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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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Poochlover I Hate My Fat Body
  • replies: 2

HiI am really struggling. I have packed on the kilos and feel so fat, ugly and worthless. I feel constantly unwell and I know that my lifestyle is to blame. The biggest problem is that I feel out of control over my life. I have so many stressful thin... View more

HiI am really struggling. I have packed on the kilos and feel so fat, ugly and worthless. I feel constantly unwell and I know that my lifestyle is to blame. The biggest problem is that I feel out of control over my life. I have so many stressful things going on and nothing positive to balance it out. I drink and eat far too much as it is a comfort...but then I see myself in the mirror and I want to die. I was underweight for a great deal of my life....verging on an eating disorder. I always thought people would not like me if I was not thin. I started packing it on when I left my awful husband in 2007. Had to start a new life with a two year old and no help from anyone. The latest debacle is my son is now 18 and causes me no end of worry. He sleeps all day and games all night. Works the bare minimum and does nothing to help around the place. Also my beloved rescue dog who I adopted 6 months ago has been diagnosed with terminal lymphoma. So every day is a struggle....sorting my son out...looking after my sweet beautiful dog....I have no social life whatsoever. I have started a part time job to pay for my darling dog's huge vet fees and this is a physical role that is causing me a great deal of pain with my shoulders. I feel I have nothing else in life except food and alcohol Because I don't. I am totally finished. I have tried everything...for my son...for myself..for my darling dog. Spent over $10k in one year on same. Now I am just old, fat, washed up and done. I know my pooch will not survive for much longer...that is killing me in itself. I worry sick about my son....I just do not know what to do anymore. It is all a big ugly mess and I am so distraught. Thanks for reading.

JJacob Support group for depression in Canberra
  • replies: 2

Hi, I am a mental health worker and i am supporting a young man who is struggling with depression. Just wondering if anyone knows any support groups running in Canberra to help him to get better.

Hi, I am a mental health worker and i am supporting a young man who is struggling with depression. Just wondering if anyone knows any support groups running in Canberra to help him to get better.

Mari_0533 Just moved house, feeling desolated
  • replies: 1

My parents and I just moved house a couple of days ago. As we were preparing to move, I felt indifferent and I just wanted to get it all over with, but for the past couple of days, I haven't been able to stop crying. I feel the same way I felt at sch... View more

My parents and I just moved house a couple of days ago. As we were preparing to move, I felt indifferent and I just wanted to get it all over with, but for the past couple of days, I haven't been able to stop crying. I feel the same way I felt at school camps or when staying the night at my parent's friend's place when I was little or when my parents and I went on holiday a few years ago, but I can't make peace with the fact that this is not a holiday, I can never go back. I miss everything. I spent my entire life in that unit and now it's just a stranger's halfway house. I just want to go back.

danielrvo Any support groups I can join?
  • replies: 2

I have been dealing with depression and anxiety for 20 years now. Most of the time I have it under control, but my situation has changed since last august 2022 (3 months ago) when I moved to a one bedroom apartment. I felt ok at first but now I feel ... View more

I have been dealing with depression and anxiety for 20 years now. Most of the time I have it under control, but my situation has changed since last august 2022 (3 months ago) when I moved to a one bedroom apartment. I felt ok at first but now I feel lonely. I had some health issues but when I saw my gp and examined me, she didn’t find anything. I am always scared that I could have a serious disease and the check ups I have are normal. My whole family is overseas and I’m terrified no one would be by my side if I become severely ill. I’m going to see a specialist this Wednesday but I was wondering if there are any support groups that I can join and share my experience with other people. It’s so hard to be like this. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only one suffering of this. Thank you.

Trebor13 Trebor13
  • replies: 6

Morning all, I'm new to reaching out. I'm a 48 yr old male that is struggling atm especially to reveal my weaknesses. I have been finding life hard in the last 5 years after losing my brother to suicide I'm still angry and upset and thought this woul... View more

Morning all, I'm new to reaching out. I'm a 48 yr old male that is struggling atm especially to reveal my weaknesses. I have been finding life hard in the last 5 years after losing my brother to suicide I'm still angry and upset and thought this would have become easier, my mother passed away this morning and I'm falling very confused with my life, I have a loving partner that I'm pushing away and she can't understand why ( nor do i) any help at this stage would be appreciated.

Rubix The ramblings of a pathetic fool
  • replies: 2

Another familiar night of struggling to sleep. Goodness knows what this is doing to my neurological health long term. I thought coming back here after so long might help tire me out. This is a rant. So I've really achieved nothing in the few years si... View more

Another familiar night of struggling to sleep. Goodness knows what this is doing to my neurological health long term. I thought coming back here after so long might help tire me out. This is a rant. So I've really achieved nothing in the few years since last posting. I still live with my aging parents, having separated from my wife over 9 years ago. It's nice being close to my kids (who are up the road) but it does nothing for my feelings of inadequacy. I avoid catching up with old school friends because I'm too embarrassed to admit all my failures and my current situation. Early this year my oldest son attempted the unthinkable. Though he had been acting erratically the previous six months it caught all of us by surprise. The year has been full of therapy, trying to get him back to school (which we changed) and in turn trying to make life easier for his siblings. It's been incredibly stressful. Progress, if it's there, is incredibly slow. It's another sign of failure (a parent asleep at the wheel). It saddens me to think I may never own a home of my own. Never enjoy sitting down to a nice family dinner with my kids. At least not one that I was responsible for creating. I worry that with my attitude towards 'life', that it might make me a target for redundancy. I threw away a chance to be happy with someone from work two years ago because it felt like running away from my kids. Now I'm just a sad, lonely individual with a severe inferiority complex. Sleep take 2

OTM-D Think my depression is impacting my relationship
  • replies: 7

Hi guys, I have have had depression for almost a year and have been diagnosed with depression for 9 months and been on and off medication for 7. I noticed during my first lot of meds I had mental blunting so came off it. I have recently been put on a... View more

Hi guys, I have have had depression for almost a year and have been diagnosed with depression for 9 months and been on and off medication for 7. I noticed during my first lot of meds I had mental blunting so came off it. I have recently been put on an atypical antidepressant which works but is very expensive. Over this time my partner has been incredibly supportive and made a huge difference. Especially since I had a couple of suicide attempts in this time. I currently have my dr, meds and psychologist as professional support. I have noticed that my partner says less about the future now that I have been really unwell and I know he does struggle with anxiety himself (seen psych and is a lot better) and im sure it is hard balancing a lot of different things atm. I have been difficult of late as I cry a lot over little things that normally wouldn't upset me and have a lot of negative thoughts and often speak them aloud (about myself not him). How can I really give myself to become better so I take that added pressure off of him? I am gonna restart my meds now that I have my script back for that (issue with drs appointment and had no medication left when I eventually was rescheduled to see them). I also am gonna get back into the gym as I used to do that lots when I was on my SSRI with my partner and it was fun. Im just super annoyed at myself for being so ignorant and self centred that I didn't realise me not really trying to get better was impacting our relationship so much. He hasn't mentioned it, it's just an epiphany I've had of late realising how hard it has been on him and that of course it'd have an impact when dealing with your own problems. Im planning on spending a couple weeks away from him to give him some time to himself but any other ideas??

Skaters Inappropriate relationship with therapist.
  • replies: 7

Hi everyone I guess the title says it all really.. I am a 28 year old female and the relationship with my therapist has gotten to the point where it is probably inappropriate but then I am not to sure and I also have very strong feelings for her. I h... View more

Hi everyone I guess the title says it all really.. I am a 28 year old female and the relationship with my therapist has gotten to the point where it is probably inappropriate but then I am not to sure and I also have very strong feelings for her. I have been seeing this woman for about 10 months and have shared some very personal information with her during our sessions and she has been a huge pillar of support for me and I noticed I began feeling excited to see her and felt some feelings towards her about 3 months in, I immediately took control of the situation and made sure I was aware of my feelings and reassured myself it is normal and will pass I also took steps to lessen appointment times and sessions. Over the past 3 months she has begun telling me that she gets butterflies when she thinks about seeing me and she "Loves how excited she gets when she sees me" I know everything about her life because she has told me everything, and we have started seeing each other outside of therapy a few times catching up for lunch. Yesterday we met up again this time for breakfast and she was constantly touching my hands and my back and when I went to say bye and leave she hugged me tightly and kissed me on the cheek. I am beyond confused I get a huge sense that this woman has strong feelings for me, but it is wrong on so many levels... She is my therapist and also a female (I have never had feelings for a woman before) I am so concerned fir her and her job but at the same time I am falling in love with her to the point of literally feeling my heart flutter and all that other romantic stuff lol when she is around.. What do I do? Am I even right for thinking she has feelings for me? And should I cut all contact to protect us both... I am so confused Thankyou so much for reading my post and I hope it makes sense

via123 Alone
  • replies: 5

Not sure where to start i want to talk to someone but i dont want to burden anyone i feel like such a failure...... at work in life i dont really have much friends as i put work over them my family arent really the talking type about this info but i ... View more

Not sure where to start i want to talk to someone but i dont want to burden anyone i feel like such a failure...... at work in life i dont really have much friends as i put work over them my family arent really the talking type about this info but i do feel like ive been depressed so awhile just putting on a brave face ... but i also know theres people out there doing it even worse so then i suck it up & keep going but i feel today its very heavyyyyy .

Sandi_blue Heavy chest / Where to start? Real world problems or depression?
  • replies: 2

Hi world I am what some people call a high achiever and this is extremely difficult for me to accept. Im some one the community relies on heavily. It’s my job to help people solve social and financial problems. My entire family have severe mental hea... View more

Hi world I am what some people call a high achiever and this is extremely difficult for me to accept. Im some one the community relies on heavily. It’s my job to help people solve social and financial problems. My entire family have severe mental health history, I’m 32 years old and made it out of a crazy upbringing fueled by un managed mental health of my mother and my two siblings. I cut my entire family off many years ago and pretend none of that ever happened. My life is great, but I’m not sure I never knew what “being ok was” I don’t know how not to be ok. I’ve spent my life turning the heartbreak into motivation. I feel my mindset has been building over the years and in the past 3 years I’ve become more and more cynical. in the past 6 weeks, I’ve not been able to take control of being derailed like I usually can. I have cut all my friends off and feel a deep pain of heartbreak in my chest from the moment I wake up to the moment I go back home and get into bed to cope. I get through my home life by shutting the bedroom door to avoid the anger building when I can hear my kids play / I have minimal interactions with my partner as I am worried about blowing up at her and hurting her. I see old wise men change the subject when I say something bitter - like “they know” I genuinely can’t look any one in the eye and tell them how I feel. I think I need help, but I’m even too proud to say these things to the family doctor - I’m always the problem solver. For some one who hasn’t cried in 32 years. I’ve been finding myself holing back tears in the McDonald’s drive through ordering the daily coffee like it’s a new part of my day. I have a long list of problems I’m working through, for my clients & personally but is this depression or is this just a hart time. Will meds help or will they distract me from working on the real problems to get them off my desk.