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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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TRS91 Am I an alcoholic
  • replies: 3

I used this forum many years ago when I lost my father to suicide. Having people share and connect to my similar circumstance saved me. here I am years later… married.. kids… I am struggling being sober. I love drinking alone. Drinking by when the ki... View more

I used this forum many years ago when I lost my father to suicide. Having people share and connect to my similar circumstance saved me. here I am years later… married.. kids… I am struggling being sober. I love drinking alone. Drinking by when the kids at asleep. It’s not necessarily social. i just don’t know where to start

randomxx Would really appreciate peoples thoughts on a housing situation !
  • replies: 57

Hi to all.lt's an unbelievable time in life to find myself stuck in this position, just don't know how to look at it, or what to do about with it, if l can anything at all. Problem is, at almost 60, yeah l've mixed up details in other threads just a ... View more

Hi to all.lt's an unbelievable time in life to find myself stuck in this position, just don't know how to look at it, or what to do about with it, if l can anything at all. Problem is, at almost 60, yeah l've mixed up details in other threads just a bit concerned some l know may also be here and haven't wanted any connection here that l might know, butttt, yep.Thing is l didn't get anything out of my last house, the people l went into the property with as it was a big place, went broke.Well , sort of lucky although maybe a curse , not sure anymore but l do still have a 1ac country property, 18yrs now, from back when l was married.l can't work anymore for mh reasons but if l took care l can survive until l can get the pension- living at the 1ac place- it only has a small over nighter atm but l could extend and it'd come up quite nice . Problem is, it's in a ting town, 30mins to the main town which is a really nice place and there's also a couple of tiny ones in between before that main buttttt, out where this place is, is tiny and out on it's own .l always planned selling it about now but problems are now that for 1, even if it did sell, it's just a cheap little country block it'd only be a good deposit on something closer in- but circumstances now that'd mean a new mortgage and l'd have to keep working too, don't think l could stomach either of those especially the stress in trying to make it happen.2nd thing highly possible it doesn't even sell anyway. l know l'm lucky to at least have it and all , with the housing crisis and so many in worser positions , l just never dreamed l'd be living on it though and honestly, just don't know but it looks like l might be forced to.l grew up in the city and have lived in some of the nicest places in the country but to have to settle on this place out there now- look the property itself is a really cute block and in a nice little back street- if l could put it on a truck to somewhere else it'd be really nice - but this town. rx

indigo22 Following the breadcrumbs to improve mental health
  • replies: 203

Hi everyone, The last few months have been somewhat confusing as I have discovered more about my mental / physical health and how it has all been connected. I had not put the pieces together, I am not sure why, it seems so obvious now. I have dealt w... View more

Hi everyone, The last few months have been somewhat confusing as I have discovered more about my mental / physical health and how it has all been connected. I had not put the pieces together, I am not sure why, it seems so obvious now. I have dealt with Dysthymia since about 12 and Major Depression since about 14 but was not diagnosed until my 40s and had no idea that had been the problem all along. I knew I wasn't like everyone else but thought I was just born that way. Back then mental health was not a subject that was openly discussed and the signs mostly went unrecognised and untreated. I had about 10 years of talk therapy with a social worker that helped immensely. I have had a sensitive digestive system for a good portion of my life, not so much that I sought treatment, just things like indigestion with certain foods, bloating and the like. I suppose I thought everyone had those types of issues. I have also had nervous system reactions over the past 15 years, like involuntary shaking in certain situations, that I had put down to getting older and being less resilient having been through a lot of difficult challenges. I have been seeing a psychotherapist who also does somatic work (turns out you were right mmmekitty, I did need some more help). The first session of somatic work, in this case EFT (tapping), brought up a deep and long standing belief that I did not deserve to be helped. The emotions were buried so deep that I was not even aware of them. After that session things went haywire physically for a few days and took some weeks to start to settle. Being the type of person who needs to have an understanding of what is happening and why, I have been reading many books on the symptoms I have had. That is when I began to join the dots about how interconnected by mental and physical health actually were. It has required a lot of processing on my part, and an acknowledgement of what I have been consciously unaware of, but it has been necessary to finding a way forward. This will be an ongoing journey as new symptoms show up that need to be looked at. I know now that there is a lot of unreleased trauma in my body that is a contributing factor in not healing mentally or physically and I know now what needs to be done to improve. There is only so much that the medical profession can do, I believe the rest of the responsibility lies with us in digging deeper to find the causes and the answers. In many ways, that in itself becomes empowering. Take care all.indigo

Emotions26 Do not feed the monster
  • replies: 143

I am struggling to understand this website and find my way aroundI have replied to some peopleI think that two champions replied to my first two postsI do not know where they are now I have supported several posts of othersI have replied to one perso... View more

I am struggling to understand this website and find my way aroundI have replied to some peopleI think that two champions replied to my first two postsI do not know where they are now I have supported several posts of othersI have replied to one person I think today I am resonating with several posts in different areas but cannot remember where they are I am literally lost within this website as well as within myself I am working very hard at keeping the dreaded "D" at bay which I have battled with too many times.I have had this since young apparentlyI have had large gaps of time where I am mostly symptom free I think The monster is the dreaded "d"It is also a relative whom I have had to relinquish her hold over me.I have only learnt about this stuff recently so struggle talking about it. So I think of do not feed the monster as in do not think of her. Or do not feel guilty or upset or worry or a thousand other things Also do not feed the dreaded "d" as it lurks waiting I will not find this piece again

Guest_10405 Struggling with Uni
  • replies: 2

This is my first time posting or talking about how I feel at all. But I’m an online psychology student wanting to be a clinical psych but i am struggling so much with my course. I’m getting average scores but it feels like every day there is a new st... View more

This is my first time posting or talking about how I feel at all. But I’m an online psychology student wanting to be a clinical psych but i am struggling so much with my course. I’m getting average scores but it feels like every day there is a new step or score I need to reach to get into honours or masters and I’m far from them all!! I’m dreading uni starting back up in march so much so that it’s effecting my sleep now even though it’s months away. I just feel like I’m too stupid to be getting the scores I need let alone any experience but I’m working and doing uni full time and I can’t drive so I’m stuck at home when I’m not at work and feels like I have no time and no support from people in my course. I have no idea what to do next because my course is making me feel so stressed and depressed and not good enough but I have no idea what else I can do. This is probably really stupid but i just feel so alone and like i have no chance of ever becoming a psychologist even though im putting everything i have into it. I’m just not good enough!

LC80 Withdrawal after a serious hospitalization
  • replies: 1

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.

Earth Girl People tell me I'm doing things wrong, but won't explain to me exactly what and how
  • replies: 6

People from school keep indirectly telling me to do better, but they never directly explained to me exactly what it is that I am doing wrong. I want to be a nice person, and I try to be, but it's really hard figuring out what the problem is when peop... View more

People from school keep indirectly telling me to do better, but they never directly explained to me exactly what it is that I am doing wrong. I want to be a nice person, and I try to be, but it's really hard figuring out what the problem is when people are very vague about it. They indirectly tell me... That I'm vain, superficial and socially fake, but don't explain how/what it is that I'm doing that makes me so.That I'm stubborn, but don't explain how.That I'm unforgiving That I only want what's best for meThat I lack warmth and humilityThat I'm materialisticThat I'm pretentiousThat I believe in stereotypes That I'm manipulative (I've looked this word up many times, but still don't get it, but it's definitely something that I wouldn't want to be because apparently, it's sort of like controlling people in a really mean way?) I also don't know how exactly I am doing this though or what it means. That I'm heartless - If you're going to call someone this especially, PLEASE explain what exactly they are doing that makes them this because nobody wants to be like this. That I don't say please and thank you - I use to not do this a lot for a stage when I was a teenager when I was using another forum, but I realized I was being rude and it probably didn't make people feel good even though they were helping me so I started doing it again so I don't see how I am still doing this? There have been times other than when I used that site when it didn't occur to me to say thank you, but it wasn't because I didn't appreciate them. I struggle a lot socially so sometimes I will think "that was nice what that person did for me" and then think "Oh, I probably should have said thank you." I say it when it occurs to me though, because I want people to know that I appreciate what they've done for me. That I don't let others have opinions - again, no examples given.That I'm jealous of others instead of just being envious and using that to get better - I don't know how I'm still acting jealous?That I'm unfriendlySelfishHypocriticalEtc... If you're going to tell someone these things, but don't explain to them how they are doing these things/acting this way, it kind of defeats the purpose. And when I politely ask them if they could please explain how I am only caring about material things or what stereotypes I believe in for example, they just get mad at me. It's really hard to stop doing something wrong when you don't know exactly what it is that you are doing wrong.

Sadman I’m so depressed
  • replies: 2

I’m a 40 year old man with a wife and daughter. I’ve been depressed since I was a teenager and have a lot of anxiety also.a couple months back I had to stop going to my workplace of over 10 years because the workload became overwhelming and on top of... View more

I’m a 40 year old man with a wife and daughter. I’ve been depressed since I was a teenager and have a lot of anxiety also.a couple months back I had to stop going to my workplace of over 10 years because the workload became overwhelming and on top of that i had to work closer with the company director who walked around like a tyrant constantly criticising, abusing and threatening jobs.i made a complaint to HR and logged a claim with work cover due to a psychological injury. (I have worked my whole adult life with depression and anxiety but still managed) my workplace dismissed all my complaints and work cover rejected my claim as nobody backed up my account of events. (This hurt as a number of us were going through the same thing and I saw one of my work mates come into work in tears) I work in a field that doesn’t have a lot of jobs out there. I have no confidence in my ability’s to learn anything new and make enough money to support my family. I’m so miserable and don’t want to be alive anymore. I don’t know what to do because everything feels hopeless and despite my wife being very supportive I feel like a burden to my family. I’ve been seeing a psychologist since I stopped working which helps in some ways but everything still feels so hopeless. I don’t enjoy any of my hobbies, I don’t want to see anyone, I’m not a fun father anymore. I don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel and I don’t know what to do. I don’t think anyone can help me

Crib001 Needing life advice and help
  • replies: 13

I’m in my mid 20s and I basically I consider myself a failure at life. I’m constantly struggling and failing at Uni, and have considered dropping out to get a full time job because assignments and essays just cause me nothing but tiring headaches, bu... View more

I’m in my mid 20s and I basically I consider myself a failure at life. I’m constantly struggling and failing at Uni, and have considered dropping out to get a full time job because assignments and essays just cause me nothing but tiring headaches, but I also struggle to do anything on my own and have low motivation and low self esteem. I don’t think I’m able to succeed in a full time work environment cause even now I’m struggling with keeping up with my casual job. Speaking with multiple counsellors, they all say that it’s very likely that I have ADHD combined with Autism and that having peformed screener tests that conclude their beliefs, I should get a proper diagnosis in order to get better help from there. Problem is that I know how much they cost, and my account is stagnant right now, so I’ve been putting that off even though I know I shouldn’t. And lastly, I’m someone who is deeply afraid of driving, after having my learners renewed for years, I am deathly afraid to go and get my full licence because I know my limitations. I get easily distracted, drift off, and I know that can have life or death consequences when on the toad. So yeah, that’s my current situation and my life so far, it’s pretty pathetic. I am deeply ashamed and embarrassed by my failures, and I’m pretty sure my parents have given up on trying to help me at this point. If anyone has any advice or recommendations, that would be helpful.

Guest_38978519 Feeling Alone and Helpless
  • replies: 1

Hey guys, I've never done something like this before. I don't really know what to say. But I have been struggling with depressed and suicidal thoughts for as long as I can remember. I am 19 and am getting really tired and exhausted by all of this. It... View more

Hey guys, I've never done something like this before. I don't really know what to say. But I have been struggling with depressed and suicidal thoughts for as long as I can remember. I am 19 and am getting really tired and exhausted by all of this. It just never gets better and the thoughts always come back. It gets so bad to the point I can't even get out of bed. It really affects my grades and my relationships as I don't have the energy to go out or even text back. I don't really know what to do anymore. I can't afford things like therapy and I don't know how to open up to people. I've never even told anyone any of my problems, mainly because I don't want to dump so much of my trauma on them, it feels so unfair to do that to someone. I mean how do you even tell your friends you have suicidal thoughts. But idk. I really want to get better, like so bad. All I want is to be happy and to just be normal and be able to get up everyday and to feel happy and want to be alive. I'm currently on uni break right now so I feel so alone too. All my friends are travelling and doing stuff whilst I'm stuck working full time alone. I'm just really struggling to see the point in going on right now but I just want to try one last thing. Because I rly do want to get better, I just don't know how. Sorry abt this crazy vent but idk, idk what I'm supposed to say on this thing. But I thought it would be good to maybe talk to people who think the same way, who would understand what I'm going through.