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Depression

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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.

Chris_B Are you looking to support someone else with depression? PLEASE READ before posting
  • replies: 1

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

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HarleyTheDragon Caught up on everything.
  • replies: 1

I don't know what I was dealing with, whether it's naivety, being unrealistic, or other feelings. During the past few years, I have made terrible choices and that was spending a lot of money on strip clubs just so I won't think about my ex-girlfriend... View more

I don't know what I was dealing with, whether it's naivety, being unrealistic, or other feelings. During the past few years, I have made terrible choices and that was spending a lot of money on strip clubs just so I won't think about my ex-girlfriend who fell for some guy at the internet gaming cafe in 2010. I got emotionally attached to one of the strippers whom I known since 2022 like as if she was a great friend, and now I finally learned the real truth about those "professionals" I don't know if I really want to make the pain go away. I feel I am emotionally hurt, I just unfollowed them on social media because I felt completely stupid and realize it was their job to be "kind" and "nice" when in fact most strippers are not very nice. I was careful with spending money sometimes. I don't think there is much good things for me to do other than going to internet gaming cafes, playing videogames so I decide to move on from strip clubs.

indigo22 Following the breadcrumbs to improve mental health
  • replies: 47

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

Jess8078 How to support someone who doesn’t believe in support?
  • replies: 1

Hi! thank you for reading! sorry for generalising, but what do men do to feel better which is not simultaneously bad for your health (like drinking alcohol)? my husband doesn’t believe in meditation, taking a breath, going for a walk or talking to pr... View more

Hi! thank you for reading! sorry for generalising, but what do men do to feel better which is not simultaneously bad for your health (like drinking alcohol)? my husband doesn’t believe in meditation, taking a breath, going for a walk or talking to professionals. (These are things I would do if feeling blue). I have told him to take “me” time. He took a long time off work (2yrs) which I supported to reduce his stress levels, but it honestly didn’t help much. I was working full time, and was still more relaxed than him. The only time I see him fully relaxed is with a beer in his hand. Or out fishing (but that requires organisation and good weather…). any advice on how I can help him would be great. (And don’t say intimacy, well aware of that one and doing my best).

LoneWolf Dysthymia, PTSD
  • replies: 5

Hello Good People, I am 78 and a hyper-sensitive male struggling with dysthymia and PTSD for the last 68 years. (A victim of a very immature narcissistyic father!) I tend to pick up on every subtle nuance in my surroundings. I play the game of life, ... View more

Hello Good People, I am 78 and a hyper-sensitive male struggling with dysthymia and PTSD for the last 68 years. (A victim of a very immature narcissistyic father!) I tend to pick up on every subtle nuance in my surroundings. I play the game of life, get hurt then socially isolate for several months. Fortunately I am blessed with musical and artictic talents which appears to soothe the savage beast. What I would like to know from other sufferers: Is it normal to run and hid for for such a long time or should I be seeking help? I am already on prescription medication! Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Guest_39457169 Help selling property & relocating BPD
  • replies: 1

Hi,Im in a messy situation, Ive found out last year I have BPD/ADHD which my family & Dr have held from me for atleast 5years.Im supposed to have help from NDIS which is approved I have an ineffective SC & funding was done using old reference so does... View more

Hi,Im in a messy situation, Ive found out last year I have BPD/ADHD which my family & Dr have held from me for atleast 5years.Im supposed to have help from NDIS which is approved I have an ineffective SC & funding was done using old reference so doesn't help my needs & cant see OT for a month to rectify it.I am working day & night trying to fix my house up to sell before it gets repossessed but Im not confident in making good decisions anymore so was wondering if anyone knew where I can get help with financial advising & relocating from Adelaide to Victoria?thanks

Guest_81935925 die
  • replies: 1

My bf broke up with me because he cheated on me while I was in Japan. I trusted him that he said we would be together and think VISA and future. We had been living together for one year. Idk what happened. I can't live without him. He already have ne... View more

My bf broke up with me because he cheated on me while I was in Japan. I trusted him that he said we would be together and think VISA and future. We had been living together for one year. Idk what happened. I can't live without him. He already have new woman. I tidied up my stuff from his house. I did my best to live together for our happiness. He said he was just making me happy, not for himself. he said "just happened" I'm frustrated and sad

Laura68 Tired of Stuggling
  • replies: 8

Hi. First off I never realised that such a forum existed. I have struggled with (but have just recently admitted it) to mental health problems all of my life. I have always been 'to busy' or 'don't have time' to tackle things head on. Anyway, my stor... View more

Hi. First off I never realised that such a forum existed. I have struggled with (but have just recently admitted it) to mental health problems all of my life. I have always been 'to busy' or 'don't have time' to tackle things head on. Anyway, my story is full of undiagnosed depression and anxiety. I was hospitalized last year for a suicide attempt, and that still did not wake me up. Until just recently, I have had a car accident and wrote off my car, being fired from my job, am moving house, and my anxiety levels are through the roof. I can not sleep. I self medicate with alcohol which makes everything worse. Being a single parent I am used of taking care of everyone else and putting myself last. I have taken the big step to making an Doctors appointment tomorrow as I know this can't go on. Something is going to give. I hope he listens to me and I really don't know where to start. But anyway, thoughts and comments will be greatly appreciated.

Matthew 2 Depression is madness.
  • replies: 2

Depression (to me) is akin to an unwanted guest, one in which wreaks havoc, destroys everything & then leaves as if it were never there. I’m 27 years old, yet mentally I feel 72. I’ve delt with depression almost my entire life - silently, alone, by m... View more

Depression (to me) is akin to an unwanted guest, one in which wreaks havoc, destroys everything & then leaves as if it were never there. I’m 27 years old, yet mentally I feel 72. I’ve delt with depression almost my entire life - silently, alone, by myself.. to see me in person one would think I’m the happiest person alive, as I don’t fit that stereotypical (rather demeaning) look & “vibe” of that of whom is majorly depressed. My family, my peers & so on - assume that I’m a happy go lucky, calm, all together there person… rather to the contrary. For the past three or so years, I’ve spiralled so far down into the deepest rut of depression, to the likes I’ve never experienced before. I have no explanation as to why, well there are a few things that contribute to my depression, however not really noteworthy. To be honest, I don’t even know why I’m here (again) writing this paragraph. I suppose.. well, I’ve delt with this depression, this ‘black fog’, all my life, in silence - as I feel if I were to talk to those in my life, I’d just be burdening them with my problems, when they already have problems of their own. So writing this, on here, is a way for me to talk without actually talking, if that makes any sense. I simply don’t know what to do anymore. I sit here, every afternoon, after the day is done, and do as we all do, think.. & for some, contentment comes over them at the end of the day.. I haven’t felt that sense of profound contentment for some time, so long that I’ve forgotten what it feels like. Happiness, contentment, pleasure, profound positivity.. they all elude me as if I’m the black plague. The black plague of the 21st century; Depression. I’ve forgotten what true happiness feels like, I’ve forgotten my place in life, I’ve lost myself along the way. I’m broken.. and only one person can put me back together; me, myself. But how does one, who is broken, fix themselves, for if I’m broken, I haven’t got the means to fix myself - like a painter without his brush, without his brush, how is he to fill in the gaps - how am I to fill the gaps of my sad-broken self? If I were to try, I’d fail, yet again. These days, trying to fix ones self, has become so tiresome, tedious, exhausting & irritating, that I don’t even bother. Well, I can hear my name being called, so I suppose I should go, go & pretend to be happy. I’ve become so good at pretending to be happy, that I honestly think I deserve an Oscar. Matthew James.

arka Explains it all
  • replies: 1

For about half a year, I just sort of assumed that I was going through a rough patch. That was until I realised that the “rough patch” was just an amplified extension of the past five years of my life. I’ve had phases of heightened anxiety and more m... View more

For about half a year, I just sort of assumed that I was going through a rough patch. That was until I realised that the “rough patch” was just an amplified extension of the past five years of my life. I’ve had phases of heightened anxiety and more moderate to severe depressive states, but I haven’t really recognised it as depression until now, and saying it now all just… makes sense. With changes in my life concerning family as well as more personal things (which have previously been problems in my life, but have just gotten more serious and concerning as of recently), it makes sense that I’ve been relying so much heavily on non-productive habits as a crutch to evade the responsibilities I’m still yet to adjust properly to, all because I’ve been trying to ignore the stress it brings me. It feels sort of liberating to finally put a name to the way I felt and the state of intense isolation, stress and exhaustion it forced me into for a whole half of last year, but it still doesn’t make it any better. I’m still just as sad and fed up as before don’t get me wrong. It is still reassuring to say that we’re all in this together. There’s a whole community of people dealing with similar things or a similar feeling that they can relate to, and it makes me more hopeful that we can make it past this through supporting each other

Sad57 Treatment resistant depression
  • replies: 15

This is my first post so I'll write only the basics. Over the last 10 years I've tried 15-20 different antidepressants from all categories for my: Chronic Depression, Anxiety and PTSD. As none of them worked, last year I was diagnosed with TRD. I'm s... View more

This is my first post so I'll write only the basics. Over the last 10 years I've tried 15-20 different antidepressants from all categories for my: Chronic Depression, Anxiety and PTSD. As none of them worked, last year I was diagnosed with TRD. I'm seeing my Psychiatrist and GP on the regular basis. Thanks to one "of the label" medication I am able to get uo in the morning and do some basic chores. I'm talking about 3-4 hours window. The rest of the day I spend in bed. Is there anything new in the medical field? I read about some nasal sprays which is apparently helpful but it's extremely expensive and not affordable for people like me. Any info would be much appreciated.