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

Spl spl Suddenly feeling these huge emotions
  • replies: 3

Heya, I've posted on this site before but the topic had nothing to do with what I'm about to talk about here, so I decided to start a new thread. Most of the time I'm a pretty apathetic person. I find it hard to empathize with what others are feeling... View more

Heya, I've posted on this site before but the topic had nothing to do with what I'm about to talk about here, so I decided to start a new thread. Most of the time I'm a pretty apathetic person. I find it hard to empathize with what others are feeling on anything below the surface level. With my own emotions even, it was like they were far less dramatic than what other people around me were feeling. Obviously, it's because of depression. When I'm depressed, it's less me crying all the time and more like an extreme haze of apathy. But these past two weeks things have changed and I'm just wondering what's going on. So yeah it started with me telling my suicidal sister to kill herself. Which was damn weird because I said it out of nowhere and something I regret for sure. It was like I reached peak apathy and graduated into a grade-a assholeness. I was just saying things left and right with way less of a filter because empathy was just not there at all. That was around two weeks ago. Don't worry, I apologized and she said it's okay but that was just a really weird situation because normally we have a great relationship and I felt Nothing for that entire week. And then this week, I suddenly start crying and stuff! For the first time in months. What the heck. It was like a 180 and now I'm just in a state of perpetual panic because of all these ~emotions~ and I cried so many times yesterday and today. All of my emotions have been magnified it's so weird. Like if I'm scrolling on twitter and see something funny I actually smile! What! But it has its demerits as well since I was feeling extremely anxious today and then a freaking job offer called me on the phone and I denied like an idiot because I was panicking and could barely formulate thought. Its been a strange February so far. Does anyone here relate or have an idea of what I'm talking about? If not thanks for listening anyway. TL;DR Help my apathetic self is suddenly feeling emotions and its super freaky

nevergiveup245 Years of depression and losing hope
  • replies: 2

Hi all, I am 23 and have been suffering from depression for many years, pretty much all my life. Sometimes i am tired of trying anymore and working hard to overcome it. My mind just tells me I won’t get better. Seen therapists and all and have taken ... View more

Hi all, I am 23 and have been suffering from depression for many years, pretty much all my life. Sometimes i am tired of trying anymore and working hard to overcome it. My mind just tells me I won’t get better. Seen therapists and all and have taken meds too. Therapy helps but I get better for a while and fall back into deep depression again. I just feel hopeless about things ever changing. No friends or family who understand or can support me. I feel like I need more support than I currently have. Anyone feel so low before? Like your mind is telling you that nothing will work and you wont ever get better? What can I do? thanks in advance

Tefler Long term depression left untreated.??? But I have no choice now, its really do or I dont know...
  • replies: 5

Hi to anyone listening, I will ask in the odd chance someone might be able t point me in the right direction. Forgive me if my sentences are not well written. I re-read them later, and cringe. What happens if you have left it nearly thirty years to s... View more

Hi to anyone listening, I will ask in the odd chance someone might be able t point me in the right direction. Forgive me if my sentences are not well written. I re-read them later, and cringe. What happens if you have left it nearly thirty years to seek advice, as I really have no choice, despite the fact i do not think they can help. My ability to cope with life just happenned 3 months ago, when I could not get answers for the pain in my back. Since then , well things have become so much harder. I'm lucky, very lucky, I have parents while they might not understand me, love me unconditionally, which has kept me going. But I started seeing a phycologist, for the second time in my life. THis was last week. And really do not know where to start. Does he need to know my life story, because most of the pain I have experienced has never left me. it almost seems to me, he can not believe I have all this inside me, but I have. I do not want to take anti depressants and I am taking too much non -recreational drugs for the Young onset Parkinsons deasease I have been battling for the last 10 years. What will it achieve, an early retirement, because I finally get labelled clinically depressed. I do not want to retire, as I know I'm good at my job, but the is pressure there too. No one would have the time to solve my issues, and I try and suck it up, and when I get a chance to talk about my pain, I get in a confused state and do not know which problem to start with, so I end up looking crazy, and saying things that will not help me, and only makes me look worse, and that I do not want help. But truly, know one can. I will not do anything stupid, for the sake of my parents and family , as they do not deserve it. They have tried to help, but do not seem to understand the challanges i face. NO one does. So that must mean the problem is with me. Which is something I do not accept. There is much more to the story, there is alot of issues at play here. Too much to write here. And this is not the place. But if something is bothering you, even if it was 25 years ago, or you think it is important to address for you physologist to understand , is it too late to discuss those issues now. Or should i just address the current situation.. Anyone Tefler

Bethie Down hill
  • replies: 6

Hi I recently started volunteering at my local community centre mainly helping on reception. All the staff commented on how well i was doing and it felt great knowing i was helping people as well. I do that on Tuesdays and this week they asked if i c... View more

Hi I recently started volunteering at my local community centre mainly helping on reception. All the staff commented on how well i was doing and it felt great knowing i was helping people as well. I do that on Tuesdays and this week they asked if i could help in the food bank today. I did and it was one of the worst experiences I've had in years. I was told of for using basic english talking to people by another volunteer who has been on that area for months. Alot of people who use the service have very little english due to only recently comming from refugee camps. The way some of these people where spoken to should be illegal. They where not there for free handouts, just to get heavily discounted groceries for their families. The experience has really sent me into a down hill spiral. For the first time in close to a year it felt like positive things where starting to happen both in my life and around me but now i just want to close the door and go back to my normal safe working life and not try to be happy.

Fairmist Where do I start??
  • replies: 4

Hi I have just joined and hoping to get some guidance on getting through my days. I just turned 55 and I sometimes feel like a fraud feeling like the way I do. I have a fantastic family, a good job and a lovely home, outside looking in it looks great... View more

Hi I have just joined and hoping to get some guidance on getting through my days. I just turned 55 and I sometimes feel like a fraud feeling like the way I do. I have a fantastic family, a good job and a lovely home, outside looking in it looks great, but from where I stand. Not so good. I struggle everyday with the simplest of tasks. Getting out of bed, showering, cleaning the house. My husband is amazing, it's our 25th wedding anniversary tomorrow and I have nothing planned, and that is making me feel worse..not even a card. I work from home so I don't need to leave the house, so I don't go shopping. Please give me some pointers on how to get through my days better

Muscular_Tightness Anyone have any information on trapped emotions showing physical Signs in the body?
  • replies: 4

Hi, It's my first time in this forum, I've been scouring the internet for some research on that "heavy heart feeling" I have extreme tightness in my body that I can't seem to shift with exercise, yoga, meditation, stretching or regular massages. (bee... View more

Hi, It's my first time in this forum, I've been scouring the internet for some research on that "heavy heart feeling" I have extreme tightness in my body that I can't seem to shift with exercise, yoga, meditation, stretching or regular massages. (been trying these with a personal trainer since July last year) I'm starting to believe its emotional. Its true that when I've suffered emotional pain I try to block it out, I've felt the feeling of the wind being knocked out of me when going through emotional situations and I have grown into a place where my body feels like its constantly bracing for impact. I can't unwind the tightness, I feel like a wrung cloth and I can't unravel. I have recently been promoted into a more high-pressure role (no pay rise) and I listen to meditation tapes and breathing exercises and I can't seem to shift my energy to a calmer place. Sometimes just trying to take deep breaths sends me into a panic, because my chest is locked tight and when I can't take a full breath the effort sends me into a panic. (shoulders, neck, traps, hip flexes, ribs all tightly locked on) I'm cynical about counselling as my mother is one and I've been to a few I didn't vibe with. (I would seek more professional help if I could to find one that understood what my body is doing to me) It's very hard to afford good mental health care, and even harder to explain what it is I'm feeling. Any techniques I could try or people I could see? Any tips or words of wisdom welcome and encouraged. SOS

Lonelyorhappi I don’t know how to feel
  • replies: 1

Lately I’ve been feeling like I can’t do anything I feel like crying all the time but for no reason I know this is depression but I have nothing to be dressed about I feel like I’m complaining for no reason at all I can’t do any of the things I like ... View more

Lately I’ve been feeling like I can’t do anything I feel like crying all the time but for no reason I know this is depression but I have nothing to be dressed about I feel like I’m complaining for no reason at all I can’t do any of the things I like like reading books or watching anime because it all seems to not interest me at all I feel alone sad depressed but at the same time I don’t know how to feel because of all of the emotions going on I’m 20 years old and I feel lost I feel like I’m not going anywhere in life and that I’m stuck and it makes me sad and I wanna study but I just can’t concentrate on anything I don’t know how to feel or how to stop feeling so sad all the time sometimes I just really want it all to stop

absnih My friends don’t how to deal with my depression.
  • replies: 1

I have had depression for the past 2 years and it has been slowly getting worse. I have panic attacks multiple times a week and cry at least once a day. Generally I keep these things to myself but there are friends that I see every day who experience... View more

I have had depression for the past 2 years and it has been slowly getting worse. I have panic attacks multiple times a week and cry at least once a day. Generally I keep these things to myself but there are friends that I see every day who experience these things with me. Recently they have told me that they don’t know what to do and don’t want to “deal with me anymore”. I know that they care about me but as my depression gets worse, we grow further apart. I feel like I am annoying to deal with and a burden to hang around. We struggle to talk because they don’t experience the same things I do, so they don’t fully understand, and I have trouble communicating what I am really feeling. After having a big fight with my friends in December, we haven’t talked once. I now rarely leave the house apart from a couple of days a week to go to work. I feel as though locking myself up and staying home is making me worse but I also have a panick attack every time i think about leaving the house by myself and without a real purpose of leaving the house to do something other than just get out. I need some advice on trying to manage my attacks and depression and how I can talk to my friends about it. They are extremely important to me as I do not have any close family, but I am unsure of how to approach them.

Evanti Any tips for someone suffering from depression and cannot sleep?
  • replies: 4

Hi there everyone This is my first post on the Beyondblue community forum. So I am a 21 year old male and I have had depression for almost 2 years now and as a result I cannot sleep. I have never had trouble with sleeping throughout my life. It has o... View more

Hi there everyone This is my first post on the Beyondblue community forum. So I am a 21 year old male and I have had depression for almost 2 years now and as a result I cannot sleep. I have never had trouble with sleeping throughout my life. It has only started since I was diagnosed with depression. When I go to bed at night I just simply cannot sleep at all. I will lie there for hours in my bed trying to fall asleep but I just cant. The thoughts in my head caused from the depression seem to keep me awake all the time and I've tried lots of different things and it still doesn't work. I am just curious if anyone else has experienced this and if anyone knows any good advice on the matter. The problem is that because I have a lack of sleep. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to treat my depression and to exercise because I am perpetually exhausted from not getting enough sleep.

Lilac1 Hidden Depression
  • replies: 2

I’m not sue where to exactly start, or what to exactly say, but I need to express my feelings and emotions. I’m lost, and feel stuck. I’m “happy” one day and extremely down another day. I don’t feel I’m truly happy with myself or my life, everyone is... View more

I’m not sue where to exactly start, or what to exactly say, but I need to express my feelings and emotions. I’m lost, and feel stuck. I’m “happy” one day and extremely down another day. I don’t feel I’m truly happy with myself or my life, everyone is living and I feel stuck. I want to enjoy life, find my passion, love the relationships in my life but I just can’t. I want to achieve things, be truly happy. I want that more than anything. I just am stuck, I don’t see any jobs that truly is what I can do, my anxiety plays a part but it doesn’t fully control me. I want to succeed, get a job, find true friends, live a life of me being truly happy within myself but I don’t know how. My anxiety hurts me when I need to recharge after lots of social interaction even with my partner, which he doesn’t understand because he is the opposite he can’t be alone. I have my passions that keep me going which is art, poetry and basketball but I feel my feelings have even affected those things. I am one of those people who just want to make everyone happy, because it makes me happy so when I am having a down day I just hide it because there is really nothing they can do, and me seeing them happy instead of worried is helps me more. I just feel lost and you reading this can probably tell I’m all over the place. I’m just sad, down about a lot of things and I’m trying to find my way out. Thank you for reading my confusing mess and I hope if anyone feels similar you are not alone