Depression

Depression affects people in Australia every day. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with depression.

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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

All discussions

TiredDownOut Never fit in
  • replies: 4

Does anyone else feel that there is no place in the world for them? I have always struggled to fit in anywhere and I don't know what is wrong with me. I'm 49. Struggled to fit in at school and same goes for the workplace. Doesn't matter how hard I tr... View more

Does anyone else feel that there is no place in the world for them? I have always struggled to fit in anywhere and I don't know what is wrong with me. I'm 49. Struggled to fit in at school and same goes for the workplace. Doesn't matter how hard I try I just get rejected time and again. I feel hated for no reason. I try to do the right thing by others but it counts for nothing. Got sacked from a new job yesterday. My boss blamed me for her early miscarriage said I had upset her. Is this Salem? Am I a witch that can make ill just with a look? It's plain ridiculous now. What's the point of carrying on when you can't even make friends. How weary of the world I feel!

Jane_nial The never ending journey with bipolar
  • replies: 3

Hi, I was diagnosed with bipolar 4-5 years ago and I’ve got a very unstable mood. I’m up and down like a yo-yo despite taking my medication regularly. My moods pretty down at the moment and I’m really struggling even though on paper my life is going ... View more

Hi, I was diagnosed with bipolar 4-5 years ago and I’ve got a very unstable mood. I’m up and down like a yo-yo despite taking my medication regularly. My moods pretty down at the moment and I’m really struggling even though on paper my life is going really well. Is this what my life will be like forever? I feel like I can’t see an end to it all.

Bazleenus Has ADHD medication helped anyone stopped drinking?
  • replies: 5

So in september of last year, i was diagnosed bipolar type 2, and then in march this year 2019, have been rediagnosed into bipolar type 1. Now whilst trying 5000 different medications along the way, and treating the depression... Whenever i got sligh... View more

So in september of last year, i was diagnosed bipolar type 2, and then in march this year 2019, have been rediagnosed into bipolar type 1. Now whilst trying 5000 different medications along the way, and treating the depression... Whenever i got slightly low or high, which seems to be a monthly reoccurring thing, cycling back and forth.. But i would always end up drinking to either A, try calm down the mania (didnt help lol) or B forget about the shitty lows bipolar brings (also doesnt help haha). Then april this year, my psychiatrist out of nowhere randomly started asking me questions about how i was in school, etc etc The list goes on and on. But anyway, up till this day at the psychiatrist i was drinking 4-5 times a week almost, as it had become an addiction. But since the trial of the most common adhd medication in the world, it has literally gone from nearly everyday to literally once a week or less as more of a relaxation thing. Has anyone else experienced this? I used to itch and always want to go buy alcohol just to ignore the bullshit bipolar, but since being medicated for ADHD it has gone done not just a little bit, but MASSIVELY.. I cant put my finger on why it has, or how it has.. But it massively has. Since then, we have discovered I do suffer from both as im not allowed to take ADHD medication when i can feel a "high" coming on as it can send me too "high", and helps my lows a little bit aswell.. where instead of always being in the slumps, it seems to ease the "low" side of bipolar just that little bit. It has also literally almost completely fixed my sleeping pattern, as for years i have only gotten about 4-5 hours sleep a night on a good one, and sometimes would be up for 2 days or almost a week straight.. But now i am in bed at 9-10pm and struggling to climb out of bed at 6-7am as i finally have sleep in my eyes from i literally cant remember the last time. Can anyone relate? I'd love to hear your stories, or comments.

Annie_7 Bipolar, meds and weight.
  • replies: 6

I’ve been on medication for my bipolar for 10 years - all my adult life. Since starting my medication my weight has increased and increased and I’m now at my heaviest. My husband and I are trying for a baby and i know loosing some weight might help f... View more

I’ve been on medication for my bipolar for 10 years - all my adult life. Since starting my medication my weight has increased and increased and I’m now at my heaviest. My husband and I are trying for a baby and i know loosing some weight might help fertility. I’m so frustrated at my medical management. I’ve tried to tell my (multiple) GPs and (multiple) psychiatrists over the years that I feel like there is some underlying reason why I am having issues with my weight. They just keep linking my mood to my eating patterns. I’ve tried everything apart from surgery to get the weight off and nothing has helped. At this point I’m desperate. My weight is a huge trigger for stress. I’ve been doing some research about antipsychotic/antidepressants and metabolic syndromes/insulin resistance and I’m wondering if anyone else can shed some like on the subject/experience?

Spark_019 Help.
  • replies: 3

Recently I have been really struggling. I am a grade 10 student in high school. The school environment makes me so depressed. I have no motivation to even do simple tasks. I dread the thought of having to move to the next class when the bell rings an... View more

Recently I have been really struggling. I am a grade 10 student in high school. The school environment makes me so depressed. I have no motivation to even do simple tasks. I dread the thought of having to move to the next class when the bell rings and find it so difficult to get out of bed in the morning. I have always been a good student, with mostly straight A's and the occasional B, but the school environment - if i'm honest - makes me want to crawl under a rock and die. I feel as if I am trapped in an endless cycle of exhaustion - wake up, cry, spend 7 hours sitting at a desk, come home, cry, struggle to sleep. I have been in this cycle for at least 6 months and I don't know how to deal with it any more. I missed an entire class because I couldn't stop myself from crying in a toilet cubicle. I can't talk to my parents because they are already dealing with their own issues and I couldn't bear to unload my fragile mental state and burden them like that. I don't know how much longer I can deal with this. I feel like no one can hear me. I am falling further and further into a dark hole each day.

deprees8 talking a lot after starting meds
  • replies: 4

hi everyone, dpress8 here just want to find out if i am not alone in this quandary. i have noticed when i first started taking the anti depressants and im noticing again that i am talking a lot more than usual i just want to know if im alone in this ... View more

hi everyone, dpress8 here just want to find out if i am not alone in this quandary. i have noticed when i first started taking the anti depressants and im noticing again that i am talking a lot more than usual i just want to know if im alone in this or did anybody else notice this when they started on the meds. im starting to worry that im talking to much when im out and people are staring to notice and "judge me". please let me know what your experiences were or if im totally "alone" in this cheers and have a good day people. and as i say to everyone i meet now. Smile.

Puggsley2 Where to start?
  • replies: 4

I am a fairly healthy 74 year old, reasonably secure financially and living in a home I own with my wife of 50+ years. I shouldn't be depressed, but I am. All my sources of support seem to be closing at the same time, these include volunteering in em... View more

I am a fairly healthy 74 year old, reasonably secure financially and living in a home I own with my wife of 50+ years. I shouldn't be depressed, but I am. All my sources of support seem to be closing at the same time, these include volunteering in emergency services, sporting shooting, motorbike riding, even full time employment. This has meant that my outside support base is shrinking and I have no idea how to move forward. The big black dog is sniffing my my heals but the local GPs seem more interested in their fees than me. Is life supposed to feel this hopeless?

haike what should I do with my alcoholic and depressed partner
  • replies: 3

Where to begin? we've been together one and half year, we met in New Zealand when we were both travelling there on a working holiday visa. He was honest to me at the beginning, said he’s an alcoholic for 5 years and he has depression since he was a t... View more

Where to begin? we've been together one and half year, we met in New Zealand when we were both travelling there on a working holiday visa. He was honest to me at the beginning, said he’s an alcoholic for 5 years and he has depression since he was a teenager. He want to quit drinking, and he never deny his alcoholism. we've always been travelling in the past year, since we come from different country, kind have to, all the visa problems. We fight a lot over alcohol. He start being physically and mentally abusive. I start being crazy also. Every time he got a bottle, I try to pour it out, then we get into a fight, next morning we’ll hold each other crying and say sorry he’ll never drink again.. then, it happen again. he drink and we fight/argue from nz to china, then Indonesia. there were somedays he did really good without drinking, but never last more than 2 weeks. always some bad thing happen, to became his new excuse to start drinking again. now we are in Australia doing working holiday.. He become so mad recently, at everything, got fight with people after drunk at night, then got himself in trouble. I have realized i'm in an abusive relationship for a while, but it's so hard to let go, so hard to give up on him, to watch him suffer, I want to help so bad, but don't know how. we were trying to find a place to settle down, get a job, which, he said would help him a lot. but we just couldn't make it yet when we still travelling. and his mind set is he won't stop drinking until we settle down. but I can't deal with he drinking anymore, it drives me crazy, I thinking about breaking up all the time, and so many hurtful things he put on me, I'm mentally destroyed..but , who is going to help him? I'm the only one he has, I feel so selfish, but meantime I know it's the right choice for both of us. he is not only an alcoholic, he is in depression too. and I know partner's support means a lot to him. but, when I'm so mad at him drinking and when we argue so much, it dose't do any good for him. I tried to calm down, I searched a lot stuff online, I learned a lot, but when thing happened we do stupid things we couldn't control our anger... im so lost, so confuesed ,,don't know what to do? what's right? I just want to make the best choice for him, he needs more help than me. I'm still strong, positive, looking for a way out, for us, him and myself...but I'm so lost , and helpless..

Gjorggan How do I continue? feeling of constant guilt and shame, depression.
  • replies: 2

I am a 22 year old male, living with his parents, working 7 days a week 8 - 13 hour days, haven't had a meaningful intimate relationship in 3 years. Work isolates me from my friends, when I go out to see a movie or anything that is typically a 'socia... View more

I am a 22 year old male, living with his parents, working 7 days a week 8 - 13 hour days, haven't had a meaningful intimate relationship in 3 years. Work isolates me from my friends, when I go out to see a movie or anything that is typically a 'social' event, I go alone. I don't allow myself to be vulnerable to anyone (probably why I am here) for the reason I really don't think anyone really cares. I have had depression on and off since high school, I have seen help and have been medicated before. I know I am sick, I know I need to talk, I struggle so much to open my mouth because I really think unless the person is being paid they really don't care. How do I continue? I am constantly at odds with myself I want to go on and try harder yet I still find myself crying almost every night, in the car on my way home from work. This sickness never seems to end. How do I continue?

anotherpuglover What’s going on with me?
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, I’d love some advice from anyone willing to help. The last 2 weeks I have been feeling very down and I have been crying at the drop of a hat. I have found that my work life has been made difficult because I simply can’t get through witho... View more

Hi everyone, I’d love some advice from anyone willing to help. The last 2 weeks I have been feeling very down and I have been crying at the drop of a hat. I have found that my work life has been made difficult because I simply can’t get through without wanting to cry. I spent 1hour at work this morning before having to go home because I couldn’t keep the tears away. There’s a few things going on in my life at the moment, but there’s definitely not anything that’s playing on my mind. I’m finding it hard to stay focused and concentrated. People will be having a conversation with me and it seems to be going straight over my head. All I want to do is be in my bed. I am sad and I don’t even know why. Any suggestions to help get out of this awful headspace?