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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 chats on this Forum having 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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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.

Muzza001 Life sucks
  • replies: 5

Is it just me or not?. I have had 2back surgeries and it's gone again. Taking pain meds. Fuzzy brain shit memory next level pain just want it to stop I have thought about ending it all a fair bit lately how do I work through it

Is it just me or not?. I have had 2back surgeries and it's gone again. Taking pain meds. Fuzzy brain shit memory next level pain just want it to stop I have thought about ending it all a fair bit lately how do I work through it

Dannybaar Medication impact
  • replies: 4

Hi I am new here. I have depression/anxiety. After long consultation with the councillor, I was asked to start with taking meds. After consultation with GP, it seems with the dose I am on I am not getting the effect I wanted. Please note that I have ... View more

Hi I am new here. I have depression/anxiety. After long consultation with the councillor, I was asked to start with taking meds. After consultation with GP, it seems with the dose I am on I am not getting the effect I wanted. Please note that I have been on this medication for nearly a year. Now I have been prescribed an alternative medication. So my question is, how do I know whether I am feeling better due to meds. I have been working from home for over a year. Working from home had made me distance myself from social scenes, which has started impacting my mind. When GP asks me whether the med is impacting, not sure how to answer, yes, I feel better more than before. Also, I feel in pits at times. The work is monotonous, and nothing excites me. So any ideas are appreciated. Thanks

CookieP Young person with Bipolar 2
  • replies: 6

Hi guys, I’m really new to this, im 22 yrs old and was diagnosed with bipolar 2 about 6mnths ago after becoming quite hypomanic on anti-depressants. It was a really rough time for me and I feel the diagnosis has given me some clarity and understandin... View more

Hi guys, I’m really new to this, im 22 yrs old and was diagnosed with bipolar 2 about 6mnths ago after becoming quite hypomanic on anti-depressants. It was a really rough time for me and I feel the diagnosis has given me some clarity and understanding as to why I feel/act the way I do. i left my job not long after finding out- I wasn’t coping with the stress. I work closely with my GP and psychologist but still feel as if I’m learning something new about my bipolar every day. lockdown seems to trigger my episodes, so that has not been easy. anyway I just wanted to post this, if anyone is in a similar boat pls feel free to reach out!

MissJ94 Constant failure
  • replies: 4

I truly feel like im on a forever path of constant failures. I recently resigned from my job because i had been harrassed and stalked and management werent willing to move that staff member to different days or shifts and expected me to still work wi... View more

I truly feel like im on a forever path of constant failures. I recently resigned from my job because i had been harrassed and stalked and management werent willing to move that staff member to different days or shifts and expected me to still work with him as though nothing happened. Ive been harassed and abused before and just couldnt stay there any longer. It had got to the point i was self harming again out of fear of going back there, i was an utter mess in my last weeks there. I still havent found a new job! My mental health seems to be a constant battle. I have bipolar, depression, anxiety. I take medication for the bipolar and sure it mostly keeps me balanced, i still feel anxious and depressed often. The brain fog caused by the medication too is annoying! I feel like im constantly tired and exhausted because of it but if i dont take it i cant sleep for days. Takes me a few hours after waking up to even get some sort of energy to do something. Now that im out of work and home all day i just have no motivation at all to do anything. I want to get some exercise, i want to continue learning Japanese, i want to continue learning piano and theres really no excuse i cant do those things except that i have no motivation to do it. Im just reading comics online most of the day wishing i were the characters im reading about, wishing my life was stable, wishing i was normal and could do things that everyone else seems to be able to do with little to no issue. Like working full-time, having a long term job at the one place, having a relationship. I do have someone ive been talking to for about a year now but due to covid and lockdowns we have only been able to meet face to face once. We talk constantly but it makes me wonder where we would be if covid wasnt around. At times i feel massive jealousy if hes replying to comments to other women on a post he makes (all have been married or taken women so far but still!). At times i wish i could just go over to his or him come to mine just to hang out even, completely ignore the restrictions. At times i just feel like i want to be held by him. Ive never had a dating experience like this and almost makes me feel ill loose my chances at somepoint because we cant see each other atm. Things are seeming so impossible all the time!

outofhope123 I am so tired of having a bit of hope/motivation, only to go back to my old ways. I see no way forward or out of this.
  • replies: 4

I am 23 year old male, almost 24. Since about 13 or 14, I feel I have been depressed. Anxious since much younger. Started using drugs and alcohol around 14/15 and struggled with mainly cannabis addiction up until about 6 months ago, when I finally qu... View more

I am 23 year old male, almost 24. Since about 13 or 14, I feel I have been depressed. Anxious since much younger. Started using drugs and alcohol around 14/15 and struggled with mainly cannabis addiction up until about 6 months ago, when I finally quit. However in the past few years, I have also been abusing alcohol as well as prescription drugs. Every 6 months or so I seem to relapse on them while drinking, blacking out badly. I was sober for one year off prescription drugs, until 1 month ago when I took some while drinking and felt so ashamed. I will add that I never used them daily. It was always just a random one off. I have been sober off of alcohol for one month now. I am now in my mid twenties. I have been employed basically non stop since I was 14. I have tried so many different jobs, and quit them all, because I was miserable at them. I went to TAFE and quit after almost 2 years because I found it too difficult and thought I was bad at it. I went to university and dropped out after one single semester. I am now in a job I thought HAD to be my calling. Now I am 2 months into this job and it is sucking my soul. I feel like such a whiny child. Everyone else seems to be able to suck it up and just get on with the job, but I am always so miserable I quit after a period of time. I don't enjoy my job. I have no idea what I'm doing at work and feel like an imposter as a result. I feel so lost. I have friends, but I don't really want to see them. This lockdown has honestly been great for me. Absolutely no social obligations. But then I feel like I'm weird for having absolutely no issues with being socially isolated. My roommate is a friend, and is losing their mind. I feel guilty for not putting in more effort to hang out with them. I browse useless subreddits trying to improve my life. Find a passion. I sometimes find a bit of hope and start eating healthy, cleaning my room, trying to find a hobby (something totally not me, like knitting), getting out of bed and being productive, exercise, cooking, responding to friends, not watching porn or drinking, but I ALWAYS go back to my old ways. ALWAYS. Seen a psychologist since 16, recently started seeing a psychiatrist. Tried an atypical antidepressant which did nothing. Too scared to try traditional anti depressants as I already struggle with erections... Pls help

A_Bit_Of_A_Pickle Im tired of fighting my mind
  • replies: 7

I've had anxiety for years, and had the occasional bout of depression because of it. Had gotten a lot better. I was able to live my life. I moved overseas started a career as an esl teacher and everything was great. I thought I was great. Then corona... View more

I've had anxiety for years, and had the occasional bout of depression because of it. Had gotten a lot better. I was able to live my life. I moved overseas started a career as an esl teacher and everything was great. I thought I was great. Then corona hit and I wasn't able to visit home so I decided to come back for a year to see my family. I feel like this was the worst decision of my life. I was alright for about 2 months and then I was hit with a big wave of depression and anxiety and I am SCARED. I don't want to fight this again. It's now been 6 months since I was back and I am tired of fighting every Demon in my mind. It feels like I've achieved nothing. All these negative thoughts keep running through my mind. Telling me I'm a loser. I'm old. I'm worthless. I have no real career. I've never been loved. I've never been in love. Never had relationship. Almost 29. Only ever had one stable job. Lazy. Unmotivated. A freak. Ugly. Incompetent. Unless. Nobody wants me around. A burden. A virgin. Almost no friends. No money. No super annumation. Will die alone. These thoughts are almost constant and I fight them. I really do. I tell myself I'm awesome. I have friends (the only 2 I talk to regularly live far away) who think I'm amazing. My family loves me. My dog is dying. I feel like I have nothing. I recently started a job, but it was extremely stressful and the people were awful to me so I quit yesterday. I've thought about doing more study and I want to go back overseas but I'm scared that I will get stuck back in this depression and won't be able to get back out. I went to my doctor as soon as I've felt this way, but it has been 3 months and my appointment with a psych is still 2 weeks away. I'm so lost and angry that this is my life. I'm so angry that depression and anxiety has robbed me of so many experiences and I can't help think it's all my fault. Please tell me I'm not the only one. I can't fight this by myself anymore. It is eating me alive. I'm scared that I'll become suicidal. But I want to live. I want to live so bad. I just don't know how. How do regular people do it? Everything is an effort and im TIRED.

Sasquatchion Realised I don't want kids
  • replies: 9

Hello all, I am not exactly in a position right now to HAVE kids (23, Male), nor does my girlfriend want kids right now (21, female) but I have come to the crushing realisation that I don't want kids. I have always wanted to be a Dad. I love kids (st... View more

Hello all, I am not exactly in a position right now to HAVE kids (23, Male), nor does my girlfriend want kids right now (21, female) but I have come to the crushing realisation that I don't want kids. I have always wanted to be a Dad. I love kids (studying to be a teacher) and yet I cannot think of anything worse than having a kid like me. My parents are both super supportive of my mental illness and I adore them for it, but I can't help but think they feel guilty about how I turned out. Clinical depression runs in the family and I have seemingly gotten the brunt of it. I understand that depression and anxiety never really go away, but can be managed with medication and therapy (both of which I am partaking in) but some days I wish it was gone and I was normal. I can't fathom having to put my theoretical child through something like that. Having to think every single day that they are wrong or that everyone is doomed to fail for them. Overthinking every unremarkable thing that ever happens to them until they're a mess. Have their relationships constantly questioned and strained because of overwhelming anxiety. My girlfriend doesn't suffer from any mental illness (lucky!) so I know that our theoretical child could potentially be fine (barring non-biological factors) but the thought of it has turned me off ever having a biological child. Thanks for listening to my rambling. Cheers, Sasquatchion