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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 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

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Eboni Princess Eboni
  • replies: 3

Hi I have no human family n regret not having any friends, I am 69 in a few months time I live with my tiny furdaughter whom I love with all my heart. My mobolity is not very good after having 3 back surgeries 2 shoulder surgeries n 2 hip replacement... View more

Hi I have no human family n regret not having any friends, I am 69 in a few months time I live with my tiny furdaughter whom I love with all my heart. My mobolity is not very good after having 3 back surgeries 2 shoulder surgeries n 2 hip replacements. I can go 2-3 weeks without talking to anyone, but at least I could go out for coffee with my assistance dog who is always beautifully dressed n very small n very cute, so she gets a lot of attention n that was my wsy of having communication but now not being able to go out I am finding it so hard. I have suffered with depression n anxiety for many many years, loneliness has been the biggest thing to try n handle I have lived on my own for 30+ years, but lost the last of my family 13+ years ago it has been so very hard. Now as I have got older n struggling with mobility problems life is just so hard.

houndstooth Where do I go from here?
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, I have been living in Australia for several years and became a permanent resident about a year ago. In the past I have been diagnosed with ADHD (primarily inattentive), generalized anxiety disorder and depression, however I have not been... View more

Hi everyone, I have been living in Australia for several years and became a permanent resident about a year ago. In the past I have been diagnosed with ADHD (primarily inattentive), generalized anxiety disorder and depression, however I have not been on medication or undergoing any form of treatment for the past few years. I have generally learned to manage them reasonably well (e.g. turn down the volume from 10 to 5). I have a good job and have generally done well; however, i do struggle from time to time. Over the past 6-8 months, I have felt myself really slipping backwards. I am really struggling to maintain focus on anything and I often feel drained of motivation. It's gotten to the point that it is affecting my life significantly - both personally and my ability to do my job well. This has further been compounded by my role at work evolving so that I am doing more of the kind of task that I find most challenging. I feel tremendously unhappy, unmotivated and helpless. I have also frequently been feeling what I think is dissociation - I feel stuck inside of my head and like my brain and body aren't one and the same, or like I'm not actually part of the world around me. This is something that I haven't really felt on this level before. And the COVID-19 situation isn't helping (anxiety, changed work environments/some time working at home), etc. I feel tremendous guilt that, despite being one of the lucky ones that still has a job, I'm struggling to keep motivated and actually do my job well. I'm also not sure if it's appropriate for me to seek help for my psychological difficulties at a time when there are bigger issues for health professionals, etc to deal with. I'm frustrated to find myself in this position once again, and I don't want to end up falling into as dark of places as I have in the past. I know I need to seek help, but I really don't know how to go about it here in Australia. I do not have an established safety net here in Australia like I did in my home country, and I don't know where to go to get the support I need. I don't even have a regular GP here. I am also a member of the LGBTQI+ community and I don't live in a large city where I feel there are significant queer-friendly resources available. Any guidance on how I can move forward in this situation would be greatly appreciated, as I'm feeling at a bit of a loss at the moment.

LiveSadPandas Long term depressed, now socially isloated too
  • replies: 2

I've been seriously depressed for a long time. And by seriously, I mean my psychiatrist diagnosed me with MDD. That was over a decade ago, and from what they said, I've been depressed all my life. My medications work pretty well, they keep a good ven... View more

I've been seriously depressed for a long time. And by seriously, I mean my psychiatrist diagnosed me with MDD. That was over a decade ago, and from what they said, I've been depressed all my life. My medications work pretty well, they keep a good veneer of coping on life. I'm still very negative, but I can work and keep on top of bills and legal stuff like that. My MDD is "comorbid" with other stuff, so that's kind of s%^. Since getting sent home from work, I don't see anyone anymore. It's been two weeks now and its pretty difficult. We're all working from home. It's still work, but without the human interaction. I don't have any close friends around, and my family is all elsewhere. Phone calls are a rare thing, like unicorns rare. Then my ex-partner of twenty years decided they wanted basically all the money in a divorce settlement. Happy Easter everyone. Don't worry, I'm not suicidal, just sad

Northern Need advice
  • replies: 4

I live in a small unit alone. No back or front yard. I try and go for a walk when i can and sit in the park to practice mindfulness and read a book. Considering its for my health and wellbeing am i able to still do this if I'm practicing social dista... View more

I live in a small unit alone. No back or front yard. I try and go for a walk when i can and sit in the park to practice mindfulness and read a book. Considering its for my health and wellbeing am i able to still do this if I'm practicing social distancing etc?

littleleague Intrusive thoughts
  • replies: 1

Hey everyone, I'm 24, currently working & at uni (from home), living with my parents and younger brothers in Melbourne. I'm finishing my masters in environmental sustainability this semester which is an area I'm really passionate in, and work for a g... View more

Hey everyone, I'm 24, currently working & at uni (from home), living with my parents and younger brothers in Melbourne. I'm finishing my masters in environmental sustainability this semester which is an area I'm really passionate in, and work for a good non-profit (though I'm very bored of the work I'm doing, especially while working from home.) I've been struggling with anxiety and intrusive depressive thoughts for the last few years. I notice a spike when the weather starts to turn (as it has in Melbourne the last week), when it gets cooler, less sunlight, more clouds etc. Don't want to label it as seasonal depression since I've never been diagnosed but yeah my symptoms match a lot of those symptoms -- just really flat mood, lack of energy, negative outlook, moody. Little things really set off little depressive episodes and really intrusive thoughts. Like today my mum gave me a business sweater as an easter gift which is nice of her I guess but I've told her before that I don't need sweaters because I don't wear them for work or for anything so it's a waste, and I'd told my parents that when they wanted to buy me one when we were overseas in Canada over new year's (they still bought me one and it's been sitting in my closet ever since). But anyway my mum gave me the sweater and I told her again that I don't need one and it'll just go to waste, so it's better if they return it or give it to my brothers or something instead of it gathering dust in my closet. And just saying that has set off a little depressive episode, me feeling guilty about saying that, wishing I was more grateful, hating myself for maybe disappointing them etc. It's happened a lot lately w little things. I'm not sure how to cope with it the next few months. I saw a therapist a few times last spring for anxiety and she was kind of helpful but then I haven't been back to see her since about November and although there's tele-therapy or whatever, I don't feel comfortable having these discussions out loud in my family home with a therapist, and with lockdown there's nowhere else I can really go. Sport and gym really made me happy the last two years but now that's gone as well, I still do workouts at home which is good but still miss playing sport and the social aspect. I'm an introvert so don't mind time on my own though, solo walks have been good. Not sure what else to say or what I'm looking for -- solidarity, advice, questions, dunno. Just feeling flat and thought I should make a post.

Mia99 Need advice
  • replies: 2

Hi, I need some advice. I’ve been struggling terribly with mood swings for a while now. I’ve only really taken notice how extreme my mood swings are over recent weeks. One day I’m happy and motivated and the next I feel worthless and empty. I find th... View more

Hi, I need some advice. I’ve been struggling terribly with mood swings for a while now. I’ve only really taken notice how extreme my mood swings are over recent weeks. One day I’m happy and motivated and the next I feel worthless and empty. I find that I get agitated by the smallest things. Or some days I wake up agitated and angry and I don’t know why. Some days I find myself wishing that I could just disappear. I don’t know why I feel this way, there is nothing particularly wrong in my life. I have these so called ‘bad days’ at least a couple days a week. And some days its a rollercoaster of emotions that I feel like I can’t control. I have every reason to be happy but I don’t think I am. My friends get annoyed at me because they think I’m angry with them, and when I tell them I’m not and they ask why I’m acting this way, I can’t come up with an answer. I don’t know whether this is something serious or not. I don’t know if I’m exaggerating it in my head or if I should actually see someone for this. I just want to be able to be happy. Is this something I should see someone for? I also don’t have the money to go and see someone but I know that some of it can be covered by Medicare. I guess I’d also like to know how that process works? If anyone has any advice or has experienced something like this please let me know, I’m struggling to understand whats going on with me.

marlixo my introduction - really struggling with depression, social anxiety and bdd
  • replies: 3

hello everyone, this is my first time using the forums here so hope I'm doing this right! First I'll give a bit of backstory. I'm a 17-year-old girl and have been diagnosed with depression, social phobia, body dysmorphia and an eating disorder all in... View more

hello everyone, this is my first time using the forums here so hope I'm doing this right! First I'll give a bit of backstory. I'm a 17-year-old girl and have been diagnosed with depression, social phobia, body dysmorphia and an eating disorder all in the past year. Basically I hate the way I look and have low confidence and self-esteem as well as perfectionist tendencies/ocd which leads into social phobia as I am constantly worried of what others are thinking of me. The depression comes from that and is up and down, I'm currently going through a really low point and am struggling. I'm on medication which has recently increased. One area I'm really struggling in is academics. I'm in year 11 and used to be very academic, would rank first in my classes and get awards at final assemblys etc. however all of the mental struggles have completely ruined my studies and my cognitive functioning. I'm failing almost all of my classes. I find it so difficult to focus on tasks and even when I do, I just feel my brain doesn't work. I can't think or remember information or anything, it's so frustrating and ends up making me feel more hopeless and depressed. So I guess I'm looking for an advice on how to accept the fact that I can't do as well in school as I previously have. I also feel everyone (teachers, other students) have such high expectations of me and I'm scared for them to see that I'm no longer that good. Would really like to hear other stories of how mental illness has affected your cognitive function or studies. I'd also really like to hear from people who have both depression and social anxiety (and maybe even BDD) as I find it's just a vicious cycle where I can never win. I have these feelings about the way I look (that I'm disgusting etc.) and then they lead into social anxiety and missing many opportunities because I fear others will also have negative thoughts about me/judge me etc. which leads to me feeling more lonely, isolated, hopeless and depressed. I wish I had more friends and could go out and socialise at parties and be confident etc. but I get so anxious. I constantly worry that people will think I'm awkward or weird or ugly. I haven't mentioned a lot of other stuff but I think this is a good place to start. Any replies would be much appreciated, I think it'd be really helpful to talk to other people who are going through the same things. Thanks.

dew SSRIs and Infidelity<br />  
  • replies: 2

I (F21) have been in a long term relationship with my partner (M26) for 3 and a half years. We have bought a house together and were looking to get engaged later in the year. I have been on antidepressants most of that time but around 6 months ago, t... View more

I (F21) have been in a long term relationship with my partner (M26) for 3 and a half years. We have bought a house together and were looking to get engaged later in the year. I have been on antidepressants most of that time but around 6 months ago, the psychiatrist I was seeing kept upping the dose of the medication I was on to the highest dose someone can get prescribed to. I have been on this dose for about 4 months now. I am a short and small girl. I gained about 15kgs on this medication. I also got prescribed to several other medications. This has made me emotionally numb. I now have no feelings for my boyfriend and when he traveled for his mum's surgery back home, I slept with 4 different guys in 3 days, since I didn't feel I had love for him and didn't enjoy being intimate for him anymore for about 2 months. I slept with them not because I wanted to find another relationship but rather because I had no self worth and just wanted to feel something. He still really loves me and I feel I do love him too but it is just numb. Everything is numb, including my feeling towards my parents, friends and other social groups. I found using illegal drugs every day in extremely high doses would be the only way I would feel things. My daily routine would be to sleep until about 2/3pm and then go to work if I felt like it, otherwise I'd call in sick. I would then just use drugs, then spend all night watching YouTube videos until I fell asleep. On the night he caught me cheating, I had been using drugs just to feel something, because I didn't regret it or feel sad about it. We both really want this relationship to continue and he is prepared to forgive me but recommends I lower my dose and follow up with another psychiatrist. We are now back to our home town. At the moment, I am in my country with my family and he is in another city with his family. We want to work on ourselves during this time. It is really hard to seek for professional help at the moment due to the lack of health care in my country. Since I live in a small town, there is no psychiatrist in my hometown. I cannot go to bigger city since I am on quarantine. People see mental health differently in my country too. Would this numbness be because of my antidepressants? TLDR; I don't feel like I love my boyfriend anymore so I cheated on him with 4 guys during one night stands

Ada1 Feeling very isolated
  • replies: 3

Hi, I am new to this forum but I thought it can help to talk to people who might understand. I am struggling to fit in this world where technology and social media are replacing real relationships. Slowly over the time, I became disconnected from peo... View more

Hi, I am new to this forum but I thought it can help to talk to people who might understand. I am struggling to fit in this world where technology and social media are replacing real relationships. Slowly over the time, I became disconnected from people and completely isolated. During last 10 years, I lived and worked in different countries: UK, US, Germany and now Australia. When I arrived in a new country, I always tried to join social groups, local sport clubs or volunteered in order to meet people and make friends. I ended with transient, short lived relationships. Since I moved abroad alone, I needed support, help and a company of few friends who cared. Every year I got more and more disappointed and depressed. I feel like I can not understand people and make meaningful connections. It looks to me that people around are not interested in meeting, talking or sharing feelings. I dont know how to function normalny. I lost interest in every day life. Since I could not keep my job I had to move to live with my parents. I am now in a small town in the north of Australia. My situation became even worse. There are no job opportunities for me here. I have even less chance to meet people. I struggle every day with loleness and feeling of emptiness. I don't know what to do. Ada1

Autumn_ I’m all alone
  • replies: 4

Hi Everyone, I’m not usually much of a sharer but I don’t know where else to go, so here it goes. I’ve always felt alone in the big blue world and tonight is no exception. Most days, I justify it by telling myself I’m a lone wanderer, but sometimes i... View more

Hi Everyone, I’m not usually much of a sharer but I don’t know where else to go, so here it goes. I’ve always felt alone in the big blue world and tonight is no exception. Most days, I justify it by telling myself I’m a lone wanderer, but sometimes it gets on top of me. I’ve never had many friends. I think I’m too quite. I’ve dated men who seem fabulous but they always end up emotionally abusing me. My most recent relationship (which also seemed the most promising) has just taken a similar turn. I think my dad taught me to accept poor treatment. He is extremely selfish and has left when I was a teenager so he could travel the world. He still messages every so often, but I think it does more harm than good. My relationship with my mum is better but still not great. Despite living out of home for many years, I’m always doing something wrong and I think she complains to others about me when I’m not present. I moved out of home when I was 17 because of my parents and had to grow up very quickly. I’m tired from constantly worrying about money and putting a roof over my head. My only friend and I are growing apart. I find that I support her (she has a range of things going on) but she is never there when I need a shoulder to cry on. I’m at peace with it but I always find my relationships follow this format. I feel really alone and sometimes wonder what the point even is anymore. If life is always going to be more pain than happiness, what’s the point.