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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 chats on this Forum having 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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Black Bubblegum Still trying but sinking (Type 1 diabetes, loss and the dual career and personal failures)
  • replies: 1

Hi guys, Have been in here before and the people here have been lovely. Last time I was here I had just been given a Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis. I tried to take it in stride but managing it is getting harder and harder every day, between the medicatio... View more

Hi guys, Have been in here before and the people here have been lovely. Last time I was here I had just been given a Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis. I tried to take it in stride but managing it is getting harder and harder every day, between the medication and trying to manage it, I've gone from a relatively fit and active bloke to having no energy, having dropped nearly 16kg and looking like a gaunt mess that I hate every time I look in the mirror. Feel like my life exists solely to have numbers of a CGM device so that my endocrinologist can tell himself that he's doing a good job. Then in early 2024, I had been supporting my parents and my Dad had a major surgery, trying to improve his quality of life which I am proud of him for doing, but he didn't recover from the surgery and he passed in March. Now it's just Mum and I and we help each other, I try to always be there for her but it's getting so hard. I feel like i'm letting everyone down and not being there enough. But at least I have my career right? Except no, the foreign management of the corporation I work for has decided to close the plant I work at so I'll be redundant in a few months. Not only am I losing the one anchor in my life but I get put under more financial pressure to boot. I've poured my soul into this job the last three years and felt like I was finally getting somewhere in my career. I took the step of contacting a GP and trying to discuss a mental health plan, which was a huge step for me, but he didn't seem interested. He dismissed my attempts to find someone to verbally help me, prescribed me medication and sent me on my way, which hasn't helped me to feel any better emotionally and now I feel even more lethargic to boot. My friends are largely distant, some of my oldest friends basically ignore me and I'm kinda at my wits end. I wouldn't do anything in a million years as long as Mum is around, but if she wasn't I don't think it'd even matter if I'd ceased to exist. I'm trying so damn hard, but every day it just feels like it's loss after loss, I'd like just one win every now and then y'know? I'm just not even sure why I'm here or anywhere anymore.

Jon77N How to make friends my age?
  • replies: 1

Hi iv been going through depression and lost my partner and daughter due to it I also haven’t had friends since 2017 im on medication so I get by but since my partner and daughter left 8 months ago now im starting to struggle with being lonely and wo... View more

Hi iv been going through depression and lost my partner and daughter due to it I also haven’t had friends since 2017 im on medication so I get by but since my partner and daughter left 8 months ago now im starting to struggle with being lonely and would like to know what people do or go to socialise iv never been big with going out but im willing to do and try anything to give everything a shot.

Snip_Sulfur I feel weird and may have the startings of bipolar
  • replies: 1

Recently I have been in a depressive slump. Bored out of my mind, lonely, upset, numb, essentially the works of what it means to be depressed. But I mean, just last week I was over the moon. I’m in the rehearsal stage of my first production ever, i m... View more

Recently I have been in a depressive slump. Bored out of my mind, lonely, upset, numb, essentially the works of what it means to be depressed. But I mean, just last week I was over the moon. I’m in the rehearsal stage of my first production ever, i moved rooms to something more roomy, I got to see a friend i hadn’t seen in a while and talk to teammates. The other night i was feeling like shit. I messaged that friend about whether they considered us friends. they wouldn’t give me an answer and it made me spiral a little. i flipped between laughing to numb and just was all over the place (this was late like 2am which may have contributed) but i hadn’t felt that desperate and just terrible in a long time. i also feel bad at coming to them when i have a problem because it isn’t their responsibility to help me. i feel like a burden and just overall selfish.

faireetay shopping addiction advice/ strategies 🛍️☺️🧚🏻‍♀️
  • replies: 4

Hello, I'm Tay 栗‍‍My mental illnesses are OCD/ schitoeffective and I also have autism and a little ADHD. I suffer from a shopping addiction. It's at its worst at the moment and has been growing since last year, fluctuating at times. I'm finding it... View more

Hello, I'm Tay 🧚🏻‍🙋🏼‍My mental illnesses are OCD/ schitoeffective and I also have autism and a little ADHD. I suffer from a shopping addiction. It's at its worst at the moment and has been growing since last year, fluctuating at times. I'm finding it makes me very sad, depressed and anxious all the time. Interrupting sleep too. I'm always making myself and loved ones sad by spending too much I can't afford and at risk of my partner leaving who doesn't feel financially secure. I am also very passionate about the planet which is strange for someone with this consumerism addiction however I'm hoping to be the person I want to be some day and help the planet more and do less consumerism and become more eco friendly. If anyone would like to share their addiction/ shopping addiction advice/ stories this is a space to do that id love to hear tips and such things thank you kindly

ABC01 Feel like I am not an Adult
  • replies: 36

Dear All, I am dealing with grief at the moment and it has made me face mortality and what that actually means. I am still working through that,but one thing has become crystal clear. I have always felt like I have been stuck at 16. Things happened a... View more

Dear All, I am dealing with grief at the moment and it has made me face mortality and what that actually means. I am still working through that,but one thing has become crystal clear. I have always felt like I have been stuck at 16. Things happened as a teenager and I wasn’t able to be your run of the mill teenager. As an adult I have faced many mental health challenges due to this. Mainly not feeling like an adequate “adult”. I have not been able to leave home, partly due to being a carer and partly because I couldn’t afford it. I can’t hold down a job due to my illness and never found a partner in life.I feel like a burden to my family who provide the roof over my head. But they are getting on in years and I know I can’t keep pushing these thoughts and realities aside as I have been able to do in the past. Or hoping they will just resolve themselves with time. They haven’t. The years do go by too fast. I am lost. I don’t know how to be an independent adult. I don’t have learned experience. I am scared that the time will come and I still won’t be ready to be an independent person. I don’t want to be a burden on any other member of my family. And when the times comes, I can’t stay where I live. It isn’t mine to keep. It makes me feel sick to my stomach with fear. I need help or direction. I don’t want to have to keep confronting these issues. I don’t know how people “do”, being a responsible adult. Especially in today’s world where things are alot more limited than when I younger.Thank you for listening.ABC01

FPR Christmas blues
  • replies: 5

Hi everyone. I have struggled with depression for a few years now, but this is the worst I have felt in a long time. The anhedonia is horrendous, and things that usually pull me out of a slump aren’t working. I’ve been sleeping a lot and even simple ... View more

Hi everyone. I have struggled with depression for a few years now, but this is the worst I have felt in a long time. The anhedonia is horrendous, and things that usually pull me out of a slump aren’t working. I’ve been sleeping a lot and even simple things like brushing my teeth or doing the dishes feel nearly impossible. I’ve never felt the physical effects (fatigue, brain fog, low appetite) of depression so deeply. Christmas is usually my favourite time of year, but this year I just cannot be bothered. To the point I have cancelled all plans, and plan to spend it alone at home pretending it’s just another day. I’d love to know what others do when they feel this way. I’m stuck. side note: I have booked a GP appointment for Monday to make sure I’m getting some professional help as I feel my mood ect worsening

Anna4 35 years of depression loss and trauma
  • replies: 3

Life can change in an instant !I am 52, I recently survived a serious attempt on my life and ended up in ICU. Where do I start, my journey seems to not end….A head injury at 15, a parent hit by a car survived with an acquired brain injury then stroke... View more

Life can change in an instant !I am 52, I recently survived a serious attempt on my life and ended up in ICU. Where do I start, my journey seems to not end….A head injury at 15, a parent hit by a car survived with an acquired brain injury then strokes. I lost a boyfriend in a car accident at 18, divorced with a 1 year old daughter at 24, remarried, had an amazing life with beautiful property a house and blessed with a son, then widowed at 39, my husband died of cancer. A few failed relationships later, doing all the comprising, getting love bombed and being taken advantage of, I have respect for myself but looked at as the problem when wanting more. Pay my own way always and an independent women.Family issues, mental health, anxiety, trauma and PTSD. Living with chronic pain. Worked through it all and raised two amazing children, who I am so proud of. I am seriously considering ending my life .

Sillycat Retail
  • replies: 2

Not sure where to put this so I hope Depression is okay.I’m sick of being stuck in this job.I’ve been working at a big company’s department store for three years now when this job was meant to be a ‘while I look for something better so I can make mon... View more

Not sure where to put this so I hope Depression is okay.I’m sick of being stuck in this job.I’ve been working at a big company’s department store for three years now when this job was meant to be a ‘while I look for something better so I can make money in the meantime’ job - needless to say, job hunting hasn’t gone well, and it feels like I’m going to be stuck here forever. I don’t mind my immediate coworkers - they’re friendly enough. We don’t have anything in common beyond the job (I’m a twenty-one year old closeted transmasc amongst middle aged women), so naturally we aren’t particularly close or anything; which is fine. I like the manager we have in the later half of the week too, she’s nice. But that’s it. It’s not ‘good’, but the only not-bad part of it really. Aside from getting paid I guess. The job I (and my immediate coworkers) do is essentially tidying and putting returned stock out. It’s also meant to be organising stock (i.e: putting an arm of shirts in S->M->L->XL etc), but more on that later. We also do customer service & price checks. It honestly feels like nothing I do here is ever good enough. I’ve been told I’m a part of the ‘strong team’ for our half (clothing half), but that’s where the praise ends. I run around like a headless chicken every shift to try and make sure I get all the returns back onto the floor, the tables are folded & everything is in it’s correct place/nothing is on the ground (which would be natural if this was only happening at this time of year, Christmas leadup - but it’s been all year). I don’t take any of my fifteen minute breaks - and I’ve started skipping the thirty minute ones I’m entitled to when my shifts expand beyond the mere 4 hours I usually get. I haven’t sized since before the Christmas rush last year. I haven’t had time. The year prior to last year, after Christmas - when it’d quieted down, we had a fair amount of people on (minimum three - our half of the floor is best split into three) and had decent hours for shifts (always at least four) which allowed us to catch up on all the stock to put back out & fix sizing. We had a new guy start doing the rosters last year, and consequentially when the store quieted down - he cut us down to as little as he could and we couldn’t catch up. During the quieter parts of this year, we’ve only had two people on, both for the minimum time you can roster on (three hours), meaning each had to now do 1.5 of the work prior within a measly three hours. Of course, it was simply impossible to do sizing as well as regular tidying & folding as this is done while we’re still open. Yesterday, a manager who’d recently come back from a month off was complaining about the lack of sizing - which beyond being annoying for the fact I, and my coworkers really don’t have the time for it, is also annoying in the fact that she didn’t notice this prior to her time away. Nor has anyone else complained about it. My shift was four hours long yesterday and I still didn’t manage to even finish my section without doing sizing, without any fifteen minute break. Yet this is the same manager who will tell me I need to take my fifteens. Which one is it? Do you want me to take the break? Or do I need to work harder? Because even though I put everything into trying to get everything done I just can’t? I run around with my stomach cramping from hunger on my longer shifts, my left hip/knee randomly acting up sometimes (I don’t have any actual problems, I’m not with a disability - my hip joint just kind of feels like I’ve pinched a nerve/knee aches sometimes), forgoing even drinking from the water bottle I bring because I don’t even feel as if I have time for that … and my work is still poor? But also oh I should take care of myself? It can’t be both. It’s not possible.Not to mention how pleasant (sarcasm) customers are. But that’s to be expected so. I’m sorry this is a whole lot of whining I’m just sick of it, really. I don’t need to be lathered in praise from my managers, but I’d like some form of appreciation … some acknowledgement. And also to get a new, more enjoyable job.

Joy Left alone
  • replies: 1

After 26 years if marriage I was left on my own.Children are in touch and care about me but are busy with their lives.I am 61 don't own my home working full time not financially secure to retire.Any ideas on how to progress

After 26 years if marriage I was left on my own.Children are in touch and care about me but are busy with their lives.I am 61 don't own my home working full time not financially secure to retire.Any ideas on how to progress

Jani Not sure, but it could just be starting...
  • replies: 6

...I'm not depressed, because I can still wake up in the morning with energy with a purpose in mind. I lost my job almost a year ago, can't find another at the moment, the industry is tough with hundreds of competitions, bills piling up. I'm flatting... View more

...I'm not depressed, because I can still wake up in the morning with energy with a purpose in mind. I lost my job almost a year ago, can't find another at the moment, the industry is tough with hundreds of competitions, bills piling up. I'm flatting, I have a teen (young adult) who I've been fully supporting with payments since 2 and my ex can't complain about that, sending extra cash if I can, when I was employed. Since losing my job, I seemed to have lost half of my purpose, the other half being making sure to be always at my teen's side when I'm needed, we bond every weekends, eat out, drive around, play console games, but I feel like it's not enough. I also need a source of finance since driving to see my teen takes petrol (3 hours return) and something to pay for whatever she wants to eat and buy. Not sure where's this post going.... I really don't want to hurt my teen nor give out the idea that I'm giving up on life.. My teen is at the critical stage of her life, being confused and all, talking to me and telling me the difficulties of life while ignoring the mum, which makes me think I'm really deeply needed, still. Mum is sickly, she's now based overseas but bedridden, I want to look after her as well, but I'm torn between my teen and my mother. Most nights I always watch videos why I still need to do this, what's the point in all of this, and how it would probably be great not to wake up one day. I don't have friends, my 3 sibilings are all estranged, they have their own issues. I could say it's my teen that's pushing me to get out of bed in the morning, but my day will be mostly spent looking out the window, wondering when this will all end. Sorry for the long post, I just want to get this out of my head, life seems to be meaningless, esp. after dropping off my teen home after a weekend out...