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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

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insertaname What strategies or things do you employ during your bipolar episodes - both manic and depressive
  • replies: 14

Hi everyone, Today I'm struggling to find something to pre-occupy me. Legally I'm supposed to have a carer watch over me due to my strong medications. I have a lot of interests but today it feels like one of those days where you start something and t... View more

Hi everyone, Today I'm struggling to find something to pre-occupy me. Legally I'm supposed to have a carer watch over me due to my strong medications. I have a lot of interests but today it feels like one of those days where you start something and then move on and do something else. When I'm manic (based on memory) Impulse buy Eat Act like I'm high on drugs Talk to people of the opposite sex Sex on the brain Speak at a million miles per hour Demand a skipping rope the tv and music are too stimulating and so is watching the road as a front passeger, Based on depression: I was rather manic and deranged I was singing sad songs I was wanting to stay away from a girl called M... she was another person with bipolar going with ECT. She was always sorta in my face. Strategies: Manic: art, music (567 songs and still counting), comics, knitting, cleaning (I'm a messy person) but I really did tidy up the house in just a few days my SO was shocked... usually when I clean I make a mess, walk the dog if i can stay calm Depressed: I do as above but i dont feel like doing it. I don't have any motivation or energy. I wake up in a house that's empty. Well I'm also here on forums wanting to find someone or people who can relate to this. There are days where I question who I am, is it me or not me and question whether I said the wrong thing? This is my first time being alone on recovery. So I've been in psych wards twice. And my last two episodes were voluntary and hypo... my meds are high risk the psych said if i need a higher dosage i'd have to be hospitalised.

Ardenrose Miscarriage/ BPD- depression coming back again..
  • replies: 3

Hello. It was almost 6 weeks when the doctor told me that my pregnancy was not progressing at all and that I had to go through a surgery called d&c. This all happened pretty much this week and I'll be very honest, i still am very very upset about it.... View more

Hello. It was almost 6 weeks when the doctor told me that my pregnancy was not progressing at all and that I had to go through a surgery called d&c. This all happened pretty much this week and I'll be very honest, i still am very very upset about it. Before the surgery and was told that I had missed miscarriage, I knew slowly my depression has started to hit me right in the face again. I've been battling depression for 5 years and ONLY started really getting better this year after I left my 4 year abusive relationship. Imagine the trauma i was dealing for 4 years.. I was recovering just this year when I found out Im pregnant (from a different partner) and then found out there was no baby at all.. I guess what Im saying is, it is really hard. I have BPD which makes everything a lot harder already and then miscarriage happened. Doctors said it wasnt my fault and that nothing I could have done to prevent it but despite, I cant help not to blame myself and how unfair life is. It makes me back track to what happened to my past with my ex before and not really getting the justice I know I deserve to now taking away the blessing I thought I would have. Im hurting. SO BAD. No one knows in my family because 1. it was unplanned pregnancy and they will be disappointed if they found out and im only 23 and still studying and 2. I dont need any more drama more than what I am facing now. My partner has been supportive however there are moments we could have ended up breaking up because everything was going downhill and he was having the hardest time to understand me and where Im coming from. I dont blame him though-- I am too much most of the time. Yesterday, I was just at the emergency from panic attacks and suicidal thoughts. Thankfully I didnt have to get admitted otherwise it would've been my 3rd admission in a psych ward and I dont want that. I've got essays that are due next week and the following week and I havent started any of them(though I refuse to take a break because that was what I had to do last year when I was very sick from traume and etc). Mentally, I know im not coping very well at the moment. Havent been eating well too. Any advice or just encouragement would be nice to hear. Thank you. L

KC12 Tiredness and lack of energy
  • replies: 3

Hi, I have been dealing with depression for the last 2 years and probably one of the things I have been struggling the most is the lack of energy which I think it doesn't help at all in order to feel better. I wake up tired, I barely have energy to d... View more

Hi, I have been dealing with depression for the last 2 years and probably one of the things I have been struggling the most is the lack of energy which I think it doesn't help at all in order to feel better. I wake up tired, I barely have energy to do anything, the house becomes a mess which makes things worse but I can't find energy to do hardly anything. At the moment I'm looking for work so the whole situation is bringing me down.

white knight Triggers- what are your distractions for recovery?
  • replies: 42

Do you suffer from triggers? What is a trigger? For me, a trigger is a moment that panic can set in quickly. From that moment on it is a battle to overcome the fallout. Often a panic attack will accompany the shaking, the stress and for me anyhow- th... View more

Do you suffer from triggers? What is a trigger? For me, a trigger is a moment that panic can set in quickly. From that moment on it is a battle to overcome the fallout. Often a panic attack will accompany the shaking, the stress and for me anyhow- the overwhelming temptation to- cry. Today it happened. My wife and I went for a drive for coffee. Lovely sunny winters day arrived at our favourite country general store café at a very small town only to see the "closed" sign. Ok, we'll go to a country house nearby where they advertise Devonshire tea. As we pulled up the thought came to me about cash. The other place took eftpos which is what we use all the time. This little place isn't likely to take cards. As the old lady approached I didn't have time to talk about it to my wife...in fact the old lay was impossible to interrupt so I could speak about the matter. On and on she talked as we walked about 50 metres to the "tea rooms" all the while not able to talk. As we arrived at the rotunda I had to interrupt but the shakes started and I was desperate with wanting to ask my wife if she had any real money. So out it came "do you take eftpos" I asked. At that exact moment an old man called out to the old lady something about taking his dogs to a friends place. She walked towards him out of sight. So I didn't get my answer. This freaked me out more in frustration. I turned to my wife and asked her "I hope you have cash"? "Oh, she thought, "I don't think so". I had to return to the car where I found $8 in coins then returned and my wife found $5 in her purse. The old lady returned and we asked the cost of Devonshire tea and she replied "$16"- we were short $3. She was ok with that and being locals we'd make up for it when seeing her in town. The event shook me up. The rotunda and nearby sheds had jugs as a display many of them so it was a distraction. About 20 minutes later I was 90% recovered. The overwhelming desire is to cry but being older and male it doesn't come. Distraction is my tool for recovery. I don't think there is a better or faster remedy. Do you know of any? Prevention is better than cure and having $50 or so on you is the preventative measure. We'll try and do that of course. Feel free to contribute. TonyWK

Breakingpoint Cross roads
  • replies: 7

I am not sure what to say, or how to say it. I can’t be open and talk about what is going on in my life with the one closest to me. I give the barest details but stop. I am emotionally numb. I have been working through a mixture of problems relating ... View more

I am not sure what to say, or how to say it. I can’t be open and talk about what is going on in my life with the one closest to me. I give the barest details but stop. I am emotionally numb. I have been working through a mixture of problems relating to depression and sometimes I go weeks with a nightly broken sleep of about 3 hours. My strategy in dealing with this when it occurs is damaging to my real ship and makes me feel worse and I spiral. I don’t now what to do any more. I have a feeling of immense shame and embarrassment. I know I’m making poor judgements I know I need help of some kind but I don’t know what to do. I say my problems out loud and they seem like attempts at excusing action. The trouble is I think I am handling everything so don’t seek help. Then it overloads. I can’t bring myself to walk into room to tell someone my problems. So I destroy the ones I love. How do break your fear? How do you take that step into something that scares the hell out you?

Guest_8384 Complaining about me and my mum's relationship with my toxic older sister
  • replies: 3

I know I'm going to sound petty and pathetic but I have been feeling moody and very distressed for almost two weeks. I find myself feeling anxious, getting stomach cramps and headaches and feeling like I'm going to cry every few minutes. After my sis... View more

I know I'm going to sound petty and pathetic but I have been feeling moody and very distressed for almost two weeks. I find myself feeling anxious, getting stomach cramps and headaches and feeling like I'm going to cry every few minutes. After my sister's behaviour got worse, my mum and I decided to cut ties with her. Yet a few days later my mum decided to rebuild the relationship with her again. She (my sister) has been dishonest and always made excuses for a very long period of time and has made me lose complete trust towards her and other people. I even find myself doubting my mum even though she's always been loyal, truthful and supportive of me and my wellbeing as well as my closest friends. Even when my mum talks to her on the phone and she (my sister) says hello to me, I feel cold when I reply to her. I feel so conflicted because I don't want to deny my nephew of seeing his aunt (me) yet I don't feel like I can cope with rebuilding my relationship with my sister again. I'm trying to focus on my current training to become a teacher so that I can move on. Yet I feel worried that I may get to a stage that I may have to face her and that I'm going to lash out at her for the betrayal and hurt that she has caused me and mum. I know that there's no solution for my problems. My mum says that seeking counselling won't help with my problems and I am hesitant to talk to my friends because I don't want to burden them. I don't know what to do anymore :'(

Breakingpoint I thought I was the only one.
  • replies: 1

I should know better. I work in the paramedical field and acute medical issues / presentations are common. Yet I deluded myself to think I was alone, or immune to the impact of critical care. I’ve struggled for years, always thinking I was less than ... View more

I should know better. I work in the paramedical field and acute medical issues / presentations are common. Yet I deluded myself to think I was alone, or immune to the impact of critical care. I’ve struggled for years, always thinking I was less than in my suffering. Attributing my issues to something different. I was trained fully prepared for the realities of a society. It wasn’t until my life met a critical overload that had been building for years, and a crisis that I was i was ashamed of that I reached out to this site. After reading others posts, the daily struggle they face , well it med me feel that there was a community within our society. I know the road is long, but I have hope now and maybe more understanding. So thank you all

M_lozone Friendship advice...
  • replies: 7

Hello, As of 2.5 years ago, I’ve started to feel really down and lonely. I used to work in hospitality and as you can imagine, I’ll be working long hours and mostly on weekends and public holidays too. I never really had the chance to catch up with m... View more

Hello, As of 2.5 years ago, I’ve started to feel really down and lonely. I used to work in hospitality and as you can imagine, I’ll be working long hours and mostly on weekends and public holidays too. I never really had the chance to catch up with my friends outside of work as they all work Monday to Friday 9-5 jobs and they would only ever be available on days that I’m working, however it didn’t bother me as much because I enjoyed working with the colleagues. I ended up leaving my hospitality career and pursued a whole different career in a corporate environment. I found it extremely hard to adapt and make new friends but over time, I got used it. Things have quietened down a lot and the busy lifestyle I had was no longer busy. I was excited at the same time because now it meant that I could see and catch up with all my friends. Over time, I saw my friends less and less and I can appreciate that everyone is probably busy but I always feel lonely. I always find myself asking and reaching out to friends to catch up but at the same time I wish they could make an effort to organise something for once. I feel like if I don’t initiate catch ups, we probably won’t see each other for a good couple of months. On Instagram, I always see stories of them going out with their other friends or their “group” and then I start to question if I mean anything to them at all. I’ve reached out to them and brought it up on several occasions but they all believe I have high expectations of what good/close friends should be. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my alone time and some times I’d much rather stay at home and watch a movie but I cant help but envy people who have a tight group of friends or friends to hang out with in general. I’d start questioning why I can’t have a group of my own etc. I’m certain I’m not alone but how have you dealt with situations or feelings like these? How can you over come feeling so lonely?...

Missintense Borderline Personality Disorder and having space
  • replies: 6

I don't know where to start, so I am sorry if this is a little messy. I love a guy and he loves me. He suffers from Anxiety and Depression while I suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder. I do go through Anxiety and Depression, but I don't fully ... View more

I don't know where to start, so I am sorry if this is a little messy. I love a guy and he loves me. He suffers from Anxiety and Depression while I suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder. I do go through Anxiety and Depression, but I don't fully understand the extent he goes through. I helped him this year to figure out the issues that he has been holding in. He is seeing a psychologist, however, as soon as he realized his issues (because I was the first person in his life to ever tell me his deep dark secrets) He has been distant. He has told me he has so much self-hatred for himself that he feels like he is treating me like crap and I am better off without him. It's hard for him to see me face to face as when we did see each other he was shaking and wasn't coping at all. We haven't seen each other since early June. When he asked for space. I didn't give it to him as my disorder fears abandonment. I would harrass him unwillingly not to deliperatly harrass him, but to try help him and to keep him in my life. It got to the point that he got really angry at me. His anger is formed from his past that he is still trying to get through. We didn't speak for most of July. I thought I'd message him, but he got angry at me for messaging him because he said he will contact when he is ready and I wasn't respecting his decision for space. I wasn't respecting his needs. He tells me he loves me and he needs to get better to be a better man for himself and for me. He told he needs to get on top of these issues and he told me that his plan is to contact me when he is ready, he just doesn't want to hurt me in the process, but having bpd is hard when someone tells you that. I feel like he will never come back. We haven't spoken since July 29th. It's September 6th. I see him on social media talking to people like he is okay. When he did that in the past he said they were a distraction from his real life problems and they weren't close to him to know about his depression and anxiety. I feel he won't come back. I feel he just said space to let me down slowly. I don't understand this self hatred and leaving the ones you love. I need understanding. I trust him, he has never lied to me before, but I feel like I am stuck in limbo and I feel like he is testing me as well as trying to get through his issues to see if I will contact him because he truly believes I cannot give him space because I have stuffed it up in the past. Anyone have a similar story? I am suffering.

aussiealways Overwhelmed
  • replies: 2

I get this episodical depression & have to do things to try & get over it like a job I like or a social life. It is delibitating don't feel like doing anything even walking that is the hardest part. Feel alone as the people I know don't get depressio... View more

I get this episodical depression & have to do things to try & get over it like a job I like or a social life. It is delibitating don't feel like doing anything even walking that is the hardest part. Feel alone as the people I know don't get depression.