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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: 0

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

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Slaugh Work anxiety probably due to work history.
  • replies: 3

Hello, Having a rough time mentally at the moment. work is sucking my motivation. It's not so much that the job I have now is bad but from past experiences with other jobs it triggers my depressive episodes. Right now I'm in my 5th year of a 4 year e... View more

Hello, Having a rough time mentally at the moment. work is sucking my motivation. It's not so much that the job I have now is bad but from past experiences with other jobs it triggers my depressive episodes. Right now I'm in my 5th year of a 4 year electrical apprenticeship with my third employer. The reasoning for such a long stint is due to redundancies and abuse of power (IMO). I have lost my motivation. My grades in school are declining and the roadmap for completion, although only a few months, seems long difficult and somewhat questionable. It began with a redundency and then the following employer pulling me out of school for over 6 months under the threat of losing my job. However I re-enrolled after repeated requests to go back to school which I was subsequently fired over. Went down the avenues of fair work but it just seemed like too much hassel. I continued to go to school to finish the year knowing I was six months behind. Finished the semester and after the Chrissy break I went to enrol again. Problem was I was unemployed so I couldn't re-enrol. What's worse is the previous semester didnt count as it was a two part module. So I would have to restart the module again. Another 6 months added and an additional $700. Managed to find an employer again but had to wait an additional 3 months before I could even start the full year I was behind on. so here I am now. Possibly less than 3 months from completion before I can sit my final exams and I am at breaking point. Another annoying thing is I believe the TAFE haven't included a module in my roadmap. A module which will take and additional few months to complete. Even when I finish the course work there's still 6 more months just prepping for the final exams. All this added time whilst earning minimum wage has just destroyed me. I have been struck down with pnemonia and have been off work for a week. I need to take more time off but I don't believe Ill have a job if I do. But to tell you the truth, I almost don't really care. I'm just so fed up. This apprentiship just doesn't seem to end despite the effort. So now it's not so much employment that is screwing me its the TAFE. My current boss seems like a good bloke but I just can't trust him. All this with a family to support is becoming too much. My parents are well off so financially we are pretty secure, it is more an issue of relying on others which is shameful and embarrassing. Not the full history but as relevant as can be.

Roonil_Wazlib How do you stop yourself from spiraling when things keep going wrong?
  • replies: 5

Hi everyone, I'm going through a period of time where things keep happening (out of my control) and I can feel myself sinking deeper and deeper. I have things to look forward to, I know that there are good things in life but too many things have happ... View more

Hi everyone, I'm going through a period of time where things keep happening (out of my control) and I can feel myself sinking deeper and deeper. I have things to look forward to, I know that there are good things in life but too many things have happened recently and I'm struggling. Have you ever felt like this? How did you/do you deal with times like these?

Memphis_lee Please help me too understand what is happening
  • replies: 3

Picture this... I bounced my ball so high it landed over a wall. I climbed the top of it. I can see the ball clearly. I know exactly where it is. All I have to do is get it. I am frozen! I swipe at the ball from the top of the wall with my arms cross... View more

Picture this... I bounced my ball so high it landed over a wall. I climbed the top of it. I can see the ball clearly. I know exactly where it is. All I have to do is get it. I am frozen! I swipe at the ball from the top of the wall with my arms crossing over each time. I can't grab it because it's too far away. I can't push my brain to make the effort to get the actuall ball. This is how I feel. I was once well groomed always had pride in my appearance and so many other great things. Now, I don't even care anymore. I can't be bothered getting out of bed yet I am super ashamed if anyone would ever see me like this. I am getting further and further away as each day passes. I want my old self back so badly but it's over the wall....

Salvatore I need help please
  • replies: 2

Hello, help me, me and my family are constantly stalking by two people. I made two reports to Acorn, but no one did anything. There is no more I am in crisis, I'm afraid, we have been threatened. please help me. This person has also stolen sensitive ... View more

Hello, help me, me and my family are constantly stalking by two people. I made two reports to Acorn, but no one did anything. There is no more I am in crisis, I'm afraid, we have been threatened. please help me. This person has also stolen sensitive data, they are defaming and talking about my children, at school parents of other children look at us with suspicion. Please help us.

Soreeyes Need help for mental health.
  • replies: 7

Hello guys, I'm a 41 year old male. I've been suffering from mental health issues most of my life, sever anxiety and depression. I've been shuffled around from GP to GP, different psychologists, I just can't find the right help. The psychologists I'v... View more

Hello guys, I'm a 41 year old male. I've been suffering from mental health issues most of my life, sever anxiety and depression. I've been shuffled around from GP to GP, different psychologists, I just can't find the right help. The psychologists I've seen were very unprofessional, as the sessions were supposed to last for an hour, but they would see patients for only 10-15 mins, patients would be told to turn up at the same appointment times. Very unprofessional. I received no feedback and have been left to feel like I can't receive help that I need. I changed my GP and he referred me to a new therapist, I have waited more than 3 months, and still haven't received any notice of when I start my first session. I'm sick of this. Is there anyone on this site that can please put me in touch with a GP in Melbourne that specialises in mental health and who can start me with a new psychologist or psychiatrist? I'm at my wits end. I can't go private, has to be bulk billing as I don't currently work. I'm receiving unemployment benefits. Thanks in advance.

Aoifa Removal of the mental illness stigma
  • replies: 5

Hi, This is a real bug bear of mine that in the 21 Century there is still a stigma attached to mental illness and there shouldn't be. What's the difference between that and any other illness? There isn't one. They are all illness that can be debilita... View more

Hi, This is a real bug bear of mine that in the 21 Century there is still a stigma attached to mental illness and there shouldn't be. What's the difference between that and any other illness? There isn't one. They are all illness that can be debilitating and require medical and specialist support. The stigma just shouldn't be there and can be removed by talking openly and being more educated. That's why Beyondblue and other support networks need to be successful. Thanks, Aeoifa

james1 Frozen - stuck - just not in touch
  • replies: 59

Hello, I apologise if this doesn't make much sense. I've not been posting much because I've been struggling to work out what I'm struggling with. And after a couple of weeks (or days? time passes in a funny way now), I'm half a step closer to figurin... View more

Hello, I apologise if this doesn't make much sense. I've not been posting much because I've been struggling to work out what I'm struggling with. And after a couple of weeks (or days? time passes in a funny way now), I'm half a step closer to figuring it out. So I feel like I'm frozen in some sort of bubble. What I mean by that is nothing I do seems to affect anyone outside of me. I don't really work while at work, and no one seems to notice. I don't talk to friends, and they don't talk to me back. Even when I try to break the isolation a bit, it's like I'm not really reaching anybody. Even if I try to think about myself, I get stuck so I'm not even in touch with myself. I am more venting than anything. I had a psychologist appointment on Saturday and we're now meeting twice a week. I shut down completely in my last appointment - involuntarily. My mind just wouldn't let me think or talk when we started getting close to something that must've been...hard. But the trouble is I don't actually remember what it was anymore. I know I need to keep going to each appointment and I genuinely look forward to them...but I'm quite tired now. I've tried ways of grounding myself but they only help me feel connected to the physical environment. Not other people's minds and emotions, and I need that. James

Kate88 Feeling helpless
  • replies: 6

I'm isolated pretty much 24/7, still live at home with my parents. One has PTSD the other has depression, so it's rarely a happy household. My dad has nit picked at me for as long as I can remember. Now my brother who is a drug addict has moved back ... View more

I'm isolated pretty much 24/7, still live at home with my parents. One has PTSD the other has depression, so it's rarely a happy household. My dad has nit picked at me for as long as I can remember. Now my brother who is a drug addict has moved back in. I told my family how angry I was that he was moving back in and they just jumped down my throat and got angry at me. When the reason I felt angry was because I know how much stress it will put on everyone and because I so badly want some happiness within the household. I have no job as I have chronic fatigue, any friends I make I seem to end up losing. I've tried getting a job suitable for me but with no success, then I started to get more migraines and was diagnosed with costochrondritis. I feel like no matter what I do, something is always there holding me back. I feel like the only friends I have left don't want to be around me. I've thought about possibly moving out into a sharehouse or something but I can't imagine anyone would want to live with someone like me. I'm on medication and I've seen my doctor about it but she isn't much help anymore. I'm tired of feeling depressed, lonely, I'm tired of being in pain. I'm tired of always being in my own head, listening to the negative thoughts over and over again. I'm tired of seeing how unhappy people in my family are and I'm somehow expected to feel happy regardless of it all. Now I'm concerned my brother will take his life and there's nothing I can do about it. And it's hard because I know how he feels deep down. I feel like it's just a matter of time that someone in my family will take their own life, I just don't know who it'll be. Maybe it'll be me. I'm so tired of feeling worthless, feeling like I'm incapable of such simple things. I'm tired of people putting me down. I'm tired of the counselling appointments, the medication changes, the side effects. I'm tired of not getting anywhere. And instead I just suffer. I don't know where to go from here but disappearing definitely looks more appealing than anything else right now. Decided I'll just stay away from the only friends I do have, I don't feel like they want to be around me anyway and I don't want to bring them down. I also don't want them to only hangout with me because they feel bad. I've had enough. I'm so over my life and I don't see anyway out.

JmOnEy I dont have a personality.
  • replies: 4

Lets get into it then: Over the past month ive had to face some extremely hard truths about myself and my mental health as a part of trying to move forward and better my quality of life. 1) I dont find a SINGLE thing funny anymore - jokes, TV, Movies... View more

Lets get into it then: Over the past month ive had to face some extremely hard truths about myself and my mental health as a part of trying to move forward and better my quality of life. 1) I dont find a SINGLE thing funny anymore - jokes, TV, Movies, social gstherings etc. 2) connected to the above, I find myself fake lauging at everything - to the point where my face and throat hurts. 3) I am a perfect chameleon. Im able to blend into any kind of sub culture I am currently around. But nothing feels natural. 4) I lack symapthy and empathy for most people apart from family. Infact emotion has become extremely vacant for me as a whole. Countless times I have been to a doctor. And countless times its just resulted in nothing - you know the drill "heres some SSRIs and see me in a month" - the follow up just results in an increased dose that makes me angry and impotent (not joking). Basically long story short i have a complete apathy for life and its growing worse and worse. I just dont know what to do. Is this what real life is??

James76 Clinical depression
  • replies: 6

Hi, I'm 41 and having the worst year of my life. My Dad passed away 11 months ago after since that event I went on a downward spiral into clinical depression and anxiety. It got so bad that I was hospitalised. I had 12 treatments of ECT and discharge... View more

Hi, I'm 41 and having the worst year of my life. My Dad passed away 11 months ago after since that event I went on a downward spiral into clinical depression and anxiety. It got so bad that I was hospitalised. I had 12 treatments of ECT and discharged. I'm still battling depression and get angry and teary at times. My girlfriend has left me recently and I am feeling lost. I am religious and feel I'm being punished by a higher power for a relationship I had with a married woman 16 years ago. I regret a lot about my life and want a fresh start but am anxious about taking the next step. I feel I have wasted so many opportunities in my life and I've left things too late. I am going to the gym and practising mindfulness but now it's school holidays (I'm a teacher) I begin ruminating and beginning the "What ifs". Thanks for reading.