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

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

All discussions

Start a discussion

Jessksch Nothing motivates me or brings me joy...maybe because I cut out food I used to enjoy?
  • replies: 3

so I work in retail, of course I'm depressed! However, I only work 3 days a week, I do overall feel much more less stressed out than I did at my full time job (I quit due to a nervous breakdown). Overall I am feeling nothing anymore from things I use... View more

so I work in retail, of course I'm depressed! However, I only work 3 days a week, I do overall feel much more less stressed out than I did at my full time job (I quit due to a nervous breakdown). Overall I am feeling nothing anymore from things I used to enjoy though. I have to force myself to play video games even or paint or even talk to my fiance. I take at least 3 hour naps and have problems sleeping at night, I try so hard to get back to normal and take a sleeping pill at night, but then the next day I can't help myself, my mind and boredom makes me so tired. I jus feel no excitement for anything anymore, I don't want to travel or see the world, nothing the next day makes me want to get up as I feel I have nothing to look forward to... I had been doing so well, last week I joined a gym and went for 3 days, I cut out snacks and chocolate...usually that was what I looked forward to, eating snacks and watching my favourite movie, and now I don't have that anymore, I feel bored of everything else that brought me joy... On last saturday was the worst, I didn't want to talk to any customers and even got angry and agitated at my coworker I needed space and not talk to people. Thankfully I don't have work till later this week but I can't seem to relax. I paint a little, play video games a little and then just want to sleep but can't. I am frustrated and depressed and no clue how to move forward.

Gracie_PY4 Unhappiness
  • replies: 2

Hey there everyone, I just wanted some help from here, I’m feeling a low sadness, and unhappiness. I’ve been unhappy for a long time now. I will experience happy moments and things that make me feel joy but that distraction doesn’t get rid of the fac... View more

Hey there everyone, I just wanted some help from here, I’m feeling a low sadness, and unhappiness. I’ve been unhappy for a long time now. I will experience happy moments and things that make me feel joy but that distraction doesn’t get rid of the fact that I’m really unhappy, lonely and lost. I don’t know where I am in this world. It just feels like there’s too much and it’s hard to be around it. I quite my job recently because my bosses weren’t nice and because I was severely depressed there. I feel better, but not better! If that makes sense. It’s the same thing, at my job I was doing the same thing everyday, and when I’m at home I’m doing the same thing everyday. I’m bored of myself and a bit trapped almost. I obviously have to look for a job. That is my worst nightmare. All that work, resumes, cvs, putting in the effort to do so annoys me so much and I procrastinate it so much. I’ve applied to a couple of jobs. I worked for about 5 companies now and none I have enjoyed or thought were right for me. I'm 20 years old and so anxious that I will never find a career for myself or let alone go into another job and not like it and have anxiety. I’m scared that it’s just going to be the same pattern. I just think what is the point. Sometimes I really think what is the point of getting a job that I’ll last like 3 months in and hate, because I’ll never find anything I like anyways. Honestly I’m having thoughts that I don’t have a purpose, not that I want to hurt myself anymore, however it does come up in my thoughts and I have done it. I just feel like a big blob of crap, like nothing. I don’t matter. And again I have no happiness or barely any.

Mikhaela If you are my friend please dig up some of my mud to help me
  • replies: 2

hello community I can share this akthough it is a lot so brace yourselves, Warning does involve some sensitive topics. I am 12 and I have ASD (autism spectrum disorder) ADHD(attention deficit hyperactivity/ hypoactivity disorder) i have depression an... View more

hello community I can share this akthough it is a lot so brace yourselves, Warning does involve some sensitive topics. I am 12 and I have ASD (autism spectrum disorder) ADHD(attention deficit hyperactivity/ hypoactivity disorder) i have depression and anxiety and have to take 5 different medicines on a day to day basis and i am female. And i hate my life because I have had a PH addiction and don't know how to tell my parents so they can help me, I have not been eating because i think i'm fat, I think that nobody ever truly loves or cares for me, i always have to put on a smile and brace myself for the big autism burnout im going to get at the end of the day when all of that energy is gone. 5 minutes after im in school and im done. no more energy but i have to push myself and it gets harder and harder every day. I sink further and further into the mud every day pushing out but getting stuck further down. and if anyone ever offers me a shoulder im going to cry on it and im not going to stop. Also I have mainly male friends and they are mainly taller than me so they feel like protectors over me, i try to stop the thoughts of self harming. I dont want help i just want someone's shoulder to cry on. So if you are one of my friends. Please ask me if im ok let me lean on your shoulder and sob into it for 30 minutes. And if it's not me then still do it. You don't have to but it might save a life, you listen that's it you respond and don't say anything it is confidential you are taking some weight off of us. The mud is being scooped out. Please listen i want someone to cry on, but since i am the one i have to put a mask on for, they think i am mentally ok and they always make jokes about me being mentally unstable so i always have to awkwardly laugh, but they dont know that. I really want someone to scoop out the mud for me im drowning and have been so for about 3 or 4 years. even though i may be young i was a victim of bullying that was always overlooked because my bully used to be my friend and when i told someone in my class they didn't brush it off and say so what they actually seemed interested and sad. I have autism depression anxiety and adhd my life is the best yay mud is drowning me slowly litre by litre all i have is a teacup to scoop it out with but it's flowing faster than that. I can't stop it.

Shelly Son passed
  • replies: 7

Our son no passed away unexpectedly almost a year ago and I’m still finding it hard

Our son no passed away unexpectedly almost a year ago and I’m still finding it hard

Valentina Smiling Depression
  • replies: 15

I don't know if I actually have depression but I am showing all the symptoms of smiling depression. Looking at myself from a third person lens, I can not tell or even imagine me being sad. I am perfectly healthy and fit individual, but deep down when... View more

I don't know if I actually have depression but I am showing all the symptoms of smiling depression. Looking at myself from a third person lens, I can not tell or even imagine me being sad. I am perfectly healthy and fit individual, but deep down when I sit with my own thoughts alone, I have been feeling hollow and empty. I have been feeling nothing, and that nothingness is filled with some sort of sadness that I can not really expain. I do not like to be the negative person in the room, I am known to be a very moody person and I do not like that image of me generally speaking so only thing I really know is to isolate myself and process my thoughts and emotions till I feel better. I used to do journalling but I have been caught up in an irrational fear that my new boyfriend is going to read my journal and will know how I feel deep down and he is going to leave me because I am an emotional mess and difficult to deal with. Always known to be a troublemaker for having a voice or an opinion and hence I have transformed myself to be someone who is nice, gentle, sweet and easy to approach. I have not been very sucessful in doing that but that has been my intention, which looks like is not me but someone I want to be percieved. And hence my original feelings are so highly masked that I do not really know how I actually feel deep down. One day when I was high on pot, I suddenly realised that my showing behaviour is so different to my behaviour when I am alone. I am generally clean, healthy eating, fit person who knows what to do and is very clear in head, but when I am left unsupervised I am chaos. I would not brush nor take shower till I can procastinate, miss lunch or dinner meals and survive off smoking ciggertes and salty/sweet snacks, not do anything out of my to-do list and procastinate till a point I can no longer push it. I thought I am just lazy, but I feel its more than lazy and has deeper meaning to it. It takes me a lot more effort to do simple tasks on day to day basis till I can no longer push it back and do it very last minute. This bothered me a little, but what bothers me the most is that nobody atually really cares about me. My mum and dad don't often check on me and care about my wellbeing, while I do care about them deeply. I feel I have lost my family and I have grieved about them in the episodes I have had before. I do not want to live the life I am living.

Dorri No get up and go
  • replies: 1

I have been in a rut for over 3 years now.Cant seem to get out and do anything.Im retired now for 2 years and seem to do nothing with m days

I have been in a rut for over 3 years now.Cant seem to get out and do anything.Im retired now for 2 years and seem to do nothing with m days

Peaches Depressed after work
  • replies: 4

Hey everyone I know this is probably random but does anyone feel depressed after work? I just finished 5 night shifts in a row and every night I was depressed even down to the last night. Another thing that's bothering me is that I can't hangout with... View more

Hey everyone I know this is probably random but does anyone feel depressed after work? I just finished 5 night shifts in a row and every night I was depressed even down to the last night. Another thing that's bothering me is that I can't hangout with my best friend as often because she's always saying she's not feeling well and she's looking after her nana. I feel bad for being depressed about it but it's how I'm feeling and I don't know what to do. Any advice?

Captain T Not coping
  • replies: 1

I’m feeling isolated. It’s my own doing though. I have withdrawn from everyone and everything. All I have is my 2 dogs. I feel like it’s hard to go on. It’s hard to face the next day. I’m just living moment by moment. It’s not much of a life. It’s li... View more

I’m feeling isolated. It’s my own doing though. I have withdrawn from everyone and everything. All I have is my 2 dogs. I feel like it’s hard to go on. It’s hard to face the next day. I’m just living moment by moment. It’s not much of a life. It’s like I’m just existing. I really don’t want to be here any longer. I’ve been very compliant with my meds but it doesn’t seem to be helping.

Mr K Losing my grasp on perspective.
  • replies: 2

Some days are better than others but at the moment I feel like my life is slowly slipping out of my control and I'm just feeling utterly overwhelmed and isolated from support. I feel like all my close friends are out of contact, my remaining family m... View more

Some days are better than others but at the moment I feel like my life is slowly slipping out of my control and I'm just feeling utterly overwhelmed and isolated from support. I feel like all my close friends are out of contact, my remaining family my elderly father lives on the other side of the world, my last relationship ended last year and I'm afraid to speak to anyone at work in case the facade falls and they see me as a wreck. As a single dad, i struggle at the best of times to find time for myself let alone time to speak to anyone about this. I feel like my work is starting to really suffer because of my state and I feel overwhelmed trying to put it right and restore confidence. I don't want to end my life and I can't afford to not work but I wish I could just reset things somehow and start again. I don't know how much longer I can last in this constant state of survival. I feel like I'm running out of options and I don't know what else I can do.

Algernon Ciao!
  • replies: 3

I love this word. It means both hello and goodbye I've realised that although I'm well liked I'm not a big priority in anyone's life. When I was younger I was run over a couple of times. The curious thing was no-one helped me. The second time was par... View more

I love this word. It means both hello and goodbye I've realised that although I'm well liked I'm not a big priority in anyone's life. When I was younger I was run over a couple of times. The curious thing was no-one helped me. The second time was particularly bad. The car ran a red light light and just left me for dead. I was knocked out but regained consciousness and crawled back to the footpath. I realised then my life was not worth much. I'm ok with that now. I guess I rub along ok but there's a deep seated flaw in me that means I fundamentally suck. My goal now is to add some value while I'm here and I will do this! I like the anonymity of sharing in this space. No one who reads this knows who I am and will not miss me when I'm gone. There's a comfort in this. Please don't reply with empty words. I just needed to type my dark thoughts somewhere. If you do read this please remember I am not you. My journey is not yours. If you feel sad, feel it! If want to punch a bag, do so! Release your grief or anger knowing that it was ok to feel it in the first place! Take care gentle reader