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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 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

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thatpersoncody No one helps
  • replies: 5

A couple of months ago, I started to feel really crap about depression. I felt alone, disgusting and unwanted. I decided to write a note to my friend explaining my situation. It took me about three days to write and have to guts to go up to him and g... View more

A couple of months ago, I started to feel really crap about depression. I felt alone, disgusting and unwanted. I decided to write a note to my friend explaining my situation. It took me about three days to write and have to guts to go up to him and give it to him. So we were hanging out outside. I approached him, took him to the side and told him to read it and come to me when he was finished. I walked off and regretted the decision right away. Once he was finished he came up to me and told that I was messed up and that I'm always happy so I can't have depression. He continued to deny that I was suffering and brushed it off his shoulder. Everytime I try to talk about it he just ignores it and avoids the subject. It took me another four months to attempt to tell someone else. Now I feel that I can't trust anyone and no one can help or comfort me. Does anyone have any advice or any sort of help for my situation?

o0o0o depressive episodes
  • replies: 1

Recently I have seen a psychologist to help we work on issues relating to adhd and anxiety. I've always had some level of depression but I haven't been comfortable enough to really discuss that with my psychologist yet. Recently I had an intense peri... View more

Recently I have seen a psychologist to help we work on issues relating to adhd and anxiety. I've always had some level of depression but I haven't been comfortable enough to really discuss that with my psychologist yet. Recently I had an intense period of depression which lasted 3-4 days where my mind was racing more than usual, i had some intense depressive thoughts and pretty much stayed in bed the entire time. I didn't really eat much and didn't shower during that time. Something similar happened a few months ago. But instead of staying in bed I was working fifo and there was a few times I burst into tears unprovoked. There was few times when I was working fifo where I felt that I had more energy than normal and was more productive. It was normally at the beginning of the day and I put it down to taking my adhd meds on an empty stomach or being on the wrong dose. Are these signs of BPD or bipolar, and how do I talk to my psychologist about them? I made an appointment to see my psychologist earlier than planned during my recent depressive episode, and I feel like that was the wrong thing to do and that he will think that I over-reacted or am attention seeking. I have never self harmed or attempted to take my own life, but I have had suicidal thoughts that I knew I wouldn't act on. I'm in my mid-20s.

Chrissy_B Quit Smoking after 25 years - Major Depression
  • replies: 1

I've been a mild depression sufferer most of my adult life. Back in early June, I quit smoking after 25 years of smoking. After a few odd weeks, my overall health and feeling of well-being was transformed - I felt amazing; for the first time in years... View more

I've been a mild depression sufferer most of my adult life. Back in early June, I quit smoking after 25 years of smoking. After a few odd weeks, my overall health and feeling of well-being was transformed - I felt amazing; for the first time in years I could breathe again, smell things, took simply pleasures in just sitting relaxing. The anxiety I now recognised as constantly hanging out for the next cigarrette was totally gone. I was so excited by how well I felt that I went to see my GP and suggested that going off the anti-depressants would be realistic for the first time in years, given more time. I'd also quit drinking alcohol on weekends and just felt a million bucks. I was still 'vaping' with nicotine through July, and then late July got rid of the nicotine altogether. THEN, it started. I yo-yo'd like crazy, going from overjoyed one day to miserable the next. I'd flip on a dime - I felt like my head was totally fogged up, then I'd take a walk to get lunch and an hour later feel amazing. This has been going on right through to now (Sept). I have been under stress at work, so it has been hard to interpret what has been happening, I was a bit confounded as to whether how I felt was stress related, nicotine withdrawal or both. Has anyone else who has quit smoking after being a smoker for a LONG time gone through this? I don't know if I'm coming or going. I want to return to the elation I felt when I first quit the cigarettes.. I was still vaping and all this back-sliding seemed to coincide with when I stopped with the nicotine/vaping altogether. I would have thought that nearly two months and I should be totally free of nictotine's grip !!!!

BeyondChris Drinking my feelings away - I can't cope
  • replies: 8

Hey all. It's my first post here so here we go... So this year has been rough in terms of my depression and anxiety. I've been through a lot of heart-ache, betrayal by one of my closest friends (turned out she was using and manipulating me for her ow... View more

Hey all. It's my first post here so here we go... So this year has been rough in terms of my depression and anxiety. I've been through a lot of heart-ache, betrayal by one of my closest friends (turned out she was using and manipulating me for her own purposes...she treated me like shit and like I was beneath her) and one of the relationships I got into with a guy - ended up with me experiencing something I thought would never happen to me... let's just say there was a slight lack of consent.. (it's too much to write it here, I can't say it sorry). So I have realised that I use alcohol to cope with my feelings and I don't know how to cope with healthier options. I drink to feel good.. at least for awhile. I find it so hard to process things, I dont know how. I recently took a hardcore drug to help me feel good and I never thought I would reach this point. How do you deal with your feelings? I've tried - exercise, I have some amazing friends and a good family.. I don't know what to do.

TRC92 feeling lost
  • replies: 1

HI I have had depression since my teenage years, trialing many different CBT and medications. i am 26 now and self manage my depression most of the time as i react with most medications. when i was 17 i was in a relationship with someone who i ended ... View more

HI I have had depression since my teenage years, trialing many different CBT and medications. i am 26 now and self manage my depression most of the time as i react with most medications. when i was 17 i was in a relationship with someone who i ended up getting married to. i had a not so good childhood and i seemed to have had followed that abuse with my partner. we were together for 6 years in which during that time i lost my identity. we split 3 years ago and during the time of it, it was very traumatic and emotionally abusive, to the point now where my short term memory is terrible compared to what is used to be and i forget the simplest things and sometimes even what i am doing when i am in the middle of a task. financially it has been horrible to but most of that has subsided. that is a brief over view of my history. last week i had a really bad episode, probably the worst i have had in a few months and i am struggling to get out. its like i am here but it doesnt feel that everything around me is real, and my mood changes dramatically with the smallest thing. i just feel so tired and i dont want to go back to a therapist or take medications as i dont find these helpful to me. i almost feel like the inside wants to just shut down. physically i feel ok but the rest of me doesnt. my spirit feels tired. any suggestions as to what people try to help themselves get better

Sparklemuffin Forecast: Hollow with a chance of cloud and shower
  • replies: 1

I am not entirely sure what I’m doing here. It’s hard to find an outlet for your words where they can be heard. Because when you’re feeling like I am right now, there isn’t a single word I can utter to convey these hollowness , or even a single perso... View more

I am not entirely sure what I’m doing here. It’s hard to find an outlet for your words where they can be heard. Because when you’re feeling like I am right now, there isn’t a single word I can utter to convey these hollowness , or even a single person who’d be willing to listen. Because right now, at this very moment , I am the only thing existing in this universe of mine along with it’s great big hole. No amount of music, stories or memes can fill its ache. I know I’ll be fine in the morning, I think. ‘Fine’ is probably just the mask for it. Though it might be stronger in daylight. It might hold for a day or a week or even a month. But eventually it will crumble and I’ll return to my universe of one. Even in my dark phase, I can’t use straight words to express. I need these weird images to hide behind. Who knows what my problem is. Surely not me. Maybe someone? Anyone?

Ayejay91 Depressed father dead end job
  • replies: 1

Hi guys, first time here, seeking personal experiences with child support and fatherhood. I currently work night shifts and have for 2 years and never see my child, I have recently been battling against depression and anxiety and have been spiraling ... View more

Hi guys, first time here, seeking personal experiences with child support and fatherhood. I currently work night shifts and have for 2 years and never see my child, I have recently been battling against depression and anxiety and have been spiraling down every day since. I just want to talk to someone about it all, I use to be an extrovert but lately I barely leave the house, I recently turned 27 and I look at my life compared to others my age and wonder where I went wrong with everything, I was brought up to hide emotions cause it was a weakness, which now affects my relationship with my fiancé. I snap with anger if something small and unimportant happens, I’m frustrated all the time, I’m grinding my teeth as I write this cause I don’t like help and I’m anxious over nothing!! i give kudos to all the people out there on child support that can manage to pick themselves up. I just needed to vent mostly but any personal experience and advice is appreciated

llocin 45 and have nobody
  • replies: 3

Hello, I have recently started my annual leave, normally this was a time I just immersed myself into online gaming and let the time tick by. This year I just didn't have that desire so I started going for bike rides and and listening to podcasts. It ... View more

Hello, I have recently started my annual leave, normally this was a time I just immersed myself into online gaming and let the time tick by. This year I just didn't have that desire so I started going for bike rides and and listening to podcasts. It is weird, as I don't really listen to music, but I heard a kpop group that was great so I checked out some of their stuff and it awoke feelings that I didn't know I had. This isn't some creepy 40+ year old dude watching young asian girls for kicks, it was a revelation of sorts. Watching them on Youtube I started crying at one of their songs even though I didn't understand it. I realised these are a group of talented people who have everything in front of them, they are full of joy, they are close friends, they have the World at their feet. I have none of these things. It's not a fame and fortune thing. It's that I don't have joy in my life, I have no friends. I haven't had a relationship in forever. Who would want a boyfriend that has no friends? I don't know if any of this is relevant but as the Catalyst of my discovery I though worth mentioning. Anyway I decided to reach out to two people from my past who where still in my phone, we used to work together and were pretty close but It has been years. They both messaged me very quickly and one called and we spoke for a bit and said we would catch up. I'm just not sure how to proceed. I would love to chat but I don't want to be the person who suddenly tries to force his way into others lives, especially after so long, and I don't think it is right to be using these people to try and fix my issues. It's just that I finally want friends but have no idea how to achieve that at 45, who wants to be friends with someone who has none? How do you even meet people when you don't have friend's to hang around with? My job involves weird shift work, start and finish times are different everyday and I often work weekends so I would like to rekindle these friendships before I get back to work. I'm thinking of going to see a professional to help me sort through things as I am currently a bundle of emotions instead of not caring like I did for the last 10 years. Thanks for reading and any input. I really has helped to sit down and write this out, even though i'm crying like a kid. I guess I do need to do something more. I don't know how people do this, I've read so many articulate posts, so sorry for mine.

bluewater I need support
  • replies: 3

I am waking each morning worrying about just making it through the day! I've been on medication and feel it's not working although I've made small improvements. I just hate waking up seeing the sunlight and thinking here we go again. No suicide ideat... View more

I am waking each morning worrying about just making it through the day! I've been on medication and feel it's not working although I've made small improvements. I just hate waking up seeing the sunlight and thinking here we go again. No suicide ideation at all but sick and tired of being sick and tired! Also tapering from anxiety medication. I also have health and GAD anxiety on top of the depression and medical professionals involved. I'm not into craft or arts or anything. Prior to all this I enjoyed going out even though I lived a little reckless! I'm just over waking each morning feeling like this even though I'm using all my CBT tools. Ahhhhhh

creggz New on here! Creative girl recently diagnosed
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone! My name's Naomi. I've lived with anxiety and depression for years but just recently been diagnosed with (and have probably always had) Borderline Personality Disorder. Would be nice to meet and connect with people who experience what I d... View more

Hi everyone! My name's Naomi. I've lived with anxiety and depression for years but just recently been diagnosed with (and have probably always had) Borderline Personality Disorder. Would be nice to meet and connect with people who experience what I do. Even though I share a lot with others I still feel very alone sometimes, especially since I'm recently diagnosed with BPD, and I'd love to have a community of people I'm not 'running' so to speak. I look forward to meeting people on here Have a good evening everyone