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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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Ant71 Post adventure depression
  • replies: 4

Hi there everyone. I wondered if anyone had any experience with this. Last year I had an awesome adventure that I had been training for and planning for a long time. When I got back home and went back to work I crashed. I read some article last night... View more

Hi there everyone. I wondered if anyone had any experience with this. Last year I had an awesome adventure that I had been training for and planning for a long time. When I got back home and went back to work I crashed. I read some article last night about post adventure depression and it seems to describe what I am going through only all the articles say it only lasts a few weeks. I have been down since I got home in September. I keep thinking and hoping that things will get better but there always seems to be something bad to bring me back down again.

Rob_us_expat I just want to be happy
  • replies: 3

I've dealt with depression since my teens but I always hid it well. I always smiled made jokes anything to make sure my family and friends didn't need to worry until it caught up with me and I became exhausted and couldn't put up the masks anymore. I... View more

I've dealt with depression since my teens but I always hid it well. I always smiled made jokes anything to make sure my family and friends didn't need to worry until it caught up with me and I became exhausted and couldn't put up the masks anymore. I've been on medication regularly for 4 to 5 years, But I can't seem to break the curse, lately it feels like it's gotten worse. 2 days ago I actually let myself do what I call a depression sleep. It's that sleep of mental exhaustion and the thought of getting up was too much to handle so I sleep the day away as my partner and our son were at work and school. We moved here so my partner could take a job at the university. I'm originally from the US and thought I would pick up my career just as I did in the last country we lived in.I wrong, so I took a part time job below my skill set so I could get my masters degree, I finished last year and for the past year no job, not even in my own company. So I find myself trying to take more courses, apply for more jobs , my family is doing well here in Perth , I'm so proud of how my son is growing and how much enthusiasm my partner has , and I feel like what am I doing wrong?I find myself homesick quite often,envious of past colleagues, and find myself getting angry with the managers I work,all of I feel is just petty.Digging deeper, I've never not had a career since I was 18, my parents are not doing well and I can't send them my hard earned money I send my partners, my son isn't seeing what I hoped he'd be seeing which is a successful accomplished person, I feel as if I'm not wanted here, I've dealt with more bouts of bigotry here than I have in US or RSA and I struggle to not let it get to me but I hide it well cause I don't want my son to understand that part of life yet I want to protect his innocence as long as I can. I don't want my partner to know just truly how unhappy I am so I wait to he falls asleep so I can cry to sleep from exhaustion. I just want to blend into Perth and every day I tell my self that I just need to embrace it and I try. I don't give up the job search, I don't let the bigotry seap in, I do what I can to make sure my mom and dad know I love them and am doing my best, and I'm sorry I'm not the independent person that taught me to be, I tell my partner that what counts is that he loves his job because I want him happy. But I'm afraid my lows are coming back that I can't but on a mask of drama or laughter to hide. I just want to be happy.

Clementinee So tired
  • replies: 2

Hey there, This is my first post and it seems a bit strange to write to the "unknown". But here goes. I am in my late 20s and I have a good life. I recently got married and I am finishing up my professional degree. I moved to a new country about 4 ye... View more

Hey there, This is my first post and it seems a bit strange to write to the "unknown". But here goes. I am in my late 20s and I have a good life. I recently got married and I am finishing up my professional degree. I moved to a new country about 4 years ago and I think that's what started it all. I started my degree after years of hard work trying to get into it. Once i got started with the program I just wasn't into it but I could not figure it if i am generally not interested in life or if I just hated the way the program went. I even wondered if it was burn out. I started feeling really crap because I had no family and friends were hard to make. That's when I met my now husband. Things were awesome between us but I knew i was always feeling a bit low. But he gave me happiness and was a good distraction. Unfortunately he had to move to another city and we started doing the long distance thing. I think my symptoms got worse then. I started having anxiety attacks and was always so tired. I lived alone far from the city and was isolated. I couldn't move due to placements for my course and i was just getting further and further tired. I started taking my frustrations on him because he was just focused on work and he didn't understand anxiety. I don't understand why i wa anxious. I tried to stay positive and i went to gym regularly. I meditated and I read self help forums to do the right things. I kept my self busy and adapted to live alone. I tried to stay away from him so that he can work and not be bothered by me. We speak daily and meet once a month dor a weekend. I can't ask anynore but why am I missing him so much? It bothers me that he is able to handle the distance so much better, I just want to be like him. I am honestly now so tired to the point where I am just crying non stop some days. Everything seems like an effort even sending a small email. Tiny stressors get me wound up. I used to be such a go getter with so many things on at once and I never complained. Now I am such a mess. I break down to my partner and then end up feeling so foolish. I have started to hate myself and i don't know what to do. I have big exams and I cant get the energy to study well. I sleep so poor and I can't seem to be in the moment. I wake up feeling crap and tight chested and I have to spend energy fixing myself. I feel a fool for this long message but can someone tell me how I can get my energy and my self back. I hate myself like this. Thanks

_KR_ Travel Insurance for Bipolar
  • replies: 3

Not sure where to post this... My daughter may be off to NZ on a school trip. It won't be until late next year and I've just put a deposit down. I think I need specific travel insurance incase she is not stable enough to go. If I cancel the trip now ... View more

Not sure where to post this... My daughter may be off to NZ on a school trip. It won't be until late next year and I've just put a deposit down. I think I need specific travel insurance incase she is not stable enough to go. If I cancel the trip now I still have to pay the whole $2800. I would like to be able to get specific mental health travel insurance so I don't lose money on the trip, also if she becomes unstable whilst on the trip she will be covered. Does anyone here have recommendations for travel insurance for mental health. Thanks

Era How do I get back on the wagon when it feels impossible.
  • replies: 1

I've been dealing with depression for what feels like all my life. I had another attempt at improving my life, joined a gym doing classes I enjoyed, took pressure off myself for not being on top of the housework and my husband kept telling me how ama... View more

I've been dealing with depression for what feels like all my life. I had another attempt at improving my life, joined a gym doing classes I enjoyed, took pressure off myself for not being on top of the housework and my husband kept telling me how amazing I was doing, being positive and changing my life around. Secretly, even though I have an amazing husband, an easy job I enjoy working only 12 hours a week, was only doing three workouts a week that I enjoyed and my life was cruisey by most peoples standards, I felt I was barely treading water. I then came down with shingles and I'm back in the dark. I feel pathetic, trying to turn my life around was exhausting. I just want to sleep on the couch. I want to want to get better but it feels impossible. I'm on medication, I've done the psychologists, I try happify, I do the exercise programs/meditation/mindfulness, it does nothing. I was walking every day last year with my beautiful dog, who lifted me every day, then she got sick, after two weeks and $6000 of vet bills, we decided the best thing for her was to let her go. I'm still heartbroken. I don't believe in god or fate but when I'm like this it feels like everything is conspiring to keep me down, I don't deserve to be happy. I think my brain is broken, it doesn't work like it should. I'm so tired

star76 Struggling with self hatred
  • replies: 4

I haven't posted for a while now. I can't find my thread any more its been so long. I'm back posting about my body image issues again. I've struggled since the age of 14 with my weight.This is when my depression first started also. I've both underwei... View more

I haven't posted for a while now. I can't find my thread any more its been so long. I'm back posting about my body image issues again. I've struggled since the age of 14 with my weight.This is when my depression first started also. I've both underweight and overweight ,currently over. I am very low in energy and my depression is bad. I don't have the energy to write up a long history again as I have done before.I have done therapy 12 years with the same psychiatrist and many self help groups and methods for about 15 years . I'm not open to more therapy at this point. I would just like to know other feel this way. I'm embarrassed that these thoughts still rule me. To the point of despair. I feel ashamed. I want to hide away. I feel hopeless and defeated. star 76

Lyddie Unemployment, Depression blues
  • replies: 5

Hi, I wasn't exactly sure where to post this, but I hope this is the right section. I have been struggling quite badly with Depression and Anxiety for a while now due to being unemployed for a long time, and constantly feel like a failure and embarra... View more

Hi, I wasn't exactly sure where to post this, but I hope this is the right section. I have been struggling quite badly with Depression and Anxiety for a while now due to being unemployed for a long time, and constantly feel like a failure and embarrassment. I also lost my Dad to Cancer this year, and have been trying to deal with it, but feel so much guilt and regret. Stress has been affecting my sleep, and I'm just in a pretty dark place at the moment. I have been trying to find a light at the end of the tunnel, and trying to get further in life, but life is very bleak at the moment.I would love some advice on how others deal with Depression and Anxiety, or what people do to feel better. I have recently tried Yoga, and that had been helpful for a while, but that stress always returns. Thank-you for taking time to read this, And I'm sorry if it's hard to make sense of.

The_Possum Managing Bipolar or Moods? Check out HALT first
  • replies: 3

Like many with mood disorders, managing these moods can seriously take over our entire lives. As a bipolar ii sufferer, undertaking medication and therapy (limited), there's still little things that we can do in trying to curb these moods. Letting ou... View more

Like many with mood disorders, managing these moods can seriously take over our entire lives. As a bipolar ii sufferer, undertaking medication and therapy (limited), there's still little things that we can do in trying to curb these moods. Letting our emotions get the better of us, lends a hand to strong mood changes. Emotions require managing for everyone, regardless of who you are, but us bipolar folk need to be even more careful. I have read a lot about the HALT principle. This involves identifying when our emotions are changing and acting on this. Are we? H - hungry A - angry L - lonely T - tired Once you've looked at these, then work hard to try and remedy this, before the emotions take off and are moods start sliding (up of down or even sideways) Seems small, but it's a practical step we can implement when reviewing how we feel Peace x

Lenny1 Trapped in my safety place
  • replies: 3

I have no clue how this happened but I haven't left the house since 10/6. I'm so down and fatigued constantly. I start sweating, shaking and have shallow breathing just thinking about go out. My psychologist says just push through it. You won't die. ... View more

I have no clue how this happened but I haven't left the house since 10/6. I'm so down and fatigued constantly. I start sweating, shaking and have shallow breathing just thinking about go out. My psychologist says just push through it. You won't die. But how do I explain that just having a shower is a battle of the mind.

Leanner Not getting anywhere
  • replies: 2

I was diagnosed nearly 2 years ago with anxiety and depression. I'm doing the whole medication and engaging with a psychologist and psychiatrist on a monthly basis. I am almost at my wits end with it all. I don't feel that I am progressing at all!! I... View more

I was diagnosed nearly 2 years ago with anxiety and depression. I'm doing the whole medication and engaging with a psychologist and psychiatrist on a monthly basis. I am almost at my wits end with it all. I don't feel that I am progressing at all!! I am still very unhappy in my life and I work in a job that I barely like. I'm not doing anything positive to help myself, I don't eat properly, I don't exercise or get out at all. I want to get out of this rut but don't seem to have the get-up and go to get it happening. I wonder if my life will be any different to the extent that I can say that I am in remission.