Support
Support

Depression

Depression affects people in Australia every day. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with depression.

Start a conversation

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
Categories
Start a conversation

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 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

All discussions

Start a conversation

Flamingolady I need some love and support from like people
  • replies: 5

I am struggling a lot through this new lockdown. we have been stuck in our homes for what feels like over a year (it actually has been). It’s been real hard. My housemate is a massive support and I adore her. Ive been working the whole time as an ess... View more

I am struggling a lot through this new lockdown. we have been stuck in our homes for what feels like over a year (it actually has been). It’s been real hard. My housemate is a massive support and I adore her. Ive been working the whole time as an essential worker and it’s too much. I want to take time off but I want to get away from the house I’ve been stuck in, but unfortunately the government won’t let me. I need some words of encouragement from some likeminded people. I’m seeing a psychiatrist, on my fifth round of meds. I think they are doing ok but I believe it’s more situational. I’ve made appointments to see a psychologist. give me some love Please. I’m extremely depressed and self harming unfortunately. This community is lovely and I would appreciate some support.

linguini Depression due to long term anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hi Everyone, I am new here and was wondering if anyone else has experienced this. For over 8 years I lived with extreme anxiety as a child. Now I can confidently say that anxiety is not a daily struggle for me anymore. But for the last year and a hal... View more

Hi Everyone, I am new here and was wondering if anyone else has experienced this. For over 8 years I lived with extreme anxiety as a child. Now I can confidently say that anxiety is not a daily struggle for me anymore. But for the last year and a half I have developed depression which has become extremely severe depression. As my life has gotten calmer my therapist and myself think it is knee jerk reaction to all those years living in fear and being completely exhausted by it. Now I am on medication for it and find it hard to feel positive emotions and block most negative emotions making me just go through the motions. I am still high functioning, studying, working, had a job interview yesterday, social life is ok - could be better. Anyone else relate?

jonny09 Help me fix my sadness/depression!!
  • replies: 6

I have this weird urge to impress people. I seek people's validation to make myself feel better. I sometimes lie to show a better image of myself, in order to impress people. I am financially successful in life but i never got the recognition or resp... View more

I have this weird urge to impress people. I seek people's validation to make myself feel better. I sometimes lie to show a better image of myself, in order to impress people. I am financially successful in life but i never got the recognition or respect that i wanted. I am very sensitive to criticism. If someone criticizes me, I think about it for 7-8 days and consume my mind with thoughts of getting back at him(person who criticized me). I feel sad most of the time. I don't feel like making new friends or talking to strangers. I live alone most of the time. --------------------------------- Can someone tell me what exact problem am i going thru? Is there a name to it? And what's the solution to all this? Is there a mechanism or way to fix this?

duckys I feel like I'm drowning in my own thoughts
  • replies: 4

There's this girl that I've liked for at least 2 years now and I've always wanted to ask her out but she's always got a boyfriend and I'm always really jealous of whoever her boyfriend is And I just really like her. Also my mum has a condition where ... View more

There's this girl that I've liked for at least 2 years now and I've always wanted to ask her out but she's always got a boyfriend and I'm always really jealous of whoever her boyfriend is And I just really like her. Also my mum has a condition where her hands are either inflaming on the inside or rlly cold on the inside. It happens cos her autoimmune system attacks itself and I went to the doctors yesterday and they said I might have something similar. I don't want to live in pain all by myself because I want someone to help me. I need someone to help me but no one would want to help me, especially the girl I like, if I've got a condition that hurts me and makes me angry.

Jimmy6789 I've decided that hope is the real killer.
  • replies: 2

I really don't see the point anymore hey, nothing goes right for me ever which is how I'm a 29 year old bartender with crippling depression and no hopes of a better job. I've done 2 degrees in boring business, am way too old to go back to uni and kee... View more

I really don't see the point anymore hey, nothing goes right for me ever which is how I'm a 29 year old bartender with crippling depression and no hopes of a better job. I've done 2 degrees in boring business, am way too old to go back to uni and keep kidding myself that life gets better. On top of the no hope for future career prospects, I'm 29 and haven't had a relationship for a decade - women just do not find my hideous face appealing, or even interesting. And I get it, we all try to punch upwards in the dating game - but I'm dyyying for a human connection that I find mentally and physically attractive, and can feel that reciprocated. This whole "he needs a car, a 6 figure job, looks like a Hemsworth, has a 6 pack of abs and has time to take me nice places" mentality is killing me. Anyway, I've done some thinking - and have decided that the "feeling" that it will all work out is just part of the fabrication that we as a society tell ourselves. Hope is the lie. There is no point to anything. Nothing gets better. Help me see otherwise please, I am sliding towards the self harm section with every thought. Ps. Therapy is expensive

TysDR Lockdown is really getting the better of me..
  • replies: 5

At the very beginning of the year my ex had left me ( cheated on me ) and I was really struggling mentally. I’ve always had anxiety but this had made it a thousand times worse. I couldn’t sleep, eat, drink or even be in the room/bed we shared togethe... View more

At the very beginning of the year my ex had left me ( cheated on me ) and I was really struggling mentally. I’ve always had anxiety but this had made it a thousand times worse. I couldn’t sleep, eat, drink or even be in the room/bed we shared together. I found myself sleeping on my friends couch most nights. I eventually moved in with said friend because I couldn’t deal being in that place anymore, I had to get away from everything that reminded me of her. Since then lockdown has happened, ive been unemployed, haven’t seen my parents or brothers. I’ve sat alone everyday with my own thoughts basically eating me away. I constantly wake up in panic thinking about death, that I’m dying or that something is wrong and I don’t know why. I know most people are struggling with lockdown right now but not seeing my parents and my brothers is really getting to me. Everyday I just feel this big wave of sadness over me and the second I feel some sort of happiness that wave comes back crashing my thoughts. I’ve had really deep and dark thoughts about my life that I wouldn’t dare tell anybody that I know because I wouldn’t want to worry them. I scare myself sometimes and it makes me physically ill. I had a job lined up that I was hoping would get me out of here to take my mind off things but I wasn’t able to get it because I needed my FL license and wasn’t able to get it without a “ work permit “ because of lockdown. I can’t go out and do things to distract myself, I can’t see my family and I just don’t know what to do at this point. I feel like life is just passing by and I don’t know how to cope with it anymore. im currently writing this at 6:20 am with 0 hours sleep, I’ve been laying in bed staring at my ceiling tossing and turning for majority of the night. I eat 1 meal a day if I’m lucky and barely leave my room. I don’t know what’s wrong with me and I don’t want to feel like this anymore.

Calbue Can someone remind me what is the point?
  • replies: 15

Hi, I'm new to this forum so if I'm missing some etiquette... I apologise in advance. I guess, the reason why I started this thread was to ask... what is the point? Is there a point? I know that to live means to be happy, to be at peace, to be ok and... View more

Hi, I'm new to this forum so if I'm missing some etiquette... I apologise in advance. I guess, the reason why I started this thread was to ask... what is the point? Is there a point? I know that to live means to be happy, to be at peace, to be ok and to be with family and friends. I get that. I truly do. But for now, why does it feel like things are pointless? For context, I'm still at uni doing my course, but it feels like there is no point to getting my degree when the future is so uncertain. When will things be ok? Will I always be down like this? I don't know if its the lockdown that's making me feel this way or if its just something that's been brewing inside me for years. Most likely, the latter... now that I think about it. Everything, for years, has felt like such an effort. Like I'm constantly exhausted by doing the bare minimum. I know we have to truly process our thoughts to recover, but when I try it gets too much sometimes and makes it worse. My anxiety shoots through the roof, and it feels like my heart beats as fast as a hummingbird flaps its wings. Is there any other perspective that will help? I hope someone is kind enough to reply...

McCann093 Trapped without Control
  • replies: 7

This is probably going to sound like a "Oh boo hoo! Everyone gets this way" type of post but I need to get this off my chest. I have been having a really tough time of late, no doubt in large portion thanks to COVID and the isolation it has brought o... View more

This is probably going to sound like a "Oh boo hoo! Everyone gets this way" type of post but I need to get this off my chest. I have been having a really tough time of late, no doubt in large portion thanks to COVID and the isolation it has brought on everyone in one degree or another but I cant help feeling trapped in my life with no control over any of it. No matter how big or small the choice to something might be. I am lucky enough to be an essential worker and therefore have kept my job through out the pandemic but many of the people I worked with have either left or been working from home all this time. I have no friends there. I am being kept away from my family, parents and siblings, and friends thanks to lockdowns and fully vaccinated requirements. I have two kids under 3yrs and the responsibilities and daily requirements take up all my time that its very difficult to take 5 mins for myself. More and more i am finding it harder to deal with and manage my depression and the episodes are increasing. Mornings feel like an impossible feat just to get out of bed, regularly showering is a struggle, all of my hobbies and enjoyments don't make me feel good anymore and the one thing that I should have control over is probably the biggest thing that is out of control... EATING! The weight is stacking on and I'm running on auto pilot. Unable to take control of my own life! Its as if I'm looking through my eyes but I'm not the one operating my body. I was diagnosed with post natal depression about a year after my eldest was born and ever since then I've been sinking. Like I said big sob story right? I know there are worse off than me, my older sister has been hospitalised for her PTSD and depression getting the help that she needs. I have tried seeking help from the shrink but with the pandemic appointments are all over the phone and mine is broken. I don't know when I'll be able to replace it. I just want out of this rut and back into an enjoyable life...

Sophie15 I’m tired of being strong
  • replies: 2

“You are the strongest person I know,” people keep telling me. While I know deep down that I am strong, I’m just a bit over it. People don’t see my sadness, my tears, my struggles. Perhaps they don’t want to because they need me to be the stronger on... View more

“You are the strongest person I know,” people keep telling me. While I know deep down that I am strong, I’m just a bit over it. People don’t see my sadness, my tears, my struggles. Perhaps they don’t want to because they need me to be the stronger one. But I am tired. Being in Melbourne and in multiple lockdowns is wearing me down. I went from hardly ever cry to crying almost daily. I want to be hopeful but it’s hard seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I just want to sleep and not wake up until things get better. I’m getting to a point that I’m thinking about going back on antidepressants. My partner doesn’t think I should. He tells me I’m strong and things will get better. It’s not that I don’t know this to be true, I know with time, things will get better with covid and the lockdowns will end. But it doesn’t help me now. I have to minimise watching/reading/listening to the news now as I feel like I’m being re-traumatised each time. My coping skills are deteriorating. It’s hard to find joy. I know I am more fortunate than a lot other people during covid. I have my job still as I can work from home. I’m able to have sessions with my psychologist still. But being told that other people have it worse doesn’t really help me. Instead of feeling blessed, it makes me feel guilty for feeling the way I do. It makes me feel like I’m ungrateful. I don’t know what to do anymore. I am tired. I don’t want to be the strong one anymore.

Whits Feeling Ground Hog Day
  • replies: 3

I've been off work now for 5 weeks, dealing with my anxiety/depression. On the one hand I really want to get better, get back to my old self. On the other, I don't want to leave my couch. I have isolated myself from friends and family. Honestly I am ... View more

I've been off work now for 5 weeks, dealing with my anxiety/depression. On the one hand I really want to get better, get back to my old self. On the other, I don't want to leave my couch. I have isolated myself from friends and family. Honestly I am annoying myself with the destructive cycle. I feel hopeless, like my existence is pointless and meaningless. I want to quit my career which I have been building and just travel, but that seems wreckless? Then again staying stagnant for the sake of status and keeping family happy seems equally pointless? Can anyone relate?

As an organisation that supports people from across Australia, Beyond Blue acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay respect to Elders past and present.

First Nations Peoples are advised that this website may include reference to and images of deceased persons.

Beyond Blue is committed to safe inclusive spaces, policies and services for people of LGBTIQ+ communities and their families.

Helpful information

Stay in touch

Sign up below for regular emails from Beyond Blue, filled with information, advice and support for you or your loved ones.

Stay in touch

Talk it through with us, we'll point you in the right direction.

Call 1300 224 636

24 hours / 7 days a week

Chat Online

24 hours / 7 days a week

Email us

Get a reply in 24 hours

Copyright � 2026 Beyond Blue Ltd

All rights reserved

Contact us Terms of use Privacy policy Site map