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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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RG4264 Antidepressants - Do they work?
  • replies: 3

I constantly feel under the weather; constantly tired, irritable, numb emotionally, and beginning to have thoughts of self harm. This is mainly aimed towards those who have taken antidepressants or know people who have taken antidepressants. Do they ... View more

I constantly feel under the weather; constantly tired, irritable, numb emotionally, and beginning to have thoughts of self harm. This is mainly aimed towards those who have taken antidepressants or know people who have taken antidepressants. Do they work? Will they help me? I ask because, if I were to inform my parents (I'm below the age of 18), that will be a door I cannot close, and if they don't work, I'd have done that for nothing. Any and all help is appreciated.

Rye Feeling like i’m ruining my life
  • replies: 2

Recently i’ve just felt like my life has been falling apart. For reference i’ve been diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety & depression and have struggled many years having long episodes of depression, but last year for a while I got better and got into a nur... View more

Recently i’ve just felt like my life has been falling apart. For reference i’ve been diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety & depression and have struggled many years having long episodes of depression, but last year for a while I got better and got into a nursing course. I started my first placements last week but for the last month everything has been going wrong. I’m living with my mother but we lost our house due to her being sick and unable to work, so I’ve had to move in with my grandmother and I feel like i’m burdening her. On top of that my cat of 13 years went missing and hasn’t come home, and since I’ve moved I fear that we won’t find him. Placements for nursing weren’t going too badly but I was feeling the pressure of caring for people whilst my own mental health was collapsing and on Friday I had the worst anxiety and ended up calling out. Saturday was my 21st birthday and that feeling lingered the entire day and it felt like the worst day i’ve had in a long time. I ended up reaching out to my teacher because I was beginning to feel like my placements were undoable and i’d been having second thoughts about nursing in general and I decided to withdraw from the course today. I feel like i’m ruining my own life, I seem to be unable to keep a good thing going for long. I have thought i possibly have ADHD as both my sisters have it, however with little to no money it’s essentially impossible for me to get tested at this moment in time. Im just unsure of where to go. I’m going back to my doctor to see about anti-depressants and want to go back to counselling - But this pattern of depressive waves mixed with a general lack of interest, motivation or ambition in anything makes me feel like i’m never going to be able to keep a job, or keep up an education.

Guest_42890481 Immense sadness
  • replies: 2

I’ve separated from my ex-husband for almost 3 years. I’ve struggled so much being a working single mum of 2. I feel exhausted mentally. I have no support, no friends, I’m not close with my parents. I feel sad and anxious most of the time. I feel lon... View more

I’ve separated from my ex-husband for almost 3 years. I’ve struggled so much being a working single mum of 2. I feel exhausted mentally. I have no support, no friends, I’m not close with my parents. I feel sad and anxious most of the time. I feel lonely and depressed. One time I ran into an issue and I had no one to call, so I ended up calling my ex and I instantly regretted it. I hated myself for reaching out to him as I knew contacting him will only hurt me more. We strictly talk about the kids only. I want to heal so badly, I want to move on with my life and just be happy but I can’t. I don’t understand why I am still sad about my marriage ending even though it’s been 3 years and even though it was amicable (for the most part). I know he has moved on, but why can’t I. I have so much resentment towards him but I also hate myself for still letting him control my emotions. I don’t know what to do. Also being an immigrant, i never feel belonged here. Part of me wanted to escape but I can’t. My kids are the only things that keep me going. If I don’t keep myself busy with work or with the kids, I will drown into this deep dark hole and feel trapped. I tried therapy, that didn’t help. I also couldn’t keep spending money on therapy due to the expensive cost. I am so unhappy and I don’t know how and when or even if I will ever see the light at the end of the tunnel..

Joshua84 Homesickness after moving
  • replies: 1

I recently moved house last week, and ever since then I’ve been so homesick and missing my family who live far away.My mother passed away a few years ago and it’s brought up all the grief of missing her again.I live alone and have moved a lot by myse... View more

I recently moved house last week, and ever since then I’ve been so homesick and missing my family who live far away.My mother passed away a few years ago and it’s brought up all the grief of missing her again.I live alone and have moved a lot by myself, but this time is really different. I’ve always been fine with moving but this time has triggered something inside of me.I’ve been missing the familiarity of everything. I’ve been crying on and off every day and had panic attacks multiple times the first few days. I know everyone says that I’ll get used to the new house, but when and what do I do in the meantime?I would’ve had to move anyway because the owners of the house I was renting decided to sell it.

Ems_ Having menopause in my 30s
  • replies: 1

Hey so I've had surgical menopause since 2024. Since then my life has changed drastically. Experiencing depression, anxiety, really bad mood swings etc, in all honesty I hate my life i honestly do. I don't enjoy the things that i use to do anymore, I... View more

Hey so I've had surgical menopause since 2024. Since then my life has changed drastically. Experiencing depression, anxiety, really bad mood swings etc, in all honesty I hate my life i honestly do. I don't enjoy the things that i use to do anymore, I did see my gp about it said that I should take antidepressant and it might help but I refuse to take it coz it's only numbing the problem and yeah lol I'm trying to remind myself daily that everything will get better soon lol anywho if any ladies out there experiencing menopause have any advice would be good, have a great arvo

SadUnicorn Burnout? Brain fog? Just crazy?
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, I've been struggling with life for the last 12 months. There has been a lot happening in my life, but I feel like I should be getting "better", but instead I feel worse. For context I am diagnosed with ADHD (medicated) and take anti depr... View more

Hi everyone, I've been struggling with life for the last 12 months. There has been a lot happening in my life, but I feel like I should be getting "better", but instead I feel worse. For context I am diagnosed with ADHD (medicated) and take anti depressants. I have developed a bad attitude and I feel terrible about it. For example I have lost interest in my job to the point I'll do my hobbies during my working hours and not seem to care about the consequences. I love my family and friends, but I don't want to do any social activities or respond to their messages. It's not because I don't care it's because I feel so tired and have zero interest in leaving my space. I used to respond with enthusiasm, but now it's usually one word answers so they know I haven't been abducted by aliens. I have a wonderful partner who I adore and I feel awful because I barely see them. It's because I feel so exhausted and overwhelmed. I seem to be struggling with focus and attention. I used to be able to comprehend complex tasks, but now I find it difficult and overwhelming. My short term memory is terrible and I feel like I can't understand basic things anymore. I have to really really focus before my brain will go "okay, we can do this". Do I have early on set dementia? What is wrong with me? Will I ever feel like myself again? I feel incredibly sad and vulnerable sharing this post. I have spoken to my psychiatrist about this and she says it sounds like burn out from stress, but I don't know if I agree. I am aware that I should be eating better, following a sleep schedule, doing exercise, social things, seeing a psych, doctor etc etc. The thing is I have done these and I still feel the same. My mind knows what I should be doing, but I just don't care enough to do them or I don't have the energy.

Guest_43478557 Feeling Hopeless
  • replies: 2

Lately I’ve been feeling really hopeless. Im tired all the time. I stress about every little thing. I’m trying my best to stay afloat. I run and hit the gym. I try to stay as hopeful as I can but I just feel like I’m drowning. Does anyone have any ad... View more

Lately I’ve been feeling really hopeless. Im tired all the time. I stress about every little thing. I’m trying my best to stay afloat. I run and hit the gym. I try to stay as hopeful as I can but I just feel like I’m drowning. Does anyone have any advice?

RoyBerlin Need help transforming my life
  • replies: 3

I've recently turned 40, and I been in a job/industry that I am no longer happy with. My options seem to limited as I have a criminal conviction from a few years back. Every employer seems to want a history check, and I understand that if I was an em... View more

I've recently turned 40, and I been in a job/industry that I am no longer happy with. My options seem to limited as I have a criminal conviction from a few years back. Every employer seems to want a history check, and I understand that if I was an employer with a choice, I would hire the one without the conviction. I've been with my current company long before I got into trouble, and my employer is aware of it and is happy to keep me employed. However, since I work alone, and live alone, I'm finding it difficult to meet people and improve myself. The consequences of my actions nearly 8 years ago are very much now becoming a reality. It's giving me severe depression and I feel like I can't move out of this job where I have no future. It's quite overwhelming. Any advice I would appreciate.

foxythepirate01 Confused?
  • replies: 3

Hi I’m just looking for some advice and to get this off my chest, not exactly sure if this is the right place to put it or the right way to write this but this is as much as i can remember. September 2025My mate Shaun had a birthday party. I arrived ... View more

Hi I’m just looking for some advice and to get this off my chest, not exactly sure if this is the right place to put it or the right way to write this but this is as much as i can remember. September 2025My mate Shaun had a birthday party. I arrived late when everyone had already been drinking. I started talking to a girl named Connie, and we ended up getting together. We weren’t very close and argued a lot. She had mental health struggles, and I didn’t handle them well. We eventually broke up. I felt upset but not suicidal. During that time, I spoke a lot to her friend Maddie, who supported me. October–November 2025Maddie and I became very close and best friends. I developed feelings for her, told her, and we started a relationship. It felt genuine and supportive, unlike my previous one. We spent a lot of time talking and helped each other, especially when she was overthinking. December 2025We started seeing each other outside of school, often secretly. After her dad found out, she was grounded. Around this time, I began feeling depressed, numb, and had frequent suicidal thoughts, though I didn’t act on them. January 2026Her parents forced us to break up and didn’t want us talking. We stayed in contact briefly, but it was confusing because she sometimes acted like we were still together. My mental health worsened, and I kept breaking down. I asked for space, but she kept contacting me, which made things worse, so I cut her off completely. February 2026We had no contact. I found out Shaun and Maddie were talking behind my back. This hurt a lot, especially because they dismissed my feelings and told me to “get over it.” I felt confused and didn’t know what to do. December 2025 to February 2026During this time, I had daily suicidal thoughts and made several attempts but didn’t go through with them. March 2026I’ve distanced myself from my mates and taken time alone to get space. I still feel confused about my emotions and who I am, but I’m trying to cope, find comfort in small things, and take things one day at a time. I just don’t know if it’s the right thing to do because my mates are trying to get me to talk to Shaun again and I just can’t bring myself to do it. Everyday is blurring together it feels like. Close to giving up man I’m sorry

Guest_10343 Do you ever have “good hours” instead of good days?
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, I’ve been thinking about something recently and wondered if anyone else experiences this.People often talk about having good days or bad days when dealing with depression, but lately I’ve noticed mine feels more like good hours and bad h... View more

Hi everyone, I’ve been thinking about something recently and wondered if anyone else experiences this.People often talk about having good days or bad days when dealing with depression, but lately I’ve noticed mine feels more like good hours and bad hours instead. For example, I might wake up feeling really heavy and unmotivated, then sometime in the afternoon there’s a short window where I feel a bit lighter and more like myself. I might get a few small things done, or just feel a bit more present. But then later in the evening the low feeling can come back again. It sometimes makes it hard to understand my own mood because it changes within the same day.I’ve started trying to use those “lighter hours” for small things like going for a short walk, tidying something small, or just stepping outside for a bit of fresh air. I was curious if anyone else experiences something similar.Do your moods shift throughout the day like that?If you do get those small windows where things feel a bit lighter, what do you usually do with them? Really appreciate having a place like this where people can talk openly. Take care everyone.

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