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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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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.

happyannie Battle of the Brain
  • replies: 5

I dont know about anyone else but Im always having a battle with myself. My good side of my brain helps me with positive thoughts and tries to inspire me and then my bad side of my brain tells me negative thoughts and feelings,when this happens it ma... View more

I dont know about anyone else but Im always having a battle with myself. My good side of my brain helps me with positive thoughts and tries to inspire me and then my bad side of my brain tells me negative thoughts and feelings,when this happens it makes my life very difficult. For example if Im trying to leave the house to go to an appointmentmy good side will pump me up with positive talk and then in comes the bad side of my brain telling me that I cant do it. Im sure other people may experience these feelings, if anyones got any helpful ideas on coping methods it would be appreciated. I always say I feel like I'm in a constant battle with myself. Thanx Annie

Lionel69 Newbie
  • replies: 6

Hello im lionel. New to the forum but not new to depression and very much struggle to cope with things right now

Hello im lionel. New to the forum but not new to depression and very much struggle to cope with things right now

slippery_slope Courage to Share
  • replies: 7

Hi, Not sure how to start? Didnt think I'd make it this morning but it's now 3.50pm SA time and have finally made it through to the other side of these apocalyptic episodes. It's really hard to stay positive, it's always uphill battle, it's a relentl... View more

Hi, Not sure how to start? Didnt think I'd make it this morning but it's now 3.50pm SA time and have finally made it through to the other side of these apocalyptic episodes. It's really hard to stay positive, it's always uphill battle, it's a relentless war inside the mind but I know I just have to stay alive long enough for it to pass. I'm tired, lonely, and sometimes frightened but I've hung in there again, just. I would really give my soul to devil to stop this. Thanks for reading.

Bluedaze Reposting after a long long break - Good & Bad news
  • replies: 9

Hi there, thought I'd post again after a very long break. I have good news and bad, 1st the bad. I'm still alive. Yes I know, drag.. bummer.. boring!. Now the good. I have finally someone who deeply loves and cares for me (I can't imagine why). Unpla... View more

Hi there, thought I'd post again after a very long break. I have good news and bad, 1st the bad. I'm still alive. Yes I know, drag.. bummer.. boring!. Now the good. I have finally someone who deeply loves and cares for me (I can't imagine why). Unplanned, unexpected but very welcome. So in that, I finally have someone who will morn over me when I'm gone. Thanks for reading. C-ya.