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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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JayElle75 My life is falling apart and i'm so sad.
  • replies: 5

I am a couple of months off turning the big 5-0 and I was actually looking forward to it! But over the past few weeks, life has taken a turn to Craptown!In January, i was fired from my job after 10 years of loyal service. Its a rather long story, whi... View more

I am a couple of months off turning the big 5-0 and I was actually looking forward to it! But over the past few weeks, life has taken a turn to Craptown!In January, i was fired from my job after 10 years of loyal service. Its a rather long story, which i won't get into, but basically, I was bullied for a long period of time (more than 5 years) by team leaders. This caused extreme depression and anxiety which affected my ability to do the job to the standards expected. Every person in power ignored my pleas for help. I guess I became too much to handle, so they fired me. I have applied for so many jobs since January. I either get no responses, or i am told "we've decided to go with someone more experienced"... These are customer service roles which i have done for 30 years! How much experience do you need?!! I did have a 2nd interview with a company that was very promising, but it was a group interview. I suffer severe social anxiety, so did not interact in the group as much as they liked, so i missed out on the job. I am now in the position where I have no income and cannot pay rent, or bills or even food! My housemate come home today and told me she will be moving out this week. SO, my only option is to move back home to mum. Moving is also a worry. Without an income, I am unable to move my furniture out of here. Nor do i have anywhere to store a whole house of furniture.On top of that, my parents are both fighting illness, family members are struggling with mental health issues of their own and I am trying to be there to help them all. I do not have any friends - they all got married and had kids and we lost contact. I have never felt lonely. I enjoy being on my own. i have family who are there when I need someone. But now, I feel alone. I feel like life is just getting harder. I am embarrassed at having to crawl home at my age... I am sad. i am disappointed in my housemate for dropping the bomb on me today. Although, i don't blame her. She's a single mum and needs to do what's right for her child. I want to cry. I want to scream. My feelings are everywhere and i don't know what to do. I am so tired. Emotionally and mentally.I am trying to remain positive, but the more "thanks but no thanks" job rejections i get, the more anxious and depressed i get. I thought 2025 and turning 50 would be the best year of my life. How wrong was I?!IT will get better, right? Sorry for such a long post!

JacintaMarie Sorry
  • replies: 23

HiHow are you? Sorry for coming here again.I need to talk, I was going okay this morning.I should be happy, as I got a job & getting paid, but my job, the management doesn't really do anything. We've had no good changes, just staff movements.It's bec... View more

HiHow are you? Sorry for coming here again.I need to talk, I was going okay this morning.I should be happy, as I got a job & getting paid, but my job, the management doesn't really do anything. We've had no good changes, just staff movements.It's because of money, we don't have the money to do stuff. I don't know how other places do it.Getting angry, & have admitted it, which is good. And the type of people they are, they're not proactive people, so they're never going to do it.But my brain still doesn't get that & I get upset.I wish I was like the other staff there & who don't give a s*** & just want to be paid.I don't even have proof that our management is abit hopeless, just my gut feeling. It doesn't help, that they act nice, so it makes me feel worse, they're unproductive, but they're nice. Having a cry. Am looking for another job, hopefully somewhere where they give a s*** & actually want to work & do some progress & change & evolution

44Max44 I've felt stuck for years now
  • replies: 2

I'm in my mid-20s now and I feel like for years now I've been stuck in the same spot with zero progression made, and in a lot of ways I've even regressed.For a multitude of reasons I have been very reluctant to go out of the house or do anything, mos... View more

I'm in my mid-20s now and I feel like for years now I've been stuck in the same spot with zero progression made, and in a lot of ways I've even regressed.For a multitude of reasons I have been very reluctant to go out of the house or do anything, most of my days (99.9% of them) consist of me waking up, getting on my computer, watching YouTube videos and playing games all day to keep my mind off of things, and then I go to bed. Maybe a few times a month I will get outside of the house to see a friend who lives down the road or to go to the shops, but I always find myself being super stressed when doing so and would much rather just be at home. And I feel stuck, because I obviously need professional help, and was recently seeing a Psychiatrist, but I simply cannot afford to see them as things are right now. It's something like $300 for a 1 hour visit where it feels like I make barely any progress done, and my only source of income is Centerlink Jobseeker as I obviously can't work if I can't even get myself out of the house, so seeing a Psychiatrist instantly uses up all the money I have after paying for my portion of rent. So I'm in what feels like a never ending cycle of needing money to get the help I need, but not having that money because I need help to even be able to work in the first place.And Centerlink is zero help either, as I've tried to get a disability claim approved by them for over half a decade now with no success, because apparently *all* of the shit going on for me still doesn't qualify as being disabled! Woohoo! It's like the government is telling me to just "suck it up and get on with it" like I have no issues at all. I'm just stuck. I don't know what to do. I don't have the money to get myself help, and I can't get money without first getting myself help... so what the hell am I meant to do? It's an oxymoron. I'm lost.

Oshinxx1 Loneliness
  • replies: 2

Hi there, I struggle with loneliness along side or because of my major depressive disorder. I am talking about emotional lonliness, not being able to connect with people and be open. I feel that this stunts any progress because keeping up appearances... View more

Hi there, I struggle with loneliness along side or because of my major depressive disorder. I am talking about emotional lonliness, not being able to connect with people and be open. I feel that this stunts any progress because keeping up appearances and trying to please everyone by not ‘complaining’ leads to resentment. I use music to feel a connection but I miss being connected to another human being. Those who I was closest to are now dead. Can anyone relate to this?

Whitelilly Can’t breathe
  • replies: 1

I really can’t breathe ..well not without a knot in my stomach! I don’t even get a break even when I sleep I’m drained.i have to put a sile on just for work and it’s like I’m wasting energy on my mouth muscles! I don’t talk to anyone I did once and a... View more

I really can’t breathe ..well not without a knot in my stomach! I don’t even get a break even when I sleep I’m drained.i have to put a sile on just for work and it’s like I’m wasting energy on my mouth muscles! I don’t talk to anyone I did once and all these memories started coming back ! The worst thing is I don’t believe anything is real ..so why I’m I writing this ..no one can help me I won’t believe they are real !

Guest_55182962 Hello for the first time
  • replies: 3

Hey internet humans. I've never used forums before, or anything like them, I'm a little nervous and unsure where to start. I think I'm looking for advice and/or personal stories of hope.I've been dealing with depression in one form or another since I... View more

Hey internet humans. I've never used forums before, or anything like them, I'm a little nervous and unsure where to start. I think I'm looking for advice and/or personal stories of hope.I've been dealing with depression in one form or another since I was a kid, for well over 20 years. I additionally found out that I have borderline personality disorder a couple of years ago, which put a lot of my teens into perspective. It's been a hard ride, particularly with romantic relationships. I find this particularly so because I think by nature I'm a really optimistic and hopeful person and I genuinely feel like I have so much to be grateful for. My experience of depression conflicts with who I feel I am. It's as though my emotions sit in total contrast from the way that I think.I've been on SSRIs for eight years and tried to come off them several times because I feel like there are parts of myself I don't have access to when I'm on them. I lost an immediate family member to suicide and I feel like I haven't even been able to grieve properly. At the moment my external circumstances are really solid- my girlfriend is the most incredibly supportive, kind human that I've ever met, and we have such a healthy relationship in every way. We've just gotten engaged and I feel so unbelievably happy for that. I felt like now was the right time to come off medication, because I have never felt more safe, and I feel that if I don't come off meds now then I never will. I've been working on my self-care strategies for a long time now, and I think I'm more capable and tuned into myself than I've ever been too.It's been three weeks, and I'm a mess. I knew withdrawing would be hard, hopefully harder than it would be when my body has settled. But the bad days are brutal, and I feel like I'm numb to the wonderful parts of my life, and can't feel anything properly except sadness. I don't feel as excited about my relationship with my partner, I find it hard to connect with her, and I'm in a state of frequent anxiety about every little thing, constantly worrying that something has changed between us, when the rational part of my brain knows that the thing that has changed is my brain. I feel helpless and hopeless. I feel like I don't get to be myself with meds, and I feel like without them I return to being a shell of a human that I remember being in the past. Has anyone got success stories of coming off medication and ways that they've managed to do without?

QLD_Kat Dad doesn't get me!
  • replies: 1

I'm living at my dads house with him and his wife, not my mum who passed away in 95. Anyway stepmother is real piece of work and we DO NOT get along, we are oil and water. I have epilepsy and clinical depression, take something like 12-13 meds daily,... View more

I'm living at my dads house with him and his wife, not my mum who passed away in 95. Anyway stepmother is real piece of work and we DO NOT get along, we are oil and water. I have epilepsy and clinical depression, take something like 12-13 meds daily, 3 of which are antidepressants and my room is always an absolute pigsty as I never feel like cleaning and my dad keeps telling me to clean up which tbh just makes me least inclined to do anything. He thinks it's just laziness Am I lazy?, is it the depression? Or does my dad not understand how depression effects people? Please help

aggy2801 Feeling Depressed when travelling
  • replies: 1

Hey everyone,I’m currently backpacking in south east Asia with my friend but am really struggling with my mental health. I’ve been so excited for this trip for a long time but have been struggling with depression and loneliness for some time. I start... View more

Hey everyone,I’m currently backpacking in south east Asia with my friend but am really struggling with my mental health. I’ve been so excited for this trip for a long time but have been struggling with depression and loneliness for some time. I started seeing someone about it recently and I still feel like I’ve got a long way to go. It’s hard because I don’t feel like I can talk about it with my friend and we are doing all these amazing things and seeing these amazing places but most of the time I just feel sad. Sometimes I am able to get past it and really enjoy the moment, and have had some genuinely great times and memories so far. Though still at the end of the day and in the quiet moments when I’m not distracted or the moment doesn’t feel special enough I am incredibly sad and feel lonely even when surrounded by my friend and all these great people we are meeting. I think it’s extra hard tonight because I’ve gotten food poisoning and have to stay in a hotel by myself tonight instead of the hostel with my friend and all my loved ones at home are asleep. I was wondering if anyone has any advice for me and I hope to feel better about it by getting the words out.

Belly Feeling Low, Unsure where to from here
  • replies: 8

Hi, I'm new to beyond blue forums. I have suffered with depression and anxiety on and off most of my life. Currently things have gotten a lot worse as we are in the worst financial position and I don't know how to go on. My husband and I own our own ... View more

Hi, I'm new to beyond blue forums. I have suffered with depression and anxiety on and off most of my life. Currently things have gotten a lot worse as we are in the worst financial position and I don't know how to go on. My husband and I own our own business and it is sinking fast. We have so much debt owing on the business, numerous unpaid bills and owe all of our family members money including a couple of our kids. I guess I'm just venting I don't think there is an answer but as I sit here in bed crying unable to sleep yet again as I can't stop thinking of where the money to survive another day is going to come from. Then in a few hours I have to get up to go to work and start the day all over again. Tonight I did some more research and have found a place that may be able to help with the debt possibly. But I feel so bad at my failure I never thought I would be in such a bad situation and feel so low all of the time. I'm on the strongest possible anti depressant and anxiety tablets but I don't feel they help anymore. But I'm to scared to stop them cause goodness knows what that would look like. I have spoken to my GP and he has put me on a health plan to see a psychologist. However one I need money for that and we can't afford for me to go and two I have tried counselling before and it has never helped me. So instead here I am hoping talking to others who know what I am going through may help.

Mikhaela Hello
  • replies: 1

I am back. I still am not better but I have done a real test and my therapist didn't believe that it was depression and just thought that it was just stress. I honestly just can't vent. I just started year 7 way tougher than my other school that enve... View more

I am back. I still am not better but I have done a real test and my therapist didn't believe that it was depression and just thought that it was just stress. I honestly just can't vent. I just started year 7 way tougher than my other school that enver pushed me. They didn't care much. Ignored me when i said that people were bullying me, would constantly just not make accomodations for me because I am actually mentally disabled. And on top of that, they just didn't listen to my parents when they said that my mental health was deteriorating and they still wouldn't talk to the family and they would just tell her to apologise. Oh and i kept the "formal" apology she'd written me. She wrote about how the time when she full on blamed me for my sister moving schools and said it was all my fault. Nobody stood up for me. the teachers moved on like everything was normal except for one kid she asked me if i was okay and then had to get off the bus. I still hate that girl who bullied me i won't ever forget her. OR the teachers that helped her.