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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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Sleeper Does it ever get better?
  • replies: 2

Hello, this may be long. My family has a history of generational trauma and my parents grew up in a time where domestic violence was widely common and accepted. As a result my parents weren't really good with the whole parenting aspect of life. In my... View more

Hello, this may be long. My family has a history of generational trauma and my parents grew up in a time where domestic violence was widely common and accepted. As a result my parents weren't really good with the whole parenting aspect of life. In my early years of being a kid, I have a lot of memories of my parents constantly yelling and trashing the house. It gradually stopped over the years once the police got involved. However the following years were rough, my mum was especially stressed due to many reasons and often took it out on her kids growing up. She was verbally abusive, threatened us a lot, would priorities everything else over her own kids, including her reputation, and would keep us in the house because the outside is too dangerous. She would gatekeep us from seeing certain friends or family that she did not like but would force us to act friendly with her friends to make her look better. Growing up with this treatment, I didn't realise it was "wrong" because it was all I knew and eventually I broke down in my senior year of high school because I could not take it anymore. I was diagnosed with depression at the time but they suspect I probably had it for a longer period. My relationship with her is a lot better now but I have an extreme one-sided love/hate relationship with her. I struggle with severe flashbacks and nightmares that keep me up at night and on these days, my hatred for her is obvious in daily life and sometimes I can't handle seeing her. The flashback has been recently difficult the last few weeks and I'm teary everyday, its difficult to get out of bed, I'm constantly tire and nauseous, I oversleep to avoid dealing with real life and I forget things that I did a few seconds ago. I have just started a full time job and that has been the main reason forcing me to get out of bed and be active. However I have been making a lot of mistakes at work and that has weighing on my shoulders and have been making me spiral into self-doubt and feeling worthless, just like my mum did when she was raising me. I have resorted to hurting myself discreetly as a way to cope and I know its not healthy but its the only way I know off that keeps my calm. The point is, I feel like I haven't made any progress since back then and its been difficult for me to get up everyday knowing that I will be exhausting myself fighting and suppressing against these negative thoughts and feelings.

JustMehere Supportive psychiatrist / psychologist recommendation.
  • replies: 2

Hello.I'm hoping that I may be able to tap into some of the collective wisdom and life experiences of the good people here. Please excuse any mistakes I may make.I need to find a good psychiatrist and /or clinical psychologist { can be private} a.s.a... View more

Hello.I'm hoping that I may be able to tap into some of the collective wisdom and life experiences of the good people here. Please excuse any mistakes I may make.I need to find a good psychiatrist and /or clinical psychologist { can be private} a.s.a.p. - I know I probably wont be able to get in to see them immediately.By supportive I mean that they will actually LISTEN to me. - my issue is a disability / insurance one but I'm not applying for the disability pension { not yet at any rate...hopefully I can avoid that}.I'm fairly desperate and would greatly appreciate ANY help.Thank you and Best wishes. God Bless

sparrowhawk Self esteem and work
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, I was offered a job the other day, a job I had really wanted. I accepted it and start next week. Family is so happy for me and really excited, but I'm feeling so anxious about the whole thing. I have anorexia and some depressive/anxiety ... View more

Hi everyone, I was offered a job the other day, a job I had really wanted. I accepted it and start next week. Family is so happy for me and really excited, but I'm feeling so anxious about the whole thing. I have anorexia and some depressive/anxiety issues, so this is a pretty big step. I just honestly feel like I'm going to let the team down. I have to work hard to be confident and social, but I'm such an awkward person really. I keep thinking, "if they really knew me, they wouldn't have hired me". Someone was asking me about superannuation and I got so anxious. I've become so ambivalent about the future - and to be honest, sometimes I don't feel like I'm going to live that long anyway. I don't know if I'm looking so much for advice as for a space to vent.

Echtis I feel so incredibly alone.
  • replies: 3

I'm in my mid-20s. My life isn't over by any means, but I can't help thinking "Why do I even try?". I'm trying to make friends at University, I've joined a couple of Uni clubs, but I feel so out of touch and rejected. Maybe times have changed, but I'... View more

I'm in my mid-20s. My life isn't over by any means, but I can't help thinking "Why do I even try?". I'm trying to make friends at University, I've joined a couple of Uni clubs, but I feel so out of touch and rejected. Maybe times have changed, but I'm constantly made fun of for my word choice, my actions, and every interaction feels like some kind of point scoring event against me. I get that I'm older than most of these people, and I'm out of touch socially, but it feels like people are literally making up social rules to belittle me. An example of this: people were joking about how they were undateable. One person said, "I'm pretty sure everyone here is some kind of alcohol." "Or mentally ill." Another says "Or autistic." I add, and there is silence like I've said some kind of slur. People berate me about how the correct term is person with autism, and I have to apologise. Should be noted I was diagnosed with this when I was 15, and it is, like the other things people joked about, a medical condition. A few months later, one person is talking about how if someone called them a slur which I'm not going to type based on their identity, they will react with "Hell yeah I am" or something like that. I ask isn't that a bad word, as I've always known it to be. Everyone looks at me and explains that it's about 'taking back and owning' the word. I've just gotten so tired of listening to everyone else talk to try and learn social rules that bend themselves backwards in various hipocritical and bigoted ways, whilst all the while they mock me. I really like this club's hobby, and I don't want to leave because of that. But I cannot help but feel unwanted and even hated, every time I open my mouth it ends with half a dozen people telling me to get stuffed in various ways. It isn't just this club either. I just cannot seem to have positive interactions with anyone at any social club, or follow any of the social rules I didn't learn the last 4 years. I feel so alone as every attempt to make friends just ends in misery, rejection, or ridicule. How am I meant to learn the rules when everyone uses me as a punching bag? I just want to be accepted, I'm not trying to hurt or upset anyone, but I'm treated as an antagonist.

stacey27587 How to talk about how you feel to your partner who already has depression
  • replies: 3

Hey everyone! I’ve been really struggling mentally lately, I’ve got a lot going on and I’m just the the point where I’m exhausted all the time that I don’t have the strength or energy to look after myself; I’m not showering, eating much, I sleep but ... View more

Hey everyone! I’ve been really struggling mentally lately, I’ve got a lot going on and I’m just the the point where I’m exhausted all the time that I don’t have the strength or energy to look after myself; I’m not showering, eating much, I sleep but wake up feeling the exact same I’m just going through the motions each day. It has put a big toll on our relationship My partner has always suffered from mental health and I feel like if I talk to him about it I will burden him more and make his worsewhat do I do?

sowbad How can I reconnect with my friends after isolating myself due to depression/anxiety for months.
  • replies: 3

At the beginning of the year my depression was extremely bad. I completely stopped going to school and lost all motivation to do anything. I stopped talking to my friends and they stopped talking to me. Over the past few months it’s gotten better, Iv... View more

At the beginning of the year my depression was extremely bad. I completely stopped going to school and lost all motivation to do anything. I stopped talking to my friends and they stopped talking to me. Over the past few months it’s gotten better, Ive got a girlfriend who has helped me massively. I’ve started going to therapy, taking meds and now doing online school. I need advise on how to reconnect with my friend group. Since I’ve stopped going to school none of them have attempted to message me to ask where or how I’ve been. My anxiety is telling me they don’t really care as none of them have really talked to me for months. Every night I see them online. playing games and talking together and I miss that. They don’t know I’m doing online school now or that I’ve been struggling with a multitude of mental and physical illnesses. I want to have friends again but I’m to scared to talk to any of them.

Baileysmells Becoming so tired, feelings of isolation and emptiness loom over when my mind isn’t busy
  • replies: 5

My battle against mental illness has lasted since 2019, while I can say I’ve improved, it’s still not enough to feel like progress has been made. I’m in a new town, I’ve distanced myself from my friends back home. This is the first time in my life I ... View more

My battle against mental illness has lasted since 2019, while I can say I’ve improved, it’s still not enough to feel like progress has been made. I’m in a new town, I’ve distanced myself from my friends back home. This is the first time in my life I can say I’m truly alone. With no one to share my day with, as an introvert this is weirdly foreign to me; yet my anxiety stops me from creating connections at University. I get home and I realise that this is it, just sitting at home, wishing I could at least pick up my hobbies again. I guess it feels as if there is no substance in my life, it doesn’t feel meaningful. I am essentially on house arrest due to the car dependency of my new town, I’m currently waiting until my sister is ‘allowed’ to teach me. Does anyone else just have this overwhelming feeling of *sigh*? That days are just passing by? How do you cope with this? I just feel lost in this world, I’m deeply unsatisfied with the way world works systematically, I used to reject the idea of participating at all. Now I am attempting to shoo away that existential dread as I become a part of society again.Thank you for reading, just a conversation helps honestly:’)

Mr K I'm so lost I don't even know what to look for.
  • replies: 20

I've had some great times in my life but the memories of these are so faded I can't recall them.I'm so exhausted by life that I can't even remember what I enjoy anymore. If I have spare time I can't think of anything I'd like to do so I never seem to... View more

I've had some great times in my life but the memories of these are so faded I can't recall them.I'm so exhausted by life that I can't even remember what I enjoy anymore. If I have spare time I can't think of anything I'd like to do so I never seem to do anything. I seem to go through the motions trying to survive and feel totally stuck in a rut. I'm being treated by prescription for anxiety and I've previously seen a psychologist who helped me transition through an abusive marriage and eventual separation and divorce. I have 50% custody of my children who I love and live for but I worry that my lack of drive, will be detrimental to them. I wish I were energetic, motivated, and excited by life. I wish I was good at small talk and could tell people about the fun times I was enjoying. Everyone seems to have a plan, or a dream and here I am just trying to make it through another day.

Venice I don't know what to do?
  • replies: 4

Hi,Lately i have been feeling lost and lonely and I don't know what to do about it. I got out of an abusive relationship earlier this year, and I am studying full time university. the last year and a half I have failed my units in University. I am no... View more

Hi,Lately i have been feeling lost and lonely and I don't know what to do about it. I got out of an abusive relationship earlier this year, and I am studying full time university. the last year and a half I have failed my units in University. I am now in a better relationship and my scores are getting better, however we are thinking of moving to a city where there are more options for me. I'm scared to do it, my family are already 8 hours away, if we move it will be 20 hours. I know flights are cheap but it is also a financial burden on my family. I have been feeling so lonely without my mother around and although it is something I want to do, I am so scared. I feel like I have already failed so much with my past relationship and my university. My university is not supporting me, and due to my poor grades, are threatening to expel me if I don't get 50% this trimester. I don't know what to do.

MissJ94 Feel myself slipping again
  • replies: 2

Ive been in my currently job for 6 months and have been loving it up until last Tuesday.. when i started this job, in the first week i was told that the position was to be regraded and that we all needed to reapply and do another interview. No one wa... View more

Ive been in my currently job for 6 months and have been loving it up until last Tuesday.. when i started this job, in the first week i was told that the position was to be regraded and that we all needed to reapply and do another interview. No one was happy but we got through it and all of us except 1 were successful! Good times! Then we were told by our bosses bosses boss that a person on the interview panel wasnt supposed to be on it and we all needed to do another interview. Again, no one was happy. We did the interview again(11th July). Last Tuesday i found out that im one of the unlucky ones who werent successful.. Ive been told i can reapply when they advertise again or i can apply for another role as an AO2..Im just so upset and angry with all of this! If they knew the regrade was going to happen when i was hired why didnt they just interview me then as an AO3 and not an AO2? Ive literally had 3 interviews for this job that i already have in the last 6 months. And will need to do another one still!!When i found out i couldnt stop crying and even now im highly emotional about it but no tears are coming! I had grown to love this job and really freaking enjoy it after a very toxic environment when i was a registered nurse.. I really dont want to leave this job And it all comes 2 weeks after the one year anniversary of me resigning from my previous nursing job and just before i need to see a neurologist for suspected MS.. After hearing the news on Tuesday last week i told my manager id need a mental health day on the Wednesday, that was all good. But now ive been sick woth tonsillitis since then and havent been well enough to return to work yet(forever how long im going to be there anyway!!). Whilst i want to go back to work desperately because i love the job, i almost just dont want to go because i feel so defeated.. how many hoops do i need to jump through to know i have a secure job? Its been absolutely draining. The feedback was pretty much that i didnt interview well, of course i didnt because i was given 2 days notice when with the anxiety i get, i need closer to a weeks notice for that stuff! They pointed out that the July billing(reason for the regrade) audit that was done was almost perfect and thats a reflection of pretty much just my work as my colleague was off sick for 3 weeks in July and it was literally just me.