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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: 1

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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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.

insertaname Has anyone experienced Hypomania? I've experienced it twice and have questions about it.
  • replies: 4

Hi my name is J, In the last two years - I have had two hypomanic episodes where I could still somewhat function as normal: my symptoms were not obvious . I feel that these are worse than when I was in full episodes yet I cant remember a lot, which i... View more

Hi my name is J, In the last two years - I have had two hypomanic episodes where I could still somewhat function as normal: my symptoms were not obvious . I feel that these are worse than when I was in full episodes yet I cant remember a lot, which is probably why. Going through this episode, not being put in hospital, and coping with being alone during the day makes me feel lonely but i choose not to have any trains of thoughts but by being pre-occupied with something. I'm a high maintenance/ require a lot of things to do to burn off at the beginning - but now i feel flat and on the depressed side which is usually me. SO My questions are: Have you had a hypomanic episode? How did you know/feel/think you were having one? Were your symptoms obvious or not obvious? It's emotionally and mentally draining watching myself having hypomania Hope to hear from you - I am actually depressed... I have no friends they're more aquaintances

char0239 am I depressed or just lazy?
  • replies: 2

This is my first time posting on these forums so I don't really know how to start this. I don't know if I may have actual mental health issues like depression or if I am just lazy and stupid. I'm 20 years old and a university student but I hate it. I... View more

This is my first time posting on these forums so I don't really know how to start this. I don't know if I may have actual mental health issues like depression or if I am just lazy and stupid. I'm 20 years old and a university student but I hate it. I've spent 3 years failing classes & am on the verge of getting kicked out because if it. I find it so overwhelming & exhausting, I find it difficult to even think about study without spiralling into a sickening panic & I can't seem to motivate myself to work. I feel too stupid. I can't concentrate. Instead I end up zoning out for hours every day basically doing nothing but trying not to think about uni. I fail classes because I can't get the energy to do any assessments & eventually stop showing up to classes because I can't get out of bed. My parents (who I still live with) have no idea how bad it is since I act normal & go to work & say I am doing uni stuff when they ask, they don't know I failed any classes let alone might be expelled & I'm too humiliated to tell them. I also have no friends, I was on the outskirts of my friend group in high school & once we graduated I lost contact with most of them. The ones I still talk to occasionally are more like friendly acquaintances, we have nothing in common & the thought of meeting up with any of them just makes me feel anxious & depressed since they all have great friends & hobbies & are about to graduate, meanwhile I feel like I'm stuck in this dark hole & don't want anyone to know how pathetic I am. I have no hobbies or interests anymore, when I was 16 I began to lose joy in the things I used to like. Now I just spend most of my days sitting alone in my room. I just feel really low and hopeless most of the time, & can't imagine a future where my life is worth living. But the problem is that I can still act normal around my family, I can go to work & paste a smile on my face, sometimes I will be doing something & not feel sad at all & think 'maybe life isn't so bad' (although that vanishes as soon as I remember my fear of university or loneliness or my hatred of myself). So am I depressed? I can't shake the feeling that I am just a lazy person trying to excuse their laziness. I don't know how to go about seeing a psychologist & I'm terrified that they would just tell me that what I am experiencing is normal & I am just too weak to deal with it like everyone else is, & I'm too ashamed to tell my parents I'm struggling so badly. I have no idea what to do.

Unreal_name I Just dont see the point of anything anymore.
  • replies: 3

Ive really tried for years, over and over to think postive. To act positive. To work on my fitness and my health and be happier. But its wearing me down. Listening to the news is so sickening. The amazon is burning down, the reef is dying, the animal... View more

Ive really tried for years, over and over to think postive. To act positive. To work on my fitness and my health and be happier. But its wearing me down. Listening to the news is so sickening. The amazon is burning down, the reef is dying, the animals are becoming extinct, the world is polluted , about to be hit by astroids and going into recession if we dont nuked by crazy politicians. Diseases are out of control. I used to donated to save the children charities (like millions of other givers) but the children still look as starving and homeless as ever. In my humble opinion the corporate company I work for part time takes advantage of its female workers. I cant trust the people I thought I could trust. I struggle on my income and have no idea what will happen to me when Im too old to work in the not too distant future. Ive worked really really hard all my life but have hardly any superannuation or savings due to previous partner arrangement. My current partner keeps his own money and dosnt share. I just dont see the point anymore. Its too hard. I used to have a lovely smile but I cant even get the corners of my mouth to lift. Its like there are lead weights there. I had a day off today. First day off in about 10. I had so much to do but I still have my pjs on and its 4.30pm. I just feel like a failure and an idiot all the time

insertaname Introduction; Hi I am J I have bipolar and I would love to make some friends
  • replies: 22

Hi my name is "J" as a pseudonym and I am a 26 year old female. I have had the mood disorder bipolar disorder since 2011. So far I have had 4 different types of episodes - so it makes my life and my carer's life a little more challenging to identify ... View more

Hi my name is "J" as a pseudonym and I am a 26 year old female. I have had the mood disorder bipolar disorder since 2011. So far I have had 4 different types of episodes - so it makes my life and my carer's life a little more challenging to identify symptoms of bipolar. I rarely tell people I have bipolar - the stigma is still there, even though the psychiatrist says I'm an elevated person - I'm rather depressed and pessimistic. People treat me differently when I say bipolar yet if I said depression or anxiety it appears to be an accepted thing. I've gone through a lot in 2018 for my 2nd last episode - ask If you want to - and to this day it still affects m - I think during that period of my time I literally became a broken person. It was one problem after the other. I am being currently cared for but sometimes I get upset when he offhand says something like "taking you the hospital would've been easier" duding a tiff... I cried a bit he was the one who adamant about me not getting placed into the hospital. I'd like to get to know more people who are like minded: I have a dog Does occasionally garden Likes knitting Positive mind set Creativity I have a few aquariums I am a closet otaku I like reading anime, manhwa, manhua - because I've quit smoking for almost a year now I am not sure if I am asking for too much but I am open minded I rarely drink its about like 5 days of the year if you want a number haha