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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: 1

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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ScarlettR Depression episodes
  • replies: 8

So I've been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, depression and anxiety. I don't suffer from schizophrenia symptoms at all as I'm on really good medication for it. The issue is being depressed and anxious, and it's more an emotional thing than a p... View more

So I've been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, depression and anxiety. I don't suffer from schizophrenia symptoms at all as I'm on really good medication for it. The issue is being depressed and anxious, and it's more an emotional thing than a psychotic thing. I have a pretty bad family life - my sister is autistic and prone to screaming tantrums and verbally attacking all of us. My dad gets bitter and short with us, especially me (I don't know why), for no good reason. The only level headed, somewhat kind person in the household is my mum, and she can be pretty spiteful at times. Most days of the week, I feel fine. Then sometimes, usually in the evening, I get anxiety attacks and very bad feelings of being alone and lost. My heart races, my forehead perspires, I'm gasping for air - also feeling very sad and hopeless and unwanted. I try not to feel suicidal (I'm afraid of death) but I feel so hopeless that no one loves or wants me. It's bad enough I don't even confide in my sister, who is closest in age to me, and my parents are always sticking up for her when we quarrel. I also think about and have flashbacks of my high school past, although I'm 28 now. I think about how most of the kids there treated me, ostracising me, or if they knew I existed, they would bully and make fun of me. I had a very lonely time, and had no one to talk to. So now my life quality has improved a lot, but I still think about those and get agitated, angry and upset. It doesn't help with my current situation at home. I have considered moving out but I can't find a job that would support me. So for the moment, I'm stuck at home with the fam.

patchie One step forward, two steps back?
  • replies: 2

Posted before on doubts & first psych app, eager for change! Psych app #5 is this Wed and I'm fighting the urge to cave and cancel! God I just want to never go back... I lost motivation. Followed my psych's advice on looking for meditation apps + dif... View more

Posted before on doubts & first psych app, eager for change! Psych app #5 is this Wed and I'm fighting the urge to cave and cancel! God I just want to never go back... I lost motivation. Followed my psych's advice on looking for meditation apps + diffusion techniques. Started draw vent art. Had a spark to draw for fun but lost it again. My own projects and ideas are collecting dust. I fallen back into destructive ways to cope. There's a constant weight on chest and I know too well both my depression and anxiety are winning. I nearly cried at Workskils the other week while I was doing job searches as the constant reminder I'm unemployed hurts. Got asked about my backup plan and couldn't answer the lady (Always wanted to do art/graphic design - uni for 4 yrs, interned for 3yrs, started freelancing - Got replaced at interning, client cancelled projects, keep getting rejected by jobs). She said I have to do a group session next week and I'm freaking out. Asked why I was seeing a psych and what I'm diagnosed with and I felt ashamed. She said "we all suffer sometimes" which I know she was trying to be comforting but it's just more evidence I'm weak. My family ended up in a domestic abuse situation and even though I don't live at home I always end up involved. Long story short my mum decided to stay. Because I'm already struggling, and upset with what had happened I wanted to step back. But now I've just ended up in a mess because Mum keeps saying I've abandoned her and being a bad influence to my sister. My anxiety is through the roof thinking of my Nana's and sister's birthday and Xmas around the corner... And I'm usually so close with my family so it's hard. I'm struggling with my friends 'cause of anxiety and feel like I'm losing everyone and being replaced because I'm not like how I used to be... I feel like I've used up all my allocated time to be broken? But everything feels worse and its winning... My psych said that I've had to deal with a lot lately and it's understandable that I finally broke. My self image is so bad though that I can't find the motivation to fight for myself... I don't deserve it. I'm so frustrated that I can't just pretend it's fine anymore... I can't find the girl that hid everything for yrs and kept going. What's the point of being me when I'm so broken? I don't bring anything of value to anyone anymore, I'm nothing special. So much bad outweighs the good this year alone that it just feels like "what's the point anymore?"

CynthiaAzure Sometimes I'm ok, then I'm just not
  • replies: 5

So I've had depression for years, mixed in with anxiety and an eating disorder (amongst other things). Thats just the general background story. Thing is, I've pushed myself hard to get to the end of my degrees. And I'm done now, thats great. I'm on m... View more

So I've had depression for years, mixed in with anxiety and an eating disorder (amongst other things). Thats just the general background story. Thing is, I've pushed myself hard to get to the end of my degrees. And I'm done now, thats great. I'm on medication. Most days I feel fine. I think I don't need psychological help. Then some days, like today, I cry every 10 minutes. It's like a never ending waterfall of tears and sobbing and I cant control it. It's like I just break apart. Then its those times, that I think definitely, I need help. But how to deal with those insecurities that Im not sick enough to 'deserve' help? I don't want to cause a fuss. Everyone gets sad. Am I just being a weakling? I need to toughen up? I think I'm just in need of someone to console me perhaps. I don't know. I just feel lost about whether I'll ever get better from this cycle. I'm sick of feeling like this.

Simon1234567890 I'm not sure if looking for advice or I just need to get this off my chest
  • replies: 2

I'm a male in his mid twenties who feels like the biggest failure in the world. I have had so many opportunities in life and I have failed every time. it's mainly due to substance abuse that I make terrible decisions. I'm lucky that I have above aver... View more

I'm a male in his mid twenties who feels like the biggest failure in the world. I have had so many opportunities in life and I have failed every time. it's mainly due to substance abuse that I make terrible decisions. I'm lucky that I have above average intelligence and ive been told that when I put the work in, I look attractive however I don't feel it. It makes my life so much easier and i feel I would be much more depressed if I didnt have those two things going for me at least. my girlfriend of nearly two years, my longest relationship, dumped me earlier this year. At the time I was happy because she had been very clingy and needy at the end and she was often getting angry with me, however I understand why now. The whole time we had been dating, there had only been one moment where she felt a real connection with me. I shut her out the rest of the time emotionally. looking back, whilst I'm not under the delusion that she was the perfect person and I have dated since, I feel I made the biggest mistake by not trying harder to connect with her. she was constantly trying with me and is the most open minded person I have ever met. She understood me like nobody else has ever, including my own family and cared for me more than anyone else ever has. aside from that I am constantly worried I am about to lose my part time job that I love and I'm now worried that I will lose the mon-Fri job I just got. I have been abusing a prescription medication. I have taken it so much that I've lost a dramatic amount of weight and I was on it at work causing problems. ive never had meth but the doses I'm having of this makes me feel like what I'd imagine meth to be like and ive stayed awake for up to three days on it, barely eating or drinking. My only salvations are the sport I train, sleeping with women (which I only managed because of my looks) and weightlifting. I haven't been able to do any of these lately due to my drug abuse, instead staying home just zoned out between wasting my life away watching pointless youtube videos. I feel anger building up inside me and I'm worried it will explode, like a jack in a box. the sport I do is a martial art and my job puts me in a position where I can hurt people and I'm very worried ill snap and do that. I've managed to push all my friends away so that I now have nobody. there's more but ive reached the length limit so ill leave it there

Gazb I just don't fit.
  • replies: 4

Hey, I apologise in advance, as I'm not much of a writer (or speller) and this is pretty much off the top of my head. I've been having a bit of a hard time over the last few years, I feel like every time an opportunity comes my way I stuff it up or I... View more

Hey, I apologise in advance, as I'm not much of a writer (or speller) and this is pretty much off the top of my head. I've been having a bit of a hard time over the last few years, I feel like every time an opportunity comes my way I stuff it up or I get really excited and it falls through. I make plans to better my life (study or start a business or change jobs) but whenever I get close I freak out and quit on it, I can't commit to anything because I've been so horribly let down in the past that I'm scared that I'll get hurt again. I work in a job where I'm made to feel stupid and useless all the time and so I get down about that, but the economy isn't great so I worry that I won't find anything better. Basically I'm lost, I feel empty and don't really enjoy anything anymore. I feel trapped and that I'm so much better than what I'm doing now but just can't change. I feel that I'm a loser as I'm not qualified in anything and don't own a house but at the same time I don't want that either. I spend soo much time hearing about other people's problems and I take them on board and offer advice but can't sort out my own. I'm not sure really why I'm writing this, I just want to be happy and "normal" but for some reason I'm never satisfied. cheers -Gary

chipmonk What do I do?
  • replies: 5

Hi I'm not sure what to say but here goes.. I'm 28 married for almost 8 years and have two beautiful daughters.. All my life I thought how i thought was normal.. I mean how was i supposed to compare?? And for as long as i can remember I have had prob... View more

Hi I'm not sure what to say but here goes.. I'm 28 married for almost 8 years and have two beautiful daughters.. All my life I thought how i thought was normal.. I mean how was i supposed to compare?? And for as long as i can remember I have had problems with awful thought filling my head while i tried to sleep, Always feeling like no matter what I did or who I was no one liked me and everyone will leave me, to the point where I would be the reason they left.. Ive always found it hard to trust anyone because I always think everyone is lying to me and that I'm a pest and no one wants me around.. I suffered through bad bullying through 4 different schools and never really had many friends because the other girls didn't like me, which just confirmed my thoughts of myself. I haven't just come here to tell a sob story, I need hep as in the last month I have felt like my world was crashing around me.. My thoughts have driven me to a point where it is threatening my marriage. I wrote all my thoughts down on one particularly bad day and at the time it all sounded reasonable, but when I came back and read it on a different day it was awful and I couldn't believe I had those thoughts. I find myself a lot of the time when I am facing something emotionally difficult, that I'm trapped inside my own head with dozens of different me's all with different reactions to this situation and I don't know which one is me now.. Yet I know they ARE all how I feel..Yet at other times I fell like I emotionally switch off completely. I'm sorry this post is disjointed as I'm writing as I'm thinking, I'm trying not to buffer my thoughts. I don't want to damage my marriage anymore than it is and I know with time I can work through this but I have to listen to my husband and ask for help... So here I am.. Please Help me.

beep891 Lost.
  • replies: 7

I don't even know where to start. I've been feeling increasingly more depressed over the past few months, but I've never really dealt with depression before so it's taken me a while to realise. It just seems like everything in my life is negative at ... View more

I don't even know where to start. I've been feeling increasingly more depressed over the past few months, but I've never really dealt with depression before so it's taken me a while to realise. It just seems like everything in my life is negative at the moment, there is literally nothing good. I don't feel comfortable talking to people I know about this kind of thing, it's just not the kind of person I am. Sometimes it's easier talking to a stranger. My weight has always been an issue as long as I can remember, and over the past couple of years its gotten worse, and I feel like this affects every aspect of my life. I hate going to uni or generally out in public because I'm scared of being judged and this has affected my grades, meaning that I will most likely have to do another year of my degree, on top of having already done 5 years (it's a 4 year course), I hate my job, and I'm so messy and lazy I can't stand it. The past few weeks, and especially the past few days I just feel like crying all the time, with no exact thing that sets me off, it's just everything. I started a new job a few months ago, and I don't feel like I belong there, I almost dread having to go there every day. The staff are all very nice, but they are all so close and it's almost like a clique. I miss my old job, I felt comfortable there and loved going, but due to problems with the boss I don't think I'll ever be working there again. I'm just so lost, and have no motivation to lose weight or to do anything. I don't know how to turn this around.

Onehooligan Feeling spaced out and no motivation
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone I am new to the forums I've had depression and anxiety for over 10 years now which has been a huge struggle balancing 4 children and work life as i work 6 days a week I've always found it a huge struggle to find motivation in my life just... View more

Hi everyone I am new to the forums I've had depression and anxiety for over 10 years now which has been a huge struggle balancing 4 children and work life as i work 6 days a week I've always found it a huge struggle to find motivation in my life just enjoying work like I used to and hobbies etc and just being happy around my family I always feel like I'm bringing them down because of my constant crappy mood and not being able to smile I've tried a few different medications I'm on one at the moment and have been for some time however it helps with the anxiety but I feel very spaced out on a daily bases and seem to be stuck in a horrible mood all the time.. does anyone have similar conditions and what works best for you?

Dark_Autumn Brain fog... Does anyone else have this that can discuss?
  • replies: 6

Hello, I am new here. I have had low to moderate level anxiety and depression for around 10 years now. I have had 2 children in the past 4 years. My youngest frequently wakes and has done for 17m now. She also has allergies. Recently I have been expe... View more

Hello, I am new here. I have had low to moderate level anxiety and depression for around 10 years now. I have had 2 children in the past 4 years. My youngest frequently wakes and has done for 17m now. She also has allergies. Recently I have been experiencing brain fog. I have not had this as a symptom before. I have been quite forgetful, exhausted and tired. A recent example... I have always been a very empathetic / sympathetic sensitive friend. I have close friendships. A close friend recently told me her beautiful mother passed away from brain cancer. I read the message. Felt overwhelmed. Then promptly forgot. She messaged me wondering if I had changed my number as it was so unlike me. Does anyone else suffer from this? Was it a depression thing or was it other things? Any things that have helped? I literally feel like a grey cloud is around my head weighing me down.

kwirky Diet and Depression
  • replies: 3

I am interested in learning more about how diet and nutrition can help combat depression but am finding a lot of conflicting and confusing information online. Does anyone have any links to resources they can share which will help with my understandin... View more

I am interested in learning more about how diet and nutrition can help combat depression but am finding a lot of conflicting and confusing information online. Does anyone have any links to resources they can share which will help with my understanding of how to start changing my life? Thank you