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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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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.

Curleee BPD issues or poor behaviour by a friend?
  • replies: 5

Thank you to everyone who has posted on the thread: BPD person who needs a friend with knowledge of BPD. I have learnt so much about my diagnosis, just from reading this thread. I hadn't heard at all about mirroring (even though I've done lots of rea... View more

Thank you to everyone who has posted on the thread: BPD person who needs a friend with knowledge of BPD. I have learnt so much about my diagnosis, just from reading this thread. I hadn't heard at all about mirroring (even though I've done lots of reading)..... I am wanting to mention a situation with a friend. Essentially, I am never sure if when I have a scenario going on with a friend, whether it is BPD, or if its that friend's behaviour. In most instances, I easily blame myself for things - and most of the time, there are ways that I could have behaved better. But yesterday, I started writing an email to a friend, to hopefully resolve our issues with each other.... after typing the email out, I realised that I didn't fully believe what i was typing. So I have not sent the email, because I want to sit with what are my real gut feelings. I have trouble processing matters..... Situation is as follows: We've been friends for 23 years. I would consider this person, one of my inner circle. She has been having an affair with a married woman. I had asked her about this several times, just to enquire, because she seemed to be talking about this woman a lot; if it'd been more serious. And she said they'd been together 3-4 times. I didn't think much of it, not great to sleep with a married person; but whatever (I don't even know them)...... I then find out 18 months later (even though we speak a few times a week), that she has been in a full blown affair with this woman. I reacted by talking about how the husband feels...and pulled myself away from the friendship..... In reflecting, I don't actually care about what the husband feels. For me, I felt rejected and why has she kept it quiet. It also frustrated me because I have supported her through 2 relationships where her partners had had affairs..... (and additionally, one other holiday I went on with her, she brang a "friend"..... turns out it wasn't a friend....it was a lover)..... she thinks I judged her and that she isnt obliged to share things about her life with me. As a friend, it should be up to the person, to share what they want to share. The healthy and clear-thinking side of my brain thinks she is not taking responsibility. I don't know how to move forward and am distressed about it. Not sure how to move forward with the friendship.

Kaypatch How Did this happen? Why Did this happen?
  • replies: 6

How did I get to this place? I am 63 years old and I am sad, I feel lonely and I guess depressed. I have started to see a therapist however my background is that I was always told by my peers that things happen along the way and you just deal with it... View more

How did I get to this place? I am 63 years old and I am sad, I feel lonely and I guess depressed. I have started to see a therapist however my background is that I was always told by my peers that things happen along the way and you just deal with it and pick yourself back up and get on with it. But nobody told me about ageing and loneliness. I have a gorgeous family (who have put me through the wringers throughout the years, but have all bounced back and are healthy and reasonably happy) I have lovely friends as well. But I am sad, just incredibly sad and crying right now. I am normally in control but lately have felt more out of control than a bus with no breaks! Does this ever pass? One day I am OK one day I am sad and crying - actually most days lately. I feel like I don't want to go out - I don't want to put on a happy face - I don't want to see other peeps and families out being happy. Maybe I am just being a selfish human? Thanks for listening.