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BeyondBlue Hello! Read this if you're not sure how to get started
  • replies: 0

Welcome This section of the Beyond Blue Forums is for talking about our experiences with depression. There are lots of chats about how it makes us feel, what it’s like to live with depression and what has worked to help in these times. Thank you for ... View more

Welcome This section of the Beyond Blue Forums is for talking about our experiences with depression. There are lots of chats about how it makes us feel, what it’s like to live with depression and what has worked to help in these times. Thank you for coming this far, we know it can be really hard to take these steps if depression is in your life - we see you and think this is a great step. To get the most out of this space we have a few tips: Get involved. The Forums work best for you when you get active and post where you can. Now, we know that can be really hard, especially when you are experiencing depression. So, if you can post something supportive to someone else here, that would be an incredible start. Speak from the heart. This community wants to know how YOU feel and what has worked for YOU. We trust that you have something unique to say and we can’t wait to hear it. Check in. Lots of the discussions in this section of the Forums have been going for years and they are some of the richest conversations we have. Keep checking in to get new ideas and offer your support. We know it can be tough to start, but when you are ready we want to hear your thoughts. If you need some time to get to know the community, that's okay! Have a look around and see where you want to get involved. Thank you for being here! Beyond Blue

Jeriava How do I talk to my doctor?
  • replies: 9

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.

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

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geelt Everything is a struggle
  • replies: 7

I have no hope for the future because all there awaits is struggle and disappointment. So much negativity and pain where all you can do is hold it in and sigh because nothing is in your control. Even sighing is enough to get other people to complain ... View more

I have no hope for the future because all there awaits is struggle and disappointment. So much negativity and pain where all you can do is hold it in and sigh because nothing is in your control. Even sighing is enough to get other people to complain about you. Can't show any emotions or people will complain and use your words against you and make up scenarios in their heads. Even with all the blessings and fortune I have I'm still struggling. Getting support won't change how I feel about the world. Its just an endless circle of being referred to place after place. I can't expect other people to fix my life but I'm just apathetic towards even building a good future for myself now. At times it feels like the world is deliberately trying to drag me down and make me miserable. I'm too afraid to try anything now, I'm too afraid of running into people that make me miserable. I can only find peace if I isolate and hide from the world. Its better to be in my own company than run into people that make me miserable. I know this is wrong and I know I can't keep this up forever but I'm terrified of the world now and its only getting worse. I wish I could be left alone and not have to interact or deal with people. I spoke with a counselor and they suggest I join a study program which I was hesitant about but against better judgement I decided to give it ago because what was the worst that could happen. I didn't do enough research about the program and it was not the kind of program I thought it was. I couldn't handle 2 days of sitting in a room with loud people swearing and making a ruckus, its been 4 months since then and I can't get it out of my head. It's so frustrating that I can't get these things out of my head. A couple of days ago I decided to catch the bus and go to a different library for a change of pace because I wasn't feeling so great. It was okay and I felt a little better getting out of the house. On the bus ride home there were some people being loud and annoying. Then one of them threw a peach pit at my head and I was so baffled. I was so tired and sick of everything but all I could do was sigh. People can be so inconsiderate and puzzling, its so tiring. My hair was so sticky and gross it was disgusting, then I got lobbed again by a candy bar. I want to get mad, I want to get angry and scream but it all feels pointless. Being happy feels pointless, getting upset feels pointless. It all feels pointless, I can't escape other people or myself.

Guest_88577552 Antenatal depression
  • replies: 1

Im 18 weeks pregnant and not in a good place. Ive been having suicidal thoughts, my partner got angry and said sort my life out IM mentally ill and stormed off. I messaged to see if he was coming home and he is out drinking with his friends. I feel s... View more

Im 18 weeks pregnant and not in a good place. Ive been having suicidal thoughts, my partner got angry and said sort my life out IM mentally ill and stormed off. I messaged to see if he was coming home and he is out drinking with his friends. I feel so alone and i feel like if my husband doesnt care who else will

LC80 Withdrawal after a serious hospitalization
  • replies: 23

Midway through 2025 I was flown to Sydney to ne admitted to hospital with a rare and deadly serious bacterial infection of my windpipe. The short story is during early treatment I went into respiratory arrest, and near death transferred to ICU after ... View more

Midway through 2025 I was flown to Sydney to ne admitted to hospital with a rare and deadly serious bacterial infection of my windpipe. The short story is during early treatment I went into respiratory arrest, and near death transferred to ICU after intubation. I was sedated for a week and the tube was removed. Due to the rarity of my condition I was kept in isolation in the main during my three and a half month stay. My ongoing treatment as an outpatient will last a total of 12 months of antibiotic treatment, not including the IV treatment I was given in hospital. I have to return to Sydney from my county town every three months for follow up blood tests and a clinic visit for more medication. Since returning home full time I have become more withdrawn, to the point that I avoid going out if possible. Where I was very involved in community radio all I do now is one two hour shift on air a week. I wouldn't call myself depressed, although I have suffered bouts in the past. Life is different because of the after effects of the infection and the damage caused to my trachea after the stent that kept it open was removed. The possibility of tracheal collapse plays on my mind sometimes, if I am having a low energy day. That is a regular occurrence and an ongoing after effect. My friends and wife, although they mean well, don't understand what I went through mentally. They saw the physical side of my hospital stay and it was very difficult for them, particularly my stay in ICU. "That's in the past now" is what I have been told, however mentally it's not.

Mario_Sonic I Feel Like I'm Being Ignored And Or Rejected On The Forums
  • replies: 3

Hey again guys. Liam here. So, let's see, what's been going on...well this is something I've wanted to really get off my chest, but...I feel like I'm being ignored and or rejected on the forums. I mean don't get me wrong, you guys have been incredibl... View more

Hey again guys. Liam here. So, let's see, what's been going on...well this is something I've wanted to really get off my chest, but...I feel like I'm being ignored and or rejected on the forums. I mean don't get me wrong, you guys have been incredible to me, but I just feel like I can't make a post without it being moved to one where I've literally posted numerous times...I want to talk about all kinds of things, mentally but the ones who run the forums seem to think I'm just talking about the same things over and over which, yes is true, but still...also I know what it is I'm looking for, after a long time of research, I finally found a word for what it is I'm looking for in a girl. I'm looking for a platonic partner. Now for those of you who don't know what a platonic oartner is, well here's the definition. A platonic partner is a person with whom you share a deep, committed life bond that functions like a long-term relationship, but without sexual or romantic involvement. So yeah, THAT'S what I'm looking for. Now the bad news? Well, I am still trying to find that person. My first partner, I broke up with her because she wasn't chatty and was rather quiet, and not to mention that she was so obsessed with me to the point where she wouldn't leave me alone. So I panicked. Then my second one, I didn't really have that much to do with her...she was way too obsessed with her own stuff and she was focusing way too much on herself...and finally my third one, while she is willing to hug me, she never answers my calls or texts...guys...I don't know waht more I can do...can you guys please comfort me right now because I'm crying from this... *Crying* -Liam

Gambit87 Let my mental health go, Getting back on track!
  • replies: 7

Hey everyone!I haven't been here for a while! I was going so well until a few months ago. I noticed I started to withdraw, making excuses for getting out of things, no self care and just being a robot in my daily life while just 'being there'. Then o... View more

Hey everyone!I haven't been here for a while! I was going so well until a few months ago. I noticed I started to withdraw, making excuses for getting out of things, no self care and just being a robot in my daily life while just 'being there'. Then on Monday just gone, had a full on panic attack and the dark clouds of depression rolled in. Thankfully I had my amazing wife around to nudge me to kick me into gear. I put my mental health plan into place and I'm slowly getting back to it. GP booked today to get a new mental health care plan, 3 sessions booked in with my psych, went to the gym for a light session and multiple long walks a day when I'm feeling overwhelmed, being able to get outdoors really helps. Depression (and anxiety) sucks, so. freaking. bad. It hurts, I feel so knotted up and it feels like there's no ending to it. But, it does get better, you need to put in the work and I got slack - that's on me Its been 6 years since my last major depressive hit, so I know this will pass. For now, im going to try and update this post daily to hold myself accountable. Thank you friends.

Trev ECT side effects
  • replies: 1

I am 69 and have had 7 treatments of ECT two months ago and feel that it has helped me a lot with my depression for which I still take the same medication for. Apart from the expected minor memory loss and confusion I find I have lost a lot of my sel... View more

I am 69 and have had 7 treatments of ECT two months ago and feel that it has helped me a lot with my depression for which I still take the same medication for. Apart from the expected minor memory loss and confusion I find I have lost a lot of my self confidence. I was a ‘Lets try anything’ guy before the treatment but now I am nervous of trying something new. Has anyone else experienced this and/or did it wear off over time.

Isaac98 How to somehow function when I hate everything about Australian culture due to social alienation and not wanting to bow down at all?
  • replies: 3

Admittedly, there's so much for me to hate here and its even worse when I can't leave for a long time due to being so dependent on my parents.. I'm 22, but I'm not very functional and I very rarely work since I'm in a job with my step-dad who I don't... View more

Admittedly, there's so much for me to hate here and its even worse when I can't leave for a long time due to being so dependent on my parents.. I'm 22, but I'm not very functional and I very rarely work since I'm in a job with my step-dad who I don't get along with well at times (same with my mum). I'm also somewhat autistic ("highly" functioning) and that anxiety and depression (non-suicidal) affect me, but my main issue is that I want almost nothing to do with nearly anything Australian due to how much I hate this place and most of them for complying with a subjectively bad system. But yeah, what I hate about this country and its culture is its authoritarianism (gun laws; coronavirus regulation, beaucracies everywhere, signs warning fines punishment everywhere, so many victimless crimes etc), being treated like convicts, anti-intellectualism, tall-poppy syndrome, entitlement, and almost all Australians happily complying to their masters regardless.. Here's an example for authoritarianism, a Tasmanian was seriously arrested for camping out in the middle of nowhere for one night during national Coronavirus lockdowns.. This is how bossy our society is, that would not happen in libertarian parts of America I want to go to. Being treated like convicts, minorities including myself not being able to have any say in politics due to it being democratic (only cares about majorities) and that our police don't care for oppressed minorities such as gun owners; male domestic violence victims, drug users etc. They only care about helping the state strip their rights due to being legal. Anti-intellectualism, most of us think we should "just comply" with coronavirus regulations regardless of others' situations and that most Australians are so fearful of less gun control with SO MUCH arrogance. Tall-Poppy syndrome, being so arrogant about America everytime they talk about that country despite not knowing much about it and thinking we're the best country when we have so many flaws. Entitlement, most of us forcing others to be like us to have a "right" to safety. Compliance, a word you cannot disagree with without harsh criticism from our culture. If something's illegal, our society automatically thinks its taboo.. Even women wanting to defend themselves with tasers. However.. I don't know how to change my bitterness with Australia when my real self is taboo and that I don't feel very cared for by the system, I can't even find a single friend aside from a neighbour.

seawhiplash Unsure how to tackle depression and school and teachers
  • replies: 8

Hi everyone!Hope people are doing okay. I am currently finishing my last year of high school and was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I have gotten special provisions (I got them this year) and am seeing professional help from psychologist and ... View more

Hi everyone!Hope people are doing okay. I am currently finishing my last year of high school and was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I have gotten special provisions (I got them this year) and am seeing professional help from psychologist and school counsellor.Where do I start? I have been finding it hard to keep up with both school and my thoughts and my feelings for a long time and this year it has kind of spiralled. Long story short, I ended up accidentally telling one of my teachers that I had depression. I went to my teacher to ask about content covered in class and was asking if I was okay and I said "not good, sorry I haven't been participating in class conversations" and she said "its fine [something along these lines] you are probably tackling bigger things right now" and then she helped me with my content questions and then she asked how I am feeling and I just started breaking down because I have been very unstable. To be honest I do not really remember the rest of the conversation because I feel like my memory has gone out the window as my thoughts are taking up all my brain capacity but anyways I don't really know how to tackle it now, I feel like I made it awkward with my teacher now and or maybe she forgot about it (there are only a few people in my class but she teachers other subjects as well) and that is kind of re-consolidating my thoughts about how I am worthless and that I don't deserve to have care or even be depressed in the first place. I have been trying to attend class and keep my grades up as exams are coming and I am doing quite content heavy subjects. I wanted to ask, if anyone is a teacher or knows about how to actually tackle both depression and school. I am finding it hard to actually be in class to be honest without feeling overwhelmed ( I know that sounds stupid but) or even be at school without being on verge to breakdown, I often zone out a lot and don't have friends to talk to about this stuff either. I have just been feeling very lonely but also empty but craving something to make me feel at least somewhat alive. My psychologist said to possibly tell my teachers I might need mental breaks in class and create a signal with them that I need to go outside or something but I am afraid of the result of that conversation validating my depressive and um bad thoughts already or just breaking down again. Thoughts on this or maybe other suggestions? Sorry for the long message and if you have made it thanks for reading! Wish everyone the best.

Ollie2026 Lost in Life
  • replies: 3

Hello......first time I've posted on here before. Will see how this goes.... Not really sure where to begin.....ive been suffering with my mental health most of my life. Have only spoken up about it in the last year as i had sort of a mental breakdow... View more

Hello......first time I've posted on here before. Will see how this goes.... Not really sure where to begin.....ive been suffering with my mental health most of my life. Have only spoken up about it in the last year as i had sort of a mental breakdown i guess you could call it. Have been seeing a counsellor for close to a year now who i have found helpful and i had improved from where i was last year. But just feel like im heading back down that rabbit hole lately and i really dont know why. My life is good. Have a good job, a very loving a supportive partner who im building a life with but i still get those feelings of not wanting to be here anymore and just lost with life. I feel very selfish as i read some of the other posts on here from people who are really doing it tough, when i really shouldn't be complaining about my life. I have a counselling appointment tomorrow so will be sure to speak to them about how ive been feeling of late. Just thought id try something new and share with you all. Thanks for reading

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