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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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Bethy_Bee Am I suffering Depression?
  • replies: 2

My mum pointed out today- 'Do you have depression' during an argument. Since then, I've been wondering to myself if I do have depression or if its just a silly personality trait I have. Its too difficult for me to visit a GP, but at the same time I d... View more

My mum pointed out today- 'Do you have depression' during an argument. Since then, I've been wondering to myself if I do have depression or if its just a silly personality trait I have. Its too difficult for me to visit a GP, but at the same time I don't trust the 'tests' you can do online. So i'd rather ask what everyone else had to say. Here is a reference to some of things I go though. Firstly, I over sleep big time. Go to bed at 12-3, but i sleep in till about 1pm (non work days). Very unhealthy sleep schedule, i know, I either oversleep or under-sleep. And I am usually still tired 50% of the week. My diet is also very terrible, I don't eat in the day, usually skip breakfast and lunch but then I overeat at night time. I tell myself I need to change, but I have no motivation. My relationship with my mum isn't great at all, and it doesnt help that she doesn't have the best of filters. So now everytime i see her, i think "what will she say next?" She's clearly addresed to me im overweight and lazy. And usually I watch youtube at home when im not working, but i find myself skipping through the videos quiet bored, but I do this for hours. I constantly have the thoughts that im not perfect, and im easily the least fvvourite child but as I said, I find myself to have no motivation to change. I can say I have a massive dream to be a Town planner, and im heading into university in about two months time. Im somewhat social in the week, but at the same time im a little to excited in stopping my connect group I have when I start uni. Is there anything else I should include? please let me know.

prettyhurts The pressure of life
  • replies: 11

Hi all beautiful people. Im new here. Late 20s, high medication. I live with my parents. They think I work, yet im on a pension. I have to lie to them due to high expectations in our family. I am pressured to get married, ( dont have a partner or dat... View more

Hi all beautiful people. Im new here. Late 20s, high medication. I live with my parents. They think I work, yet im on a pension. I have to lie to them due to high expectations in our family. I am pressured to get married, ( dont have a partner or dating ), and I am forever feeling the extreme demand of being the best of the best. I feel like a constant failure in life. I cant work due to the drowsiness of my meds and I hate covering up that im not well enough to work. My friends are accomplished and successful, yet I struggle living up to everyones expectations. Does anyone have any advice on dealing with the pressure ? the expectations of life? xxx

Chunty Trapped and Helpless
  • replies: 22

Hi Everybody, Mood feels real low today. I feel so helpless and trapped. My internet went down and I was left almost alone all day while my carer spent most of the day trying to get it going. He was so involved with it I felt negleted. Becauseof my i... View more

Hi Everybody, Mood feels real low today. I feel so helpless and trapped. My internet went down and I was left almost alone all day while my carer spent most of the day trying to get it going. He was so involved with it I felt negleted. Becauseof my illness I am totally dependent on him. I was stuck in a recliner, in alot of pain, worse when I moved, cold , hungry and so alone escept with my darling cat Merryweather. I had to ring eventually and ask him for help.My last dose of painkillers was at 4 am and by 3 pm I was in agony. As well as coping with other issues this was the last straw.I guess I am lucky I can vent to you lovely people. Thank you.All the best. Chunty

Akiho How can I pull my own weight more?
  • replies: 4

hi. I’m a 17yr old diagnosed with anxiety two years ago and on meds for one year. For the past 8ish Months I’ve been feeling pretty down. My psychologist says depression but I can’t help feeling that it’s not. I experience all of the “telltale sympto... View more

hi. I’m a 17yr old diagnosed with anxiety two years ago and on meds for one year. For the past 8ish Months I’ve been feeling pretty down. My psychologist says depression but I can’t help feeling that it’s not. I experience all of the “telltale symptoms” but I don’t know if they’re serious enough to count? I do feel happy sometimes! My parents say that I’m making excuses to be lazy - which is fair since I’ve never been one for going to school or studying, usually I’d prefer to play games or read books instead. But now I just… don’t want to do anything? I don’t care about school anymore - or at least not to the extend that I used to - I’m behind on assignments and I’m failing a few classes. I get distracted in class (I don’t have any friends it’s just me sabotaging myself) and sometimes I struggle to see the point in trying, my goal was to be a doctor but now I can’t be bothered to even study. My dad gets really annoyed with me, I can hear him on the phone to relatives all the time complaining about “mood swings” and “rude children”, he has a whole damn prepared speech for everyone he meets. It makes me feel like such an awful person, I never want my parents to feel burdened by me but I also don’t think I’m that bad… I make an effort to help out around the house, I do the dishes, look after my siblings (3 younger), I don’t do drugs, I don’t drink (unlike my brother), hell I’ve never even held hands with a boy!! I recognise that I can be moody, it really pisses me off when my parents say things like that to me, I’m a teenager my hormones are crazy surely they don’t expect me to be as level headed as a normal adult. Whenever I feel bad they call bulls***, when I say I feel bad my dad rolls his eyes and goes “oh not this crap again”. I really want to try and be a better person but I just feel so awful when they say things like that, it just sets me back. I’d really appreciate any ideas/suggestions so I can stop being so lazy or ways to pull my weight more. I really want to be a better person so feel free to leave constructive criticism or whatever!! thanks so much

Klaura Advice
  • replies: 4

I'm currently being treated for major treatment-resistant depression, OCD, and anxiety which I've had for about 7 years. I have been on a number of medications for a while (they sometimes change based on side effects). I've been spiraling lately due ... View more

I'm currently being treated for major treatment-resistant depression, OCD, and anxiety which I've had for about 7 years. I have been on a number of medications for a while (they sometimes change based on side effects). I've been spiraling lately due to fatigue which has been getting worse for the last year to a point in which I'm not longer able to function properly. I've walked out of work crying because I'm so exhausted and can't handle finishing the day. I was having suicidal thoughts in the last months and my psychiatrist upped my medication and that has helped stop the suicidal thoughts however I don't feel any better. Therapy does not work and my psychiatrist has told me not to bother with electroconvulsive therapy or transcranial magnetic stimulation because he does not believe it will work for me. I'm waiting to start DBT however this won't occur for at least another two months. Something desperately needs to change because I am all out of hope. I'm so exhausted that it feels like I'm fighting to stand up straight, my body is weak, I find it hard to finish a sentence. I feel like my body is going to fail on me and besides polycystic ovary syndrome and sleep apnoea, there seems to be nothing else physically wrong with me. My fatigue is compounded by insomnia; Some nights I can sit up for 3-4 hours before I sleep and then I wake up constantly during the night. My diet sucks because I don't care and I can't be bothered to make anything and I can't exercise because even walking makes me feel like I'm going to collapse. I get so breathless and my muscles hurt even after a few steps (I have had an iron infusion in the last six months which didn't help). I feel like I can't function anymore and no matter what I try, nothing seems to help. Does anyone have any advice for treatment options or how to lessen the fatigue?

Glennatron 45, Always been single, don't know how to go on.
  • replies: 10

Hi there, As the title says, I am 45 (about to turn 46) and haven't been in a relationship for my entire life. I have a great job, all the possessions I could ever want, lots of money in the bank, but I can't find someone to share my life with me. I ... View more

Hi there, As the title says, I am 45 (about to turn 46) and haven't been in a relationship for my entire life. I have a great job, all the possessions I could ever want, lots of money in the bank, but I can't find someone to share my life with me. I know lots of single women but I always get friend-zoned. I used to go out every weekend with my friends (who have been in relationships for a long time now), they always had luck with women, I never did. I asked a friend to be honest with me about my looks and she said I'm a 4/10, and I believe she was actually being nice and trying to boost my feelings, she's a good person. I have tried lots of dating sites, both paid and unpaid and the only women who are interested in me I'm not physically attracted to, usually much older, call me shallow if you want but for a man to function properly you need to be physically attracted to your partner. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather date an average-looking or below average-looking woman with a nice personality than a supermodel who had bad character traits. I've talked to my friends about this and all they say is go and see a psychologist or get some anti-depressants, which are things I've done many times before. When I have had anti-depressants they have taken me from being extremely depressed to laying in a hospital bed due to suicide attempts, and I find cognitive behavioural therapy and trying to make coping strategies useless and extremely frustrating. I don't have any family so I sit at home alone all the time, I feel anxiety going to a bar on my own to meet people, my "friends" rarely invite me to social events, and I've given up trying to celebrate birthdays years ago due to only two of my core friends bothering to show up. I feel as though I tried and tried to get on top of my depression but it just gets worse. All I want is not to be lonely anymore. Whenever I do seek help from friends they just tell me to do what hasn't worked many times before, and when I seek professional help they want me to try more pills and more therapy. I'm not a genius but I'm not dim either, I can solve most issues that I come across in life and usually am able to help others with their problems also, but I've been trying to find a solution to my problems my entire adult life. I'm hoping someone might be able to give me some advice, but even if this is too hard (and I completely understand that) it's been nice to get this off my chest just typing this out.

Alannah57 Racing thoughts and mood stabilisers
  • replies: 1

I’ve been having an emotionally up and down few days and feel great now. I walked for hours to get rid of empty blah feelings and that was really good. I talked out loud a lot to myself while walking. And the small dose of mood stabilisers I’m on hav... View more

I’ve been having an emotionally up and down few days and feel great now. I walked for hours to get rid of empty blah feelings and that was really good. I talked out loud a lot to myself while walking. And the small dose of mood stabilisers I’m on have stopped most of my distractibility and racing thoughts. Often before I started taking them I would just get rushy thinking for hours a day. My brain would layer information in a disarrayed way: I’d be half through talking about one thing out loud before I’d switch to another thing, or I’d have a torrent of thoughts on one topic and get excited. I’d be trying to conjure a mental image or idea than switch to something else. Happy racing thoughts that also were frustrating. I might be cyclothymic? I kind of float on the periphery of out there mood states. But I love being interested in the world. I hope one day all those myth of Sisyphus-y bland feelings never return, and I can just focus and be creative, full of colourful ideas and stories I can apply to a page and read from books and museums, apply attention and energy to a work day every day. Feel energised and non empty for no. Reason. I feel great right now, no the myth of Sisyphus and all those bland catcher in the rye/Albert Camus feelings...

MissJ94 Spiralling
  • replies: 3

How does everyone get through life or get themselves out of a crappy position? Im studying and working right now. Im struggling majorly financially. Havent been able to see my psychologist in a month now because i cant afford it. I have bills piling ... View more

How does everyone get through life or get themselves out of a crappy position? Im studying and working right now. Im struggling majorly financially. Havent been able to see my psychologist in a month now because i cant afford it. I have bills piling up and the thought of going back on placement in a couple weeks makes me sick as ill be off work for 3 weeks(no leave left) and somehow need to pay all these bills along with $300+ in parking fees(hospital) so i can attend the placements(public transport is out of the question due to inaccessibility and time constraints). Originally i could have used my health care card or pension card to get a cheaper rate but now the thieves have made it that no student, worker or contractor there can get the cheaper rate. I feel sick just thinking about it. Im still trying to work up the energy to call centrelink to see if its even legal for them to deny the cheaper rate for those who have these cards to make things easier, they advertise the concession rates everywhere but no where does it say its excluded for certain people. I just want to vomit. People have suggested i defer a year. But that only puts these issues back one year. I havent had a proper break from everything in almost a year, i feel burnt out from everything. Ive wanted to be a midwife for years now and im finally getting there. But i never knew how difficult it would be, how time consuming it would be. Its like having a fulltime job but not actually getting paid for it. Nursing was no where near as hard as midwifery is proving to be. Ive had thoughts of just dropping out because of how much im struggling, financially, emotionally. Just seeing a text from my placement facilitator today makes me want to self harm. And i cant even talk to anyone about these feelings because i cant even afford it! Im literally spiralling out of control!

400MRUNNER Scared to get help
  • replies: 2

Hi, I am new to beyond blue. I am a high school student who has been diagnosed with anxiety and am showing symptoms of depression. I need help, but I am too scared to ask. School is getting harder and I am doing worse. What should I do? Thanks

Hi, I am new to beyond blue. I am a high school student who has been diagnosed with anxiety and am showing symptoms of depression. I need help, but I am too scared to ask. School is getting harder and I am doing worse. What should I do? Thanks

jp99 How do I get out of this ditch?
  • replies: 1

I'm in my final year of school, but it doesn't feel like it. I can't sleep half the time, and I just feel so disconnected from everything. I'm a little sad, but mainly I just can't strive to get things done the way I used to. Two years back pre-covid... View more

I'm in my final year of school, but it doesn't feel like it. I can't sleep half the time, and I just feel so disconnected from everything. I'm a little sad, but mainly I just can't strive to get things done the way I used to. Two years back pre-covid, I started taking vyvanse for ADHD, and it all kind of ties back to that moment. I lost 40 kilos, went from an extroverted socialite to an introverted loner. The transformation was not instant but the 2020 lockdown harboured and nurtured it into what it is now, or what I am now. To be honest I don't mind the way I am, I just mind my own business and do what I need to do, but at some point earlier this year something just clicked inside my head, something that just made me numb to everything around me. I can't pinpoint a time and date, but from then up till now, I just can't function properly. I'm in year 12, the most important year of my schooling and for some reason I skip school to sleep in, take sick days, miss classes I need to go to, barely prepare for SAC's, all while deceiving everyone around me as a person that is coping well. And what do I do with all this amassed time? I lie in bed, blinds down and lights off. After school? lie in bed. On the weekends? lie in bed. On the school holidays? lie in bed. All i do is lie in bed. I know it's not healthy, I'm an 18 year old who gets hypertension everywhere, I want to get out and yet for some reason I can't. I thought I was just lazy at first and brushed it off, but i've come to realise that its different, in ways difficult to verbally express but is probably mutually understood between readers of this forum. Indifference to those who can't cope with the demands of 3/4 VCE, while I find it challenging, it's not what makes me feel the way I feel or do the things I do. I will admit that while not having friends makes everything more desolate, I have become complicit with that. I just feel like everything I do lacks sincerity, despite what I set to achieve. I want to get out of this mindset, rehabilitate my deteriorating social skills and get out of this opaque ditch that is currently my life, yet while I type this out, I know fully well how many times I've never followed through.

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