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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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mocha delight Mood journal
  • replies: 3

Hi all I was wondering if those of you that do/keep a mood journal can give me any tips or advice ect ect ect on how to do one as I don’t know how to go about how to do one but my psychologist wants me to start doing one. She wants me to do one to wo... View more

Hi all I was wondering if those of you that do/keep a mood journal can give me any tips or advice ect ect ect on how to do one as I don’t know how to go about how to do one but my psychologist wants me to start doing one. She wants me to do one to work out what my triggers are well other then family members that is as other then that I don’t know what are my triggers and if I do a mood journal we might be able to pick up a pattern.

Pete66 Can it be this easy?
  • replies: 6

So, after spending 2020 in a dark hole, and the beginning of 2021 slightly brighter, I decided to finally see a doctor She made me fill out a questionnaire, after which she prescribed me a low dosage of an antidepressant Now I am not saying I am cure... View more

So, after spending 2020 in a dark hole, and the beginning of 2021 slightly brighter, I decided to finally see a doctor She made me fill out a questionnaire, after which she prescribed me a low dosage of an antidepressant Now I am not saying I am cured, or that I am dancing with butterfly's, but darn, it feels like a lot of cotton wool has been removed from my head, and i can think so much more clearly Can recovery really be this easy?

MignightBlue My loved ones will never recover
  • replies: 10

Hi everyone, I’ve had some mental health issues for a while. In high school I used to self harm and was close to suicide. I’m 42 and still want to die. Things are really bad this year and I am so close with going through with it but my partner and mo... View more

Hi everyone, I’ve had some mental health issues for a while. In high school I used to self harm and was close to suicide. I’m 42 and still want to die. Things are really bad this year and I am so close with going through with it but my partner and mother are the only things keeping me alive. I know my death would ruin their lives. They wouldn’t get over it. I feel though I’m sacrificing my “freedom” and putting them before me. Yesterday I was so close to doing it. Next week I find out if I still have a job but at this stage, I really don’t care. I‘ve done the best with my life but it’s time to go. In a previous attempt my note said I love them and to get over it (only my partner knows about that attempt) but I feel like I want to tell them what I feel before I go as a courtesy and to say I love them. I can’t ask them for help either, it’ll hurt them so I just feel even worse. Yesterday I wanted someone to take me to some mental health unit so they will understand my problems and it won’t come as a shock. I don’t even know why I’m writing this, here on the couch crying and what this will accomplish. Once they die or If we become estranged I’ll definitely do it but life is such a struggle and I’m ready to hang up my boots. There will become a point however when I can no longer place their happiness above mine. It will be sad but I just wasn’t meant to live this life. FYI, I have tried therapy, medication, etc but nothing works. One day it will get so bad I’ll have to go ahead but to hurt them like that is so cruel. I am just lost, confused and unhappy. sorry, I think I just needed to write this down rather than ask for help as I’m beyond that. MC

Azaira No end in sight....
  • replies: 5

New here so just introduce myself and tell you a bit about myself, and will try not to bore you so will keep is as short as I can, though I’m pretty sure I could write enough for a book lol. I’ma married women, 62, gosh I hate saying that At the begi... View more

New here so just introduce myself and tell you a bit about myself, and will try not to bore you so will keep is as short as I can, though I’m pretty sure I could write enough for a book lol. I’ma married women, 62, gosh I hate saying that At the beginning of last year I was starting struggling with my health, tired and ached all the time, depressed and anxious, I put it down to my age and working in the Aged Care Industry, which I loved but it was very difficult as I get to attachéd. Somehow I managed to get through to November and I had to resign , I was a mess, I would drive to work praying I could get through the shift. My GP diagnosed me with Fibromyalgia, so that helped by giving me some answers. Thought I would feel better, but the anxiety and depression has got worse, I spoke to a Physcologist twice, which did not help at all. So basically now, I don’t want to go out, I want to sleep and cry all the time because then I don’t have to think, I have no enthusiasm for anything, I don’t want to talk to people. I just don’t know how to get out of feeling like this. I don’t want to be here, but I couldn’t put my family through losing me so I feel trapped. If you managed to read all that (I did condense it), I thank you. I know there is no magic answer, I have tried meditation, exercise, talking to family, but it makes no difference, every day is a struggle, I just don’t see an end to it. cheers

Hopefullseeking Been a while
  • replies: 8

Hi, Not sure where to start. Have had depression most of my life, really struggling now. Feeling desperate and sick of feeling this way. Have both a psychiatrist (every three months) and psychologist (monthly) missed my last appointment due to being ... View more

Hi, Not sure where to start. Have had depression most of my life, really struggling now. Feeling desperate and sick of feeling this way. Have both a psychiatrist (every three months) and psychologist (monthly) missed my last appointment due to being sick. These feelings seem never ending, I’m 66 and thought I would be “better” by now. Tired of living in my head.

romantic_thi3f My job provider wants me to look for more jobs and I' m not coping
  • replies: 33

Hi, Not entirely sure where to put this but hopefully someone can relate. I'm with a DES (Disability employment service) and have quite a few health issues and mental health issues. So when I got assessed by Centrelink they set me at 8 hours per week... View more

Hi, Not entirely sure where to put this but hopefully someone can relate. I'm with a DES (Disability employment service) and have quite a few health issues and mental health issues. So when I got assessed by Centrelink they set me at 8 hours per week, which seemed okay because I do want to work. But I've had a really rough time applying for jobs. I live in the city and our public transport is horrible, so without a drivers license something that's 15 minutes drive can take 2 hours to get there, and then a lot of the jobs that I like need a car anyway. Initially I wanted to do something in mental health like peer support or support work, but at this stage I'm open to anything. I've applied for receptionist jobs as well, but everything seems to be a very competitive industry. Overall, it's pretty defeating and it gets me down, but now they've bumped up my job hunt from 8 to 15, and it feels rather daunting. I've even relapsed into depression which is really hard. Is there anyone else in the same position? How do you cope with the job hunt when it all feels so overwhelming at times? rt

TheBigBlue Feelings of shame - where do they stem from?
  • replies: 5

Hi Team, I’ve been on a long journey in my battle with anxiety, depression & CPTSD. A few years on & find myself in a “better” mental position. I joined a local soccer team. It was a fantastic step as it meant I incorporated exercise into my routine,... View more

Hi Team, I’ve been on a long journey in my battle with anxiety, depression & CPTSD. A few years on & find myself in a “better” mental position. I joined a local soccer team. It was a fantastic step as it meant I incorporated exercise into my routine, I get out of the house for training & game day & I’ve met some people from my local community. Now we are an over 40’s team, so aren’t the fast, most athletic or skilfull team you might come across, but we can match it with the other teams in the comp. So I’m unfit, haven’t exercised in over 10 years & it seems I have lost my sense of balance. I fell over twice in the trial match, & again today I fell over twice. My legs just turn to jelly & down I go. I can’t even stand/balance on one foot anymore. so today I stacked it while trying to run, got up, tried to run & stacked it again. I felt fine, but my legs just weren’t working like they should. Immediately one of my team mates called for an interchange because they thought I was suffering hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) with my type 1 diabetes. They did the right thing, they did the safe thing. But I knew it wasn’t low blood sugar. I wear a continuous glucose monitor which is stuck in my arm, & it communicates with my insulin pump. I just need to look at my pump screen & it tells me my numbers & gives me a graph so I can see how my levels are trending. So I go off, people are offering me juice/candy etc but I did a blood test to double check & all was fine. But the amount of shame I now feel is immense. The embarrassment of being uncoordinated, maybe having some weird balance issue I was unaware of, my diabetes, looking like a fool. I’ve been angry at myself all day. I don’t want to show my face to those teammates again cause I feel like I’m the one they have to treat “special”. I grew up being ashamed of my type 1 diabetes diagnosis as people don’t understand the difference between type 1 & type 2, & just assume I ate the wrong things growing up. FYI type 1 is an autoimmune condition where your immune system destroys the beta cells in your pancreas. The beta cells are hat produces insulin. Once they are destroyed you can’t “fix” them or grow more. You rely on injected insulin for the rest of your life. So now I have all this childhood shame back where I worry that people think “I don’t take proper care of myself” combined with the humiliation of falling over & im back to hating myself again. Why is it being uncoordinated brought all that shame back?

Ps993 Depression and negativity, do you ever win?
  • replies: 7

So I’ve struggled with depression for as long as I can remember.. (I’m 27) I’ve been thru a lot that has contributed to my negative mind and depression. I have seen multiple psychologists and have been one many different antidepressants (still am) I ... View more

So I’ve struggled with depression for as long as I can remember.. (I’m 27) I’ve been thru a lot that has contributed to my negative mind and depression. I have seen multiple psychologists and have been one many different antidepressants (still am) I want to know.. because I’m alway so negative about myself and the depression just drags me down.. does anyone every really overcome it? Or anyone successfully switched their mindset to much more positive? I changed my life for the better entirely.. and I’m in a really good place but I still constantly struggle mentally.. I am feeling like no matter what I do.. I’ll never feel truely happy

strawb3rry_milk How to feel happy
  • replies: 2

I'm 15, on my school holidays right now. Like always, I'm stressed and anxious about going back to school despite getting good grades, having a large net of friends. I don't even know why I'm feeling this way. I can pinpoint (or at least, remember) t... View more

I'm 15, on my school holidays right now. Like always, I'm stressed and anxious about going back to school despite getting good grades, having a large net of friends. I don't even know why I'm feeling this way. I can pinpoint (or at least, remember) the day when this switch swapped in my head and I became deeply unhappy. I don't think I had let the stress of school and the world into my psyche before then. But suddenly I stopped talking as much, stopped contributing in class, making any sort of effort with my friends. I was completely exhausted by everything. Fatally bored all the time. Since then, outwardly at least, I have become a imitation of what I was before; I doubt anyone noticed the shift between old, happy me and new "happy" me, but I certainly feel it. I haven't been happy in so so long. And last year, I didn't mind so much. Like I know being sad is miserable, but sometimes it was okay. I can't describe it. But it's gotten to a certain point where I really want to be happy, but cannot figure out how. I'm so weighted down, and there is this incredible pressure in my chest. I'm so tired. I thought until about ten minutes ago that I was probably being sad for attention. But nobody knows. And in some ways, mental illness is, in my grade, a competition. My friends leave class crying, which is horrible for them and I want them to be okay, but it also means they get a lot of attention (which they need). And I'm always checking in on them. But they never ask me. I have only left class once, sobbing, because of something that I had found out during the lesson. Even then I didn't let them see me cry. I'm incapable of letting them see me cry. And to make matters worse, a lot of horrifying events have just been uncovered about someone close to me that I don't have the ability to grapple with. I want someone to pull me out of my life and say,"You're okay, you just need a break and then you can go back in a couple months, when you feel better." I've talked to the councillor but found their explanations too simplistic. Equating everything back to school. I'm looking for anything, honestly. I just don't know how to live like this anymore. Thanks for getting this far

Meliss Getting married and feeling down, am I normal?
  • replies: 18

First off I have to say I have a lot going on. I am struggling with every day functioning at the moment. I feel more depressed after covid lockdown than when we were in lockdown. I don't want to go anywhere and I don't want to do anything. I'd rather... View more

First off I have to say I have a lot going on. I am struggling with every day functioning at the moment. I feel more depressed after covid lockdown than when we were in lockdown. I don't want to go anywhere and I don't want to do anything. I'd rather just lay around all day. I am due to be married soon, but we have postponed twice already. My friend is trying to talk to me about the wedding and all I can do is be sad. 2 of my family members had covid. My mother in law has alzheimers and is getting worse by the day. I just feel like what's the point of anything. My eating has gone bad. I don't even feel like cooking and I normally love it. 2 of our bridal party are overseas and 1 moved interstate. And on top of all of this I hate my job. I signed up for a class last year, only to find I hated it. So now I'm back at square one. I just want to get a job where I am appreciated. I worked right through covid and it feels like everything is catching up with me now. I must say I do love my fiancee and it's not him making me feel this way. . He's a beautiful person who I love very much and look forward to being married to. I'm over it all. What's the point of anything. What can I do? This is the worst i have felt for a long time.