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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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Big_Mac Tired all the time (bipolar disorder)
  • replies: 1

Hey everyone, im new to these forums. I have been diagnosed with bipolar now for 3 years. Although i have had drepression / manic problems now for coming up on 10 years. I cant seem to hold a job / study for more than 6 months at a time when i relaps... View more

Hey everyone, im new to these forums. I have been diagnosed with bipolar now for 3 years. Although i have had drepression / manic problems now for coming up on 10 years. I cant seem to hold a job / study for more than 6 months at a time when i relapse. I do see a psychiatrist regularly and take my anti-psychotics, mood stabilisers and anti depressants every day (i feel like im eating a meal with the amount of pills im popping). At the moment im not working or studying but just trying to get better, but i find that when it comes to 1pm every day i can not stay awake. All of my medications have tiredness as a common side effect and i am considering going off of them because of this. Does anyone else have this problem? Thanks

Mondegreen Pet trapped in cavity of building - depression relapse / unsure of how to process situation mentally/ emotionally.
  • replies: 1

I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety over a decade ago. I tried medications, etc, and found over time learning to better understand my mental health has helped a lot and I've been doing markedly better. As with many people with depression, I f... View more

I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety over a decade ago. I tried medications, etc, and found over time learning to better understand my mental health has helped a lot and I've been doing markedly better. As with many people with depression, I found having animals helped me build a sense of purpose and self-worth. A reason to get out of bed; a reason to make sure I got home safe at the end of the day. Long story short, two days ago, one of my pet ferrets, through total awful freak chances ended up breaking through the back of a cupboard, got into a cavity of our apartment complex and we have no way of getting her out. She is likely stuck somewhere which is why she hasn't returned. We have security cameras and know she went in there and didn't come back out. We have tried everything recommended by the RSPCA, fire brigade, police rescue, etc. Even calling pest control to see if they could look in the walls for me, but they just dismissed me. I've now got to come to terms with the fact that my beloved pet is likely dying in a hole within ten metres of me that I can not physically get to. In the space of not even a day I feel like I've undone years of progress. I can't process the overwhelming feelings of grief and helplessness . There's nothing I can do. I just have to keep on existing while my pet dies. I'm mourning her, but she's still alive, and she's so close but I can't get to her. What the hell am I supposed to do with myself while I'm helpless to the fact that the pet I love and care for like a child slowly dies, alone in the dark. I guess over time I've started to associate the wellbeing of my pets as a reflection of myself, and a sign that I'm doing something right, that I'm not useless. This has been such a massive blow, in multiple regards, I can't even convey this in text. I've never had to deal with this sort of grief before, especially whilst in a severe depressive state. I don't know where to start processing this, I don't know how I'm going to move past what is happening right now. I can't switch off, I can't pretend this isn't happening. I can't distract myself. How do I begin to process this mentally and emotionally? Can I?

Julz01 Lost my way
  • replies: 1

After hospitalisation on 2016 I went nearly 18 months with a complete lifestyle change. Regular exercise, eating well & no drinking alcohol I lost nearly 30 kgs. I have lost my enthusiasm I had a short hospitalisation in February but I don't think it... View more

After hospitalisation on 2016 I went nearly 18 months with a complete lifestyle change. Regular exercise, eating well & no drinking alcohol I lost nearly 30 kgs. I have lost my enthusiasm I had a short hospitalisation in February but I don't think it had the same life altering effect of my first hospitalisation. It's so hard to muster up my motivation for the gym I have gone from 3 times a week to barely 1. I am drinking regularly which promotes bad eating habits so the weight is creeping up. I hate my job I have a new boss who micro manages and I am constantly on edge I have done the wrong thing. I am going through family dramas with my mother with dementia & not all siblings agreeing with me as her guardian on how to manage her assets. I want to go back to late 2016 but don't know how to get back to that feel good motivated place

Lov3 Work trouble
  • replies: 18

Hi everyone, back again with another issue in my life. Everyone here is always so helpful and have such great advice so I thought it would be a great place to air my thoughts. Work is my biggest problem and is causing me to have problems in my person... View more

Hi everyone, back again with another issue in my life. Everyone here is always so helpful and have such great advice so I thought it would be a great place to air my thoughts. Work is my biggest problem and is causing me to have problems in my personal life. I have been at my job for 11 years and the past 9 months it has been so horrible. Last year things got on top of me and I ended up seeing a dr and getting on anti depressants. I also took my long service to help clear my head. I came back possitive but that was when things went bad. My boss said I wasn’t doing a good job and ended up taking over my position and putting me back where I started! I literally have a cardboard box for my things. I explained my anxiety and depression but it’s almost made things worse, he’s at me constantly. I’m in tears too often. I get great feedback from staff and customers, so I just don’t get it. I have told him I will finish up at the end of the year but every day is like a week. I completely shut off outside of work because I feel so miserable. I don’t want to sleep because I have to go back the next day. If I change jobs, I know I will drop about $10 an hr in wages so I have to stay until September to pay my car. But then will need a job right away. If I stay until the end of the year I will have savings to take time off and find a job. Question is can I make it! I worry if the end is too far I might explode early but I’m scared to need a job right away. On top of the fact that I’m starting again which is scary in itself. Thoughts?

North_Star New to Sharing
  • replies: 3

Hi, My name is Star and I am new to this whole forum/sharing about what I'm going through. I am feeling at a very low point in my life and I am having trouble finding any hope or passion about the future. This feeling is related to a depressive medic... View more

Hi, My name is Star and I am new to this whole forum/sharing about what I'm going through. I am feeling at a very low point in my life and I am having trouble finding any hope or passion about the future. This feeling is related to a depressive medical condition, and it is amplified by my external environment, living in Sydney in a house where I don't feel like I can fully flow to my own rhythm. I have trouble being around other people when I am like this. I feel lost, sad and unable to believe that the future will get any better. It is my hope that by sharing my experience with other people who are going through similar things, that I will feel a sense that I am not alone. Despite working in a creative field, true expression is something that I struggle with - when other people are involved. I have a lot of difficultly authentically expressing myself when I feel "negative." My outlet for this so far has been through writing in a journal, but this is not shared with anyone. I'm hoping that by sharing my feelings and experiences with others, this will help me heal.

In-between Wellbeing
  • replies: 2

I’m stuck between wanting to live my best life and to be happy/ positive and keep up with my fitness but I keep getting dragged back down with my own mind. Recently I’ve had no time to focus on my mental or physical health due to the amount of school... View more

I’m stuck between wanting to live my best life and to be happy/ positive and keep up with my fitness but I keep getting dragged back down with my own mind. Recently I’ve had no time to focus on my mental or physical health due to the amount of school work I had (year 12) and I knew before that I was spiralling down again into depression and anxiety had peaked back up only I wasn’t dealing with it how I should. At first I kept my mind distracted by talking/ hanging out with a guy and then avoided thinking about due to school work. Problem is I need to deal with it and I don’t know how to help myself, I’ve tried seeing someone at school but they are useless, I tried getting an appointed with someone from headspace but they are too full and never got back to me. Someone please give me advice. TIA

QWYP 31 year old depressed, socially anxious, long term unemployed, overweight, dead broke loser recently separated and living with with my parents.
  • replies: 2

I’m just frustrated and feeling hopeless about my future… I've been suffering from depression and social anxiety for about 7 years now and haven't done anything about it because I’m too much of a coward to go seek help. I was living with my girlfrien... View more

I’m just frustrated and feeling hopeless about my future… I've been suffering from depression and social anxiety for about 7 years now and haven't done anything about it because I’m too much of a coward to go seek help. I was living with my girlfriend of 8 years and we mutually decided to end things because she has hopes of getting married and starting a family and she obviously has a time limit. And at this point in my life, in this head space I'm just not ready to commit. She’s already seeing other people. We still talk often and I’ve visited her a few times. I honestly wish her the best in life and she deserves all the happiness in the world, she’s really an amazing person. I can’t stop crying while I’m writing this, but it’s just difficult for me to see someone that I love, someone that I shared 8 years of my 20’s with - dating other people. I moved out and now I live with my parents. I’m extremely grateful and lucky that I have parents who were willing to take me in and provide a roof over my head and food on my plate otherwise I’d be living on the streets. I've been living here for 3 months now, and I can’t stop thinking that I’m just sitting here wasting time. My parents are getting older and I can’t be relying on them to be taking care of me. Thinking about this leaves me sad, frustrated and feeling hopeless. I struggle to go to sleep and wake up in the mornings, if it weren't for that fact that I have to drive my parents to work in the mornings I honestly wouldn't wake up at all. My entire day is basically spent on the computer, playing games, watching videos and streams and whatever else I can find to keep my mind occupied and distracted from the fact that I am an absolute loser. From the second I wake up I take 4 steps to my computer and sit my ass down for the entire day only getting up to go eat and go to the toilet and have a smoke. When I get into bed I often cry myself to sleep. This isn’t what I had imagined my life to be like. I had huge ambitions… I had a vision of who I would be in my 30’s and my reality is the COMPLETE opposite. I want to change my life but I don’t know where to start or what to do. I feel hopeless and scared that I’ll never be able to live a happy and productive life.

AlreadyNobody No one really cares
  • replies: 2

No one seems to care, Ive tried everything to get better ,wrote all my thoughts down in a journal or exercise till I threw up, no matter how much I did it was always short term and it made no difference to the nights, I told my parents everything as ... View more

No one seems to care, Ive tried everything to get better ,wrote all my thoughts down in a journal or exercise till I threw up, no matter how much I did it was always short term and it made no difference to the nights, I told my parents everything as a final cry for help, that was 3 weeks ago, they just said i had to exercise more often then already my 5 times a week, and they will maybe look for someone that I can talk to, and basically what I got out of that was its my fault that I can't manage myself because I don't do constructive things. I cant put any weight on anyone anymore without them wanting to keep distance afterwards, I used to have so many friends, and a while ago for the first time in my life Ive had to make excuses to why I don't hang out with my friends, I cringe every time I think about that because I don't have any friends, I hate myself. I don't see myself being around to graduate school, not at this rate.

Zoe111 Burnout or Depression?
  • replies: 4

Hi People, I’m new here, bit nervous, wonder if anyone has some wisdom for me. I am working full time in a management position in a specialist health field that can be highly emotive and divisive. I have spent >20 years in this field supporting the c... View more

Hi People, I’m new here, bit nervous, wonder if anyone has some wisdom for me. I am working full time in a management position in a specialist health field that can be highly emotive and divisive. I have spent >20 years in this field supporting the clients and yet still had work life balance with my partner, children and family. I made the decision to take the fulltime management job as my children are almost grown and I felt I had a lot to offer the position. At first it was going well however the last 6 months things have not been going well, I feel disillusioned with my workplace, feel I do everything wrong, worthless, anxious at work, brain working very slowly, not motivated, avoid certain difficult people as my heart races if I see them, coming home crying in the car most nights, no energy, no pleasure to go out and do anything outside work. When I started 18 months ago I felt none of this was excited to be doing it. I don’t want to just leave for the following reasons: my bosses tell me I’m doing a good job and I feel I would be letting them down Don’t know where else to go options are limited feel I would be running away and should face my problems at work and deal with it I don’t know how much longer I can go on though. If I left and went elsewhere would it be the same now? Don’t know what to do does anyone have any experience to share?

DannyG Therapist away, Help me please
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone does anyone have advice for me - my therapist is on holiday, I can’t get in to see my GP until next week and I’m struggling. every day I’m crying, I can’t sleep, I’m managing to go to work but I feel like im on the edge of being able to f... View more

Hi everyone does anyone have advice for me - my therapist is on holiday, I can’t get in to see my GP until next week and I’m struggling. every day I’m crying, I can’t sleep, I’m managing to go to work but I feel like im on the edge of being able to function. what do you do when you can’t access your health professionals? Has anyone had a positive experience with any phone help lines ?