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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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frankoceanisbae Am i real?
  • replies: 13

i hate the feeling of not feeling real.im in year 11 and next year will be my last year of school and honeslty it terrifies me. i have no idea what i want to do or achieve when im "older" like why am i here? what is my purpose? and i feel like i cant... View more

i hate the feeling of not feeling real.im in year 11 and next year will be my last year of school and honeslty it terrifies me. i have no idea what i want to do or achieve when im "older" like why am i here? what is my purpose? and i feel like i cant be sad becuase i have so many things to be greatful for, but deep down i'm not happy. its so hard to explain this feeling like its not numbness but im not happy. i think its the mood swings from being happy when im with friends then sad and upset when im in my room and alone.I dont want to ask my bestfriend for help becuase i know her life was so much tougher than mine and i dont want anyone feeling bad for me and saying sorry. my sister was diagnosed with depresssion ages ago and now is fine, so i feel like i cant ask for help becuase i dont want to end up like how my sister was.i get these random episodes of dissassociation quite frequently and when i snap out of it i feel so fake, its like gettting deja vu, it freaks me out and really makes me think like wtf just happened and then i get this wave of dissassosiation and it repeats. a never ending cycle.i just want to be happy and 'normal'

AliExpat I think Moving to Australia was a Bad Move for Me
  • replies: 3

I moved to Australia from the UK a year ago with my partner of 4 years. Before coming out here I was on the fence about the relationship. Now I find myself questioning it daily, I am suffering from depression big time and most of my days are filled w... View more

I moved to Australia from the UK a year ago with my partner of 4 years. Before coming out here I was on the fence about the relationship. Now I find myself questioning it daily, I am suffering from depression big time and most of my days are filled with the dread of where my life has gone wrong. I was dissatisfied by life in London and my career was uninteresting to me. Yet I find myself in Brisbane, living a copy and paste existence; and now after being unemployed for several months, I am considering going back into my old career. I want to work and build back my savings, but I don’t know if staying here and staying in this relationship is healthy for me? I want to explore more of Australia as I have been so depressed I have missed opportunities to see the country, but I don’t think this move hasn't been the change of lifestyle that I wanted. like I said earlier, being here is the same as in London in my mind. I still don't get to see the outdoors much, the daily routine is the same and I'm not interested just going to bars and cafes, and walking around city parks. Three months ago I signed a lease with my partner for 12 months, I felt a bit pressured into it. Since then I have been unsettled by the commitment. I am filled with total anxiety over the whole thing. I miss my friends and family; I feel stuck in the relationship, and I no longer find joy in the things I used to enjoy at all. I want to get better, but I find myself sucked down by negativity that I am just following the wrong path, one that is not my own. I also feel that I spend so much time stressed out by the relationship and having to find work that I can't work on getting better. On top of this it bears heavily on my mind that I will have to stay at this potential job for at least a year as the past two years I have travelled and done brief stints of work here or there. As a 30yo man I feel like life is changing and my career is a train wreck and I am just now leading myself down the path which I think is wrong, but is what I beleive others to see as being right.I have no idea what to do, I want control back in my life.

JayR Hashimoto’s Single Parent
  • replies: 3

I am a single mum to two teens. My youngest has struggled with School Can’t for the last few years, is very likely Autistic and we are going through the very slow process of diagnosis. I have had to homeschool her, while also working, for the last tw... View more

I am a single mum to two teens. My youngest has struggled with School Can’t for the last few years, is very likely Autistic and we are going through the very slow process of diagnosis. I have had to homeschool her, while also working, for the last two years. My girls’ dad calls them every few weeks and sees them maybe once every couple of months. Financial assistance from him just doesn’t happen so I do my best to make sure they have what they need. These days there is just so little to spare so it’s been a very long time since we had any kind of break from the constant drone. I have had Hashimoto’s disease for about 6 years now. It’s exhausting, and most of the time I have pain. Exercising hurts, even gentle walking, though I used to walk every day. Common foods cause flare ups but I’m so tired most of the time that I just don’t have the energy to do better planning. By the time I get home each day I have to push myself through all the things that need doing but I feel like I’m letting my girls down so much. Every day is just putting on a happy face for the world and my kids and reminding myself that we have food and a roof over our heads and we are safe. I don’t have family support and I’ve really struggled to connect with therapists. I really just don’t know how long I can keep going and keep up the front. The future is looking even harder than the present. Keeping on going was really all I had to rely on but my health is just getting worse and the only thing that keeps me pushing on is my girls. I don’t want to let them down. I don’t want them to be hurting.

Elham What is depression
  • replies: 1

Don’t know where to start Hi people, i am 34 yo male living in Australia i came to study my Masters after completing bachelors overseas and i did one year job after my bachelors in IT and my father asked me to apply for australia as it is good countr... View more

Don’t know where to start Hi people, i am 34 yo male living in Australia i came to study my Masters after completing bachelors overseas and i did one year job after my bachelors in IT and my father asked me to apply for australia as it is good country etc so i did and its been 9 years i struggled alot and after Masters or even during my studies i was introduced to gamnling world by my friend who insists to go to casino several times and somehow i hooked to it and not blaming anyone i was weak minded and used to spend all my hard earned money on gambling whether it was to recover the losses and 3-4 years went by and then obviously i lost my mind in that time and couldn’t focus on really really important stuff then i think went to depression and bit of homosexuality too out of self hate. Finally got married as i always was straight acting but never had any gf due to culture norms overseas. Due to my bad financial planning and stuff wife left me and compared me with my other friends who are so called settled now have office jobs and its been few months i can’t cope up with it and still working like 7 days but don’t know where i am heading and no plans and age is passing by idea of working like this in casual jobs for more years kills me. Most hurting part is i am heartbroken due to divorce. How to pit my life together anyone in the same situation i have never seen a doctor but think i need help coz of headache and feeling lazy all the time. Cheers

frankoceanisbae i need advice...
  • replies: 1

I only have 4 months of school left and i have quite a big friendship group at school which would be amazing right?... wrong! the thing i can admit is that ill always be alone. I've never had a close friend that's NOT been one-sided, because i know I... View more

I only have 4 months of school left and i have quite a big friendship group at school which would be amazing right?... wrong! the thing i can admit is that ill always be alone. I've never had a close friend that's NOT been one-sided, because i know I'm not theirs and i hate using the term "bff" its so cliche, but its so humbling when you say "your my best friend" and they wont say it back. this is so aimed at one person but like idgaf this person will forever choose their "popular friends" over me and that truly breaks my heart.is it the way i look? the way i speak? like why cant i get equally returned love???I just want someone to love me. its always me starting convos or organizing plans with them, like if i stopped talking to them overall, they would even ask if i was okay. they would just let us drift.i cant friendship break up with them, its not an option and i cant talk to them about it so it just feels like I'm digging myself a whole that goes deeper and deeper and deeper i know ill always get chosen last and that really makes me upset. i wish being a human was easy.After school i know ill barely have anyone left, so what does it feel like to be totally alone?

Guest_66491630 Depression and suicidal thoughts
  • replies: 3

I’m just sitting here with the perfect life on paper with my favourite music up loud having thoughts of how I would end it. Been through calling lifeline and Psycologist’s and medication all those things. Has anyone had experience being through the t... View more

I’m just sitting here with the perfect life on paper with my favourite music up loud having thoughts of how I would end it. Been through calling lifeline and Psycologist’s and medication all those things. Has anyone had experience being through the things that should help but having life trigger bad thoughts etc. My family is out and I’m tired of my mind.

Jessksch The cost of getting help is making me more depressed...
  • replies: 4

Thankfully I have savings, but now I had to see my GP who said I have to go back to my psychiatrist to talk about meds AND see my psychologist weekly. I was losing it before and I dunno, I just can't care anymore about my savings, just waiting for th... View more

Thankfully I have savings, but now I had to see my GP who said I have to go back to my psychiatrist to talk about meds AND see my psychologist weekly. I was losing it before and I dunno, I just can't care anymore about my savings, just waiting for them to be completely depleted as I "get healthy" again. For years I have been fine on medication but now as the world is getting so expensive, me having no career or having to work so much instead of enjoying life is draining me... I saw my psychologist on Wednesday and now just tempted to say I want to see how new meds on top of my old ones are going to affect me before seeing her again since it's all so expensive! In the end I know my partner would be fine with supporting me, but what if I didn't have him? I would never be able to cope with all of this and the cost too! I

leonkennedy Can I get antidepressants through Telehealth?
  • replies: 1

Hello everybody, I am 18 in less than 2 months, and that is the age I am able to go to the doctors without my parents and get medication prescribed to me I wont get too deep into my mental illnesses, but I'm pretty positive I have depression and some... View more

Hello everybody, I am 18 in less than 2 months, and that is the age I am able to go to the doctors without my parents and get medication prescribed to me I wont get too deep into my mental illnesses, but I'm pretty positive I have depression and some other things wrong with me. Both my parents have depression and both my siblings have it so I think its very likely I have it. We also have family history of Autism, OCD, and anxiety. But I don't really feel comfortable walking into my GP's office or going to a psychologist/therapist for now. I can't afford therapy and all I really want is antidepressants. I'm certain I need antidepressants because it's affecting my life and my relationship pretty badly. I'm alright with living with depression since I feel i've been depressed since childhood, but I don't want to negatively affect/worry my bf (and my friends become assholes and take it personally when I isolate due to depression, so I dont wanna deal with that drama) I've gotten acne prescriptions from telehealth services before, and I was just wondering if you could ring up a telehealth service, have a quick appointment, and simply get an antidepressant prescription from a GP? If so, what are good services for this?Thank you

Titanic Lost and don’t know what to do
  • replies: 1

I’m not one to talk about what’s going on in my life even to those closest to me. I’ve always tried to be the supportive one to everyone but life has gotten the better of me and now I’m in a deep struggle, I’ve lost my partner of 4years, lost my gran... View more

I’m not one to talk about what’s going on in my life even to those closest to me. I’ve always tried to be the supportive one to everyone but life has gotten the better of me and now I’m in a deep struggle, I’ve lost my partner of 4years, lost my grandfather a couple months ago and a lot of family drama In-between it all, I don’t know what to do anymore and it’s scary, I’m on the path of help but have no hope it’s going to get better, at the moment my daughter is the only thing keeping me going, but I don’t want to have to rely on her for my own happiness just seems selfish, currently sleeping on the couch in my exs house as I have no where to go but I only think it’s making me worse being around her still

Firestorm86 When Psychological manifests as physical pain.
  • replies: 1

So I guess this weekend is one of the worst weekends I’ve felt for a long time. I’ve just been lying here on my couch alone, in the dark, crying, listening to music… I just stood to go to bed up and couldn’t even stand up straight. I guess the only w... View more

So I guess this weekend is one of the worst weekends I’ve felt for a long time. I’ve just been lying here on my couch alone, in the dark, crying, listening to music… I just stood to go to bed up and couldn’t even stand up straight. I guess the only way to describe the feeling is “gut-wrenching”. Not a physical pain per se, but like my brain was telling my body to stay in foetal position. So I just curled up on the floor. Sobbing for another hour or so.