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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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The_Bro 'ACTUALLY I'M NOT COPING' - OLYMPIC MEDALLIST
  • replies: 2

Hi Everyone I was stunned when reading yesterday that around 30% of Olympic athletes suffer depression or anxiety after the Games. Here they are, the best athletes in the world, who have the discipline and talent to succeed, falling into mental diffi... View more

Hi Everyone I was stunned when reading yesterday that around 30% of Olympic athletes suffer depression or anxiety after the Games. Here they are, the best athletes in the world, who have the discipline and talent to succeed, falling into mental difficulty after the Games. Australian athletes sacrifice so much to achieve - family, social contact, physical setbacks, relentless training hours. Plus financially - our athletes get paid a pittance in Australia for all that sacrifice and talent. Could this be the cause? Yet Michael Phelps, the American swimmer with more medals than any one, and a net worth of over $90million (yes that's right!), fell into deep depression after the Rio Olympics. Add Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka and the list of wealthy champions with mental struggles goes on. What do you think? It seems that once selected and before the Games, athletes are surrounded by attention - coaches, mentors, physios, sports psychologists, nutritionists etc etc. Then straight after the games there is nothing. Oh maybe a victory parade. If the athlete is good enough and personable enough and had a good manager, there is a chance of endorsements and commercial fame - but does this help with depression? Lots of very famous people get depressed. Succeeding as a medallist seems to help a bit, according to the research. But those who may perform at their very best but don't get on the podium struggle with self worth. Then there's social media which can be a killer with all those uninformed keyboard trolls getting stuck into athletes for all sorts of reasons. POST GAMES PLAN Some of the athletes found that to work in personal plan to implement straight after the games helped a lot. The plan could be anything from study, renovating that room, fixing up that neglected garden, helping a charity and so on. Or a new training plan. It also appears that it is very important to keep up strong social contacts - with friends and colleagues who help you ease back into the real world. Anyway I thought it might be useful to comment on this. Sorry to rave on but I did find it interesting! Please let me know what you think. Any athletes out there who have found it hard to cope after a major competition? Bye for now - The Bro

Melancholy Yogini Don't assume someone is OK by how they look on the outside
  • replies: 7

Participating in such a forum like this is new to me but I felt it was necessary for so many given our crazy Covid world right now. I am a yoga teacher with depression. That sentence is quite hard for me to say because I don't always like to admit th... View more

Participating in such a forum like this is new to me but I felt it was necessary for so many given our crazy Covid world right now. I am a yoga teacher with depression. That sentence is quite hard for me to say because I don't always like to admit that to myself. Just because I practice and teach yoga does not mean that I am always happy: and that’s ok. I have suffered anxiety and depression for the longest time. On the outside I have a blessed life and I hide my sadness from almost everyone, but in the past I have at times fallen into despair and loneliness, had suicidal thoughts, attempted to hurt myself, curled up on the floor in isolation and struggled with terrible feelings of self-loathing. I am sharing this because I want you to know that you are not alone and it’s ok to feel what you feel. Our society tells us we should be happy and pleasant and social media is full of happy adventures and friends and family shots, which for someone who is not feeling great can be overwhelming. A yoga mat offers me a place to be authentic and honest. I don’t have to be perfect or happy and it’s ok to cry. It is a place to give myself permission to practice self-care, to move with my feelings rather than cover them up. So when I go to my mat I take my fatigue, my sadness, my disappointment, my fear, my anger, my anxiety and my depression. Life is not always shiny but after giving myself a little self-care I hope that a little more joy and happiness shines through me. Has yoga helped me personally with anxiety and depression- yes, it’s one of the reasons I am a teacher. I choose yoga instead of drinking wine and wallowing on the couch; yoga offers me a different form of self-care. Most yoga teachers don’t practice yoga because they are naturally happy; you will find most teachers also need the practice. Stay safe and take care. Thank you for reading my post.

DetectivePanda How do you manage school and life in general when you're depressed?
  • replies: 2

I'm a 16-year-old male in year 11, and I've been feeling quite depressed recently, or more than usual, which has made it difficult for me to function as well as I should. I've started CBT and taking antidepressants, but I'm worried that if I keep goi... View more

I'm a 16-year-old male in year 11, and I've been feeling quite depressed recently, or more than usual, which has made it difficult for me to function as well as I should. I've started CBT and taking antidepressants, but I'm worried that if I keep going at this rate, things will only get worse and I'll fall further behind in school and life. I'm at a loss as to what to do. I've been attempting to complete some schoolwork, but it's difficult when you don't have any motivation, and I'm worried about falling further behind and missing classes, which is making me even more stressed, and my parents are frustrated and disappointed in me because they're receiving calls from my teachers and may soon receive some warning letters, which adds to the stress. On top of that, I don't even do much except lie down on my bed and just sleep or try to pass the time and distract myself from my thoughts and emotions by playing or watching something which is extremely unhealthy but I don't know what else to do.

Loligiggles I might have bipolar? Opinions please?
  • replies: 8

Hi! So, I know I have something more than GAD, ADHD & depression, I just think I realised there's another thing affecting me. Long story short, when I'm off my meds (an SSRI) I feel great and ontop of the world, I talk a lot, I act more impulsive whe... View more

Hi! So, I know I have something more than GAD, ADHD & depression, I just think I realised there's another thing affecting me. Long story short, when I'm off my meds (an SSRI) I feel great and ontop of the world, I talk a lot, I act more impulsive when there's nothing bad going on. However, when I'm feeling bad it feels like the end of the world in a way (Consciously I know it's not, it just feels like my body is doing everything in it's power to make it that way.) And I now know this is probably a stress response, which sucks because it means even when I'm having a good time, I'm not able to relax. I also have issues with spending a lot of money some times, particularly when stressed but I've always chalked this up to my ADHD and how I process and deal with stress. I sometimes give in and sometimes I'm able to say no. I'm not too well versed in bipolar so please forgive me if this is way wrong, but to me, it sounds like bipolar. Those who live with someone with bipolar, or have bipolar themselves, do you think this is a big sign? Or do you think it's something else entirely? Or a mixture of other things which make them present like this? Thank you.

Sentient pain limit
  • replies: 11

Hello! Just looking for any advice or success stories. I'm really at my limit with 10 years of depression. I just don't believe there's any coming back from this. It would take years for me to get anywhere near back to normal. Brief summary. 23yr old... View more

Hello! Just looking for any advice or success stories. I'm really at my limit with 10 years of depression. I just don't believe there's any coming back from this. It would take years for me to get anywhere near back to normal. Brief summary. 23yr old male, I have a panic disorder and depression. I had a full blown mental breakdown in 2017(19 years old) after years of depression/suicide from pornography problems/sexual dysfunction. As well as abusive parents and an anxiety disorder. Woke up 2017 one day at uni thought I was having a heart attack. kept happening everyday for months. Still get constant chest pain all day. Got told I have a panic disorder. Avoiding work, eating, showering because I thought it would trigger panic attack and kill me. 2019, managed to recover after months of exercise pushing through chest pain. Then I got a chest infection and had problems for 6 months. Chest pain came back, back to zero. Stuck inside 80% of the time since 2019 with headaches, chest pain. Muscle wasting, weight loss. Burned out on internet, tv, games. Insane. Had a suicide attempt, somehow survived. Done psychology, psychiatry, mental wards. I'm waiting for NDIS. Was homeless for a year. I've lost 10 years of my life effectively, massive depression separate of panic. 23 years old now. I can't see anyway out of this. I'm seeing a pscyhologist currently but I don't believe them, nothing works. My biggest mistake was not telling anyone 10 years ago. I know that might be a lot but any help would be appreciated Thanks

GlassRiver Feeling Lost
  • replies: 2

I’m 24 years old. I’m in the final months of my degree at uni. And for a long time I’ve felt like I’ve been running out of time. There was a letter I read by Hunter S. Thompson 4 years ago where he said that a man has to BE something; he has to matte... View more

I’m 24 years old. I’m in the final months of my degree at uni. And for a long time I’ve felt like I’ve been running out of time. There was a letter I read by Hunter S. Thompson 4 years ago where he said that a man has to BE something; he has to matter. I’ve thought about that letter for years trying to figure myself out, trying to figure out why I’ve been unhappy for as long as I can remember. He was writing to a friend of his who seemed to be going through something like what I am now. Thompson told him that people make the decision to either float with the tide or swim for a goal. At that time I felt like I was in the ocean with no land in any direction, just trying to keep my head above water. I spent year floating with the tide after I finished school. I figured that was ok, I was only 20 or so and had time to figure it all out. So I travelled, I worked, hoping I would find something. When I was 21 I started studying my degree. I decided to start swimming for a goal. And now here I am at the end of my degree and still feel like I’m in the middle of the ocean. It’s hard to be happy. I feel like something went wrong in my development as well, because I can’t form bonds with people. I’m lonely. And I never seem to find people who really fit with me, and of the few people are are interested in me I have no interest in. I’ve lacked emotional intimacy my whole life. Even when I was a kid my parents were distant with me. So now I don’t feel capable of crossing those lines to open up to people in any way. Physical, emotional. I just don’t have it in me. I don’t know what I’ll do next year. I have no idea how I can start to live life. To go to work every day, a constant inescapable routine of work. Days blending together. The things people do then use alcohol each weekend to cope with it. None of this is right. Honestly at some point I’m concerned that trying to keep my head up in this ocean will just be too much. I’ll get too tired and eventually stop kicking. I don’t feel like I’m the right person to be living my life. I don’t have the ability to do what everyone else does. I haven’t been happy in at least 7 years. I lost something along the way. I don’t see what the point of any of this was. Guess I don’t have anyone in my life I could say this to.

Meg81 Depressed and lonely
  • replies: 4

Hi , my name is meg Ever since December last year I had a major fight with my husband and it ended up with me being diagnosed with acute diverticulitis and ending up in hospital. I have two beautiful children 7 and 10 months and I love them to bits .... View more

Hi , my name is meg Ever since December last year I had a major fight with my husband and it ended up with me being diagnosed with acute diverticulitis and ending up in hospital. I have two beautiful children 7 and 10 months and I love them to bits . Now ever since that episode in December I have been in hospital Nearly every month except may with stomach issues . I've seen countless doctors , seeing a gastrololengist , nothing seems to be sticking out majorly but I feel these pains and they are sooo painful at times . I'm so upset because I've hardly been able to raise my son who had to go to daycare when he was 7 months and being in hospital away from my family is so hard. My husband is doing nearly everything on his own working full time while looking after the kids while I've been in hospital . He has been amazing in this regard . But he doesn't seem to want to give me so much support anymore and it's hard . We used to have such a close relationship and I so miss that he is like my best friend but he hardly talks to me and says that I'm a shell of a person I once was . Given I'm on anti depessant and anti anxiety and have been through basic hell of course I'm going to be different. I've even contemplated suicide . I'm just so unhappy and I just want to find myself again and be back to the fun loving pain free girl I used to be . My husband says I need to figure this all out on my own but it's hard . I need support and I need some help please . I'm just so miserable . I have friends who are so lovely but I don't want to burden them. I also want to be the best wife and mother to my kids . I want to be me again. Plus I think I have PND after having my son. And covid hasn't helped much at all. I couldn't get to share the joy and excitement of being pregnant and some close friends and fam still haven't met him. I'm also stuck in a rut and need help getting out Thankyou any feedback would be wonderful

Plantsandthings Culture Shock & Depression
  • replies: 7

Hi everyone, I don't want to feel angry or constantly upset with people, but I feel this nagging sense of loneliness even when I'm surrounded by people. Sometimes it turns into anger or irritability because I just don't understand people. I don't und... View more

Hi everyone, I don't want to feel angry or constantly upset with people, but I feel this nagging sense of loneliness even when I'm surrounded by people. Sometimes it turns into anger or irritability because I just don't understand people. I don't understand how the people around me think and function. I lived overseas for most of my upbringing and I have struggled since moving here though my parents are originally from Australia. Wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience either as a third culture kid or just with culture shock in general? I often feel like everyone hates me, though I know this isn't a very logical way of thinking and that it's probably brought on by my depression. But I also don't know how to stop feeling this way - the more I try to rationalise other reasons for peoples behaviour I reach an impasse, where I fundamentally don't understand other people's logic. People here can be so inconsiderate, and self absorbed! I feel like I always care about the people around me, but very few people care about me. I would love advice or just someone to talk to about these feelings. I've looked at these forums for a while but never posted before, but right now I just feel so low all the time and I'm not even sure why.

cathyxd7 loneliness and depression
  • replies: 5

hi, this is sort of my first time here. im in year 12, I struggle with anxiety and depression. I am now finishing high school online because I couldn't handle regular school due to intense depression and suicidal thoughts. I am alone almost all of th... View more

hi, this is sort of my first time here. im in year 12, I struggle with anxiety and depression. I am now finishing high school online because I couldn't handle regular school due to intense depression and suicidal thoughts. I am alone almost all of the time now, which has worsened my depression. I constantly feel trapped in negative spirals that I just can't escape from no matter what self care methods I try. I just feel so disconnected from everyone and everything. I moved cities last year and don't have any friends here, so there's no-one to really check up on me or keep me rooted in reality. I feel so insane, like being around people or trying to make new friends would just be an impossible task. I also struggle with severe social anxiety. I just feel so trapped in my brain like things will never change. So I guess I'm asking for advice or just wanting to feel less alone in this. -cat

Blushx severely depressed but I need to get my life together, how do I drop out?
  • replies: 5

hi everyone, my name is solivan, I'm 17 (18 in 2 months) and this is my first time here I have a lot wrong with me but it's not really relevant to the issue I need help with, and I didn't come here to try discuss it but I am going to preface that for... View more

hi everyone, my name is solivan, I'm 17 (18 in 2 months) and this is my first time here I have a lot wrong with me but it's not really relevant to the issue I need help with, and I didn't come here to try discuss it but I am going to preface that for years ive just been plagued with challenges like my depression, anxiety, adhd, eating disorder, and bpd. Also yes I'm diagnosed, but that was over a ago and I'm no longer seeing a professional. so my life has just completely spiraled to shit, I only saw a professional for 3 months and it was because I had a suicide attempt, but unfortunately my GP and psych both ghosted me when I came out of hospital after a second attempt. my parents refuse to acknowledge my issues which is just great, and I'm in my final year of highschool (12) but I stopped attending just over a month ago because I can't handle it. Not just the workload? but my mental health in general has just completely sucked the life out of me It's only 3 months until graduation but theres no way that I'll be able to complete all the overdue work and actually pass, I don't have the motivation and not being medicated for my adhd makes it worse. I'm so close to fixing all this shit, but I need to drop out. legally I'm able to, since I'm 17, and my parents have agreed but I don't know how to do it because they're making me do it by myself. my mum refuses to talk to the school because she's just embarrassed at my failure, so what do I do? do I need to call my school and ask them for forms to sign something?? I don't want to talk with a counselor because I know I'm not changing my mind?? how do I figure this out myself?? god I just feel worse trying to find out what to do, i wish I could just google it but i literally have no idea and begging for help here is my last resort. For the past week my parents are getting frustrated and angry with me because they don't want to get emails about my absences, like wow thanks that totally makes me feel better about myself and I guess I feel like they're making it about themselves, while I'm the one who feels like shit about not knowing what to do? even I don't have a choice but to figure this out on my own sorry for rambling? idk i feel so much pressure since its so unnecessarily hard for me to handle this one simple thing that would finally help me get my life together so if anyone can help me figure out how to officially do this i would actually cry from gratefulness