel really scared though because I don’t ever go to the doctor for anything, and I havent seen this doctor for so many years that I’m really ... View more

I’ve been struggling with my life for the past 7-8 years but I finally made an appointment with a doctor. I feel really scared though because I don’t ever go to the doctor for anything, and I havent seen this doctor for so many years that I’m really scared that they’ll judge me or won’t believe anything I say. I’m really anti social so I feel like I won’t be able to say what I wanna say or I’ll say the wrong thing causing them to just dismiss me and move me along without helping. I’m just tired of feeling alone, depressed and just worthless but I’m really scared to talk to them.

Chris_B Are you looking to support someone else with depression? PLEASE READ before posting
  • replies: 0

This forum is for people seeking support for their own mental health issues. If you're posting on behalf of someone else with a mental health issue that you're concerned about, please have a look at this section of our forums: Supporting family and f... View more

This forum is for people seeking support for their own mental health issues. If you're posting on behalf of someone else with a mental health issue that you're concerned about, please have a look at this section of our forums: Supporting family and friends with a mental health condition It's full of threads from people who have family members and friends going through anxiety, depression or other related conditions. Have a read through the threads there, and feel free to take part in the discussions. Below are also some helpful beyondblue resources you might want to look through first as well: Supporting someone Have the conversation

AGrace SELF HELP TIPS FOR MANAGING DEPRESSION
  • replies: 132

Hi Everyone, Here are some ideas you might like to try for managing symptoms of depression. Of course everyone's different, so let us know what works for you, and please feel free to add to the list... Mindfulness – through breathing or engaging the ... View more

Hi Everyone, Here are some ideas you might like to try for managing symptoms of depression. Of course everyone's different, so let us know what works for you, and please feel free to add to the list... Mindfulness – through breathing or engaging the 5 senses Distress Tolerance – Accepting Emotions and Self Soothing Distraction – Put the thoughts/feelings aside and come back to them when you are ready to deal with them Positive Affirmations – Have some affirmations written down repeat them to yourself daily Sleep/Exercise/Diet – All 3 aspects of our lifestyle can impact the way we think/feel Increasing Pleasurable Activities – Engage in at least one pleasurable activity per day

All discussions

Mazzania Don't even know
  • replies: 3

So... being having issues with my partner, I tend to complain about my stuff to work friends. I'm sure I blow it all out of proportion from my own screwed up way of seeing things. They r great, supportive,etc. But I no longer want them to be. I don't... View more

So... being having issues with my partner, I tend to complain about my stuff to work friends. I'm sure I blow it all out of proportion from my own screwed up way of seeing things. They r great, supportive,etc. But I no longer want them to be. I don't want them or anyone else to care about me, or pretend to. I gave my partner no compassion, no positive anything. Been on ssri on and off for nearly 15 yrs. It's blunting, I don't have compassion to give him. A few months back switched to anri to try and make him happy, less blunting, but only on the negative stuff really. Don't get me wrong, when I'm at work I have a good time with the girls and enjoy them. But I go home and it's gone. My kids must hate me. I just sit in my room and remove myself from life and watch others on TV instead. In the last wk, I stopped my snri coz we were still fighting about me being heartless who doesn't care about him. So wats the point if taking pills if I'm still like that. In this last wk, I broke up with him, we told the kids, then I cried and crawled back... all in a day. I blew up my life, destroyed my kids... for nothing. Since, I'm ok with my partner, that ain't bothering me... but I am just... throwing myself into music to try and numb something. I am sad and angry and irritable and want ppl to stay away from me. I wake up ok, but as soon as someone, usually my kids talk to me, that's it. I'm all in my head. I lose my stuff or my obvious misery destroy everyone else's mood. Then I hate myself for it, alopologise over and over for everything I say outa place. And today I'm just angry. Punched the work Keyboard and scared my co-worker. Great work. I just want to be gone and have everything silent. But the silence is so deafening. (Would never hurt myself, just hope that the universe will do it for me). Then I'm numb, no feeling, no emotion, until something happens I don't think and I lose it again. Don't even know y I'm writing this really. Just forget it. I just need to get over my cop-out and stop making excuses for bad behaviour

bryan1990 Am I Depressed
  • replies: 2

Never really talked to anyone before about my feelings, not even my girlfriend.However lately I've been feeling more and more worthless, tired, exhausted, quick to anger.My girlfriend is really great but lately I seem to be putting her down more and ... View more

Never really talked to anyone before about my feelings, not even my girlfriend.However lately I've been feeling more and more worthless, tired, exhausted, quick to anger.My girlfriend is really great but lately I seem to be putting her down more and lashing out, sometimes I don't even remember the conversations we have just the outcomes.I work 2 jobs, not because I have to but because I want to save faster for a house, usually working 55-60 hours a week and 3 of those are night shifts where i get home at 12am and have to be at other job at 7 the next day. so I get 3 crappy sleeps a week which doesnt help.I use to find enjoyment in playing xbox online with the friends, use to play couple of times a week, now i barely play at all. Its like i've lost all motivation in my life, my girlfriend tries to get me out and to do new things but i end up just snapping and making it worse.I feel if I keep going the way I am I will end up losing her as its allready starting to create a distance in us.

Doolhof Struggling to get help
  • replies: 10

I know this is a place where we are supposed to encourage and support each other, to offer suggestions of where help may be received and to try to be positive in our experiences of reaching out for mental health guidance and care. Unfortunately that ... View more

I know this is a place where we are supposed to encourage and support each other, to offer suggestions of where help may be received and to try to be positive in our experiences of reaching out for mental health guidance and care. Unfortunately that has not been my experience for a long time living in the country. My GP kept telling me he would make an appointment with me to do a mental health care plan. That took about 6 months. At an appointment I basically told him I needed help, could he please do the plan that day and not make me wait another 4 weeks for a next appointment. The psychologist he recommended sent me an email stating with the information the Dr had written in the referral she was unable to assist me. She had not even met me! Wait another 4 weeks for another Drs appointment. A new psychologist was recommended, I had to drive to the city for this one. Had to wait a couple of months for an appointment. My appointment was to be on Thursday this week. Received an email from the psychologist stating "due to changes in his circumstances he is no longer able to offer me sessions". I go to the local hospital and am told "the Doctors are too busy seeing more important patients to be able to see you". The Nurse/Sister actually stated that to me over and over. Looks like me and my sick mind are just going to have to keep trying to support myself until it doesn't work any longer.

Rhys_4 Diagnosis and advice please
  • replies: 4

I think my mental health has been declining for a while now. I got very sick in 2019 at age 33 and spent a long time in the ICU. It took months for me to even walk again. The brain illness has left me unable to work in my profession being a QS which ... View more

I think my mental health has been declining for a while now. I got very sick in 2019 at age 33 and spent a long time in the ICU. It took months for me to even walk again. The brain illness has left me unable to work in my profession being a QS which I spent years studying for and building a career in. I have not been able to earn an income and I have been relying on dwindling savings because pvt disability insurance has not paid out yet lumpsum and it keeps gettin delayed. I’ve been trying 2 get some flexible non-professional work which I think I might still be able to manage. I’ve really been struggling with trying to earn money and I feel that the ongoing decline in my mental health is making trying to work again impossible, especially as its compounded by the cognitive difficulties and fatigue I’ve been struggling with on a day-to-day basis since 2019. All the changes that have happened in my life dealing with the after-effects of the 2019 illness plus this awful and ongoing delay with the insurance company has left me feeling lost, sad and unable to motivate myself to do anything. Not saying money will solve all the problems but I feel in my heart that if the insurance company finally paid, I could be in a much better position to try and improve my mental health but in the absence of that happening, finances are getting worse and I am sinking deeper into a depression spiral. I am trying 2 claim for some small temporary income protection payments with my insurance company for the depression, but I need to know if I am actually depressed and what to do about it as I also want 2 get treatment and get better. I went online and took a depression diagnosis test which confirmed that I am depressed. Basically, my symptoms which I’ve been experiencing more intensely for several months now include constant feelings of hopelesness, not eating and losing weight, not having energy and feeling overwhelmed (even if I’m not doing anything), not doing the things I used to enjoy, struggling to make decisions, not wanting 2 go anywhere and lately I’ve been wondering if just not waking up would better than running out of money n being forced out on the streets. I would really appreciate if someone could help me understand what type of depression I am suffering from, if I am indeed suffering from depression, and if you could please recommend how long I need 2 recover and what I should be doing to recover?

Bee40 A wave
  • replies: 2

Today a wave of depression has came over me, it comes once or twice a month the day feel down from the morning right uphill I go to bed. I don't know why it comens , I'm happy most other days. I get snappy at ppl and then feel bad . Then I start to t... View more

Today a wave of depression has came over me, it comes once or twice a month the day feel down from the morning right uphill I go to bed. I don't know why it comens , I'm happy most other days. I get snappy at ppl and then feel bad . Then I start to think of the ppl I've lost years ago and get upset like they just died yesterday. Doss others get these days ?

Daniel27472 Depression
  • replies: 4

Iv been feeling like I’m worthless my whole life, ever since I was a young boy to where I am now. I was brought up by my parents to remind me that I’m a disappointment and that I mean nothing to them if I died. I was abused in so many ways by my pare... View more

Iv been feeling like I’m worthless my whole life, ever since I was a young boy to where I am now. I was brought up by my parents to remind me that I’m a disappointment and that I mean nothing to them if I died. I was abused in so many ways by my parents, who at the age of 7 told me that they never loved me and wished that I died .. I just feel like my life isn’t anything other than nothing at all.

Ryan7519 Situational depression.
  • replies: 3

Hello everybody my name is Ryan I am 27 years old and I have not posted on here in a while. well what can I say ? I have been feeling melancholy for the past few months however the funny s that I attribute it similarly being in a clinical state physi... View more

Hello everybody my name is Ryan I am 27 years old and I have not posted on here in a while. well what can I say ? I have been feeling melancholy for the past few months however the funny s that I attribute it similarly being in a clinical state physical discomfort in the respect that there is moments of relief from feeling depressed but it inevitably comes back I am employed casually as a kitchen attendant and I have been hanging in there. The work environment is positive and I could not have asked for a better team everyone is kind to me and I try my best to be genuine and friendly at the same time I do my best to mask it with that being said at the end of the day everybody these days is so focused on their own world that they wouldn't notice if anything was up. even when my coworkers do I respond with the usual "I am fine thankyou for asking" and normal polite conversation and that it is it.In terms of the depression I feel trapped I am content in my current position but I don't want to be stacking porcelain or scrubbing pots and pans forever I recently upskilled to become a barista and I am quite competent at making espressos I dreamt of being a pastry chef of going back to study Patisserie and earn my Pastry Chef certification. The problem is no matter how clear the intention or goal this feeling of depression keeps getting in the way this overwhelming sense of self doubt I keep looking for excuses of which I am running out of. people tell me to go for but it is easy for them to say it's not their life is it.

prayingandhopeful Anxiety spiralling out of control
  • replies: 1

I had my youngest child 10 and a half months ago, suffered a bit of baby blues and anxiety with him. Just as I felt like I was on the cusp of coming out of it then BAM.. pregnant again, 8 months post partum. I instantly knew I would not be able to ha... View more

I had my youngest child 10 and a half months ago, suffered a bit of baby blues and anxiety with him. Just as I felt like I was on the cusp of coming out of it then BAM.. pregnant again, 8 months post partum. I instantly knew I would not be able to handle another baby as I already have 4 children so I had a surgical termination and had mirena inserted at the same time. During the time between me finding out about the pregnancy to having the procedure done, I beat myself up internally about it, negative self talk, guilt etc.. then after it was done, I felt.. NOTHING.. for about two weeks. I guess I tried to block all my emotions out to try and protect myself from the guilt I feel about the termination.Since then I’ve noticed my mental health deteriorate quite rapidly and dramatically. I started noticing really low moods, not wanting to do anything, anxiety over just about everything, don’t wanna leave the house, feeling overwhelmed over the smallest of tasks, my hair is falling out, found out my eldest was being bullied and was paralysed with fear for him! I’m simply just functioning to keep my kids alive and nothing else really.. everything else is too hard.So I saw my GP today, and let it all out to her but I felt like I wasn’t being heard. The response I got was “yeah you have anxiety and depression but being a mum comes with stress, so see a psychologist, learn better ways to cope with stress and pick up a hobbie” (long story short). She completely ruled out medication for me as well.I feel like I’m spiralling down a deep dark hole of anxiety and depression. I have good moments of course, but I’m a shell of the person I once was and I’m struggling.I can’t afford the psychologist fees even with the Medicare rebate after doing some research this afternoon on drs orders, and I’m more anxious than I was before.I don’t know what to do and I guess I’m reaching out to you guys for other options?

sylvwah Done
  • replies: 12

I'm done. I stopped anti-depressants because they made me too fatigued and I still thought constantly of suicide. I no longer believe they can work. I dropped out of my uni course that I started this year because of anxiety I cancelled my psychiatris... View more

I'm done. I stopped anti-depressants because they made me too fatigued and I still thought constantly of suicide. I no longer believe they can work. I dropped out of my uni course that I started this year because of anxiety I cancelled my psychiatrist because at $300 a visit, it's just a pot luck on experimenting with pills and I think they are reckless. My relationship with my partner feels like a bomb has gone off. I feel like hiding from my partner and newborn baby. I can't look after my older kids l. I'm so tired. I can no longer be bothered exercising. I left the social groups I'm part of - board games and baby playgroups. I'm done. I don't want to talk to family or friends or do anything. I'm so ashamed of who I am. After 4 years of psychology and two attempts at anti-depressants everything is so much worse and everything I've been striving for has been a waste of time. I don't think there is anything next.

Caly Too sad
  • replies: 1

Today is really bad. Overwhelming. Not coping well 

Today is really bad. Overwhelming. Not coping well