Immediate support
Immediate support

Depression

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

Start a discussion

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Jump to
Start a discussion

Pinned discussions

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: 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

Start a discussion

Anxiety_is_who_I_am Feeling so unsupported and alone
  • replies: 2

Does anyone ever feel like no matter how much they try and tell people they're having a hard time coping, others just don't want to hear it? They're only listening for the "yeah I'm fine". I've been having a hard time with anxiety and depression for ... View more

Does anyone ever feel like no matter how much they try and tell people they're having a hard time coping, others just don't want to hear it? They're only listening for the "yeah I'm fine". I've been having a hard time with anxiety and depression for a few years and most of my family know I have it but don't understand the severity of it. I have a special needs child that has a lot of appointments and things so I'm currently struggling to find work, meant to be planning a wedding that I have no idea how we'll afford to pay at this point. I have no friend's in the town I live in. My family doesn't live close. I just feel like I'm trying my hardest and people can only see my failures. How do you tell yourself that it might work out or that things might get better? No matter how much I try and tell myself, it just doesn't get through.

Jason-X I feel helpless and don't know what to do
  • replies: 2

I'm at a loss on what to do with myself. I want to get better and stop hating myself, to stop feeling miserable and enjoy life or at least have hope for the future. So far every therapist I've seen either leaves to go to a better city/get better inco... View more

I'm at a loss on what to do with myself. I want to get better and stop hating myself, to stop feeling miserable and enjoy life or at least have hope for the future. So far every therapist I've seen either leaves to go to a better city/get better income, is unprofessional, or just straight up say they can't help me. With my last therapist I was really hopeful that I could be safe enough to talk about my life going on at home. He didn't believe me after talking with my mum and blamed me for not going to a shelter when I didn't know the abuse I discussed was bad enough to warrant that. I've just gotten so used to it that it's my life now. He abruptly stopped contacting me after only 3 sessions and when my mum found out, she used it as evidence that I'm so crazy and unfixable that even therapists give up on me. But I can't deal with the abuse anymore. I need help just getting confident enough to get a job and move out, but my intense self-hatred gets in the way of progress. Constantly being threatened at home and called homophobic slurs is killing me. In public I'm scared of getting bashed up. I don't have any friends because I got too scared to see them again after coming out. I'm at a point where suicide feels like the only way out. I'm too scared to start therapy again for the 7th time. I hate talking about my life and my upbringing. The last few times I got close to progress, my therapists ended up moving away or having their funding cut. At one point a therapist focused only on how me being gay was the problem here, and that if I stopped being gay, then my family would love me. I know it's stupid to air our out my laundry online to people who'll never see me or know me but I genuinely don't know where else to turn. I guess I should be asking how to actually make progress in therapy, or if I should even bother and just turn to self-help instead. If so, what steps can I make by myself to get better? Thanks for reading this if you do.

Jester3 struggling with mental health and school
  • replies: 4

Hi, I'm in year 11 and I am really struggling at school because of my mental health. I have BPD, depression and Anxiety. I lost my motivation for school a few months ago and I have stopped doing work and I am far behind in all my subjects. I don't re... View more

Hi, I'm in year 11 and I am really struggling at school because of my mental health. I have BPD, depression and Anxiety. I lost my motivation for school a few months ago and I have stopped doing work and I am far behind in all my subjects. I don't really feel real or see a point to anything I do and I have no clue what I'm doing in the future. I want to go back to school but I'm so overwhelmed by all the work I haven't done, that I keep staying home. I feel like I'm gonna fail school and not get to Uni, I feel like my options are limited which just makes me more depressed to think about. My goal was to become a therapist but my grades are so poor I know that wont happen, and my plan B was Art teacher but i Feel like i wont even graduate. I don't really have any friends or family that I can talk to. the only things i do all day is read books and watch my comfort shows, everything else overwhelms me. I feel so alone and like I have nothing to look forward to and I have no idea what to do, please help.

Fiatlux Being laughed at
  • replies: 14

I was laughed at for admitting that I had depression and was suicidal. I don’t know what to even make of this. This person went on to tell me that if I were depressed and or suicidal, that I wouldn’t be talking about it. That I would have taken my li... View more

I was laughed at for admitting that I had depression and was suicidal. I don’t know what to even make of this. This person went on to tell me that if I were depressed and or suicidal, that I wouldn’t be talking about it. That I would have taken my life. I am sure that some of us have heard of those who suicide without warning signs ever being noticed. This has happened to me, (a dear friend). The laughing has me bewildered. Who does this?

Leleina Triggers
  • replies: 2

I don't know where to begin... I just feel low. I met someone in social media, we spent an amount of time chatting and then it stopped. He wasn't well too. Triggering along with other triggers like my parents being here and my mother has started one ... View more

I don't know where to begin... I just feel low. I met someone in social media, we spent an amount of time chatting and then it stopped. He wasn't well too. Triggering along with other triggers like my parents being here and my mother has started one of her moods again, nagging incessantly, and then hurting me with her words. I'm doing my best to let go and let it slide. But when she was emotionally abusing me in the presence of my youngest, it broke me. I could see this is what intergenerational trauma looks like. My father, he doesn't say much now but what can he say? He's traumatised me enough. I'm trying to heal to a better place but these triggers keep coming back and it feels so overwhelming having thus whirlwind of emotions yet nothing seems real. If you know what I mean... but I'm hurting and this hurt is real. Pained x

chinnychungus I'm not sure what to do
  • replies: 2

I'm not sure what to do. My depression is eating away at me and I have absolutely no motivation or drive to do anything except scrape by my uni work and do my rostered shifts at work every week. I have seemingly no interests in my hobbies and struggl... View more

I'm not sure what to do. My depression is eating away at me and I have absolutely no motivation or drive to do anything except scrape by my uni work and do my rostered shifts at work every week. I have seemingly no interests in my hobbies and struggle to really do anything but lay in bed and contemplate everything if I'm not working or at uni. My anxiety has also been really bad the last few weeks and I feel like I want to go see someone to speak to about it. But it's daunting for me and I'm just not sure overall. It's become really frustrating because I want to be able to do stuff but I just cannot bring myself to do it, I cannot bring myself to do anything and I just want to feel better and be better and be able to do stuff.

Edna Average Taking a month off from work
  • replies: 7

Hi there, Has anyone taken a month or more off work and successfully transitioned back? Background is that I had a traumatic experience at work with a colleague making false allegations and the company not backing me sufficiently. I was completely cl... View more

Hi there, Has anyone taken a month or more off work and successfully transitioned back? Background is that I had a traumatic experience at work with a colleague making false allegations and the company not backing me sufficiently. I was completely cleared through a formal investigation. However, six months later am still struggling with anxiety and depression as the colleague is still elsewhere in the organisation and undermining me. I’ve developed insomnia and started having dark thoughts. I know I probably need time off but am worried about the stigma. Any words of encouragement and better still, examples of where this has helped turn your life around? I want to change jobs but am too burned out to perform in an interview right now.

Happiness_I_Miss_You Where can I find real support? I’m so so so tired of this
  • replies: 2

20yrs on meds, diff therapies, being fobbed off by doctors, being misdiagnosed over and over again. Not being listened to. Being told the way I’m feeling is “normal”. Losing friends, becoming a bad mother, withdrawing from everyone, cutting my shifts... View more

20yrs on meds, diff therapies, being fobbed off by doctors, being misdiagnosed over and over again. Not being listened to. Being told the way I’m feeling is “normal”. Losing friends, becoming a bad mother, withdrawing from everyone, cutting my shifts more and more at work, more sick days, more break downs at work, more breakdowns when it comes to parenting, complaining all the time, staying in bed for weeks on end, never ever being able to leave the house as I cannot even shower. Being ignored over and over again when I beg beg beg beg beg for help and still I’m like this. I don’t want to keep living this way. I don’t want to die. I just want to live and be able to have some quality of life. There are no psychs with open books in my area, my long standing GP forgets my history and repeats the same things. I’m over it. Where do I find someone who will really listen? I spend days and nights doing my own research for treatment and the doctors never want to listen to me. Why can’t we advocate for ourselves and be heard?

Daliah I feel sad and alone despite being so loved.
  • replies: 2

I don’t know why but I feel so alone despite being loved. I have so much love to hand out to everyone in my life but when it comes back, I don’t know what to do. There is nothing bad in my life to make me feel like I do and yet, here I am feeling it ... View more

I don’t know why but I feel so alone despite being loved. I have so much love to hand out to everyone in my life but when it comes back, I don’t know what to do. There is nothing bad in my life to make me feel like I do and yet, here I am feeling it so intensely. It always makes me feel like there’s something wrong with me.

Shaunyy30 Feeling depressed and my life not being Where it should be now
  • replies: 3

Hi am Shaun am 29 years old and am feeling a bit down manly because I’ve recently split with my partner and I feel like my life is going no where

Hi am Shaun am 29 years old and am feeling a bit down manly because I’ve recently split with my partner and I feel like my life is going no where