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: 0

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

idontknowdontask Feeling stuck
  • replies: 2

To be honest I don’t know why I’m writing here. I’ve been depressed for awhile now and it was a break up that caused it. I actually missed my flight this morning because I was stupid and wasn’t organised enough but that’s my fault. I spontaneously bo... View more

To be honest I don’t know why I’m writing here. I’ve been depressed for awhile now and it was a break up that caused it. I actually missed my flight this morning because I was stupid and wasn’t organised enough but that’s my fault. I spontaneously booked flights overseas and didn’t care enough to be prepared like I normally would be. I am angry at myself but it doesn’t feel as it normally would be if I felt like myself. I haven’t felt like myself for a long time. My friends don’t care enough to help me. I’ve reached out so many times and even told them how I felt and what I want from them but nothing. I see a psychologist but I don’t even know if that’s helping me. I see her quite regularly and I don’t know if I do it because it feels like she’s the only person I can openly talk to without her pulling away or if because I need some kind of constant in my life to stick to. That’s what I feel like my friends have done. They all pulled away from me the more I tried to reach out to them. It’s so lonely. I feel like my mental state hasn’t changed at all even though I’m doing things to try and help. I exercise most nights of the week. I’ll admit I don’t eat or sleep as much as I need to but I feel like that’s the least of my worries. I’ve done the whole try a new hobby like reading or journaling, going on nature walks. I feel like there’s nothing that would help me and I don’t know how to help others to help me.

GoldenSerpent I Don't Feel Alive Anymore.
  • replies: 8

I'm not living and life seems to hard. I haven't worked for 6 years, after having a back injury, I was a nurse of 20 years. I suffer from daily depression and anxiety. I don't have any friends and spend every day mostly by myself. No one invites me o... View more

I'm not living and life seems to hard. I haven't worked for 6 years, after having a back injury, I was a nurse of 20 years. I suffer from daily depression and anxiety. I don't have any friends and spend every day mostly by myself. No one invites me out or gives me support. No one comes around to see how i'm going. It's been so long I don't even know how to make lasting friendships and keep them. I am in a 19 year relationship with my partner who has an ongoing illness. We sleep in separate rooms. It's been a sexless relationship for about 5 years now. I don't even get any effection or closeness at all. I get incredibly sexually frustrated and lonely at night, to the point where it is unbearable. I have become heavily addicted to porn and masturbation every day/night. To the point where it has become a disorder/disability. Every day I have used it for 5 years without a day off. I tried to stop for one day and the cravings/images in my head got so bad. That I thought I could loose control of myself if I went out in public, it really scared me. At the end of last year I lost all my life savings to an online scam. I had to apply for centerlink, but the money I get would not even pay for the cheapest rent accommodation price. All my money goes to bills, I can't afford a social life, I was seeing a psychologist and he thought I should see a psychiatrists. But now I can't afford ether. I'm trying to get disability support pension. But centerlink said I could be waiting upto 6-12 months. I feel lonely, isolated, depressed, sad, stuck, rejected, I crave affection so badly. I hate the way my life is and think of suicide at least twice a week. I tried to explain my feelings and thoughts to my partner but she does not understand my needs, nor can she help me. I even gave her some opinions but she will not exept any of them. I don't want to sell or loose our house I worked hard for and I can't afford to live anywhere else. It really seems to me that i'm all out of opinions. I am so miserable, I feel dead and all I see is darkness. I am in my early 50's. I need some serious help. I'm on a lot of medications, some that make me drowsy. I have trouble sleeping at night. I'm just existing from day to day, while my life goes by. I don't see things changing. To many issues to work through, it's so overwhelming.

apieceofmeismissing The Wrong Move
  • replies: 8

Hi all,I am new here and have never done this before but here goes. I have suffered from depression since my teen years where I did self harm a few times. I have been a loner all my life and as I got older found it harder to make new friends. My rela... View more

Hi all,I am new here and have never done this before but here goes. I have suffered from depression since my teen years where I did self harm a few times. I have been a loner all my life and as I got older found it harder to make new friends. My relationships were more for companionship as was my failed marriage. I have 3 children (1 which is estranged).I can’t count how many times I have moved since my separation and divorce. I moved to Melbourne 5 years ago to rent with my daughter while she saved for her own home and then after losing my job I decided to retire to Queensland. (I am 66 now). While I was working I saved a little for my future and made the move and this is when everything went to hell. My whole life just fell apart. This was The Wrong Move. Over the past few months I have fallen into a deep depression and its the worst I ever been, I feel lost, alone, worthless, hate myself, I have always made the wrong choices my whole life, I have no money, no life, can’t bring myself to go out besides shopping, I have difficulty making friends as I get anxious and suffer panic attacks. Lost all motivation to do the things I enjoy. I lay on the lounge and just watch tv and fall in and out of sleep. The only resolution to my depression is to move back to Melbourne where I can get to see my beautiful daughter again. Melbourne has more to offer me than where I am currently and I know I will be happiest there. Only problem is now I have no money to make the move and when I do I will have no home to go to. I have thought of share housing but the majority of people are young ones and most likely wouldn’t want an old person as myself living with them. I am looking at emergency housing but not sure how to do this. What do I do? How can I move and have somewhere to go, my daughter can’t take me in as she has no room and I will not place myself in the position of interrupting her life just for my own happiness. She supports my decision but at the same time worries about it. I have just seen my GP in regards to my depression as it’s taking over my life and he has put me on meds and I have to see him again tomorrow to discuss further. He gave me the K10 test to do and I have scored high. So to find my happiness once again I need to save enough money to go back, which will be agonisingly slow as I only receive centrelink payments. Any thoughts or help appreciated? This is not the full story….

troubles Advice needed
  • replies: 1

My son is a 28 year old male who I desperately need to get help for . 7 years ago he lost his best friend to suicide and since then he has left the house half a dozen times and only to go to his grandmothers . He is angry , depressed, sad , resentful... View more

My son is a 28 year old male who I desperately need to get help for . 7 years ago he lost his best friend to suicide and since then he has left the house half a dozen times and only to go to his grandmothers . He is angry , depressed, sad , resentful he is unhealthy and has extremely low self esteem.He sits at home day in day out on the couch obviously he doesn’t work He hasn’t seen his friends for years and years and they gave up on him . He can get aggressive with me and he has put on so much weight due to sitting all day which wouldn’t help his self esteem . He won’t speak to anyone he isolates himself from the world. He hates me and doesn’t want anything to do with me . He doesn’t think he has a problem and just gets angry if getting help is brought up . I don’t know what to do I am so worried for him , he’s such a lovely boy with his whole life ahead of him what can I do ?

asleep-aardvark I feel absent and apathetic
  • replies: 1

Hello I’m really not sure what to do, I feel like most of the time I’m not really alive. I’m going through motions, and detached from everyone and everything. I struggle to find motivation to do anything. Then the small rest of time, I feel like I’m ... View more

Hello I’m really not sure what to do, I feel like most of the time I’m not really alive. I’m going through motions, and detached from everyone and everything. I struggle to find motivation to do anything. Then the small rest of time, I feel like I’m overly invested. My emotions feel overwhelming - usually anxiety or sadness. Something seemingly small can set me off and I’m catastrophising and spiralling. I’ve tried therapy, but it didn’t help because as soon as I leave there’s a window of a few days where I remember about what we discussed. But then it’s like it never happened, it doesn’t occur to me that I can do an exercise or that I should try to do something different. So in the end it was just a huge waste of time. The same with relationships, it’s like I just don’t remember that people exist and I can talk to them. Or with anything really- I get a rush of energy and start something, but it never goes anywhere. I really don’t know what to do, because I’m clearly unhappy but I can’t seem to get any motivation or even remember to change anything. It feels so silly when I write it. A

Fairmaiden64 Feeling exhausted and overwhelmed
  • replies: 1

I am suffering from Perfectionist Procrastination due to burn out from my OCD. I can never meet what I have listed for myself anymore. A week's list turns into a year now. House and garden cleaning up mainly. I feel very angry at myself for doing thi... View more

I am suffering from Perfectionist Procrastination due to burn out from my OCD. I can never meet what I have listed for myself anymore. A week's list turns into a year now. House and garden cleaning up mainly. I feel very angry at myself for doing this everyday but I am so tired of things not going to plan due to lighting, weather, time constraints. Nothing I plan works out. I am always overwhelmed and know the cleaning won't be good enough, so I put it off endlessly. Then my depression and anxiety takes over. I wish I could just clean like other people

Crallop Work/Study Issues?
  • replies: 1

Sort of a rant?I have no idea what to do. I was thinking about copywriting but its pretty much becoming obsolete with AI. I bought a course for it, just for multiple different people to say "not to worry you, but I think that career is pretty much us... View more

Sort of a rant?I have no idea what to do. I was thinking about copywriting but its pretty much becoming obsolete with AI. I bought a course for it, just for multiple different people to say "not to worry you, but I think that career is pretty much useless at the moment". I tried an IT course just to fall down the same paralytic anxiety/depression that I just couldn't go into classes anymore, couldn't do my assignments, even though to me the course itself was easy. Same thing with when I tried a business course in marketing, then later a language course. All things I'm interested in but I just get stuck and I can't even explain it properly to anyone or even myself WHY I just can't do it. Its like everything in me shuts down when I try. Now I'm working in hospitality but I'm in physical pain after every shift, so much that its even difficult to ride home. I just want to work. I just want to do something that keeps me a functioning member of society. Thinking about doing nothing scares me, but trying to find something I can do is making me feel nauseous. I'm applying for admin positions in the hopes I won't be in pain but everyone needs experience or degrees. I feel so completely useless. I'm trying so damn hard but I'm just getting nowhere.Not to mention the relentless draining heat of Summer is back which is destroying the progress I've made over winter.I feel physically and mentally incapable of doing anything. What can I try? What do people like us do?

Loveanimals Compassion Fatigue?
  • replies: 9

For months now I have been supporting my frail Dad. I have also had my son to cope with. Dad had surgery two weeks ago and is doing really well. My son had drug issues but I am confident that after numerous doctors visits and counselling, he has over... View more

For months now I have been supporting my frail Dad. I have also had my son to cope with. Dad had surgery two weeks ago and is doing really well. My son had drug issues but I am confident that after numerous doctors visits and counselling, he has overcome. It has been an incredibly stressful year. I am so grateful that Dad andmy son are doing well. Howeve,r I am so distraught about everything. My friend has to rehome her beloved dog and I can't take him as he hates cats (obviously I have a dear cat). I can't stop crying. I love this dog (as I love all animals, dogs especially). I feel sick thinking he may well end up being put to sleep. I don't know what I can do. I feel totally useless and shattered. I care so much and it is such a hard thing being me.

masterm6 I can’t keep going
  • replies: 4

I’ve been struggling with depression caused by loneliness for half my life, and since I turned 30 it has gotten so much worse. The point where I can’t even get out of bed on the weekend and I just can’t stop thinking of ending it all. last week the p... View more

I’ve been struggling with depression caused by loneliness for half my life, and since I turned 30 it has gotten so much worse. The point where I can’t even get out of bed on the weekend and I just can’t stop thinking of ending it all. last week the people closest in my life decided to cut me out of theirs because they found some rants about my anger and frustrations about certain aspects on the world on reddit. now I feel like I have no one and it’s not a life I think I can live. I can’t sleep, can’t eat, I find no enjoy anything I do on my life. I see a therapist and have tried medication but nothing works. i just don’t know what to do

RedButterflyHearts Venting about being lost and sad
  • replies: 2

Just here to vent my feelings since I don’t think anyone understands me that well that I’m close to. I’ve just come out of a long term relationship. Months pass and out of the blue they thinks we should return to being friends- that I have not grown ... View more

Just here to vent my feelings since I don’t think anyone understands me that well that I’m close to. I’ve just come out of a long term relationship. Months pass and out of the blue they thinks we should return to being friends- that I have not grown or developed in the last few years and kept up with them. They’re older than me and naturally ahead in his life. Turns out theyve been hiding that they were reconsidering our engagement or even wanting me for months- but held it all in until I had met everyone they loves. this triggers my abandonment issues- I never use to have this issue- I’ve come to realise it was a thing post covid lockdown - due to isolation, rejection from others, being put down and being kicked out essentially by people I thought I trusted. it’s been a couple months and I hoped he would come back to me. I’m getting more and more of a sinking feeling he won’t. even though I know my worth and he won’t find anyone better than me. I still want them back But my heart breaks whenever I have to leave them or they doesn’t respond to me. Yet we agreed we would remain best friends. It doesn’t look like this separation even bothers them, yes they’ve been thinking about it for a long time so I guess they’ve done the processing. I shouldn’t tie my worth and happiness to one human. But I don’t think I could ever love, or trust, or be willing to be this raw and open to anyone else. i cry every night. I feel abandoned everyday not by them but by the world. The last few years have been tough and I no longer trust. no, cutting them out is not an option. im at a loss. this is not how I pictured my life to go. Everything was so perfect, more than perfect right up till the split. And now we are here.