Immediate support
Immediate support

Depression

Depression affects people in Australia every day. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with depression.

Start a discussion

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Jump to
Start a discussion

Pinned discussions

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

All discussions

Start a discussion

Sydsider should I quit my job ?
  • replies: 4

45 male, married with 10 years old daughter. Lost motivation for everything! Work, WFH at the moment, but no energy to do anything since 2 months ago. No passion, don't want to turn on computer in the morning, stay in the bed until 11 am sometimes. E... View more

45 male, married with 10 years old daughter. Lost motivation for everything! Work, WFH at the moment, but no energy to do anything since 2 months ago. No passion, don't want to turn on computer in the morning, stay in the bed until 11 am sometimes. Even if I am sitting in front of computer, I can waste my whole day doing nothing. If I keep dragging on, will fail my whole project team. Feel extreme bad and guilty, as I will be affecting other team members. that is the main reason I am considering quit. I don't want colleague to know my MH issue. Family : Married 13 years, separated 6 years ago, both then she move back 10 months later. Still share same commitment of raising daughter. Sleep in different rooms, handful of sex per year. If any argument, I will take all words and walk away quietly. Seems normal marriage, but no more real communication, so I am kind of dead inside. In deep of my heart, I fear she might leave after our daughter become independent. When I am in low mode recently, she is doing more 80% house work (I appreciate a lot) She don't know GP had refer me to see psychologist for depression problem. if I quit my job, very likely she will be made about it. Myself, Nothing really interest me, man of no hobby ! No smoke, no drink , no sex, no happiness, no hope , no nothing ! Job is now source of pressure , not achievement anymore. I do have some saving + investment income to support my life. Problem is with me clearly, because I am way to soft. And I am keep day dreaming without any action!!!!! I was keen traveler, but she never like it. So I changed and live the life she preferred. I like social with friend, but she didn't. Now I have almost no social life, and I kind of lost social skill now. (so does my daughter, she is replicating mom. Killing my last hope.) I celebrate their birthday mother's day etc, In return, I am Getting no gift nor even a hug for father's day. Overall, what is meaning of being myself as a human being ????? In my current life, there is nothing I really want, nothing I really enjoy. Should I quit the job as starting point ?

Frothin A broken man normally held together by companionship
  • replies: 3

From about the age of 18 I lost a lot of friends due to drinking and it broke me because a lot of other stuff was going on at the time but I made other friends along the way and being locked down and facing all that s*** again like I don't want to go... View more

From about the age of 18 I lost a lot of friends due to drinking and it broke me because a lot of other stuff was going on at the time but I made other friends along the way and being locked down and facing all that s*** again like I don't want to go to work I don't want to play games with mates all I want to do is drink cos I don't see it out and I never thought id think about it but I'm really thinking about ending it I know my family loves me but this is really hard I'm so over not being able to talk to anyone it's crushing me I leave work will the joking is and I'm having a fun day and I come home just too sit in my room do nothing my last two birthdays have been ruined I've just sat at home and drunk by myself 21st of the 22nd birthday should be celebrated when I'm thinking about is what does it matter no one cares

Sareus I can't enjoy anything anymore everything is an effort.
  • replies: 4

I've lost all hope thanks to lockdown. I'm falling into a deep depressive episode and I have lost all joy from everything. Everything is to much of an effort and nothing gives me any happy chemicals so everything sucks. I just want things to not suck... View more

I've lost all hope thanks to lockdown. I'm falling into a deep depressive episode and I have lost all joy from everything. Everything is to much of an effort and nothing gives me any happy chemicals so everything sucks. I just want things to not suck anymore.

apj868 Been isolated for years - Lockdown making it worse
  • replies: 2

So I’m feeling extremely lonely. I feel alien and don’t know what to do. I’m in my mid 30’s and I’ve had issues making close friends since I was a teenager. I seem to be generally well liked but have been rejected at every turn. Guys, girls doesn’t m... View more

So I’m feeling extremely lonely. I feel alien and don’t know what to do. I’m in my mid 30’s and I’ve had issues making close friends since I was a teenager. I seem to be generally well liked but have been rejected at every turn. Guys, girls doesn’t matter, I’ve been outright rejected, ghosted, stood up, you name it it’s been done to me. Never been on a date, have 1 friend that I hang out with and nobody else for over a decade. The general feedback is that I’m a lovely person, but people are happy with how much of me they see and don’t want to see any more of me. What I have always done to compensate is put myself in positions where I am surrounded by people. Joined various social clubs and circles. I have been accepted by the people in these groups, but still not able to make those close friends I so desperately want. With covid lockdowns all the groups have stopped meeting and I have lost contact with everybody. I even work in an essential industry. We have been forced to split into 2 shifts. All of the staff that have been around for years except for me are in 1 shift while I have been put into the other shift as “tech support” for the junior staff members, all people who are extremely quiet and don’t want to have any conversation. When I pointed out how unfair this is (especially since I manage a number of the senior staff in the other group but no one in my group), I was told to give it a go for a week. After a week I questioned it again and was told that it is too late to make changes to the shifts as we can’t afford to swap between them just in case someone gets the virus. I have even tried to reach out to a few people in the other shift who I thought might be willing to help, can’t even get anyone to engage with me by text or phone. It is just making my feelings of isolation worse. I really don’t know what to do, all I want is someone I can talk to but that seems the furthest thing away right now. I know that I am the common factor so have to change something but not sure what. All I can do is continue to treat others the way I wish to be treated and hope they reciprocate my efforts.

moonandstars Depression and inability to eat
  • replies: 8

Hi guys, This is my first post ever on beyondblue forums so I’m a bit nervous. I have clinically diagnosed major depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder (and have been diagnosed since I was 14, now 20). I am on m... View more

Hi guys, This is my first post ever on beyondblue forums so I’m a bit nervous. I have clinically diagnosed major depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder (and have been diagnosed since I was 14, now 20). I am on medication for these conditions. I also have a psychologist who I speak to on the phone (due to COVID). Whenever I feel my depressive episodes creeping up on me I feel lethargic and disinterested in everything (as I’m sure many of you relate to). I also have an extreme loss of appetite which I’m usually able to deal with but at the moment I have no desire for food whatsoever. The thought makes me feel sick and I am just not hungry. I cannot bring myself to eat anything at all. Have any of you ever dealt with this and found a way to force food down without feeling sick? Are there any particular foods which you find help you during these periods? I’m just really lost and not sure what to do as this is the worst my appetite has ever been. I can still drink water and some fruit juice but no solid foods, it makes me gag and I just don’t feel hungry. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thank you.

NichD Only able to sleep 3-4 hours during lockdown/everyday.. (Any Solutions?)
  • replies: 14

Hi there, I'm a male currently at the age of 22 years old, this routine happened after the lockdown started, and really hit my anxiety and depression in the early of July. During the lockdown, I feel like I'm being trapped at home. I lived alone wher... View more

Hi there, I'm a male currently at the age of 22 years old, this routine happened after the lockdown started, and really hit my anxiety and depression in the early of July. During the lockdown, I feel like I'm being trapped at home. I lived alone where I have no one to talk to, usually I always go out and work before lockdown happened. Now, I only spent my day at home for about 2 months where I have no one to talk to and spent my time mostly on my computer and phone. Every night when I go to bed, I just can't sleep at all I tried many things, for example, taking sleep vitamins, exercise, meditation but it not helping me out when I tried to sleep. This makes me feel so stressed out during night time when I go to bed my mind always thought "it's another night I won't be able to sleep again". It's been like a month I've only been able to sleep like 3-4 hours or even less and slowly I'm getting weaker and sick. My body always feels really tense and extremely tired but yet every time I went to bed I always can't sleep at all. At some point, I wanna take sleep medicine but I'm scared of side effects. Since I can't sleep really well my anxiety and stressed getting worst by day. I always started overthinking some things, scared of unnecessary things, and mostly scared of going to bed. Does anyone have advice or solutions about this, how I can get back to sleep normally?

Lonelylifetraveller Wandering soul- Am I the only one?
  • replies: 7

Where to begin. I've only lived in Australia for 1.5 years after moving overseas from Europe (Scandinavia) to spend time and life with my partner here in Australia. Of course it all began with quite a ride entering the country just prior to Covid sta... View more

Where to begin. I've only lived in Australia for 1.5 years after moving overseas from Europe (Scandinavia) to spend time and life with my partner here in Australia. Of course it all began with quite a ride entering the country just prior to Covid starting and the lockdowns. Me and my partner spend years together in a long distance relationship, before I decided to make the move across the globe and restart life here in my mid 30's. To say the least it has been trying, much of course due to everything brought on from Covid. But I've found myself more and more unhappy in others way here as well and over time this has spiralled into more serious behaviour and a depression slowly taking over me. Indeed my time in Australia has proven to be the toughest so far and not very welcoming on many levels. Which to me is still surprising as anyone has ever described Australia as the land of cheery and kind people. Professionally I've been tricked and backstabbed multiple times at this point. So many people have tried or successfully taken advantage of me and the situation. No matter a decade of managerial experience, a degree, proficient in several languages and more I have proven to be very unsuccessful finding employment even without any visa restrictions. Friends are another matter and it seems how kind, welcoming or genuine I try to be, making friends here is rather difficult and the ones I have met so far have proved to be quite the opposite after a while. To be honest, I struggle to have met anyone genuinly kind or professional during my time here and I'm usually quite selective and good at reading people. So battling horrible experiences and general exclusion from society here, depression has slowly began to creep on to me and take over more and more. It is now at the point where I begin to question why and what life is really for and if it is all worth it. The struggle is daily and for weeks now I have been tired and genuinly not felt any joy or excitement from anything. I feel empty, excluded, lied and backstabbed to. And I begin to hate the life here. This is all new to me. I guess I wanted to hear if there was anyone else with similar experiences here or thoughts? Or if anyone had any great tips for battling depression and not letting it take over completely? I have seen a psychologist for 2 months but felt it didn't give me anything practical to work with. Am usually cheery and great guy but not in love with anything here so far but still hoping.

Yeah-Nah I NEED HOPE
  • replies: 19

So, on the roller coaster again. Since entering adulthood many moons ago it seems I can't shake off the soul sapping reality that I CONSTANTLY suffer depression, such that it renders me incapable of anything beyond mere existence. I try to pick mysel... View more

So, on the roller coaster again. Since entering adulthood many moons ago it seems I can't shake off the soul sapping reality that I CONSTANTLY suffer depression, such that it renders me incapable of anything beyond mere existence. I try to pick myself up over and over but as it is I'm here again. I'm tired. I do NOT want this to be a dictating factor of my existence but it seems to always leach in

Amanda2000 don't waste time with the bad, live with the good!
  • replies: 2

I'm no optimist. I suffer from depression & anxiety & ocd. It's been a mental roller-coaster ever since the start of the covid stay-at-home/work-from-home thing. Today is the same as yesterday, and tomorrow will not be any better. I came across this ... View more

I'm no optimist. I suffer from depression & anxiety & ocd. It's been a mental roller-coaster ever since the start of the covid stay-at-home/work-from-home thing. Today is the same as yesterday, and tomorrow will not be any better. I came across this line from a movie that has been a very helpful daily reminder - don't waste time with the bad, live with the good! What caught my attention was "don't waste time ......". So true - my mental issues have consumed so much of my time & energy that I could've spent doing something that I enjoy. I've stopped trying to achieve perfect-happiness. Instead look for little positive things everyday to make life more bearable for myself. Every little bit helps. Each short-term adds up to a long-term. Hope this will help someone out there who's feeling down.

AT_1 All gone
  • replies: 2

Everything has disappeared. Colour, drive, morality. Only a cold reality of stark unremarkableness stained with a mocking truth that even it will abandon you. With the most sickening of things being a daily occurance that destroys any hope for self r... View more

Everything has disappeared. Colour, drive, morality. Only a cold reality of stark unremarkableness stained with a mocking truth that even it will abandon you. With the most sickening of things being a daily occurance that destroys any hope for self respect and an inability to resist temptations, a spark which has also gone the way off all things, what a cruelty it is to ask that I hope for more. But if I truly despised this, why be here? Why does being here feel like a defeat? What am I trying to win? All I have is this delusion of unique suffering that is anything but. Its just so dark in here I can't see you.