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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 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?
  • 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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MOH VERY DEPRESSED AND LOST
  • replies: 3

I am a Australian citizen here in Australia from 2001.I came as a skilled worker in IT, I do possess a PhD degree in Information Processing, a Master degree and an engineering degree in Electronics. I worked here in Sydney till July 2005 then I had t... View more

I am a Australian citizen here in Australia from 2001.I came as a skilled worker in IT, I do possess a PhD degree in Information Processing, a Master degree and an engineering degree in Electronics. I worked here in Sydney till July 2005 then I had to leave Australia in a hurry to be near my old sick mother in Algeria. In 2010 I got married and had 4 children, two boys (6 and 5 years old) and two girls (3.5 and 2.5 years old). My children got their citizenship by descent. When my mother died in 2015, I came back to Australia. Since then I have been looking very hard for work but until now nothing, only some part-time short contract jobs (few hours by weeks, 2 hours/week). I am now 55 years old and I am disabled, I do have polio at my right leg. I do need sticks to walk. I am now more than 30 months without my wife and children (one born in 2015 when I was here). I am very depressed. I do miss my wife and kids, and see no solution to all my tentative to bring them here because of all the hurdles I am facing each time I try to do something about it. The application spouse visa fee is AU$7000, the ticket costs for 5 persons will be more than AU$6000. I do not have that amount without stable job or not! I do not see myself having that amount in the near future! I am very very depressed, I hate this life at this stage. I just need some advices or help on how to resolve this mess. Please appreciate all kind of help and advises.

simplyhappy Anxiety and depression help
  • replies: 2

Just would like some tips on how people beat their depression and/or anxiety

Just would like some tips on how people beat their depression and/or anxiety

Scarlettsweb Daily struggle
  • replies: 4

I think I have depression and I am too scared to talk about it- I don't know why. I never judge anyone in my life with mental illness so why am I judging myself. i am exhausted all the time. I am constantly tired and my job is customer facing so I al... View more

I think I have depression and I am too scared to talk about it- I don't know why. I never judge anyone in my life with mental illness so why am I judging myself. i am exhausted all the time. I am constantly tired and my job is customer facing so I always have to be happy and chirpy and I think this is making me more depressed. I use so much energy hiding the true way I feel, I feel like a fraud. I think im scared because I am 'the life of the party' and I don't want people to think less of me. I'm scared to tell my boss even though I know it's effecting my job. I think he will judge me and not give me a promotion if he knows I'm not mentally strong. I always push push though it but I amsturggling with the tiredness and lack of motivation. I have no self worth. everything seems like a struggle. Every day. The smallest tasks. I just wanted to take this this first step in posting while I build up the courage to get help. thanks for listening

DaisyMiss Fed Up
  • replies: 5

Hi Everyone I eat well, I exercise, I don't drink, I don't smoke, I have early nights, I wakeup early and I feel like this depression is just a road uphill without relief. I have to spend so much time and energy on self care, management, treatment an... View more

Hi Everyone I eat well, I exercise, I don't drink, I don't smoke, I have early nights, I wakeup early and I feel like this depression is just a road uphill without relief. I have to spend so much time and energy on self care, management, treatment and surviving that I don't have any energy to spend on other ways to use my time and have any sort of life purpose. I have chosen to be no-contact with my family (except my mother for financial reasons) and removed myself from all the toxic friendships I had accumulated over the years. I live with ADHD, depression and anxiety and am on ADHD medication (which does help the anxiety and mood a bit, too. I also have a Psychiatrist I see every two weeks or so for psychotherapy. I feel like I am always either barely holding on, or losing my strength. It is exhausting. I am 33 years old, was married at 20, divorced at 28, moved almost once every two years on average, had more relationships than I can count on two hands, worked in 21 jobs, changed career three times.... Now, I have been single for a year (which is a first since I was 17), unemployed for almost two years now (for medical reasons) and I have lost all hope of any future for myself. The show must go on, I know, but I feel so lost and alone and rarely have sustained energy to help myself further. Does anyone else struggle in this way?

Rhiannon20 I can’t find tears anymore to cry
  • replies: 4

Before any of this I was really battling with my depression and anxiety and am gonna be starting up therapy soon but on the 9/10/17 I got the worst news of my life from my Dad that my Pop had been in a accident in Thailand the day before and was hit ... View more

Before any of this I was really battling with my depression and anxiety and am gonna be starting up therapy soon but on the 9/10/17 I got the worst news of my life from my Dad that my Pop had been in a accident in Thailand the day before and was hit by a car riding his bicycle..... he fought for 11 whole days and for those whole 11 days there was so so so so many tears shedded but then when I found out he couldn’t hold on any longer and passed away I was in shock, I couldn’t cry. I was actually out watching my friend sing when I had found out and she was just finishing up, I had ran off to the bathrooms just shaking so much she said she had never seen someone shake so much before but even then I couldn’t cry because I kept getting all these drunk people coming up to me at the same time to check if I was okay. I was glad I want alone and had my friend with me that day to comfort me. But the thing is I want to cry, I can feel every little bit of emotion going through me like I normally would when someone passes away but I just can’t find the tears anymore And now too busy worrying about my Aunty that is stuck over there still and can’t leave till all his medical bills are payed and if they aren’t payed they won’t let us get him cremated I have so many different emotions going through me right now. Is it normal to not cry when someone passes away? I want to cry tho I need to cry that’s the thing

smidgen I want to give up
  • replies: 22

I'm new here. Female, early 50's. I feel like a prisoner, hopeless. I don't want to try. It's too complicated. It's too hard. So tired. Don't know why I writing this. Maybe wondering if anyone has felt like me and escaped this prison. View more

I'm new here. Female, early 50's. I feel like a prisoner, hopeless. I don't want to try. It's too complicated. It's too hard. So tired. Don't know why I writing this. Maybe wondering if anyone has felt like me and escaped this prison.

sparkvark Can't be bothered
  • replies: 13

I lack drive and motivation. I don't know how to TRY anymore. Heating up leftovers feels like too much effort. Washing the dishes even once a week when I run out of clean ones feels like too much effort. Dragging myself through the work week ahead fe... View more

I lack drive and motivation. I don't know how to TRY anymore. Heating up leftovers feels like too much effort. Washing the dishes even once a week when I run out of clean ones feels like too much effort. Dragging myself through the work week ahead feels like far too much effort. I want a break from everything. Does it actually get better or do we just distract ourselves from the constant drag? I don't want to deal with starting the expensive (no one actually charges the medicare rate... more like $80+ on top of it) GP->test->psych appointment train again only to wind up with "keep on keeping on" and 'strategies' that anyone with an internet connection could find.

EON I need help
  • replies: 6

So I'm 18 and Ive just started uni this year and for the past 3 months Ive been feeling down all the time, I recently lost a friend during the first part of this year who was a neighbor who was in his 80s who I would help with chores and he would tea... View more

So I'm 18 and Ive just started uni this year and for the past 3 months Ive been feeling down all the time, I recently lost a friend during the first part of this year who was a neighbor who was in his 80s who I would help with chores and he would teach me about radio's (because he was a ham radio operator). I didn't realized how much it would effect me because I think this has piled on with the stress of uni. Recently Ive just been feeling get these waves of feeling really depressed and think about how I dont have anyone to really talk to and that no one really understands me. Normally it happens on the weekend and I would be able to push it aside by he week when I need to interact with my friends, but recently it crept over to the week and I think they are noticing because they told me I looked a bit off. I dont want to talk to my parents or friends about this because I feel they would treat me like I'm crazy. I just need someone to talk to to help me figure this out.

Lilybett Depression and Anxiety plus being unemployed
  • replies: 6

I'm nearly 20 and havent had a job since I was 17 due to my mental health. I have depression plus social anxiety and agoraphobia and haven't been able to go for a job as I am always so terrified but when I don't go for jobs I feel depressed because I... View more

I'm nearly 20 and havent had a job since I was 17 due to my mental health. I have depression plus social anxiety and agoraphobia and haven't been able to go for a job as I am always so terrified but when I don't go for jobs I feel depressed because I feel like a failure at life. I'm attending part time studying at the university and that is going well but I'm also on Centrelink for my mental health but they don't classify mental health as a long term condition and therefore I have to apply for jobs. I hate being put under pressure and feel nauseous whenever I have to deal with Centrelink now as I'm so scared they will tell me I just need to get over it. I already had a meeting with a nurse at the Centrelink who told me that she can cancel my doctors notes that say I can not work for the next 3 months if it continues to happen. It's not that I don't want to work/volunteer its just that some days I'm not reliable to come into work as my depression doesn't let me get out of bed but then other days my anxiety doesn't let me even catch a bus in fear of something happening that I cant control or help. Please somebody help me make sense of all this because I'm feeling like a failure and pathetic.

Speeder Help
  • replies: 3

Hi there, I have been dating my girlfriend for 4 months now and just recently she has been diagnosed with depression. She has not entirely blocked me out of her life but has said she has no feelings for me or anyone atm. Being young and in love it hu... View more

Hi there, I have been dating my girlfriend for 4 months now and just recently she has been diagnosed with depression. She has not entirely blocked me out of her life but has said she has no feelings for me or anyone atm. Being young and in love it hurt to hear her say that and I don’t plan on leaving her ever. I try message her and it’s always a negative response like we’re no longer together but as her psychologist says it’s just her brain doing this. I have only ever been with her in person 1 time in the 4 months we’ve been dating which makes it so much more tough. She is on medication and does see a psychologist and now it’s gotten to the stage where she needs more help. I speak to her mum almost every night to ask how she is and she seems fine but when I’m talking through her mum. Her whole family knows we are still together and the depression is doing this to her but now I’m hurting just as much.