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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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calmseeker I feel like I have hit a brick wall.
  • replies: 17

I feel lost. I have been trying really really hard to manage my anxiety and stay positive and take all the right steps to help myself, and for a few months I felt a bit better and even felt a bit empowered to offer some assistance to others but as of... View more

I feel lost. I have been trying really really hard to manage my anxiety and stay positive and take all the right steps to help myself, and for a few months I felt a bit better and even felt a bit empowered to offer some assistance to others but as of the last few days I have had terrible panic attacks again with nasty symptoms resurfacing and now I just feel really depressed and very disappointed that my efforts to overcome this condition are all in vain. I have tried to eat well and do a bit of exercise, I have started online CBT therapy which have committed too and working really hard at but the debilitating symptoms have reared their ugly head again and now I just feel really sad and tired and quite hopeless really. I have a few challenging things going on in my life that I am trying to deal with but don't we all? I don't feel like I am getting much help from my GP and I am seeing a psychologist but the visits are nearly 2 months apart as she is busy, I feel hopeful on the actual day I see the psychologist but the feeling is gone by that evening so I don't feel I am getting much out of it. It takes a lot of energy and effort to live with anxiety and I just cant seem to muster up any more motivation or hope to fight this battle right now. Feeling very low.

Hoeneka Vent (Let it out)
  • replies: 6

I vent all the time so I thought why not create a forum for me and others to vent. Heres mine today. My masked depression. I sometimes wonder, would I be better off without emotions? I get so sad and angry and I hurt, alot. I don't see much use for m... View more

I vent all the time so I thought why not create a forum for me and others to vent. Heres mine today. My masked depression. I sometimes wonder, would I be better off without emotions? I get so sad and angry and I hurt, alot. I don't see much use for my emotions really, I may aswell just have sadness because that seems to be the only thing I can feel. Sadness and anger, they can't really be controlled, can they? I try to supress my sadness but it flows out of me, I'm sure anybody can tell I'm sad. But, its not just sadness, I feel alot of different things, sometimes I think, maybe despair, the whole world if it took over, everyone would feel like me. But how do I describe my feelings, I mean to be fair I'm not even sure why I'm writing this, I guess I just wanted to vent. My life really hasn't been the greatest, primary school was horrible but my parents just put it down to "kids being kids" It kinda hurts, having your experiences doubted by parents who weren't even there to experinece it all. I don't really get an "escape" I'm stuck with this, this depression, sometimes I feel like I've made my depression into a whole new emotion, something different from what other people experience. I have alot of really low points, I'll just cry and cry, sometimes I'll put on a happy face but thats just a mask. A histerical mask, my depression, it feels like its driving me insane sometimes, I feel so numb but at the same time I'm feeling almost everything. I want to be taken away to a different world, where she cares, the girl I've tried so hard for, I just, I want to feel, I want feeling so badly. But at the same time, I never want to feel another thing, because its so goddamn painful, I mean I'm in constant pain, whether It be mental or physical, I mean sure people are nice to me but it just, I can't fully appreciate it. I feel like a broken record writing this, I feel as if every line is just repeating the same thing, with no difference, but depression isn't even the only thing weighing me down. She really thought I was getting better, because I was starting to look after myself a little more, but I guess I was just unintentionally masking it, can you even do that, put a mask on without even realizing it? I guess stress is also a big factor in all of this, highschool, oh boy, I mean sure in thr long run it sounds fun but it makes me feel even worse, the people here are much smarter than me. Theres alot more but character limit got me by 1600 words.

Hutch86 33 year old male deeply depressed
  • replies: 15

Hi I have been struggling with depression and a anxiety my whole life. I have a good job, a degree, 2 kids, a wife and a house etc but I am never happy and I have a constant sense of impending doom. I am basically an alcoholic, drug addict, and can n... View more

Hi I have been struggling with depression and a anxiety my whole life. I have a good job, a degree, 2 kids, a wife and a house etc but I am never happy and I have a constant sense of impending doom. I am basically an alcoholic, drug addict, and can not control my impulses on pretty much anything. I have gone into a downward spiral over the past 6 months and really hit the alcohol hard. I have recently gotten into trouble with the police over a drunken assault and my wife is at her wits end with me. I am basically her third child. I have really had a hard time transitioning from a partying 20 something into life as a Dad in my early 30’s. I am depressed all the time and have withdrawn from my friendship group as I am always anxious and don’t answer or return phone calls. I feel like I am just in a massive rut. I should be happy but I just can’t shake this depression and anxiety. I also have massive problems with anger. I have never assaulted my wife but I flip out over anything minor and break things etc like a child. My biggest challenge at this point is getting off alcohol. I have been going out drinking on my own to strip clubs and spending ridiculous sums of money which puts a massive strain on my marriage. Comes back to the impulse control I guess. If anyone has any decent tips on how to get off alcohol I am all ears. I suffer from ADHD and everything seems very difficult at the moment. I am a liability to my family and I know they are ashamed of me at the moment as I am also ashamed of myself and my lack of self control. I really hope I can get through this tough period and be a real man, Dad and Husband - it just seems like a monumental challenge..

OneGem Can your get Body depression?
  • replies: 3

My question is can your body get depressed Without you even knowing it? So the last few months I've seen some changes In my body, getting 4 hours sleep if I'm lucky And it's broken, not wanting to go out because I'm so tired, everytime I eat I feel s... View more

My question is can your body get depressed Without you even knowing it? So the last few months I've seen some changes In my body, getting 4 hours sleep if I'm lucky And it's broken, not wanting to go out because I'm so tired, everytime I eat I feel sick. But the thing is my mind feels okay and Yes I've had suffered from depression many Times before, also a few other things. I see My doctor on a regular basis, but of late it's Been hard finding the right time. It wasn't until A few days I thought my body might be depressed, I started thinking about the stuff that has been Going on with me for the last few months and I Remember that I had a major operation about 7 months ago and that's when it all started and Has gotten worse over time. The reason that I'm asking here is because I don't want to Worry family or friends and I find it hard to talk To them about this stuff because they don't Really understand it. So my question is can your Body get depressed without you knowing it??? Thank you to anyone who's taken the time to Read this, will answer any questions.

EJT would like some help please!
  • replies: 3

I am seeking some tips on how to approach my mother to tell her how I feel and how I think I may possibly have depression? I am afraid that she will dismiss my feelings, and ultimately feel uncomfortable at the thought of telling her. I want to seek ... View more

I am seeking some tips on how to approach my mother to tell her how I feel and how I think I may possibly have depression? I am afraid that she will dismiss my feelings, and ultimately feel uncomfortable at the thought of telling her. I want to seek professional help to enable me to understand and cope with my feelings and to know whether what I am feeling is 'normal' (lack of a better word) or is due an underlying issue. My father has depression, which has worsened severely since my parents broke up (I am in grade 11, they split in grade 5). He does not know that I know that, and only told me he had depression several months ago. It is only recently that I have felt these symptoms worsen (app. past 3 months). I have been moving houses, and am still in the process of finding a new house to live in. The process is unbelievably frustrating and has made my overall mental health worsen severely. My productivity levels have stunted immensely over the past few months, and I feel so unmotivated. The best way I can describe how I feel is empty. I feel void of emotions a lot of the time, and will go through these periods several times a week (lasting 1-3 hours) where I feel extremely tired (even though I may have received adequate sleep that night) and like i'm just existing, like the world is operating around me but i'm frozen in time or in slow motion. In addition to this, I experience lots of anger and frustration, and the smallest things may set me off. I've lost enjoyment in lots of activities, and struggle to focus. I discussed them with my closest friends, one of which said she experienced the same feelings as well as point out that they are symptoms of depression. I have considered it momentarily before, but never seriously until now. I don't want to label it and self-diagnose or even suggest that I may have it as I feel like people will respond by thinking I am an attention seeker. This is also why I also struggle to voice my concerns to my parents, the last time I did so to my mother (about trouble concentrating in school and exhibiting ADHD symptoms) she dismissed my worries, and told me that it was because I spend "too much time on my computer" or other similar reasons.

James1993 Web of Lies
  • replies: 3

Hi all, Im kind of nervous about posting here since outside of my counsellor and my partner this is an issue I rarely speak about because of the shame and other not so pleasant feelings that it causes me and the person who matters most to me to exper... View more

Hi all, Im kind of nervous about posting here since outside of my counsellor and my partner this is an issue I rarely speak about because of the shame and other not so pleasant feelings that it causes me and the person who matters most to me to experience. A bit of backstory to set the scene. My parents separated from a young age. It wasn’t great to say the least but we all survived in our own way. Unfortunately a byproduct of that was during the times I got to hang out with my dad my mum would basically give me a script of things to say to him either to make him feel guilty or to somehow try and manipulate his emotions. I being a child at the time did it but soon wanted to stop as I could see how much it hurt him and so it began. I started just to lie and say I’d said those things and make up his reaction. The years went by and I continued this pattern to avoid hurting my dad and to just keep my mum off my back. Unfortunately the behaviour started to spread like a disease. It ranged from pretending I knew what I was talking about on various subjects, saying I’d heard a band or saw a movie when I didn’t. Seemingly innocuous stuff like that. It continued for a while at what I thought was a benign level, soon it shifted though. I started to realise I could avoid conflict/unpleasant situations by fabricating a lie. Due to growing up with a mother with a temper I have an aversion to conflict or situations that have negative feelings attached. I also lie to make myself seem more interesting or knowledgeable as in reality I find myself to be quite boring and of little interest to people. Part of me knows that this is not true but I find myself getting trapped in that thought process. So that brings us to tonight. After talking to a counsellor I was doing so well. Lie free and all me for a few months and it happened again. I screwed up. It was over such an insignificant thing. I took some money out of savings to see me through the weekend but it came up short so I took some more out and my partner questioned how I got some more money. Instead of saying I took more out I concocted a story about transferring spare money from accounts and using change. I stuck to it for a little bit (3-4 minutes) and eventually confessed to moving money from savings. I thought she would be mad about me not telling her (not true). So now I have hurt and upset her and I’ve washed all my progress down the drain. Thanks for reading. Sorry about the formatting I’m on mobile.

Kwee_Eng Desperate n struggling
  • replies: 13

Hi, I m new to this site. I have been on antidepressants since 20.1.20. I struggle everyday, intensity of symptoms varies. Does anyone out there can identify with how difficult it is mentally, emotionally n physically. At times, I just dont know how ... View more

Hi, I m new to this site. I have been on antidepressants since 20.1.20. I struggle everyday, intensity of symptoms varies. Does anyone out there can identify with how difficult it is mentally, emotionally n physically. At times, I just dont know how to manage the symptoms n look beyond to better days.

JimmyP2020 25, probably depressed, certainly struggling.
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, Where to begin? Not really sure myself, I'm feeling like the walls are closing in on me and no matter how much push I give, they just keep closing in. It kind of all started last year in earnest although I did have a stint on an SSNRI a ... View more

Hi everyone, Where to begin? Not really sure myself, I'm feeling like the walls are closing in on me and no matter how much push I give, they just keep closing in. It kind of all started last year in earnest although I did have a stint on an SSNRI a few years ago. My sister's health declined over the year before she passed on a few months ago. It left me feeling pretty rubbish since there was a lot left unsaid. Everything was left on a sour note years prior. You see, I grew up in a rather closed group that shunned society. A few years ago I traded that social group to pursue University. I never went to school as a child, or even did home-school. I was a free-range child. The community was, it still is, close knit. Everyone helps each other, everything is a group effort. It is idyllic in many ways, however, there is a strong in and out group dynamic. One can't be inside the group and participate in general life activities. If you are outside the group you are avoided and shunned like a team traitor. That's how I lost contact with my sister, by being an outsider. Information, as sparse as it was, arrived to me months later from family. There was also a push to bring me back into the fold by guilt tripping me. A ultimatum of sorts, come back and you can talk to your dying sister. This was all on the back of my final year at university. The academic pressure felt intense, but it was a reprieve, something to hide behind while the real pressure came from my family. I bounced from studying to drinking at night and playing a myriad of video games. I graduated, but I wasn't really ready to graduate. I wasn't ready for the job searching and interviewing. I was there at University to escape life, not to build to something more. It came to an end, my course, I graduated, and then I suddenly had nothing. I was standing with a piece of paper, and a desire to hide away. I struggled, I got a few interviews, but being depressed, I mumbled and fumbled. I was even told that I needed to speak more. Now I am still here, still feeling the same, still hiding away behind anything from my family. Video games, news, political forums. Anything that can sink time in a day and keep the feels back. Now I am feeling tired, so tired of it. I feel angry as well, like I could do something dumb. Fantasies of white hot anger mixed with hours of spacing out watching the endless dance of YouTube videos about a myriad of asinine topics. I'm drowning myself in pointless minutia to hide.

Tiger07 What are your experiences with medication? 
  • replies: 10

Hi, Im a first time user and hope this can be of assistance to me. I have been battling depression for a very long time, however I recently come close to self harm. I have been avoiding medication as I dont want to become reliant on it, however I hav... View more

Hi, Im a first time user and hope this can be of assistance to me. I have been battling depression for a very long time, however I recently come close to self harm. I have been avoiding medication as I dont want to become reliant on it, however I have just bitten the bullet and asked my physiologist to recommend someting for me. I was just wondering if people have had good or bad experiences with their medication? I am very nervous about commencing this type of treatment. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

M_M Hormonal anxiety and depression
  • replies: 1

I’m looking to connect with someone who is experiencing the same things as Iam. Almost 3 weeks ago I had been feeling super dizzy and extreme fatigue, felt like there was an elephant on my chest and just super sad. I didn’t know what was going on, un... View more

I’m looking to connect with someone who is experiencing the same things as Iam. Almost 3 weeks ago I had been feeling super dizzy and extreme fatigue, felt like there was an elephant on my chest and just super sad. I didn’t know what was going on, until I went to the doctors and told him I had been feeling but I didn’t have anything triggering why I had been feeling the way I had been feeling. He put it down to hormonal anxiety and depression, and a really bad side effect after coming of birth control. I’m on antidepressants which are helping heaps. And I’m just trying to get through each day.