Depression

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

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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

All discussions

Earth Girl A bit insecure about how I look
  • replies: 14

When I was younger, I use to think I was just really boring and daggy looking and I would get jealous of other girls, but one day, I heard some guys calling me ugly and I stated thinking that maybe I was since they were all saying it and I started wo... View more

When I was younger, I use to think I was just really boring and daggy looking and I would get jealous of other girls, but one day, I heard some guys calling me ugly and I stated thinking that maybe I was since they were all saying it and I started wondering what made me look ugly and I started wearing a full face of makeup everyday in year 10 and I couldn't leave the house without it. I'm not as insecure about how I look as I was when I was younger, but I still find my face and body strange looking. I like the color of my hair, but it's very poofy and crazy no matter what I do to it. I have eye bags, strange skin with purple undertones, I think my eyebrows might be too close to my eyes, I have a crack in my forehead, my nose sticks out and my body is shaped really weirdly. I think my arms look okay and I've lost weight in my legs, but my stomach and behind are really big and it just looks really unproportioned and weird to me. If you think you look weird, but actually do look weird, is that still body dysmophia? It doesn't bother me as much as it use to if I'm strange looking, but I'm worried that people look at me and must think that I look really strange to say the least. So many people think I look ugly so I think it must be true. I spend a lot of time dreaming I looked how I wished I looked.

KT53 Wasted opportunities have ruined my life at 53
  • replies: 7

I have spent my life trying to find the right way to live so I don't make a mistake (toxic shame - looking for praise as a form of love) to discover now that the whole meaning of life is to throw yourself into the mess and plough through it.I didn't ... View more

I have spent my life trying to find the right way to live so I don't make a mistake (toxic shame - looking for praise as a form of love) to discover now that the whole meaning of life is to throw yourself into the mess and plough through it.I didn't have children because my mother made having children look like pure hell. I keep changing jobs because I get bored when there is no challenge and now I don't have a job at all because it is harder when you are female and 53. And hindsight is such a bitch! "Oh, I get how to live life now. Why didn't you just tell me in the first place and I wouldn't be in this position of having nothing?"My life is very much like the fable of the tortoise and the hare - with me being the hare - rushing from one thing to another instead of taking life one day at a time, building routine and security for the inevitable quiet times.I am wallowing in self-pity because I now realise I was predisposed to depression and anxiety from childhood and when I was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at 16 (first of many auto-immune diseases) I pig-headedly decided to forge on and pretend I didn't have it until it was too late and the damage had been done.Now I look for help to stop the pain and emptiness and realise it probably is too late to make a difference and I get angry because I wish I had known how to help myself 20 years ago. I feel cheated out of life and then I feel guilty because materialistically I have it better then others.I am curiously-desperate to know if there is anyone out there who has found themselves in this position - no mortgage, no children, no job but a desire to make things better - and life has improved for them? Thanking you in anticipation.

Lenny__ Stress anxiety and depression
  • replies: 1

Does anyone else get chest pains that you think is a heart attack waiting to happen? And do you guys also get fatigued?

Does anyone else get chest pains that you think is a heart attack waiting to happen? And do you guys also get fatigued?

misties Ruining my marriage
  • replies: 1

I think I am on the verge of ruining my marriage. My frustration with him is not good. After a quadruple bypass his memory has deteriorated. I am running out small business by myself and I am snappy with him. I have a vulva issue and think that may b... View more

I think I am on the verge of ruining my marriage. My frustration with him is not good. After a quadruple bypass his memory has deteriorated. I am running out small business by myself and I am snappy with him. I have a vulva issue and think that may be contributing to this problem. I am very unhappy. I love my husband dearly but he keeps telling me that I am always telling him what he does is wrong. I don't mean to do that but my anger is not good.We even argue about the dog. I am nearing the end of my tether, as I can't face life without him.

GreenEgg Feel like I’m wasting away
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone I’m really struggling with finding any meaning or joy in my life, and I’m feeling like I’ve wasted it away with poor choices. But I can’t even finish knitting a scarf, how can I change my life? I’m on holidays now and I had the most amazi... View more

Hi everyone I’m really struggling with finding any meaning or joy in my life, and I’m feeling like I’ve wasted it away with poor choices. But I can’t even finish knitting a scarf, how can I change my life? I’m on holidays now and I had the most amazing time, two weeks away from work hiking and walking in some of the most beautiful places in Australia. Camp fires and toasted marshmallows and wildlife. It brought me such peace - but this is my last night and all day all I have felt is dread, sadness and anxiety at the thought of going back to ‘real life’. Before I left, I was in a bad place and not looking forward to the trip. But then it was such an escape and I pushed everything from my mind. Now it’s back but it feels even worse. I think the crux of it is that I feel alone and worthless. I wish I could do more things like this, or even just to live more with nature and appreciating the small things, but I feel like people tolerate me and I’ll never make more friends let alone a partner than I have he same time, when people try I push them away.I feel very dependent and small, because I struggle with things that come easy to other people like driving and navigating, remembering things. So I also don’t feel like I can be independent, it scares me.

Bacon_Pancakes93 Feeling directionless with no motivation
  • replies: 2

Just hoping to see if anyone has been in a similar spot. This is entirely out of the ordinary for me, but last few weeks I have wanted to do nothing but stay in bed and game, everything else feels like too much effort, I'm oversleeping, I don't find ... View more

Just hoping to see if anyone has been in a similar spot. This is entirely out of the ordinary for me, but last few weeks I have wanted to do nothing but stay in bed and game, everything else feels like too much effort, I'm oversleeping, I don't find enjoyment in the things I love (going to the gym, reading) and I have no direction/don't know what I am doing with myself. This is having a huge impact on work as I don't want to go to work most days and every week am having 1-2 days off (either genuinely from being sick or calling in sick). I am 30 and ended a long-term relationship in April (diagnosed with anxiety-induced insomia as a result of this), currently living with my parents again. I was also briefly promoted at work a few months back in an acting capacity, but was passed up on the opportunity to make it permanent, now back to my usual job/tasks. I was fine during the settling down period, but now I feel like everything is catching up. I don't understand why I can't find the motivation to do anything or work out my goals. I just feel weirdly empty. A counsellor told me I'm showing depressive signs. I'm planning to book GP and Psych appts but I know these can take some time. If anyone has suggestions on where I can start in the meantime or something that worked for you, that would be greatly appreciated.

Choccie_Snow07 Extremely stressed, anxious, depressed, lost, overwhelmed with no job and only $20 to my name
  • replies: 7

Hi everyone, I just wanted to reach out today as I am really struggling with my mental health and financial/work/relationship pressures are exacerbating the depression, stress, anxiety, and helplessness I am feeling. I wanted to reach out to hear fro... View more

Hi everyone, I just wanted to reach out today as I am really struggling with my mental health and financial/work/relationship pressures are exacerbating the depression, stress, anxiety, and helplessness I am feeling. I wanted to reach out to hear from you about how you navigate similar situations, any support, guidance, advice, and empathy would be so very appreciated. I am extremely socially isolated because of where I live as well as chronic social anxiety being a barrier to me connecting with others, so am hoping I can connect with others through here who will likely understand how it feels from similar experiences. I have been out of work for a long time now and it is making me feel so stressed, lonely, bored and depressed. I am isolated. I am in so much debt and have $20 to my name, it is stopping me from sleeping and making me feel utterly sick. It has been really confronting lately to wake up with the realisation of my situation, and wondering what the hell went wrong. I did not envision my life to be this way, I am a qualified helping professional who cannot seem to secure a job and have no money, I can't even help myself. I feel like such a loser. I am so upset I have let my life go this way. I am bored, I don't see anyone or have any friends. This is not living, but I don't know what to do or how to fix it. Utterly lost and feeling helpless. Thank you for taking the time to read.

GreenEgg I feel so alone, sad and guilty
  • replies: 2

Hi I feel like I let everyone down. I don’t know how I can deal with it because I logically know it can’t be true but I believe it. It’s so overwhelming and makes me feel so alone, like people just don’t see me and if they did they’d hate me. Sometim... View more

Hi I feel like I let everyone down. I don’t know how I can deal with it because I logically know it can’t be true but I believe it. It’s so overwhelming and makes me feel so alone, like people just don’t see me and if they did they’d hate me. Sometimes I try to tell people and they don’t accept it but even that just makes me I feel drained and exhausted and anxious and sad. It’s overwhelming and makes me sick to my stomach. I haven’t eaten properly in days and I just don’t have energy to do anything I’m so tired every time I think things are changing and I’m getting better I just end up back here g

sammieee Struggling to make progress on assignments
  • replies: 3

I don't even have any energy to vent. I don't remember the last time I felt this awful. Depression has triggered my insomnia again, but this time I keep waking up too early and just become groggy for the entire day. I have a 1500w paper and a 2500w r... View more

I don't even have any energy to vent. I don't remember the last time I felt this awful. Depression has triggered my insomnia again, but this time I keep waking up too early and just become groggy for the entire day. I have a 1500w paper and a 2500w report due on Monday next week (already granted extensions). I did some rough research and have some rough ideas of what I'll write but it's so hard to continue. Especially the 2500w report is based on an interview that I kinda bombed so I'm just scared. It's like I'm back to survival mode. I don't think I can visit a psych - I'm an intl student and therapy still seems expensive even with insurance. I've been let down by all my therapists back home anyway. I'm sorry if this post is all over the place.

nadstar Depression washes over me from nowhere
  • replies: 1

I'm struggling with my functioning depression one day or for a few days I'm amazing full of life going to events,visiting friends, going to work and being able to complete my daily chores and the next I cancel everything call in sick and end up with ... View more

I'm struggling with my functioning depression one day or for a few days I'm amazing full of life going to events,visiting friends, going to work and being able to complete my daily chores and the next I cancel everything call in sick and end up with migraines. I'm starting to think I talk myself into the migraine so I don't feel guilty for doing nothing. I can sleep for 18 hrs at a time n not leave my bedroom. My girls r older now and don't need my help. How can I get a grip of this depression that is letting down people I care about and piling the weight on me. My mindstrength is so weak. I feel so guilty everyday I'm like this but don't have a partner to open up to or push me to get up when I'm like this.