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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: 1

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

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jonny09 Help me fix my sadness/depression!!
  • replies: 6

I have this weird urge to impress people. I seek people's validation to make myself feel better. I sometimes lie to show a better image of myself, in order to impress people. I am financially successful in life but i never got the recognition or resp... View more

I have this weird urge to impress people. I seek people's validation to make myself feel better. I sometimes lie to show a better image of myself, in order to impress people. I am financially successful in life but i never got the recognition or respect that i wanted. I am very sensitive to criticism. If someone criticizes me, I think about it for 7-8 days and consume my mind with thoughts of getting back at him(person who criticized me). I feel sad most of the time. I don't feel like making new friends or talking to strangers. I live alone most of the time. --------------------------------- Can someone tell me what exact problem am i going thru? Is there a name to it? And what's the solution to all this? Is there a mechanism or way to fix this?

duckys I feel like I'm drowning in my own thoughts
  • replies: 4

There's this girl that I've liked for at least 2 years now and I've always wanted to ask her out but she's always got a boyfriend and I'm always really jealous of whoever her boyfriend is And I just really like her. Also my mum has a condition where ... View more

There's this girl that I've liked for at least 2 years now and I've always wanted to ask her out but she's always got a boyfriend and I'm always really jealous of whoever her boyfriend is And I just really like her. Also my mum has a condition where her hands are either inflaming on the inside or rlly cold on the inside. It happens cos her autoimmune system attacks itself and I went to the doctors yesterday and they said I might have something similar. I don't want to live in pain all by myself because I want someone to help me. I need someone to help me but no one would want to help me, especially the girl I like, if I've got a condition that hurts me and makes me angry.

Jimmy6789 I've decided that hope is the real killer.
  • replies: 2

I really don't see the point anymore hey, nothing goes right for me ever which is how I'm a 29 year old bartender with crippling depression and no hopes of a better job. I've done 2 degrees in boring business, am way too old to go back to uni and kee... View more

I really don't see the point anymore hey, nothing goes right for me ever which is how I'm a 29 year old bartender with crippling depression and no hopes of a better job. I've done 2 degrees in boring business, am way too old to go back to uni and keep kidding myself that life gets better. On top of the no hope for future career prospects, I'm 29 and haven't had a relationship for a decade - women just do not find my hideous face appealing, or even interesting. And I get it, we all try to punch upwards in the dating game - but I'm dyyying for a human connection that I find mentally and physically attractive, and can feel that reciprocated. This whole "he needs a car, a 6 figure job, looks like a Hemsworth, has a 6 pack of abs and has time to take me nice places" mentality is killing me. Anyway, I've done some thinking - and have decided that the "feeling" that it will all work out is just part of the fabrication that we as a society tell ourselves. Hope is the lie. There is no point to anything. Nothing gets better. Help me see otherwise please, I am sliding towards the self harm section with every thought. Ps. Therapy is expensive

TysDR Lockdown is really getting the better of me..
  • replies: 5

At the very beginning of the year my ex had left me ( cheated on me ) and I was really struggling mentally. I’ve always had anxiety but this had made it a thousand times worse. I couldn’t sleep, eat, drink or even be in the room/bed we shared togethe... View more

At the very beginning of the year my ex had left me ( cheated on me ) and I was really struggling mentally. I’ve always had anxiety but this had made it a thousand times worse. I couldn’t sleep, eat, drink or even be in the room/bed we shared together. I found myself sleeping on my friends couch most nights. I eventually moved in with said friend because I couldn’t deal being in that place anymore, I had to get away from everything that reminded me of her. Since then lockdown has happened, ive been unemployed, haven’t seen my parents or brothers. I’ve sat alone everyday with my own thoughts basically eating me away. I constantly wake up in panic thinking about death, that I’m dying or that something is wrong and I don’t know why. I know most people are struggling with lockdown right now but not seeing my parents and my brothers is really getting to me. Everyday I just feel this big wave of sadness over me and the second I feel some sort of happiness that wave comes back crashing my thoughts. I’ve had really deep and dark thoughts about my life that I wouldn’t dare tell anybody that I know because I wouldn’t want to worry them. I scare myself sometimes and it makes me physically ill. I had a job lined up that I was hoping would get me out of here to take my mind off things but I wasn’t able to get it because I needed my FL license and wasn’t able to get it without a “ work permit “ because of lockdown. I can’t go out and do things to distract myself, I can’t see my family and I just don’t know what to do at this point. I feel like life is just passing by and I don’t know how to cope with it anymore. im currently writing this at 6:20 am with 0 hours sleep, I’ve been laying in bed staring at my ceiling tossing and turning for majority of the night. I eat 1 meal a day if I’m lucky and barely leave my room. I don’t know what’s wrong with me and I don’t want to feel like this anymore.

Calbue Can someone remind me what is the point?
  • replies: 15

Hi, I'm new to this forum so if I'm missing some etiquette... I apologise in advance. I guess, the reason why I started this thread was to ask... what is the point? Is there a point? I know that to live means to be happy, to be at peace, to be ok and... View more

Hi, I'm new to this forum so if I'm missing some etiquette... I apologise in advance. I guess, the reason why I started this thread was to ask... what is the point? Is there a point? I know that to live means to be happy, to be at peace, to be ok and to be with family and friends. I get that. I truly do. But for now, why does it feel like things are pointless? For context, I'm still at uni doing my course, but it feels like there is no point to getting my degree when the future is so uncertain. When will things be ok? Will I always be down like this? I don't know if its the lockdown that's making me feel this way or if its just something that's been brewing inside me for years. Most likely, the latter... now that I think about it. Everything, for years, has felt like such an effort. Like I'm constantly exhausted by doing the bare minimum. I know we have to truly process our thoughts to recover, but when I try it gets too much sometimes and makes it worse. My anxiety shoots through the roof, and it feels like my heart beats as fast as a hummingbird flaps its wings. Is there any other perspective that will help? I hope someone is kind enough to reply...

McCann093 Trapped without Control
  • replies: 7

This is probably going to sound like a "Oh boo hoo! Everyone gets this way" type of post but I need to get this off my chest. I have been having a really tough time of late, no doubt in large portion thanks to COVID and the isolation it has brought o... View more

This is probably going to sound like a "Oh boo hoo! Everyone gets this way" type of post but I need to get this off my chest. I have been having a really tough time of late, no doubt in large portion thanks to COVID and the isolation it has brought on everyone in one degree or another but I cant help feeling trapped in my life with no control over any of it. No matter how big or small the choice to something might be. I am lucky enough to be an essential worker and therefore have kept my job through out the pandemic but many of the people I worked with have either left or been working from home all this time. I have no friends there. I am being kept away from my family, parents and siblings, and friends thanks to lockdowns and fully vaccinated requirements. I have two kids under 3yrs and the responsibilities and daily requirements take up all my time that its very difficult to take 5 mins for myself. More and more i am finding it harder to deal with and manage my depression and the episodes are increasing. Mornings feel like an impossible feat just to get out of bed, regularly showering is a struggle, all of my hobbies and enjoyments don't make me feel good anymore and the one thing that I should have control over is probably the biggest thing that is out of control... EATING! The weight is stacking on and I'm running on auto pilot. Unable to take control of my own life! Its as if I'm looking through my eyes but I'm not the one operating my body. I was diagnosed with post natal depression about a year after my eldest was born and ever since then I've been sinking. Like I said big sob story right? I know there are worse off than me, my older sister has been hospitalised for her PTSD and depression getting the help that she needs. I have tried seeking help from the shrink but with the pandemic appointments are all over the phone and mine is broken. I don't know when I'll be able to replace it. I just want out of this rut and back into an enjoyable life...

Sophie15 I’m tired of being strong
  • replies: 2

“You are the strongest person I know,” people keep telling me. While I know deep down that I am strong, I’m just a bit over it. People don’t see my sadness, my tears, my struggles. Perhaps they don’t want to because they need me to be the stronger on... View more

“You are the strongest person I know,” people keep telling me. While I know deep down that I am strong, I’m just a bit over it. People don’t see my sadness, my tears, my struggles. Perhaps they don’t want to because they need me to be the stronger one. But I am tired. Being in Melbourne and in multiple lockdowns is wearing me down. I went from hardly ever cry to crying almost daily. I want to be hopeful but it’s hard seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I just want to sleep and not wake up until things get better. I’m getting to a point that I’m thinking about going back on antidepressants. My partner doesn’t think I should. He tells me I’m strong and things will get better. It’s not that I don’t know this to be true, I know with time, things will get better with covid and the lockdowns will end. But it doesn’t help me now. I have to minimise watching/reading/listening to the news now as I feel like I’m being re-traumatised each time. My coping skills are deteriorating. It’s hard to find joy. I know I am more fortunate than a lot other people during covid. I have my job still as I can work from home. I’m able to have sessions with my psychologist still. But being told that other people have it worse doesn’t really help me. Instead of feeling blessed, it makes me feel guilty for feeling the way I do. It makes me feel like I’m ungrateful. I don’t know what to do anymore. I am tired. I don’t want to be the strong one anymore.

Whits Feeling Ground Hog Day
  • replies: 3

I've been off work now for 5 weeks, dealing with my anxiety/depression. On the one hand I really want to get better, get back to my old self. On the other, I don't want to leave my couch. I have isolated myself from friends and family. Honestly I am ... View more

I've been off work now for 5 weeks, dealing with my anxiety/depression. On the one hand I really want to get better, get back to my old self. On the other, I don't want to leave my couch. I have isolated myself from friends and family. Honestly I am annoying myself with the destructive cycle. I feel hopeless, like my existence is pointless and meaningless. I want to quit my career which I have been building and just travel, but that seems wreckless? Then again staying stagnant for the sake of status and keeping family happy seems equally pointless? Can anyone relate?

D Walsh Feeling flat after surgery
  • replies: 6

Hi guys, I had emergency stomach surgery on the weekend and I am feeling really low. All went well with the operation. I’m someone who has a history of depression and anxiety and the feeling of fatigue is something that makes anxious. I know I need t... View more

Hi guys, I had emergency stomach surgery on the weekend and I am feeling really low. All went well with the operation. I’m someone who has a history of depression and anxiety and the feeling of fatigue is something that makes anxious. I know I need to be realistic and just realize that it takes time for my body to heal but I guess I’m having trouble keeping my inner critic at bay thanks

Sasquatchion Can't handle my job - but can't leave
  • replies: 7

I just want this part of my life to be over. I joined the ADF three years ago when I was lost. My parents, both veterans, thought it would be a good fit for me and I would learn life skills, make friend and figure out what direction I wanted in life.... View more

I just want this part of my life to be over. I joined the ADF three years ago when I was lost. My parents, both veterans, thought it would be a good fit for me and I would learn life skills, make friend and figure out what direction I wanted in life. Big mistake. I was suffering from depression in 2018 but it's so, so much worse now. Every time I have to put my uniform on I feel sick. I was reported to the medics because they were concerned I was going to take my life (which was true, however I have since learnt that was a bad idea) and now I am stuck in a dead-end posting that saps away at my soul every single day. I'm trying my best to prepare for my future by going to university and while it's challenging I love it and can't wait to really get involved in my next career - but I still have three years left on my contract with the ADF. I am in the Navy and they will never send me back to another ship, which means I am stuck in this horrible, awful position ashore. I have tried raising a request to leave via a medical discharge but who knows how long that will take. 6-12 months, at a minimum. I don't know if I can last that long. I am sick of the ADF. You are belittled daily, your work is never appreciated, I get screamed at for mentally struggling. My mental health is looked at like I am a burden. People here are not sympathetic. You are forced to take medication and therapy with psychologists whose only goal is to get you deployable again so that the ADF can wring the most out of you before they throw you away. My doctor yells at me for gaining weight, even though I've been diagnosed with BED and cannot control my stress eating. I can't be trusted with my own health, apparently. The only work option for me is to work shift work, which leaves me tired, stressed and without much time to complete my university assignments. The only option for me to work normal hours is if I move away from my partner, which would isolate me even more. I know that if I did not have my partner with me I would sink further into my coping mechanisms and that would make me feel even worse. Everything I've read about coping with work stresses and anxiety suggests quitting. But what am I supposed to do when that isn't an option? The ADF forces me to be a sailor 24/7, 365 days a year and I can't do that anymore. I want to become a person again, not a number.