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

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.

Chris_B Are you looking to support someone else with depression? PLEASE READ before posting
  • replies: 0

This forum is for people seeking support for their own mental health issues. If you're posting on behalf of someone else with a mental health issue that you're concerned about, please have a look at this section of our forums: Supporting family and f... View more

This forum is for people seeking support for their own mental health issues. If you're posting on behalf of someone else with a mental health issue that you're concerned about, please have a look at this section of our forums: Supporting family and friends with a mental health condition It's full of threads from people who have family members and friends going through anxiety, depression or other related conditions. Have a read through the threads there, and feel free to take part in the discussions. Below are also some helpful beyondblue resources you might want to look through first as well: Supporting someone Have the conversation

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

Snow_Angel Feeling pointless and unwanted by even my best friend
  • replies: 2

Lately I've been feeling empty and pointless, but there's no way that I could tell anyone because none of my friends would care, they'd find it annoying, and my parents would laugh.I don't even feel like I can contact my friends anymore because I'm j... View more

Lately I've been feeling empty and pointless, but there's no way that I could tell anyone because none of my friends would care, they'd find it annoying, and my parents would laugh.I don't even feel like I can contact my friends anymore because I'm just a burden to them, and I used to think it was my imagination, but I'm almost certain now that it's not. I used to always ask to hang out with my best friend, but she always made excuses that she's busy or that she doesn’t feel well after acupuncture or going to the therapist, and needs a few days to cool off. Of course it makes me feel disappointed but I have been thinking about it as normal, but when I mentioned it to my mum she said it didn’t seem normal, especially since I didn’t see my best friend for a month or so when she was sick, and she wasn’t eager to see me at all. Also, there have been a few times where I’ve stayed over at this friend’s house, and her parents have offered for me to stay longer, and she’s snapped at them, telling them that I can’t stay over any longer. I don’t understand if I’m doing something wrong because sometimes she messages things like ‘so excited to see you’ and ‘i miss you’ but it doesn’t seem like she’s telling the truth. Recently, she told me that we couldn’t hang out this holidays because she was busy, but my mum got a message from her mum inviting me over for a barbecue. Her mum was surprised that I hadn’t heard about it, because this friend was supposed to invite me a while ago. I really don’t know what to do about this situation because she is my best friend and I would hate to lose her. I messaged a long distance friend for advice, who said that it sounded like my best friend seemed depressed, which makes me feel even worse, because I wish if she was that she would talk to me about it and that I could try to help her. In the end, I feel like I’m only ever a burden to others and that it might just be better if I was alone instead of getting in the way all the time. But even though I've decided this, I still get super excited if I get a notification, hoping that it's my friend, and then I get this crushing disappointment that I'm all alone, and I never know what to do, I've spent the past few weeks of holidays sitting on my phone in my room and I'm starting to get so tired of life at this point. I don't know what I'm doing wrong someone pls help me

Australian_Bloke Advice or Guidance for feeling Lonely?
  • replies: 1

Hi There, Without getting to much into my private life im feeling a great feeling of loneliness in my life at the moment, Im used to getting left out but recently I feel its hit a new level as I find myself in the holidays with nothing to do. I have ... View more

Hi There, Without getting to much into my private life im feeling a great feeling of loneliness in my life at the moment, Im used to getting left out but recently I feel its hit a new level as I find myself in the holidays with nothing to do. I have gone down the path of depression and am trying my best to avoid it. Ill try my best to fill you in without exposing my privacy. I dont have any friends I can talk about this issue, especially because the issue mainly consists of friends absence. I dont have a close relationship with my parents and my grandparents cant take heavy conversations because they have high blood pressure. Im no longer seeing a psychiatrist or taking medication (ssri - but I have been off the meds for months). So coming to this website just looking for some advice and guidance on how I can deal with loneliness, I have no interests or hobbys - sorry tried to keep it light

PancakeCat Two years and it's still here.
  • replies: 2

So, I posted two years ago, almost to the day. As I tend to I have continually pushed myself to achieve, succeed etc, and I have. I have entered a new industry, one I love and achieved a great deal in approximately 18 months. I'm quite proud of mysel... View more

So, I posted two years ago, almost to the day. As I tend to I have continually pushed myself to achieve, succeed etc, and I have. I have entered a new industry, one I love and achieved a great deal in approximately 18 months. I'm quite proud of myself in that regard while remaining grounded in the understanding I have allot to learn still. Despite my achievements, friendships made etc I still have an ever present depression. Over the last two years I tried 3 more psychs, sincerely dissappointed in them, most so in the last, evidently money motivated and had little desire to explore how I feel, more so wanted to push meds and be done with it. Speaking of meds I tried another two over extended periods of time with no positive results. I am proud of what I do, what I can do and what I've achieved. I am very aware of the traits of bipolar disorder that present in me feom time to time and manage them accordingly. I'd say I'm fairly lucky to have a good grasp of it all and be well functioning. Deapite this apparent hold on how severely my mental health affects my life professionally. I genuinely feel like I have degraded personally. I have become more withdrawn, have begun hiding myself from others due to dysphoria (I'm a trans woman) to the extent that I avoid my wife seeing me topless or naked and attempt to cover up as much as possible outside of my house. Depression from bipolar disorder seems to have established even further as a constant unrelenting feeling, a constant depression depriving me of feeling untainted happiness

Casualfriday Self disappointment/self sabotaging behaviours help?
  • replies: 2

I always manage to disappoint myself which leads to negative self talk, and subsequent self sabotaging then takes place... preventing me from completing future tasks which then leaves me feeling disappointed etc... and so the vicious cycle continues.... View more

I always manage to disappoint myself which leads to negative self talk, and subsequent self sabotaging then takes place... preventing me from completing future tasks which then leaves me feeling disappointed etc... and so the vicious cycle continues. Does anybody else struggle with this? My sense of self efficacy is virtually gone and I feel like a totally useless, incompetent person. How do I break the cycle and commit to changing different things that I don’t like about myself instead of whinging about it. It’s so frustrating and depressing.

Random_name Struggling with Depression and constant disappointment
  • replies: 3

I have struggled with depression for the past 2 years now and am still bouncing between different medications as I feel it either isn’t helping or I get side effects which just makes everything feel worse. I am really struggling lately because I feel... View more

I have struggled with depression for the past 2 years now and am still bouncing between different medications as I feel it either isn’t helping or I get side effects which just makes everything feel worse. I am really struggling lately because I feel there aren’t many options left and my Psychiatrist just doesn’t seem interested, she is always busy and her office takes me an hour to get to. I want to see someone else closer to where I live and who I feel comfortable talking to but I just can’t take that step to tell her or meet a new person and have to start all over again. It just seems like so much effort and I don’t want to hurt her feelings. I have no enjoyment in my life, as soon as I get home from work I just want to sleep. I tried joining a sports team to be active and meet new people but it didn’t last very long, the tiredness eventually won and I started cancelling on training's and games. I just honestly don’t understand why I am depressed, my life is good. My family don’t understand it either, they try to be helpful but just end up saying the wrong thing and then I stew on that as it goes around and around in my head twisting into something that may have started out as “meaning well”. I am the person who jokes and makes a group laugh but it’s all just a mask, and it is so draining, I can’t keep it up as long as I used to anymore I think that’s why I don’t have friends to talk to about anything anymore, I try to catch up with them but I always get cancelled so my “friend” group has considerably lessened in the past year. Everyone seems to tell me all there problems even if I don’t know them very well, apparently I’m a caring considerate person and people feel comfortable telling me things. I listen and give advice where I can and they seem to walk away happier, Its strange because I find it so hard to talk to people about feelings and emotions, it’s just not something I was taught to do growing up and I just get so uncomfortable and awkward when asked about myself, I just don’t make sense when I try to explain something. It makes me feel stupid like a complete idiot. So to sum everything up I think I’m exhausted trying to keep the smiling face up in front of everyone while being constantly disappointed by everything happening in my life. I don't see myself ever being happy again.

Paul_J_V My story so far
  • replies: 3

Over 2 years ago I had what I know now to be massive mental breakdown. I was living on my own. No partner and feeling like I was totally alone. One day while starting a new job in high pressure sales something changed in me. I rang in sick and just t... View more

Over 2 years ago I had what I know now to be massive mental breakdown. I was living on my own. No partner and feeling like I was totally alone. One day while starting a new job in high pressure sales something changed in me. I rang in sick and just to get out of my unit I starting walking along the beach. I felt like a zombie to be honest and starting feeling like I was shutting down! Some how I went to my local GP and couldn't stop crying. He called for an ambulance and then I found myself in a mental ward in hospital. How did I get there I was asking myself! I had depression and had a mental breakdown. The support staff asked me what stopped you from ending your life? I said my daughter's! They then said, they are you anchors. It's true they are. I got over that period and am now successful in a new job 2 years later. I hope I can help others here to find their anchors and prepared to one for Others. Thankyou for letting me share my story

Slippers Self Diagnosis
  • replies: 2

This is a self-diagnosis. I work in a large corporate company and I had a fight with one of my team mates yesterday and it has left me stressed and asking myself whether any decisions I make are right or not; I had been invited to a get together for ... View more

This is a self-diagnosis. I work in a large corporate company and I had a fight with one of my team mates yesterday and it has left me stressed and asking myself whether any decisions I make are right or not; I had been invited to a get together for tonight and tomorrow night but I have cancelled as I don’t want to go after the fight with my team mate. Maybe it’s me feeling sorry for myself, my intuition tells me to run away from bad things and I sit at home and I normally sleep for most of the weekend and I hate separating myself from the world when things go wrong. If I keep cancelling from fun things that I have been invited to then friends are going to stop inviting me to anything. Maybe I am feeling sorry for myself and separating from everything is my way to ask for other people to care, similar to throwing my toys out of the pram. I have a good feeling of self-worth; I am not going to be throwing my any heavy machinery

mel121 What should I do?
  • replies: 6

hey guys, new here. I was diagnosed with depression since I was 14. I’ve been to many councillors found one that I liked, and also was anti-depressants at one stage. I don’t want to go back on them as I had a relapse and turned me for the worst. I’ve... View more

hey guys, new here. I was diagnosed with depression since I was 14. I’ve been to many councillors found one that I liked, and also was anti-depressants at one stage. I don’t want to go back on them as I had a relapse and turned me for the worst. I’ve learnt to manage without them from then.. having ups and downs. At 23 I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for years I was denial about it but now I’m starting to take care of myself. As of current, I’ve just started a new job after working at my old job for a year it has messed me up. The manager was a narcissist would threaten I would have no job, nothing I ever did was good enough, I wasn’t the only employee in this field that got it, but I feel like she broke me. It made my depression the worst it has ever been. Now I have a new job you would think I would be much happier. I’m currently going back to uni to study nursing so working temporarily at a retail shop. I’m just so lost, I’m 29, single still living at home although I should be blessed as there’s so much opportunity to work on myself and be better. I feel defeated and I’ll never get back on top or I’ll never make it. I feel excited for nothing, just numb

Rosegold5899 Am I depressed or just lazy?
  • replies: 1

Hi there, I am 20 years old and have spent most of this year battling with myself about whether I am depressed or just lazy. I severely lack motivation and on most days I don’t do anything productive or I procrastinate things until it’s almost too la... View more

Hi there, I am 20 years old and have spent most of this year battling with myself about whether I am depressed or just lazy. I severely lack motivation and on most days I don’t do anything productive or I procrastinate things until it’s almost too late. Fortunately I was able to see a psychologist until August and my GP prescribed me antidepressant medication which I have been taking for about 5 weeks now. My GP expects it be having some kind of effect by now, however I’m only noticing side effects which include a very low libido and fatigue. I’m also feeling as though it’s levelling out my emotions to a point where I don’t really feel anything, or at best a little spike that disappears soon after. Lately I have felt incredibly tired and sometimes take a nap only a couple hours after I get up. I get about 7-9 hours of sleep a night and yet I don’t feel refreshed and often awaken feeling anxious. Very recently my bedroom was renovated and I’ve spent the last couple of weeks cleaning furniture and moving things back in. For a few days I felt great and was very motivated to do things, however now I’m really struggling to find that motivation again. This is where I can’t figure out if I’m just lazy and desperately trying to use depression as a justification or if I’m actually depressed. I’m aware I’m on antidepressants for a reason yet I have never been told “you are diagnosed with depression”, which makes me question myself. I feel like I’m wasting my youth away but I can’t seem to pull myself out of this routine. To be perfectly honest, I am most comfortable when I am doing nothing, and that makes me feel free yet very guilty at the same time. Part of me doesn’t even want to change my lifestyle. I am so torn. I don’t have access to a psychologist until February so any kind of advice would be very much appreciated! Thank you for taking the time to read.

cfalz Just feeling so empty - don't want to do anything anymore
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone - I'm just looking for some advice here. I just feel so numb and empty all the time. It's not even sadness, just this crushing nothingness. It feels like there's nothing left inside but a heavy fatigue that's settled into my bones. I don'... View more

Hi everyone - I'm just looking for some advice here. I just feel so numb and empty all the time. It's not even sadness, just this crushing nothingness. It feels like there's nothing left inside but a heavy fatigue that's settled into my bones. I don't find happiness in the things that used to make me happy - not even music (my favourite thing) makes me feel the same way it used to. I just feel empty. Next year is my final year of school and all my friends are excited to graduate but I'm dreading it because it means having to go to university and get a job and work just to make enough money to survive. It feels so hopeless and overwhelming. I feel sick thinking about it. I don't even feel like eating. Eating feels like a chore to me - nothing tastes good or sounds appealing. I eat because I have to. Sorry for this rant - I just wanted to get it off my chest and ask if anyone had any advice. Thanks