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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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Guitarboy Don't know
  • replies: 6

I feel like I have the worst personality ever. I feel like I piss everyone off with my personality. I feel weak. I feel tired. I feel exhausted. I feel like my energy is drained. I feel physically weakened. I'm too fat. I feel over weight. I feel obe... View more

I feel like I have the worst personality ever. I feel like I piss everyone off with my personality. I feel weak. I feel tired. I feel exhausted. I feel like my energy is drained. I feel physically weakened. I'm too fat. I feel over weight. I feel obese. I feel like I can't control my eating habits. Just nonstop take away food. Can't take control of my life. I feel like I'm out of control, in terms of, everything. I can't feel like I'm in control of my life. I feel weak, once again. I feel sorry to my mum. She's getting old, and I'm not helping at all. I wish I could give her the world. I wish I can buy a house with a dishwasher. I wish I can eat Lite n' Easy, so it doesn't create dirty dishes. I have no hope. Ain't nobody going to help me. They all say they will help me. But then, soon after, they all turn their backs on me. I need help. So I seek help. Ain't nobody answers me. At all.

Elsye How to get help
  • replies: 3

Hi, I need some help. I saw a psychologist for about ten years before she retired at the end of last year. At the time I was put on a waiting list with a psychologist who had an eight month waiting list. I finally saw him in June and we had eight ses... View more

Hi, I need some help. I saw a psychologist for about ten years before she retired at the end of last year. At the time I was put on a waiting list with a psychologist who had an eight month waiting list. I finally saw him in June and we had eight sessions before I decided he was not helping me in any way and I was actually feeling worse because with my previous one I felt hopeful and positive after leaving the sessions. With him I felt he didn’t get me, we never made any progress and I was feeling worse because I felt hopeless about my situation like things would never get better because my only hope (psychology) was not working, as opposed to having some hope for a better future like with my last psychologist. The clincher was when something bad happened to me a month ago and I called up in tears asking if he could see me sooner than my next scheduled appointment. He never bothered to even call to say he couldn’t see me but was I ok. I confronted him at my next appointment and he said he got the message but he was busy and “I didn’t specifically ask for a call back”. I could tell them he didn’t care about me, just my money and I did not return after that session. Anyway, that was a month ago and since then I have been calling every psychologist I can find that works remotely near me. They all say sorry I am not taking on new patients. How do I get help when no one will see me? I am in so much pain. I’m not suicidal or anything but I don’t want to get out of bed in the morning, I cry all throughout the day and feel hopeless and sad all the time. I am anxious all the time. I have a difficult work situation and I just feel trapped. I need some help but don’t understand why psychologists don’t care, I am sure they can hear the pain in my voice when I call because I am trying hard not to cry on the phone. my Gp hasn’t helped either. He just said that’s all the psychologists I know. Maybe I’m expecting too much to assume a gp would care and help me find someone, or that a psychologist would tell i was in need and make an exception, but regardless the situation is what it is and I just don’t know what else to do. does anyone have any advice?

Daphre Don't know where to start
  • replies: 2

I am really struggling emotionally . I have been trying to pull my life together but I don't know where to start. I am so lonely and I feel so hopeless I don't know how to change things. I can't go home alone anymore. I can't keep going and going. I ... View more

I am really struggling emotionally . I have been trying to pull my life together but I don't know where to start. I am so lonely and I feel so hopeless I don't know how to change things. I can't go home alone anymore. I can't keep going and going. I feel there is no future for me only the struggle I have now. Seek support, who from? I just cry over the smallest things. I just don't want to keep going like I am now and there is no solution

Schmoopy Dealing with SO
  • replies: 4

My husband and I have been together for 9 years. For the first 6 months he was great, although I did see little red flags here and there. This is his second marriage. One of her reasons for leaving was because she said he was emotionally abusive, he ... View more

My husband and I have been together for 9 years. For the first 6 months he was great, although I did see little red flags here and there. This is his second marriage. One of her reasons for leaving was because she said he was emotionally abusive, he said if you ever feel I’m doing that to you please tell me because I had no idea I was doing it to her. I have told him he’s done it to me but he says I’m being stupid. He has been addicted to pain medication for 16 years after a terrible accident resulting in multiple knee surgeries that have left him in pain over the years. The problem is he really abuses this medication. If he has a bad day he’ll binge some to make himself feel better but then be light on for the rest of the week because then he won’t have enough. Then he goes into a withdrawal because he’s having way less than normal, it’s a vicious cycle. He has been to rehab once before but didn’t finish it. If I know he’s binged then I can expect what’s coming and prepare myself but sometimes I don’t know. Over the last 2 weeks he’s called me fat, boring and not willing to do anything, which is so odd for me because it’s actually the opposite. I’m always trying to get him out to do things and if it wasn’t for me we wouldn’t do anything. He has been diagnosed with depression but supposedly can’t take anything that won’t clash with his pain killers. His pain killers are legitimately from the dr by prescription. His knee is really messed up and they have no issue prescribing them. I feel there must be more to it like some kind of disorder, his moods are insane at times and he can be completely irrational - which I’ve brought up but he won’t discuss it with me. When he’s good it’s awesome but when he’s bad it’s so awful. He gets mean and really personal at times and often gaslights me and tells me I’m the one that started everything. He often has really excessive reactions to normal situations too. Between the 2 of us we have 4 children and don’t get me wrong for the most part we have an amazing relationship, I wouldn’t have stuck it out if it wasn’t. I guess I just wanted to vent. This weekend has been a bad one and I haven’t dealt with anything like this since March - which is a long time for us. I’ve been walking on eggshells all weekend, it’s hard.

Effected912 Hopeless
  • replies: 1

I've never posted before even though I've had some severe low points in my life but tonight something inside of me snapped and I figured it was worth a shot. I feel completely hopeless and trapped in a life I can't change without seriously hurting so... View more

I've never posted before even though I've had some severe low points in my life but tonight something inside of me snapped and I figured it was worth a shot. I feel completely hopeless and trapped in a life I can't change without seriously hurting someone and I don't think I can live with that. I still live at home with my family even though I'm old enough that I should be well on the way to a life and family of my own, however I know that will never happen for me. When I was a young teenager my parents took on my aunt's baby due to her mental health and inability to care for her, shortly after the birth one parent got very sick and the other spent a lot of time at hospital to help with care so I had the baby most of the time which led me to develop a chronic illness that I still struggle with. That child is now a delinquent teenager who is too much for my mother to handle alone as the stress could quite literally kill her. In addition to that situation my sister got pregnant young and had a child with multiple issues, he is now 9 and requires full-time attention by both me and my sister and is very intense and can be out of control at times. My sister is simply not capable of minding him on her own so I spend all my time helping her with her son and doing everything I can for my mother and I'm stuck. I have no degree, no career prospects, no partner, no friends, no money and nothing to call my own and I can't see a way to make my life any better no matter how many times I'm told 'if you don't like your life do something about it' so I figured maybe if I type this it might help me in some small way even if nothing comes of it. I truely have no idea how I'm supposed to live a happy life knowing I'm stuck with very little I can do about it and will probably never have a future where I'm not that pathetic woman with nothing to show for herself even though my life's 'not that bad' as I'm told repeatedly. If anyone has any advice they can like free please share, I'm so lost.

mimiblue Depression
  • replies: 17

I never knew or understood what depression was until I was 14. I had a really good and blessed childhood, I had a huge family and amazing childhood friends. When I left primary school and entered high school everything changed. I am now 20 and in uni... View more

I never knew or understood what depression was until I was 14. I had a really good and blessed childhood, I had a huge family and amazing childhood friends. When I left primary school and entered high school everything changed. I am now 20 and in university but it's still affecting me and getting worse. As a kid I was so social and talkative, I was so excited about the world and the endless possibilities, I was an optimist. When I entered high school, my personality changed, girls that I was trying to hang out with would constantly bring me down and I lost my innocence and my youth. As a child I thought everyone was nice and a good person and then I entered high school. I completely lost all of my confidence and happiness in high school but I used food (emotional eating) to make me happy and gained heaps of weight. I was a very fit person and now I'm overweight. When I entered university I started becoming myself again and feeling good but then that started to stop as well. A couple of weeks ago I got my old home videos (VHS tapes) converted and I was so excited to watch them but now I completely regret my decision. Ever since I watched those tapes a deep dark depression hit me as I realised how happy I was and how for the past 8 years I wasn't living just exisiting and surviving. Now after seeing my old tapes I feel as if I'll never be that happy confident kid again and now I can't fathom getting out of bed. So here I am lying down on my bed as I'm typing this out, I just feel so hopeless and that everything in life is pointless and meaningless. Since watching the tapes I've lost my appetite and haven't eaten in a week, I've only drank coffee and ice tea, I stopped going to the gym and feel fatigued all the time. If I knew those tapes would bring me all this sadness I would of never converted them .........

peacock Suffering so much
  • replies: 6

I’m going through a terrible time at the moment. Depressed and sad for most of the day, crying a lot. Spoke to my psychiatrist yesterday who said to increase my meds which I have done. I guess it’s a waiting game for the higher dose to kick in. The t... View more

I’m going through a terrible time at the moment. Depressed and sad for most of the day, crying a lot. Spoke to my psychiatrist yesterday who said to increase my meds which I have done. I guess it’s a waiting game for the higher dose to kick in. The trigger for my depression was that I finally stopped contact with my dysfunctional siblings after years of emotional torment and abuse. Glad I made that decision but sometimes the pain of what went on is overwhelming. I’ve been here before and know I’ll get better but some times it is so hard to take. I’ve been ringing Lifeline and Beyond Blue several times a day and they have been so helpful. This is so so hard to take.

Lanie01 Stuck
  • replies: 3

I'm new to this but I seem to be struggling. I have suffered with depression and also chronic pain and illness. I can't seem to move at the moment. Its like I'm in quick sand and I cannot move my thoughts or anything. I see a psychologist but sometim... View more

I'm new to this but I seem to be struggling. I have suffered with depression and also chronic pain and illness. I can't seem to move at the moment. Its like I'm in quick sand and I cannot move my thoughts or anything. I see a psychologist but sometimes I feel like I have to start over at every appointment. Right now I have been really struggling to sleep, all things that have kept me moving stopped and now I'm at a loss. I don't have family that are around so I'm alone most of the time. Thoughts creep in and I go to a dark place, I'm still trying to work but its hard some days. I feel useless all the time, I feel worthless what else am I supposed to do? I can't see a way out right now

Doolhof Where to from here?
  • replies: 13

Hi Everyone, I'm sure lots of you have had those moments where you don't feel comfortable with where you are at, you want positive changes, but you don't always know how to accomplish the changes you desire. Me, I feel like I have been existing but n... View more

Hi Everyone, I'm sure lots of you have had those moments where you don't feel comfortable with where you are at, you want positive changes, but you don't always know how to accomplish the changes you desire. Me, I feel like I have been existing but not really living for a while now. Maybe, deep inside I was working on building strength and gaining more resilience. Maybe sometimes we need to just sit quietly, allow our minds and bodies time to chill out and recover before we can move on. I feel it is time for me to move on. I am not sure exactly what that looks like and maybe I don't need to know all the details. Having a plan as a guide certainly helps. Writing down what I would like to achieve each day might be a good first step. Acknowledging my road blocks to moving forward and finding ways around or over them is a good idea as well. Either way, I have a desire to make changes where I can and to accept the issues I have no control over so that is a good thing. Today I have the opportunity to make this day the best it can be. How are the rest of you travelling? Cheers from Dools

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