Support
Support

Depression

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

Start a conversation

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Categories
Start a conversation

Pinned discussions

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

All discussions

Start a conversation

kevin_ak Are anti depressents making a difference?
  • replies: 3

Hi I’m curious for comments on how effective anti-depressants are for different people. In 2006 I discovered the mood swings I’d had my whole life weren’t “normal” and I was diagnosed with depression. Being medicated for the last 13 years has made a ... View more

Hi I’m curious for comments on how effective anti-depressants are for different people. In 2006 I discovered the mood swings I’d had my whole life weren’t “normal” and I was diagnosed with depression. Being medicated for the last 13 years has made a difference. I no longer experience periods of unjustified rage like I use. (A good thing) but the medications I’ve tried over the years have never actually made me happy. I’m like everyone else on the planet and want the magic pill that will fix my woes but the medications I take just seem to take the edge off which is better than nothing but not enough. So basically I’m curious about how medications are working for people. If your mood is a 1 does your medication take you to 5 or just 2? I’m not after medication types or doses, I’m just disillusioned with anti-depressants and want a gauge of weather I’m expecting too much Thanks Kevin

goalstosmile Why do I feel I don't know myself anymore..?
  • replies: 8

Hi Community ! I thought I would come for some guidance as I am really stuck and I have been for quite some time now. A few things since this time last year have completely turned my life upside down, I can totally say exactly a year ago today I had ... View more

Hi Community ! I thought I would come for some guidance as I am really stuck and I have been for quite some time now. A few things since this time last year have completely turned my life upside down, I can totally say exactly a year ago today I had no idea what it was to feel depressed, anxious or anything like that but just a month later, I knew it all in one hit. There are a bunch of things that keep me awake til 3-4 am each night... what to do with my life (I don't know who I am or what I want to do and I have tried to experiment many things) why I have barely any friends, maybe one or two which I speak to every fortnight or so... and how can I find myself again. I am so scared every day that this might be me forever, because one entire year of my life has been spent trying to figure the hell out what is going on? I have a partner, who works a very demanding career and I rarely see or speak to him so it's tough. He does not quite understand this at all but he can be supportive. My family and I all have great relationships but we do not speak to personally about these issues, so I pretty much keep it all to myself and want to figure it out that way, they just know I am different as I spend majority of my days hidden in the walls of my bedroom. I keep wishing I can go back to over a year ago and be the person who was so damn happy, who woke up each day early to go to work and lived each day with purpose, the person who was rarely seen in their room, the person who was happy to socialise and just live! I want to do all of these things, but I just can't. I don't know if others will understand (I hope someone does) but I cannot get myself out of this without falling into anxiousness, depression / sadness or self doubt. Help help! Lots of love to all of you, been super supportive in this community. xx

Bgcg Personal health advice needed please.
  • replies: 10

Hello, i'm new to posting in the forums, though I have looked at them over the last year or so. I guess I will start with some background information, i'm 25, Male and currently studying my masters with 9 months to go. I have had anxiety for roughly ... View more

Hello, i'm new to posting in the forums, though I have looked at them over the last year or so. I guess I will start with some background information, i'm 25, Male and currently studying my masters with 9 months to go. I have had anxiety for roughly 6-7 years (comes and goes). The last 2 years a lot of negative events have happened in my life, 3 close family deaths, 1 of which was unexpected and my partner of 4.5 years, after that persons passing developed serious depression and 4 months ago told me she wanted a 'break'. Now I know how all 'breaks' end, I guess what really has me at a loss is that we where a great couple, travelled a lot together, had talked a lot about the next steps in our life and then suddenly it was all over. Anyway that's a bit of a back story, my anxiety has well and truly come back with vengeance and I fear that depression is knocking as well. Im not sure on the next steps to take not only for myself but for my now ex, I have insisted that she goes and talks to a professional but it doesn't seem to be happening and she is after 'space'. For myself I have been exercising daily and eating well but if anyone has any other strategies I would love to hear them. While I am here the other thing that is making me feel down is that I feel 'old', now I hope I dont offend anyone saying that as i know 25 inst old by any means, I just cant seem to shake this thought. Apologise for the rant. I look forward to your replies.

Raffijane Bipolar 2 - Recent diagnosis
  • replies: 5

Hi all I have recently had a diagnosis of with Bipolar 2. It is as if everything in my life to date makes complete and perfect sense. I grew up in an extremely abusive household. That aside my memories of certain situations and things I have done are... View more

Hi all I have recently had a diagnosis of with Bipolar 2. It is as if everything in my life to date makes complete and perfect sense. I grew up in an extremely abusive household. That aside my memories of certain situations and things I have done are now making sense. I have been on and off anti-depressants for a very long time. They always worked fast and stop working after a few years. I have seen counselors and psychologists and finally gave up and went to see a psychiatrist. After a thorough and detailed history she said I think 'you have bipolar 2'. Her explanations and discussion explained me exactly. More depressed than happy. Go for days feeling pretty crappy functioning and feeling so low and then out of nowhere I am happy. When I am happy I am stupid happy-over confident, can do anything, joking, singing, multi task off the charts, mind racing, chatty, obsessed with sexual thoughts but risky sex, the best way to explain it is that I feel 'high and floaty'. As suddenly as it comes it goes and I'm back to mopey. sad and thinking that everyone hates me. This has gone on forever. And got worse as I have gotten older. So now I am taking new medication at night to assist in a stabilizing my mood and and anti-depressent for anxiety/depression during the day. I feel relieved and even more so the nutcase. I have always felt alone and on the outside of what others call 'life' - friends, parties, travel cars, excitement etc. I am intolerant of superficial things and I can go from pretty okay to angry, angry in a flash. I hate anything that I perceive as unfair. I feel like an emo fairy. I feel like I have no tribe. I hate it and everyday it feels like I have to rebuild myself and put myself back together again. How do I make and keep friends? How do I trust after a childhood of severe abandonment? Any comments or suggestions or stories or what ever helpful.

Kosmicchaos I don't know why I am doing the things I do currently.
  • replies: 4

Hiya, I am not sure where to post this, tonight I've experienced an event and I have no idea what to make of it, I'm currently 25 studying a computer science degree and tonight I just broke down, I took a pair of scissors and cut all of my shoulder l... View more

Hiya, I am not sure where to post this, tonight I've experienced an event and I have no idea what to make of it, I'm currently 25 studying a computer science degree and tonight I just broke down, I took a pair of scissors and cut all of my shoulder length hair off and snapped my favorite game console my Nintendo switch over my leg. I don't know what lead me to this, I'm kind of scared. I've been miserable recently, I've removed all of my photos from Facebook because I can no longer bear to look at myself, I feel so alone, I have no one I can talk to about this, I have been trying to discuss my problems with people in my life Iike my current partner but everyone brushes me off, I'm at my breaking point, I really don't know what to do...

Rob851 Sensory overload??
  • replies: 7

Hi I suffer from major depression and anxiety. When I’m at the bottom strange things happen. For example I live in a quiet suburb and on land so everything is calm an quiet or slow paced. Today I was driven to an appointment about 45 mins away in a b... View more

Hi I suffer from major depression and anxiety. When I’m at the bottom strange things happen. For example I live in a quiet suburb and on land so everything is calm an quiet or slow paced. Today I was driven to an appointment about 45 mins away in a built up city. When leaving it’s bearable but once you get further into the city everything sort of explodes! Like there is so much stimuli going on with cars and merging lanes, blinkers, traffic lights, signs, anxiety from the other cars if they are going to run into you or stop short. And I just couldn’t take it, couldn’t even speak to the person driving felt like I was about to shut down with all the craziness, so confused can’t concentrate on 1 thing. Has this happend to you? Am I the only 1?

SallyLouise92 Unexpected Break Up - Advice
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone, I've been reading alot of the forums and they all seem similar to my case. I've been away for six weeks, my boyfriend with Depression and Anxiety was supportive because I had booked the trip before meeting him. We spoke everyday, texting... View more

Hi everyone, I've been reading alot of the forums and they all seem similar to my case. I've been away for six weeks, my boyfriend with Depression and Anxiety was supportive because I had booked the trip before meeting him. We spoke everyday, texting all day, phone calls through out the day. Telling me that he feels empty without me days before I arrived back home. Felt like nothing was wrong. Only difference was he had an episode a few weeks before, cancelling all psych appts and medical appts, not going to work, not studying, not going to the gym, he had no motivation. We planned to sort through all these things together, he told me he needed my help and couldnt wait until I was home. Two days after being home, with again no real cause of concern, he dumped me. Said he doesnt feel the same way about me, had been feeling it for weeks. He blamed the break up on my neediness and insecutiries, and suggested I try and find myself. He discounted our relationship by saying it wasnt that long, however days before telling me how happy I make him. The man who broke up with me, wasnt the man I got to know for the past six months. The break up has completely taken me surprise and I am devastated. Any advice on the situation would be greatly apprecaited.

Guest_294 Just need a chat
  • replies: 10

So I just needed to vent my thoughts a little. I don’t have depression so I don’t know if it’s fair to post in this part of the website but it didn’t seem appropriate for the anxiety part either (which I probably align with more). Anyway, I am 18 and... View more

So I just needed to vent my thoughts a little. I don’t have depression so I don’t know if it’s fair to post in this part of the website but it didn’t seem appropriate for the anxiety part either (which I probably align with more). Anyway, I am 18 and in uni - I work part time as a tutor through a company (which is amazing and I love) and as a mentor/tutor at my old school. The latter is the problem. I work 2 hours a week and every week since I started I have sat here for 2 hours doing absolutely nothing. This is the perfect chance for my brain to start telling me all sorts of things and now I am sitting here and trying not to cry. It feels like the other two girls that tutor are always helping out and consequently I feel both useless and like I shouldn’t be here - like they made a mistake in hiring me. I know I’m not as smart as they are but I just feel stupid sitting here watching them. It feels like I’m wasting everyone’s time and money being here and I don’t know what to do. I am literally just sitting here in a now empty library and have done nothing. Since the term started, I’ve helped 2 students - were in week 8. I know these thoughts aren’t founded but I needed to get it written down - helps me control my emotions a bit more and I don’t want to start crying in the middle of my old school library...I haven’t really asked a question yet. I suppose I want to know, does anyone else ever feel like they just want to break down and cry? Is it ever for something as ridiculous as sitting for 2 hours at work and doing nothing? I mean that certainly shouldn’t be making me as upset as I am. I suppose that’s my anxiety speaking isn’t it...? Telling me everyone is watching me fail at what I’ve been hired to do? I’m thinking I might just quit. Probably not worth all this stress.

Jonahs123 Will these feelings ever stop and go away?
  • replies: 3

Everyday I feel empty. I wake up feeling empty, I eat feeling empty, I fall asleep feeling empty. The emptiness doesn't seem to go away. On top of this I have a sense of guilt, but im not sure what I exactly feel guilty about. I'm more of a type to b... View more

Everyday I feel empty. I wake up feeling empty, I eat feeling empty, I fall asleep feeling empty. The emptiness doesn't seem to go away. On top of this I have a sense of guilt, but im not sure what I exactly feel guilty about. I'm more of a type to bottle up my feelings before releasing it all out at once, which i've noticed makes me feel even worse, but I can't really stop myself from blocking out my emotions until it gets too much. I dont know if anyone feels this or if its just me, but everytime I go out with friends or others I feel like i'm not mean't to be there,my mind tells me that they dont want me to be there, despite also knowing that they aren't showing any signs of rejection towards me. I just feel like i'm jeporadising their time of fun, I feel like i'm ruining it for them. But, I want to be there at the same time cause I don't want to miss out, I don't want to go back to school and have them talk about this event which I decided to skip. I don't want to be seperated and unrelatable. I'm really fed up of feeling like this. I can feel offended and sad about someones comment or something they did despite it being such a small matter. An example would be me getting upset and angry at my friend because after me continiously trying to spend time with him because he had something happen to him, but everytime he would find a way to tell me that he doesnt feel like going or that he can't go. I know deep down that he probably isn't feeling well and that he wants some time alone, but I can't stop myself from being annoyed at him. Will this ever stop? Why have I become so sensetive?

Big_Red_Cat Relying on others for happiness
  • replies: 4

I recently confided in a friend that I feel very lonely and depressed because I have so little social contact with any of my friends anymore. I am now in my fourth year of uni and each year has been more difficult because friends don't have as much f... View more

I recently confided in a friend that I feel very lonely and depressed because I have so little social contact with any of my friends anymore. I am now in my fourth year of uni and each year has been more difficult because friends don't have as much free time. I spent a lot of Fridays and Saturdays working over the last three years and couldn't go out but no one is free to do anything anymore now that I'm more freed up. My social life is one-way texts (me texting friends and not getting anything back) and brief coffees every few months that I have to work hard to arrange. I also feel bad because the only time my friends usually reach out to me is when they need help with assessment. I know they aren't trying to hurt my feelings but it's very bad for your self-worth when people only contact you unexpectedly when they need to improve their grades. My birthday is also coming up in two weeks and I don't want to plan anything because I can't deal with being turned down by people anymore. With so many knockbacks when I try to have fun, I've resorted to doing heaps of things on my own. Some of these things have been good but I still feel really lonely and depressed. When I told my friend all of this, she said I shouldn't rely on other people for my happiness. It's not that she wasn't otherwise supportive, I just feel out of ideas since I need to be social to be happy. After months of going alone, I need more social time with my friends but that seems impossible. And given my struggles right now, that's all I need. Making new friends at 22 is confronting, terrifying and humiliating. Any advice is welcome. I am still friends with that friend but I was a bit taken aback by her advice not to rely on people when I was just saying I need more contact.

As an organisation that supports people from across Australia, Beyond Blue acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay respect to Elders past and present.

First Nations Peoples are advised that this website may include reference to and images of deceased persons.

Beyond Blue is committed to safe inclusive spaces, policies and services for people of LGBTIQ+ communities and their families.

Helpful information

Stay in touch

Sign up below for regular emails from Beyond Blue, filled with information, advice and support for you or your loved ones.

Stay in touch

Talk it through with us, we'll point you in the right direction.

Call 1300 224 636

24 hours / 7 days a week

Chat Online

24 hours / 7 days a week

Email us

Get a reply in 24 hours

Copyright � 2026 Beyond Blue Ltd

All rights reserved

Contact us Terms of use Privacy policy Site map