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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BeyondBlue Hello! Read this if you're not sure how to get started
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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?
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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
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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

Jessa_ Nothing makes me happy anymore
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Last week I quit my job. I had just got a promotion and I didn’t feel I could do it and I was stressing about it all the time and coming home crying most days. Now I’m unemployed and feel so down and have no motivation or energy to do anything. All I... View more

Last week I quit my job. I had just got a promotion and I didn’t feel I could do it and I was stressing about it all the time and coming home crying most days. Now I’m unemployed and feel so down and have no motivation or energy to do anything. All I want to do is sleep and not think about what my life has become. I constantly compare myself to others which I know is not healthy but I can’t help it. All my friends have great jobs and seem happy but I feel like I’ll never get to that point. It’s starting to affect my relationship with my boyfriend who I live with too

Anit Not sure
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Things have been getting worse and no matter what I try to do, I can't seem to find a solution. I have always told myself sadness is mind over matter, and that got me through things until now. I thought I was OK and thought I had dealt with the thing... View more

Things have been getting worse and no matter what I try to do, I can't seem to find a solution. I have always told myself sadness is mind over matter, and that got me through things until now. I thought I was OK and thought I had dealt with the things that are getting me down, but lately I can't seem to think about things without falling apart. I have felt very sad sometimes throughout life, when things have happened, but I was OK, life went on, I just continued. But I've never felt like this before and its starting to worry me, because also sometimes I dont seem to care or feel about things either, and that just doesn't seem to be the person I think I am or was. I only think its depression now, because I took the online test. Im not sure if it is, or I'm just experiencing really different, overwhelming and sad feelings... Im not sure about how this works, as I honestly didn't read all the information properly. I was just hoping someone could tell me what I should be trying to do next. I dont think I could talk about things to people, cause I dont like doing that. I dis some online reading, but I don't want to speak to a GP or tell my family and friends how I feel. I know I'm not feeling sorry for myself, cause that's also not me and I have never asked for help before. I sort of want to just delete this message and figure it out, but I have been trying to do that, and I can't get ahead. I know I need to send this message, cause maybe I do need some help and I don't know. I really wouldn't be here if I hadn't tried to sort myself out. I am sorry if this is not the right place to be writing this, I know there's a lot of people that definitely need the help. I was just really hoping I could speak to someone online about how I feel and if someone can tell me if I am depressed or its something else. I also had like two out of the ordinary emotional outbursts last week and I can't understand that either...Thank you for your time to read my message. I hope to hear from you soon.

Guest_4987 Isolated-cold-lonely and depressed.
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As i live in an isolated regional area with all the cold weather with my depression i am finding life very hard at the moment. I am not new to BB but have not posted for some months but find myself needed help as I am sliding into a dark place which ... View more

As i live in an isolated regional area with all the cold weather with my depression i am finding life very hard at the moment. I am not new to BB but have not posted for some months but find myself needed help as I am sliding into a dark place which i seem to carry with me… With not that much support available in my area at night i decided to reactivate contact on these forums as it was helpful then so why not now. STS

Kewkie I need help
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Hi all. I guess i came on here to find help with my life. I just turned 36 a few days ago, and i feel like my life is falling apart. This new year has not gone well so far and its only feburary. I was recently rushed to hospital with a mystery illnes... View more

Hi all. I guess i came on here to find help with my life. I just turned 36 a few days ago, and i feel like my life is falling apart. This new year has not gone well so far and its only feburary. I was recently rushed to hospital with a mystery illness. It took 3 days to figure out what it was. Thankfully nothing serious. But the whole experience made me realise what a loner i actually am. I received many messages on fb of support. But not 1 visitor. When i was realsed i sat in my house alone for a week. I've always been very independant, which i do love but this experience has really reinforced what a looser i am. I'v done nothing in my life that I'mproud of. A high school drop out. Retail working looser. I hate discussing my feelings with strangers but I'm at the point of breaking. It's affecting my work life and my home life. I'm more withdrawn than I've ever been. I'm really good at hiding it but its getting harder and harder. I feel stuck. Theres nothing that anyone can do that will make my life magically better. Magic doesn't exist. Be real. My life sucks and i don't know what to do. I'm not diagnosed with anything. I won't even discuss this with my dr even though I've been struggling with depression for many years on and off.

SadDavo1337 Everything now seems so bleak
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This is going to sound silly but I have major health anxiety and am currently suffering a bad episode after having a CT scan last week and seeing the radiation/cancer risk associated that I’m terrified as in the space of a week I’ve gone from having ... View more

This is going to sound silly but I have major health anxiety and am currently suffering a bad episode after having a CT scan last week and seeing the radiation/cancer risk associated that I’m terrified as in the space of a week I’ve gone from having big dreams and wanting to do so much to just an empty shell. I don’t look forward to anything now because in my head it’s all pointless and I just look up videos about death and reality. What happens next, how to allay ones fears. What can I do about this? Does anyone else here feel this way?

Hooe Had enough
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My boyfriend has made me delete all social media stopped me from talking too my friends, he will no longer go too my mums or have anything too do with my children the other day i sat there for 7 hours while he drank with his friend and i had too wait... View more

My boyfriend has made me delete all social media stopped me from talking too my friends, he will no longer go too my mums or have anything too do with my children the other day i sat there for 7 hours while he drank with his friend and i had too wait for him, this wasn't the first. Hes currently all angry at me because i dont want too go out because i have tonsillitis he drinks daily i just feel like this guy is bringing me down and making my mental health worse

floz I think I'm a good nurse but nothing makes me happy anymore
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Hi, I'm new here and I don't even really know what I'm doing here. I think the title says most of what I'm thinking, I'm a 24y.o nurse and I'm pretty sure nursing is my calling but my personal struggles with depression are starting to effect my work ... View more

Hi, I'm new here and I don't even really know what I'm doing here. I think the title says most of what I'm thinking, I'm a 24y.o nurse and I'm pretty sure nursing is my calling but my personal struggles with depression are starting to effect my work as well as my personal life. I'm pretty sure it's only recently hit me that there is something wrong and I still don't really get it. I feel like I'm supposed to be immune to feeling these thoughts inside because of what I do. I can't keep blaming my unhappiness and negative thoughts on the shift work making me tired, my boss being condescending or the fact that I can't get out of the house except to go to work and reward myself with sugar for just finishing a shift - I don't have any weight problems but I know sugar isn't what my body needs and I end up feeling guilty for doing the one thing that makes me happy for a minute because I should be preaching health. I feel ridiculously lonely all of the time. I reward myself with the justification of staying in the house all day I didn't realise until now how socially isolated I am. I tell myself to get out of the house but there's often no friends I can think of asking to be with. I have one close friend but we don't talk about this stuff. The rest are aquaintences and I feel like I just annoy people anyway. I guess I want to know if there's anyone else in the medical profession feeling this. I feel like I should be better than this but sometimes it feels so deep that I wouln't know where to start even trying to make anything better.

Kassy Lost
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In 2016 i got depression really bad and i begun staying in my house a lot. Id forever be in my pyjamas in bed or in the house cleaning. i didnt care about myself. After a while i didnt speak to anyone. My friends became distant and i felt all alone. ... View more

In 2016 i got depression really bad and i begun staying in my house a lot. Id forever be in my pyjamas in bed or in the house cleaning. i didnt care about myself. After a while i didnt speak to anyone. My friends became distant and i felt all alone. I tried councelling but its almost impossible for me to speak about my emotions or my traumatic childhood. Its something ive been trying to forget my whole life. I have bad anxiety and all I find myself doing is shaking and crying. So i stopped going. The only thing that makes me want to keep trying is my partner and my dog. My partner hates the way I've become. I know he thinks im lazy and useless because he has said it a few times on my bad days. He says he doesnt mean it but i can just feel it. I dont know how these words make me sink so low. It feels like for every positive step i take there are two negative. Im just sinking deeper and deeper and cant even save myself anymore. Where should I go from here?

Bluebird987 First major relapse
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Since coming back from a getaway with friends, I have been slowly progressing towards a relapse. I've been feeling numb and empty in the meantime and today it all came up. I've been able to go on with my life, but today it was difficult enough to mak... View more

Since coming back from a getaway with friends, I have been slowly progressing towards a relapse. I've been feeling numb and empty in the meantime and today it all came up. I've been able to go on with my life, but today it was difficult enough to make it out of bed. I've suffered with maj. depression for a while now and I've been seeing someone about it. I have a appointment tomorrow, but I still feel so guilty about this relapse. It's the first time it has happened to me. I knew that eventually this would happen but even expecting it didn't make me as prepared as I would have liked to be. I just need for some guidance and advice here. Anything really. About how to go forward following this relapse and what to expect for the short and long term future.

Kitten0 Here goes nothing
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I am 25, moved out of home 6 years ago, in a relationship for 5 years, been in my same job for 6 years, lived in the same place for 9 years. My emotions always seem to go the same way every morning. Wake up sad, go to work sad, have breakfast, happy ... View more

I am 25, moved out of home 6 years ago, in a relationship for 5 years, been in my same job for 6 years, lived in the same place for 9 years. My emotions always seem to go the same way every morning. Wake up sad, go to work sad, have breakfast, happy for 10 minutes, stressed throughout the day and angry as soon as I get home, and that is even if I get home on time. My sibling has 3 kids, I have none of my own. I try to help her as much as I can but feel like I can never say no to them. I said no once and my sibling didn't talk to me for a day before trying to convince me to leave my partner at home to come and see them. I feel for my partner. I feel for my mum, always at work and when she comes home, she has no time to spend with anyone as she is FIFO and misses a lot. I can't make any friends as I consider myself to be "weird" or "awkward". I say things, instantly regret them. I do things, instantly wish I was at home in my room. I can't help but want something to happen to me, you know, like a car crash, illness, have a child (my partner isn't ready yet), move country, something HUGE! something to make me feel something other than sadness all the time. Then I reconsider and tell myself that's crazy and I shouldn't think like that. But the thoughts creep back in. I am stuck. I am lost and I don't know how to move forward. Talking helps, but not every time, I just want to cry, and for no reason. Thanks for listening.