Depression

Depression affects people in Australia every day. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with depression.

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

Pinned discussions

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

All discussions

FiaBusa feeling overwhelmed, down, angry, upset, work issues, feel like a failure.
  • replies: 3

Hi I'm brand new and dont know where to start. I had an excellent career as an intelligence officer with the AFP. I decided to leave that and move on to bigger and better things (or so I thought). my wife and I bought a franchise and they pretty much... View more

Hi I'm brand new and dont know where to start. I had an excellent career as an intelligence officer with the AFP. I decided to leave that and move on to bigger and better things (or so I thought). my wife and I bought a franchise and they pretty much screwed us over. We lost over 160k in 12 months. It was like a kick in the guts to me. since moving to a coastal area its really hard to find work and has been for the past 6 years. I have had 3 month contracts with gov and even doing traffic control. I def feel like I have wasted a smart brain which makes me feel like a failure to me and my family. every time i try and do the right thing things just dont work out. my wife and my 2 boys (2.5 and 6 months) keep me going and remind me of the fun things in life. I have always worked to my full potential in the workforce only to get screwed over by others. I stand up to the bullies and get punished for it which makes me so irate. I feel down a lot and tend to break down sometimes. my mother passed away last dec and one of my sisters may not see xmas which is a lot to take inn. sometimes i just feel like packing up and just going, getting away from everything and find a place that I have no worries about. I tend to worry about everything and anything. I tend to create jobs for myself at home to try and forget about all the bad stuff, but then i just get overwhelmed with everything i am trying to do. I have so much more to say but its hard to talk about. I am def in a rut of not being happy. I hide it very well, but my wife can see it a mile away. ok thats all for now. im not a huge fan of bothering anyone else with my issues that are so much smaller than so many others out there.

rosa_noir High-functioning depression/anxiety
  • replies: 3

Hi! I've been researching a lot of symptoms and feelings I've been having. A lot of it seems to point in the direction of high functioning depression/anxiety. By all means, I am not self-diagnosing at all. Just wanting to find answers on how to impro... View more

Hi! I've been researching a lot of symptoms and feelings I've been having. A lot of it seems to point in the direction of high functioning depression/anxiety. By all means, I am not self-diagnosing at all. Just wanting to find answers on how to improve my quality of life. I feel like GPs I've seen in the past haven't really been able to help in the mental health department as much -- maybe that's not their primary focus. I just want to know how I should approach a GP with getting a referral to someone who can really help me. My life is manageable, I get by. But, I'm not sure if I'm really happy a lot of time and just kinda going with the flow, keeping things together.

Phoenix_ Is it possible to make new friends when you're depressed?
  • replies: 3

I’m very alone, and am having trouble coping with this. I’ve joined lots of organisations to try to make friends, and for three years I succeeded in pretending that I was cheerful and friendly and helpful (and people have complimented me on how cheer... View more

I’m very alone, and am having trouble coping with this. I’ve joined lots of organisations to try to make friends, and for three years I succeeded in pretending that I was cheerful and friendly and helpful (and people have complimented me on how cheerful etc I am); but only a few people have wanted to be friends with me, and most of those have walked out of my life anyway. I’ve had more rejections than I can handle, I’m more depressed than ever, I’m not able to pretend any more, so I expect I would scare off anyone new. I have run out of psychology visits for this year, but I wouldn’t have needed so many if I had people in my life to have regular conversations with. There are 3-4 nice people I can talk to maybe once a month, when they have time, but they are all busy with work and family most of the time, I'm a much lower priority. It seems that the more you need friends, the harder it is to find any.

Jezzsm im struggling with my thoughts lately
  • replies: 4

So anyway since my first day at primary school to the end of high school. I have always been picked on having trash thrown at me, gang up on in groups of 5 or me bashed then left me laying there called me loser , creepy, dumb , worthless and poor bec... View more

So anyway since my first day at primary school to the end of high school. I have always been picked on having trash thrown at me, gang up on in groups of 5 or me bashed then left me laying there called me loser , creepy, dumb , worthless and poor because im ugly and due to that i have been isolated most of my life no body wants to be friends with the ugly kid. my family life isn't much better either my mum is a abusive alcoholic i have no dad and during school basically was living on and off the streets which was really hard to get good grades because as soon i was 15 i got a part time job so i could help pay mums rent, hotel, food or education school fees but most of my money i gave to my mum went to alcohol anyway. When i was 18 i moved into a share house because i couldn't stand my mum anymore i started a apprenticeship and recently finish im 23 now. i always thought it would get better when i got a roof over my head, car and a good income but i still find myself isolated and really struggling my thoughts lately. But i find it hard to reach out because i have anxiety lately i feel like there is someone in my mind always giving me negative thoughts making me feel down, worthless etc... like im a failure, your worthless, nothing is ever good is going to happen to you. i don't think help will work but has anyone out here had a similar story and had a positive outcome.

Archie3 Started University Prac and can't make it through the day without crying
  • replies: 4

I have been treated for clinical depression and on medication for over a year now after a major breakdown while working full time. I have been stable and doing well since. I started a Masters of Social Work this year and did excellent going to class,... View more

I have been treated for clinical depression and on medication for over a year now after a major breakdown while working full time. I have been stable and doing well since. I started a Masters of Social Work this year and did excellent going to class, participating in life in general and got great marks. My psychiatrist felt I was doing well and felt that I would do well coping with my placement. This semester I need to do 15 weeks (4 days per week X 8 hour days) on prac + a day at university doing a required course. I got a great prac at a hospital with an amazing supervisor in the area I want to study. The problem is by the end of the day I spend the drive home crying and feeling awful after a great day at work. For the first two days of placement I went to the bathroom throughout the day and cried but I think I was working through nerves and anxiety. I spoke with my supervisor and we arranged a daily to day list so I was always aware of what I needed to do that day and could take it slow as I am only a 1st year student. This worked wonders and I didn't have any more anxiety at work after this. I've tried pacing myself at home and not really doing much to conserve my energy and I have no negative feelings about the prac but even doing simple things like visiting my nephew, washing my work clothes and participating in family dinners is hard. I think my depression is getting worse again. I am exhausted all the time, I am binge eating everyday and for the last few days I have been really sad, crying hysterically for hours at night and this morning I called in sick because I couldn't control my crying for hours and telling myself I wanted to die, couldn't sleep but wanted to and just not wake up. I don't know if I'm just tired and need to rest more during the weekends? My prac is only for another 11 weeks (done 4 already). How can I get through this. I've worked too hard to chuck in the towel.

roadhawk depression (a poem)
  • replies: 5

my mind fireside momentum a buoyant life tame of mortal body, but idle strings dull, with weary rust marching over to melancholia at its bugle call then march through shadowy feelings into a Caravaggio painting of darkness and light, perilous is the ... View more

my mind fireside momentum a buoyant life tame of mortal body, but idle strings dull, with weary rust marching over to melancholia at its bugle call then march through shadowy feelings into a Caravaggio painting of darkness and light, perilous is the grip that the psychological tip-toe thief has on the frailty of the mind, depression breach the dam mad from jelly, it’s impetus flow into the gin clears waters of blood stream, through out the body.

happyannie Low mood not sure why
  • replies: 10

Hi Im having a really bad day today my mood is so low and my thoughts are all over the place. Ive also started taking meds at a different time of the day, not sure if thats anything to do with my being extremely depressed. Sometimes we have triggers ... View more

Hi Im having a really bad day today my mood is so low and my thoughts are all over the place. Ive also started taking meds at a different time of the day, not sure if thats anything to do with my being extremely depressed. Sometimes we have triggers that can upset us and our moods,but I cannot think of anything, I feel like Im losing the fight. I have a beautiful family, great medical support, I feel like I should be doing better than I am. Any advice would be so helpful, thanx BB for letting me vent. Thanx Annie

Frosty55 Lost my business
  • replies: 4

Hi im new to the forums. My husband and I have recently (July) had to put our business of 10 years into liquidation. I have been on medication for depression for 16 years now and at the moment I am really struggling with life. We may lose our home an... View more

Hi im new to the forums. My husband and I have recently (July) had to put our business of 10 years into liquidation. I have been on medication for depression for 16 years now and at the moment I am really struggling with life. We may lose our home and the only job I can get is part time and doesn't cover our bills. I have a Doctors appointment on Monday but life has become hard. I am having to deal with the liquidator as well as run the home and I feel so alone even though my Husband is with me(he is coping ok. I am snapping on my kids and don't know if life will get better. I would love to get advise from anyone who has been in a similar situation. Thanks for reading my post x

Xris It's really bad right now
  • replies: 9

I am not doing well right now, I don't know how to continue this

I am not doing well right now, I don't know how to continue this

Lovely86 Detached
  • replies: 5

This is my first post here. I have had a number of issues with depression and anxiety since I was a child but recently I have been going through my worst episode. I have been working in the same job for almost 7 years now, but over the past 2 years I... View more

This is my first post here. I have had a number of issues with depression and anxiety since I was a child but recently I have been going through my worst episode. I have been working in the same job for almost 7 years now, but over the past 2 years I have felt increasingly anxious and in the past few months depressed. I used to value my job, it was fulfilling but now just the thought of having to "pretend" and actually go to work fills me with an overwhelming sense of dread. I have been prescribed medication to try and help & I have had sessions with my psychologist. I have also been referred to psychiatrists but as I live rurally I have been waiting 6 weeks for a full assessment. In the past couple of days I find that I am beginning to feel detached from everything. It is much like watching my life on a screen being played out like a video game. I have gone to work, I have done the things that need to get done but I am working on autopilot, just watching it all be done & I don't like the feeling at all. My psychologist suggested that I should just work part-time, while I consider options for a different career path. Which is easier said then done. My boss has been wonderfully supportive so far, but it's a small business and having to keep me on part-time & employ someone full-time for the duties I was fulfilling would drain the business. The only option I can see would be to resign. But then what? I would have no income and I can't really afford not to. My mother is trying to be supportive too but to her it is all in my head & I just need to keep going to work and get over it. Yesterday while driving to work I thought about how little I was actually paying attention to what I was doing and how I could easily have an accident & I honestly couldn't force myself to care about that. It would have meant I didn't have to go to work.