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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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indigo22 Following the breadcrumbs to improve mental health
  • replies: 263

Hi everyone, The last few months have been somewhat confusing as I have discovered more about my mental / physical health and how it has all been connected. I had not put the pieces together, I am not sure why, it seems so obvious now. I have dealt w... View more

Hi everyone, The last few months have been somewhat confusing as I have discovered more about my mental / physical health and how it has all been connected. I had not put the pieces together, I am not sure why, it seems so obvious now. I have dealt with Dysthymia since about 12 and Major Depression since about 14 but was not diagnosed until my 40s and had no idea that had been the problem all along. I knew I wasn't like everyone else but thought I was just born that way. Back then mental health was not a subject that was openly discussed and the signs mostly went unrecognised and untreated. I had about 10 years of talk therapy with a social worker that helped immensely. I have had a sensitive digestive system for a good portion of my life, not so much that I sought treatment, just things like indigestion with certain foods, bloating and the like. I suppose I thought everyone had those types of issues. I have also had nervous system reactions over the past 15 years, like involuntary shaking in certain situations, that I had put down to getting older and being less resilient having been through a lot of difficult challenges. I have been seeing a psychotherapist who also does somatic work (turns out you were right mmmekitty, I did need some more help). The first session of somatic work, in this case EFT (tapping), brought up a deep and long standing belief that I did not deserve to be helped. The emotions were buried so deep that I was not even aware of them. After that session things went haywire physically for a few days and took some weeks to start to settle. Being the type of person who needs to have an understanding of what is happening and why, I have been reading many books on the symptoms I have had. That is when I began to join the dots about how interconnected by mental and physical health actually were. It has required a lot of processing on my part, and an acknowledgement of what I have been consciously unaware of, but it has been necessary to finding a way forward. This will be an ongoing journey as new symptoms show up that need to be looked at. I know now that there is a lot of unreleased trauma in my body that is a contributing factor in not healing mentally or physically and I know now what needs to be done to improve. There is only so much that the medical profession can do, I believe the rest of the responsibility lies with us in digging deeper to find the causes and the answers. In many ways, that in itself becomes empowering. Take care all.indigo

GMC7 Depression taking hold of my life
  • replies: 4

Have had many major changes in my life since August last year and have been severely depressed since. Been on medication but hasn’t helped much. I am not able to enjoy anything and desperately wanting to change things as this depression looks like ha... View more

Have had many major changes in my life since August last year and have been severely depressed since. Been on medication but hasn’t helped much. I am not able to enjoy anything and desperately wanting to change things as this depression looks like has taken hold of me. Would like to chat with others in similar situation

Dani85 Giving up
  • replies: 1

For the past ten years my health has been deteriorating. With debilitating symptoms which suggest problems with my nervous system such as MS. I have been seeing specialists and had all these tests im so exhausted. Saturday just gone i had an MRI. Tue... View more

For the past ten years my health has been deteriorating. With debilitating symptoms which suggest problems with my nervous system such as MS. I have been seeing specialists and had all these tests im so exhausted. Saturday just gone i had an MRI. Tuesday my mum was taken to hospital and put in intensive care due to seizures and this morning I found out there is a lesion on my brain. My mum is a carer for my grandparents who are in their 90's and living in their own home. My partner has no license at the moment and has just left his job to help me. I haven't been to work for the past 2 weeks, have no sick leave, and am running out of the last of my annual leave. This is all too much and im looking down a long dark tunnel. I have just turned 41. I now need a walker to help me walk. I have been urgently referred to a neurologist to hopefully receive a diagnosis but the way the health system is and from what ive experienced with other specialists so far, i could be waiting months. Without a diagnosis I cannot receive decent support from centrelink. I can't walk properly and its hard to drive but I push myself through the pain because I don't know what else to do. And now with mum in ICU I'm feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. How am I going to get money to live and pay rent? My partner has no income and cannot receive any support from centrelink until he gets a separation certificate. The place i am in now and all the belongings inside of it is what I achieved 3 years ago after a physical abusive relationship. My ex was an ice addict and burnt the house and set fire to all my belongings for revenge because I got the strength and support to leave him - So this place im renting now and everything in it is from all my hard work pulling myself out of a deep dark hole . I started with nothing to get to where and how im living today. how am I going to help mum if she is released from hospital, how am I going to look after my grandparents. Yes my grandparents have someone come in a couple of times a fortnight but if anyone knows the system there's waiting lists for everything and they can't do it on their own. I recently lost my dad and the last memories I have if him was seeing him in a coma in ICU. Now with my mum it's dejavu all over again. I was also recently trapped in my workplace when the fires tore through the wimmera recently, it was too late to evacuate. I thought i was gone during that and thats still in my thoughts too. What am I to do? Seriously contemplating running away and having terrible thoughts. I cant do this. All throught my life I've received counselling, therapy for complex ptsd etc. But all the diversion techniques, self awareness, distraction, grounding techniques aren't working

Guest_87472616 Lost yet guided?
  • replies: 3

I'm not even sure if what I feel is depression, but I guess it varies for everyone. Lately I felt like I was getting better, like I was finally escaping the hole I was stuck in only to find I'm in a much bigger crater. I'm fifteen, and it feels like ... View more

I'm not even sure if what I feel is depression, but I guess it varies for everyone. Lately I felt like I was getting better, like I was finally escaping the hole I was stuck in only to find I'm in a much bigger crater. I'm fifteen, and it feels like I'm being increasingly dramatic. I got a job interview, saying away from sad/depressing content/music, and I found something that helped me (that isn't harmful) so I felt like I was finally getting out of where I was only for something to hit me while I was sulking in my schools bathroom toilets stall. I still have zero friends, no one to rely on, not even attending half of my classes (just recently got back to school after a year or two long break that was more sitting in my own tears), only feeling worse for myself, picking up physically harming myself again. Before it really gets to the point where I again considering getting out from here (If I stop being a coward), I decided to come onto here. My problems are much less than others, so do I really still have the right to complain? Does it ever really get better? I feel so sad, and still so empty. Maybe I should just let it pass if it's a phase, but I'd like to see if anyone else feels the same.

randomxx Would really appreciate peoples thoughts on a housing situation !
  • replies: 230

Hi to all.lt's an unbelievable time in life to find myself stuck in this position, just don't know how to look at it, or what to do about with it, if l can anything at all. Problem is, at almost 60, yeah l've mixed up details in other threads just a ... View more

Hi to all.lt's an unbelievable time in life to find myself stuck in this position, just don't know how to look at it, or what to do about with it, if l can anything at all. Problem is, at almost 60, yeah l've mixed up details in other threads just a bit concerned some l know may also be here and haven't wanted any connection here that l might know, butttt, yep.Thing is l didn't get anything out of my last house, the people l went into the property with as it was a big place, went broke.Well , sort of lucky although maybe a curse , not sure anymore but l do still have a 1ac country property, 18yrs now, from back when l was married.l can't work anymore for mh reasons but if l took care l can survive until l can get the pension- living at the 1ac place- it only has a small over nighter atm but l could extend and it'd come up quite nice . Problem is, it's in a ting town, 30mins to the main town which is a really nice place and there's also a couple of tiny ones in between before that main buttttt, out where this place is, is tiny and out on it's own .l always planned selling it about now but problems are now that for 1, even if it did sell, it's just a cheap little country block it'd only be a good deposit on something closer in- but circumstances now that'd mean a new mortgage and l'd have to keep working too, don't think l could stomach either of those especially the stress in trying to make it happen.2nd thing highly possible it doesn't even sell anyway. l know l'm lucky to at least have it and all , with the housing crisis and so many in worser positions , l just never dreamed l'd be living on it though and honestly, just don't know but it looks like l might be forced to.l grew up in the city and have lived in some of the nicest places in the country but to have to settle on this place out there now- look the property itself is a really cute block and in a nice little back street- if l could put it on a truck to somewhere else it'd be really nice - but this town. rx

ToLate I need to leave society
  • replies: 13

Hi I'm new here, so I guess hello to everyone. I think it's time for me to live in the bush with a tent. I guess that it means becoming homeless I have given up on people totally. I'm a 40 year old male and all my life has been pain and suffering. I ... View more

Hi I'm new here, so I guess hello to everyone. I think it's time for me to live in the bush with a tent. I guess that it means becoming homeless I have given up on people totally. I'm a 40 year old male and all my life has been pain and suffering. I suffered from mental, physical and emotional abuse from my parents, sexual abuse from a teenage girl, extreme bullying in school. I'm not talking about what kids talk about now. I'm talking about having zero friends, constantly teased by peers and even teachers. Having my school work shown to the whole class while teachers made me stand in front of the class. I had issues at school with ADHD and Dyslexia. I've had relationships but have always ended up being cheated on or the other person turned out to be horrible. Plus only have a couple of friends I used to have a successful career, earning good money etc but the stress of the job and relationship at the time destroyed me. I haven't been working since 2010. I've had to stay living with family which I feel deeply embarrassed and shamed about. So in the last few years I've practically removed myself from society except for the fish keeping community. I met someone online about a couple of months ago. She is only in her mind 20's but we both seemed to connect very quickly and strongly (something that I seem to do easily). Until today where the whole age thing made her do the "let's be friends only" talk I'm tired of humans, I've lost any and all empathy. I feel deeply that I would enjoy seeing all humans suffer. Now I'm not about to hurt people but I sure as hell won't stop someone suffering even if I could. I'm tired of everything, and it's not something any mental health expert or medication will help. It's like my spirit is dead. I believe I need to live society, it's actually illegal to just live in the bush but I'm worried about being pushed any further. I think it's safer for everyone for me to do this. Sorry for the long story but I needed to get it off my chest

Guest_93735905 Feeling lost
  • replies: 1

Since losing my dream job 3 months ago, I just feel completely lost. I cant describe it. They took so much from me, ripped my world out from beneath me...Im supposed to start a new job tomorrow . I don't even want it. I've been crying all day. I know... View more

Since losing my dream job 3 months ago, I just feel completely lost. I cant describe it. They took so much from me, ripped my world out from beneath me...Im supposed to start a new job tomorrow . I don't even want it. I've been crying all day. I know I wont go. So much was taken from me.

Iiw I feel like I’m drowning
  • replies: 6

I’m that person. I am a teacher, heavily involved in my local community, a busy mum with a house always full of visitors. The kettle is always on and I really do love the many people that come in and out of our lives weekly. The problem is I feel lik... View more

I’m that person. I am a teacher, heavily involved in my local community, a busy mum with a house always full of visitors. The kettle is always on and I really do love the many people that come in and out of our lives weekly. The problem is I feel like I am drowning on the inside. This week, I have struggled through every moment of each day, just waiting until I could fall asleep and not feel anymore. This has gone on for a few months now. I don’t want to burden people. I don’t even know what to say if I were to say something. I am really just writing this to get it off my chest. Maybe someone has advice, or not…..but writing it and sending it into the ether might take some heaviness from my heart for a while and that would be good.

Sara112233 Feeling low
  • replies: 3

I had a big fight with my husband.I am a new mom and my son is 21 days . I am feeling tired and exhausted.from the morning I felt suffocated because I am not allow to go out for 42 days and less sleep make me more anxious and tired .even when my husb... View more

I had a big fight with my husband.I am a new mom and my son is 21 days . I am feeling tired and exhausted.from the morning I felt suffocated because I am not allow to go out for 42 days and less sleep make me more anxious and tired .even when my husband was talking over the phone with his girl colleague I felt mone insecure and I started asking question but he started swearing which make me crying.

Guest_10490 Dealing with illness
  • replies: 5

I'm 56 was a very hard worker then at 40 I suffered a massive heart attack driving home that ended me working career, forced retirement and I didn't handle it well , over the years since I now have type 2 diabetes have been in heart failure for about... View more

I'm 56 was a very hard worker then at 40 I suffered a massive heart attack driving home that ended me working career, forced retirement and I didn't handle it well , over the years since I now have type 2 diabetes have been in heart failure for about 5 yrs then last year had a small stroke that left me with memory loss , bad balance on bad days and depression that my gp but down to very low T that can't be treated because of cardiac history and I find myself with zero drive , most of the time I'm numb and just do what needs to be done,I don't have hobbies anymore I don't let people close anymore I barely talk to people except my inner circle and so far all the medical help I get is exercise and eat well now my wife of 17 yrs and me are having problems and it feels like the last straw I feel like I'm I lose a little of me every day and don't know how to be truly happy again...use to just go for a big motorcycle ride to clear my head or vent to my sister that I lost 3yrs ago and it's been nearly 6yrs since I lost my bike and never replaced it ...just feeling lost. ....

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