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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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Smiley1982 Feeling overwhelmed & lost within my current worklace
  • replies: 2

I’ve been working with current family owned business for 17 years. I am valued and appreciated by management, with pay increases, listening to my thoughts and ideas, even allowing me to have a work laptop to work from home. But other work colleagues ... View more

I’ve been working with current family owned business for 17 years. I am valued and appreciated by management, with pay increases, listening to my thoughts and ideas, even allowing me to have a work laptop to work from home. But other work colleagues in my office, who some have been there longer than me, all class me as a fave and give me the impression they don’t like me (I struggle with people not liking me). One colleague who worked in a different area and was friends with me before has now unfriended me on Facebook and certainly makes it known she does not like me. Everyone else in the office, in which I am Facebook friends would extract info out about her from me and told me not to worry, as she is a horrible person. But I’ve found out this past month that they are all friends outside of work and have told her what I said. But they are denying they have and are still telling me what a horrible person she is, trying to keep the peace with me It’s also been said by office colleagues that our office is toxic and I’m the root cause of it all. My work colleagues are pretty stressed out and frustrated and take their frustrations out on bagging people out. But they are nice to their faces. I call this being 2 faced. I can’t do two faced. I can’t deal with being the one that is toxic, as maybe I am. I can’t bag people out, it’s not my nature. I know right now I’m not coping. My brain feels like it’s in a brain fog at all times. I’m worried about finding another job, as no. 1 it could end up being the same environment somewhere else. Plus if I really am the bully and am the toxic one, it’s only going to be the same at the next place. I have lost all trust in my work colleagues and want to unfriend the ones I have still, but feel this could go against me and become nasty. But I now hate Facebook, which I want to keep for parkrun and a couple of people I keep in touch with. I have gone to the extent of hiding everything on my wall, profile pic is Facebook blank user and backdrop grey. I have changed my name to unknown. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

gareth_46 Depression
  • replies: 4

Im gareth ive been suffering with depression for 7 months its been bothering me that im not going to get better but i stay hopeful can anyone give me some advice .

Im gareth ive been suffering with depression for 7 months its been bothering me that im not going to get better but i stay hopeful can anyone give me some advice .

baddie11 Doing anything is really hard right now
  • replies: 4

I am struggling yet again to do any basic tasks and I can see it impact my life. And still I am unwilling take any action towards combating this behaviour. It just seems too overwhelming to exercise, do homework, do chores and go to work. All the wor... View more

I am struggling yet again to do any basic tasks and I can see it impact my life. And still I am unwilling take any action towards combating this behaviour. It just seems too overwhelming to exercise, do homework, do chores and go to work. All the work I have put in in the past year has been reversed and I am the most unsuccessful version of myself I have ever been. I understand healing and everything isn't exactly a linear route, however I am just over having to deal with this at all and just want it to be a part of my life I can leave behind me. My main goal for each day is that I 'try'. Trying to do something, take out the rubbish, change my sheets, shower is better than having no progress at all. I want a sure way to leave this behaviour in my past, it is so inconvenient. I don't understand what the trigger is but I would like for it to just stop, I haven't felt like myself in years , it's the worst.

ImAllTalone Everyday will be a struggle
  • replies: 3

There was this girl, I found out she was single, I texted her one day telling her how I feel and she responded back stating she doesn't feel that way towards me I woke up 20 minutes ago with everything hurting and the constant feeling of loneliness. ... View more

There was this girl, I found out she was single, I texted her one day telling her how I feel and she responded back stating she doesn't feel that way towards me I woke up 20 minutes ago with everything hurting and the constant feeling of loneliness. I'm so tired to be honest, I don't want to achieve anything or have ambition if I'm just going to be alone I've decided to still remain friends with them, they're still kind and what happened shouldn't have affected it I just don't know what to do or how to feel now that I can't be with her

kenz1222 losing everyone
  • replies: 4

it feels like every person i love ends up leaving. ive lost almost every good friend i have and now im losing the boy ive fallen in love with because my other friend is falling for him too. no one understands how attached to people i get, i hide it w... View more

it feels like every person i love ends up leaving. ive lost almost every good friend i have and now im losing the boy ive fallen in love with because my other friend is falling for him too. no one understands how attached to people i get, i hide it well, and i don't know if i can handle losing him. he's the one person who makes me happy, since meeting him ive had people tell me that i seem happy again. we started getting really close but now i have to end it out of respect for my other friend and hes already giving such mixed signals towards me. even if i dont end it she'll just come in and i can't stand to watch him love her. i know it sounds stupid, im only young and he's just some guy but he's the only thing that makes me happy anymore. everytime he stops talking to me or acts uninterested it genuinely hurts but when he loves me i feel alive again. I'm so scared of what might happen if i stop talking to him. last time this happened it took me a year to get better again and i don't want to waste another part of my life. im confused. if i lose him i lose all of my other friends except one and she treats me horrible. idk what to do anymore

BShock Feeling Numb
  • replies: 3

Hey there, I have recently moved to university and have become quite sad and constantly feel numb and uninterested in doing anything. Even when talking to people to try and make connections, its like i have nothing to say or have no interest in the c... View more

Hey there, I have recently moved to university and have become quite sad and constantly feel numb and uninterested in doing anything. Even when talking to people to try and make connections, its like i have nothing to say or have no interest in the conversation. i dont enjoy the things i used to and have sort of reduced my life to not much. I feel like i have no aspirations or dreams, and it doesnt make me sad i just dont feel anything. I try and fake emotions but it feels fake and like i am acting all of the time.

HamSolo01 Permit me to list what is wrong or things i am struggling with
  • replies: 4

I always ramble when I post so I should do list form : - Most of my time is spent at home now. I don't work as I was working full time and couldn't handle the job as it was not stimulating me enough - I have so many regrets about my 20s and not havin... View more

I always ramble when I post so I should do list form : - Most of my time is spent at home now. I don't work as I was working full time and couldn't handle the job as it was not stimulating me enough - I have so many regrets about my 20s and not having done anything enough or having been too repressed or shy (I am 28 now) - I am tired most of the time due to not sleeping right, always waking up early and thinking about things - I let an adult know too much about me when i was young, an adult i wasn't related to and who was in the religious community I was in. - I have never gotten over some opportunities that I either didn't apply for, failed at getting or was too scared about (meaning fear directed me) - I feel every day is a struggle to get up and i am so bored by things all the time (i always jump songs i am playing for example coz i get bored of hearing it) - I am fearful of losing my youth because i haven't done anything with it - I'm so over trying to impress people that I think i may now not even care if I do things to myself I should not There

Pink grapefruit Disappointment in life
  • replies: 13

I thought that life would become much easier and more fun as we get older but I feel the opposite. How can I overcome this feeling?

I thought that life would become much easier and more fun as we get older but I feel the opposite. How can I overcome this feeling?

emberz Is this dysthymia or am I just being dramatic...?
  • replies: 5

Hi. I recently came across the term dysthymia and I feel like everything has just clicked for me. I've always felt like my depressive feelings aren't 'bad' enough to be actual depression, but I never knew there were other types such as dysthymia. I'm... View more

Hi. I recently came across the term dysthymia and I feel like everything has just clicked for me. I've always felt like my depressive feelings aren't 'bad' enough to be actual depression, but I never knew there were other types such as dysthymia. I'm 19 years old and have been feeling this way since I was about 15 or 16. I'm always tired, no matter how much sleep I get, like this tiredness is an insatiable fatigue that I can never 'fix.' I have no motivation for anything or to do anything. I have no energy and I always feel so lazy. I've lost all passion for everything. I force myself to wake up everyday and go to uni or to work, and I feel like a ghost inhabiting my own body. I can't even remember the last time I felt truly happy. I feel like I'm an outcast in every social situation and I can't be bothered interacting with people. I feel like I'm always mildly suicidal, like it's a thought that comes and goes depending on if I've had an especially bad day or not. It feels like there's a low hanging dark cloud above my head that's always there and never really goes away, even if some days it shrinks a bit or some days it gets heavier. I've been feeling this way for so long now that I didn't even realise it wasn't normal. Recently I've been feeling my mental health get even worse since going back to university, as I also believe I could have social anxiety and so the stress of meeting so many new people combined with the intensive workload has left me feeling really overwhelmed, almost like i'm drowning. So I tried looking for answers, and after googling 'high functioning depression' and discovering dysthymia, I saw myself fitting almost every criteria. I know I'm lucky in many aspects, because I have an education, a loving family, a stable job, etc etc, but if anything this just makes it all the more frustrating because I feel so guilty for feeling this way. What could I possibly have to be depressed about? Which is also why i'm so hesitant to talk to anyone about this. I've never told anyone about how much I'm always struggling, and I also don't want to go to my GP and say I think I might have dysthymia because what if I don't have it at all and I'm just being overdramatic? I don't know, I guess i just needed to vent somewhere so I decided to try here. Any advice from people who are actually suffering from dysthymia would be much appreciated.

LC80 Quality of life
  • replies: 6

I am trying to deal with a severe lumbar spine injury, that has gotten worse over a number of years. Currently I am not able to walk unaided, can not do anything outside in the fresh air, and my hobby, that is so good for my mental health, has been c... View more

I am trying to deal with a severe lumbar spine injury, that has gotten worse over a number of years. Currently I am not able to walk unaided, can not do anything outside in the fresh air, and my hobby, that is so good for my mental health, has been curtailed. I have suffered bouts of depression for many years, and just as I was getting into a good place, I have had this latest setback. I am retired and now live in a small country town and medical services are limited. I need to travel 160 ks from home to access specialist care, so it's a long and tiring day as a round trip. My wife is my support and I don't wish to be a burden on her any more than totally necessary. I feel that I am just lost and fear what the future holds for us both. If it is surgery, a poor outcome would change our lives forever. Retirement was supposed to be better than this.