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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 chats on this Forum having 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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AimJJ I want to quit my job
  • replies: 3

I am overwhelmed with it all. My job, emotions and my life. A bit of background on me and where I am at. I have been dealing with with anxiety my whole life and depression for 6ish years. I was struggling to get to school most of the time in my early... View more

I am overwhelmed with it all. My job, emotions and my life. A bit of background on me and where I am at. I have been dealing with with anxiety my whole life and depression for 6ish years. I was struggling to get to school most of the time in my early teens so I finished early and am currently 17 and working casually. I dont know if I can keep doing what I am doing. I work 3 full days a week, out of the house another 2 and it is overwhelming me. Over the past 6 years I have sat at home most of the time and done nothing so I am finding this sudden 'life' too much. I am getting really depressed, having panic attacks and melting down when I am not at work. I feel like everything is moving too fast and I can't handle it. I can't catch my breath and relax because tomorrow I have work and its just a continuous stress that brings me down. My job isn't reliable either. It can be any 3 days at anytime of the week which means I can't get used to a routine or settle into a pattern. I am usually in bed by 9pm but I get shifts which are till 9:15 meaning I dont get into bed until 11 so I bet you can imagine how disruptive that is. I can't talk to anyone in my life about it all because I don't have any friends and my family are all biased. My family have seen me sit at home for years and want me out of the house all the time. I am constantly getting told to get out more and do more things but what they dont understand is that I can't cope with what I am doing now. My actual job is exhausting and stressful too. I work in fashion retail so I feel like everyone walks into the store and judges me. If I dont look 'fashionable' or 'pretty' enough than I am not worth their time. One day I went to work with less makeup on and got told by a bunch of people I looked tired, the only thing different I did that day is that I wore less concealer. This is a bit of a rant but I would also like to hear your opinions and insight on this because I can't think straight and there is no-one to talk to. Thankyou.

Jijifan If you were an alien...
  • replies: 5

Hypothetical question: if after of decades of trying to fit in, and to understand other people, you found out with proof and certainty you were not actually human (in that your body, mind, and spirit in too many ways work completely differently to ev... View more

Hypothetical question: if after of decades of trying to fit in, and to understand other people, you found out with proof and certainty you were not actually human (in that your body, mind, and spirit in too many ways work completely differently to everyone else's, and you completely lacked certain common and vitally/socially essential human traits), what would you do? And say you didn't have a family. How would you find purpose in living? What could you do in/for human society? What would you do with your life, how would you find your people, your place, your connection to the living? Any clues? (Any ideas, not matter how childish or wild are appreciated. Feel free to brainstorm. Thanks...)

IPlay Emotional well-being test and self calibration.
  • replies: 5

Just now I scored a 48% depression and 15% anxiety. Moderate and mild. This morning I dropped my partner off at work and on the way home I cried. Straight faced and silent, tears methodically welling up and one by one rolling down my face. I felt awa... View more

Just now I scored a 48% depression and 15% anxiety. Moderate and mild. This morning I dropped my partner off at work and on the way home I cried. Straight faced and silent, tears methodically welling up and one by one rolling down my face. I felt aware of my thoughts at the time as I was trying to figure out why but I could not pin-point any string of thoughts that may have caused it. Is this normal for others that have scored similar on their tests? Before my dog died I never cried for anything. Honestly, I even fought so hard to be strong for my wife when our lifeless dog was on the vet table; I didn't even cry then. I think the next 1000 times I was alone after that though I cried like I hadn't since I was a child. And after that day, I guess I just cry now. I went from never crying - to crying for no reason. I wasn't even thinking about him this morning. He died late last year. Am I still feeling the effects of this? I'm changed for ever now. It might sound silly to some but my partner and I were closer to that dog than we were to anyone else.

Casualfriday I can’t get out of bed
  • replies: 6

I spent a year of my life majorly depressed, sleeping all day, overeating and hating myself. I was unemployed, not studying and isolating myself from everyone I knew. Then I started getting better and was living a pretty normal life for the next 2 ye... View more

I spent a year of my life majorly depressed, sleeping all day, overeating and hating myself. I was unemployed, not studying and isolating myself from everyone I knew. Then I started getting better and was living a pretty normal life for the next 2 years. But the past few months on the days I don’t have uni or work I’ve been so unbelievably lethargic, just like when I was depressed. I stay in my room all day with no energy to do anything, beating myself up for not being productive whilst not actually doing anything about it. I don’t know how to get out of this rut. I just want the energy and motivation to get out of bed in the mornings but all I can do is sleep - and when I oversleep I become more tired... it’s a vicious cycle. It’s like the physical motions of daily life are so overwhelming but that seems so melodramatic. I’m just scared that this will snowball and affect the other domains of my life (like work/uni/friends) like last time. I can’t be the only one, surely. Please share if this is something you struggle with and let me know what you did to fight against it, even with no energy. I’m exhausted

Lubenica Sick of everything
  • replies: 7

Hi all, I am just writing because I woke up this morning at 3am Perth time and my first thought was “I cannot do this anymore” and have cried for about an hour. Long story short, I have just returned from a trip to the US & New Zealand and just had m... View more

Hi all, I am just writing because I woke up this morning at 3am Perth time and my first thought was “I cannot do this anymore” and have cried for about an hour. Long story short, I have just returned from a trip to the US & New Zealand and just had my 30th birthday yesterday.I have been over my job for a while and have applied for numerous other positions to no avail. I feel so down and out when I shouldn’t because I have everything. I am single with no kids which is what I want. I travel a lot and have never felt this way after any of my trips..EVER! Does anyone else feel like this or felt like this?

Jeff42 Work worsening depression or depression making work hard
  • replies: 5

Is there some way to identify whether a job is worsening depression or whether I’m finding work difficult because I don’t have the coping strategies. My job situation is good. Excellent income, flexibility, I can work from home and be with my childre... View more

Is there some way to identify whether a job is worsening depression or whether I’m finding work difficult because I don’t have the coping strategies. My job situation is good. Excellent income, flexibility, I can work from home and be with my children. The work isn’t hard but it isn’t what I ever planned to do. Multiple promotions brought me to a middle management role that’s very processed based. It’s a competitive environment but I feel that if I was well, I could just do the work and not worry too much about the politics. It would let me be happy that I could spend a lot of time with family as I can work from home. I’m scared of leaving and discovering Thi Gs weren’t too bad once I’m well again and I’ve given up a good job and the flexibility my family needs. At work I am hyper conscious of every email I send, everything I say and how it might come back. I double check everything I do in case there are any mistakes and meetings with my very lovely boss are a central cause of stress in case I’ve done something wrong. I took a large break of leave which my company was really good about and felt good when I returned but all slid downhill again I don’t know how to know where the line is between being sick and things being hard and something making me worse

Mel_depressed_times Help -What do you do to help when you feel overwhelmed?
  • replies: 2

I don't know if this is the right forum for this thread but I was wondering if anyone had any helpful advice or anything. I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety when I was 14 and am now almost 30, it has not gotten better, if anything it has got... View more

I don't know if this is the right forum for this thread but I was wondering if anyone had any helpful advice or anything. I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety when I was 14 and am now almost 30, it has not gotten better, if anything it has gotten worse. I was diagnosed with PTSD after a sexual assault a few years ago, and I am struggling. My partner is super supportive of me, my family is understanding and only ever wants to help. I am medicated and not currently in counselling though have not found it hugely helpful. I am tired all the time, I could not be bothered doing anything, my performance at work is slipping and my anxiety is rising. I become so frustrated and overwhelmed that today I stood in my hallway and screamed as I was feeling overwhelmed with the dogs. I often feel like I am screaming in my head anyway but I don't usually physically scream. I don't want to go to work, I want to die, not necessarily kill myself I just don't want to do this anymore, fighting is hard and I am not sure it is worth it, I tried self-harming as that used to relieve the stress a bit but it doesn't help anymore, I have constant headaches and body pain and I just couldn't be bothered. I used to love cooking and art and all kinds of things, but I just can't be bothered. I feel as though my continued existence is always going to be this crappy I don't want to keep fighting to work 60 hours a week for no benefit, my mood stays the same whether I am poor or have enough to get by, I don't know what to do anymore, I am tired of spending $100 per hour for therapy to be old to keep a diary. What do you do to help when you feel overwhelmed?

Joey123 Very confused
  • replies: 1

Hey all Recently (about 5 weeks ago) I went to a party and tried some drugs and ended using a large amount throughout the night. The following couple of days were the worst days of my life I couldn’t sleep for 4-5 days, I was anxious, sad, confused e... View more

Hey all Recently (about 5 weeks ago) I went to a party and tried some drugs and ended using a large amount throughout the night. The following couple of days were the worst days of my life I couldn’t sleep for 4-5 days, I was anxious, sad, confused etc. I thought it would pass as i was most likely withdrawing from the drugs. Now 5 weeks on I’m feeling very emotional, low and sad. I don’t enjoy anything in life even though I have a great family, plenty of friends. I sit around and crying for no reason, my sleep pattern is bad and I have all these weird dreams. I’m scared because I don’t know what’s going on given a day before I made this stupid mistake I was a happy man with no complaints in life. I have seen a GP and have started medication recently.

Chickenhead Dealing with disappointment
  • replies: 1

On Thursday I sat in my doctors office and sobbed about a certain situation and all I could really explain as to why was that "it's just really what I didn't want". The only response she could give was that it is outside my control, it is what it is.... View more

On Thursday I sat in my doctors office and sobbed about a certain situation and all I could really explain as to why was that "it's just really what I didn't want". The only response she could give was that it is outside my control, it is what it is. Yesterday I had a conversation with my husband about an unrelated matter expressing my anger that it's just not "fair" how another situation has played out. These people could have had compassion, but instead have chosen to remain uninvolved and in some regards isolate me. My disappointment in both these situations is palpable, one leading to an overwhelming sense of sadness and threatening to cripple me, the other triggering a simmering anger toward certain people where I want to tell them exactly what I think and cut them out of my life once and for all. How do I deal with that? How do I come to terms with disappointment? I've come to understand that disappointment is often caused by expectations not being met, but at some point you've got to have a win right? You can't go through life with no expectations, hopes or dreams, always believing you deserve nothing more than the least desirable outcome! What's the point? It's so tiring always accepting what feels like second best.

SazBee Advice needed
  • replies: 5

Hi My partner told me to leave 7 days ago because he was struggling. He seemed to raise minor negatives aimed at me as the reason for his decision of needing time alone. I wrongly pushed for answers and he blocked my number and will not communicate. ... View more

Hi My partner told me to leave 7 days ago because he was struggling. He seemed to raise minor negatives aimed at me as the reason for his decision of needing time alone. I wrongly pushed for answers and he blocked my number and will not communicate. I visited him on day 6 to let him know I was worried about him where his reply was “I’m ok”. Then he left. I am unsure how to go about this. I deeply care for him which he knows but the abruptness of him shutting me out has left me not knowing what to do or where I stand. We were planning our future together and I’m just not sure whether his state of mind has ended the relationship without me actually knowing. I don’t want to even ask. I don’t know how to help him or whether I should make contact by email or maybe even visit again in a week. I need advice as I love him and don’t want to lose him and without being in contact I have no idea how he is.