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Depression

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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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Earth Girl People talking about me at work
  • replies: 3

I've been working as a cleaner in an office for a bit over a year now and I really like my job, but some of the people who work there (in one of the computer rooms) talk about me. I know this sort of thing happens at work or anywhere really, but they... View more

I've been working as a cleaner in an office for a bit over a year now and I really like my job, but some of the people who work there (in one of the computer rooms) talk about me. I know this sort of thing happens at work or anywhere really, but they talk about me A LOT. They even talk about me while I'm in the very next room, thinking I can't hear them. They say things like "She's so awkward! Like, she's nice enough, but..." (I'm really shy and don't know how to socialize properly), "Why can't she work at a grocery store?" (I tried really hard to get a job in a grocery store, but wasn't successful. Also, if they know how much I struggle socially in this job, shouldn't they realize how much of a mess I would be in a job like that?), "N, use to do her job." "Haha, I love N." "Like, if that is your only job..."My Mum told me that they are ignorant and still need to learn that for people with disabilities, it takes longer for them to learn how to do things. A lot of people at work also make fun of how I talk. (I have something wrong with my voice - long story). I get paid a little under $6 an hour, but my Dad told me I would get paid a lot more if I didn't have a support worker with me. I'm going to be with a new support worker this coming week, but the support worker I had said I was very independent and that I could do the job by myself. I'd be kind of scared to work by myself though because a lot of people there don't seem to really like me. I'm not really sure what to do though. I would like to work longer hours at this job, but then I'll have to listen to them talk about me more and in the last hour of work, my support worker and I struggle to find more things to do. We ask the people working there if there is anything else they would like us to do and they usually say there isn't anything else. I want to get another job as well, but I don't know where I could work. Maybe in a cafe washing dishes and wiping tables?

Mal50 Lifelong depression
  • replies: 1

Hello all,this is extremely difficult for me. I've lived with depression, and a sense of worthlessness, my entire life.I did the online Depression test, and was rated 'Very High Risk'.I'm not suicidal, per say. I simply don't want to live any longer.... View more

Hello all,this is extremely difficult for me. I've lived with depression, and a sense of worthlessness, my entire life.I did the online Depression test, and was rated 'Very High Risk'.I'm not suicidal, per say. I simply don't want to live any longer. Death has become far more attractive to me, than life. Life offers me nothing, whereas death offers me freedom. I was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer, about a year ago, and regret undergoing radium treatment. Recently, I refuse to take the prescribed medications that the doctors have given me.Thank you for reading my post.

tirina Myself
  • replies: 1

Today I woke up feeling not well just having flashbacks it’s all got to do with my partner I feel lost nobody knows it

Today I woke up feeling not well just having flashbacks it’s all got to do with my partner I feel lost nobody knows it

TheKingOfHearts This is how I feel
  • replies: 4

Rather than continue to make multiple posts I will just say how I feel with everything not just one area in this post. Because I need to talk to someone. I suffer from extreme low self esteem and self hated. I hate how I look in fact I despite myself... View more

Rather than continue to make multiple posts I will just say how I feel with everything not just one area in this post. Because I need to talk to someone. I suffer from extreme low self esteem and self hated. I hate how I look in fact I despite myself I feel I am disgusting. My body to me is too large, too hairy and too disjointed. I suffer from skin conditions from not showering due to being extremely depressed. I wish I could be masculine and muscular and hairless. Instead I’m the opposite. And because of my medications I am unable to lose weight. I also suffer from hunger which causes me to eat lots and dry mouth which causes me to drink lots of Coca Cola both from the meds. So that’s my body image if I could make a deal with someone to be healthy and handsome I would. Next thing I want to talk about is my fear of ending up homeless. I have trouble saving money and I spend lots without thinking and I spend it on things I don’t want. I struggle to pay my bills because of this. It might be me trying to make myself feel better. So I have very little money I’m actually on the pension I do live with my mother but I do pay rent and buy my own food and clothes etc and I get a lot of monetary help from her but when she’s gone I will probably due to having no family or friends end up on the streets. I see myself ending up unable to pay for my meds and wandering the streets hungry and in a daze. The next thing I want to talk about is the fact that I feel I have some kind of personality disorder. I have blunted emotions and I don’t have much of an identity. I don’t have any idea of who I am other than the fact that I’m gay. And I don’t know what I want other than the fact that I want to be a nurse and what I want my body to look like. Besides that I have no opnions. Maybe it’s due to being 23 but I think it’s due to having had no real experiences for my whole life. The next thing I want to talk about is my sexuality. I suffer from pretty much every sexual health issue you can imagine and I suffer a ton from this. Because of this I haven’t been able to form a relationship but if I could actually have anything it would be to have love even more than wanting to have my dream body and to be healthy. I actually got involved with witches once to try to get a relationship. Of course that didn’t work out. I used to cry my eyes out like full on sobbing because of the loneliness I feel and I am still lonely. But I’ve realised I’m not meant to experience love so I let it go. And that’s me in a nutshell.

Cloudydays1 My parents staying in a toxic domestic violence relationship
  • replies: 2

I’m 35. I live away from my family. My parents have a very unhealthy, physically and emotionally abusive relationship. My mother is a hoarder with 2 households full of collected items. My father is an alcoholic. My siblings and I grew up in this toxi... View more

I’m 35. I live away from my family. My parents have a very unhealthy, physically and emotionally abusive relationship. My mother is a hoarder with 2 households full of collected items. My father is an alcoholic. My siblings and I grew up in this toxic environment witnessing physical and verbs abuse, and are still being subjected to it. My parents fight and it escalates to physical violence. My mother calls us feeling unsafe but will not seek help or leave him. We have begged her but she ends the conversation with us and moves on like her situation isn’t that bad. They sweep it all under the rug and pretend like everything is fine. They are both miserable. I can’t accept them putting on an act anymore. They want to come and visit me to visit my kids but I do not want them in my home pretending like everything is okay. I feel so guilty because I want them to see their grandkids - they are their only happiness. I am also scared that me not allowing them to come will cause more fighting. I am feeling so depressed. How do you help someone who refuses to be helped and potentially cause more fights by demanding that they sort out there issues before visiting again. I feel physically sick about it - everyone around them who knows about this situation does too. Please help

SadUnicorn Burnout? Brain fog? Just crazy?
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, I've been struggling with life for the last 12 months. There has been a lot happening in my life, but I feel like I should be getting "better", but instead I feel worse. For context I am diagnosed with ADHD (medicated) and take anti depr... View more

Hi everyone, I've been struggling with life for the last 12 months. There has been a lot happening in my life, but I feel like I should be getting "better", but instead I feel worse. For context I am diagnosed with ADHD (medicated) and take anti depressants. I have developed a bad attitude and I feel terrible about it. For example I have lost interest in my job to the point I'll do my hobbies during my working hours and not seem to care about the consequences. I love my family and friends, but I don't want to do any social activities or respond to their messages. It's not because I don't care it's because I feel so tired and have zero interest in leaving my space. I used to respond with enthusiasm, but now it's usually one word answers so they know I haven't been abducted by aliens. I have a wonderful partner who I adore and I feel awful because I barely see them. It's because I feel so exhausted and overwhelmed. I seem to be struggling with focus and attention. I used to be able to comprehend complex tasks, but now I find it difficult and overwhelming. My short term memory is terrible and I feel like I can't understand basic things anymore. I have to really really focus before my brain will go "okay, we can do this". Do I have early on set dementia? What is wrong with me? Will I ever feel like myself again? I feel incredibly sad and vulnerable sharing this post. I have spoken to my psychiatrist about this and she says it sounds like burn out from stress, but I don't know if I agree. I am aware that I should be eating better, following a sleep schedule, doing exercise, social things, seeing a psych, doctor etc etc. The thing is I have done these and I still feel the same. My mind knows what I should be doing, but I just don't care enough to do them or I don't have the energy.

Star_CX330 Too many sick days
  • replies: 5

I've been feeling physically sick from the depression and anxiety and have taken a few sick days from work in the past 3 months. For context I work in hospitality in a really busy venue. I find some days that it feels impossible to function and I'm e... View more

I've been feeling physically sick from the depression and anxiety and have taken a few sick days from work in the past 3 months. For context I work in hospitality in a really busy venue. I find some days that it feels impossible to function and I'm extremely overwhelmed by the amount of people around me. I feel awful and weak every time I leave sick but it gets to the point where i feel like I have no choice. The past 3 months have been especially challenging and I think I'm going into a bad depressive episode. I've noticed myself withdrawing from friends and family, staying home and isolating myself and just binging videos in bed most of my free time. I have had a relapse into my eating disorder and have lost a noticeable amount of weight, have not been sleeping properly and have been under considerable stress from conflict in the household. Today was one of those days where I was physically affected, I started getting brain fog, nausea and a huge headache and just generally felt awful. I stayed for half of my shift and was going to try to stay for the rest but one of my co-workers told the manager I was unwell and I got sent home. I'm feeling really concerned that this will impact my job. My manager called me when I got home and asked me if anything is going on that might be causing me to take these days off and I didn't want to open up about how I'm feeling. Because in all honesty I'm ashamed that I'm not coping right now and I feel like a mess. I don't want to be rostered less as a result either because I have some financial stress right now. I am having massive amounts of anxiety now because my shift tomorrow has also been filled. I have a doctor's appointment this week and I have started my antidepressants again hoping to fix this situation before things get really out of hand. I have also been to visit my family and have planned to go away for a few days to try and lift my mood. Any tips on how to get through the hard days? Or if I should be open with my workplace about my mental health issues? Should I maybe take an extra day off per week till I can sort myself out? Thanks for reading, any reassurance or advice is appreciated

TheKingOfHearts I can't and don't want to spend the next 13 years playing catch up
  • replies: 1

Hi! I grew up in a difficult childhood.I never had social experiences and I never had an education due to running out of the classroom from all the bullying.I never knew what I wanted and most of the time I still don't. But deep down when I can think... View more

Hi! I grew up in a difficult childhood.I never had social experiences and I never had an education due to running out of the classroom from all the bullying.I never knew what I wanted and most of the time I still don't. But deep down when I can think clearly I want to do nursing, to be a registered general practice nurse because that is what comes naturally.The thing is though I would need to get my eyes fixed and get my teeth fixed etc and that would cost lots of money.I would need to get a job, save up and get the surgeries along with paying for regular everyday life and work my way upto getting into a bachelor of nursing by doing a diploma first. But here's the problemI've done the calculations and all the planning and it would from today take me 13 years to get all of that together.And I don't want to spend that long on doing all of that.I am 23 years old I should already be there I should've got the education I should have the job. But the real serious problem isI have three mental health conditionsI have autism, schizophrenia and depression I can barely move because I am so weighed down by everything and I've tried lots of meds, none of them have worked and I'm still trying more with my psych team.So I barely shower, I eat the wrong food, I don't sleep very well at all and I dream of a better life.I can't focus or concentrate and so I can't even watch a movie even writing this is exhausting.So I cannot even try to pursue my dream of being a nurse and helping people, being in the health field and just do something worthwhile. So I'm saying all of that to ask you guys whoever is reading Have you heard of a situation like this? Are you in a situation like this? Am I alone? Has anyone pushed forward with so many problems and built a life for themselves?Is there any hope that something anything might work out?Do you have any advice for me? Thank you for spending this moment in time reading my post and I hope all of your dreams come true.

Mickook Depression is so common, where is everyone?
  • replies: 1

I’ve had depression all my life and been on medication for many years. It’s affected every part of my life. The hardest part about it is the lack of understanding or support around me. My family doesn’t understand it or even acknowledge it. They don’... View more

I’ve had depression all my life and been on medication for many years. It’s affected every part of my life. The hardest part about it is the lack of understanding or support around me. My family doesn’t understand it or even acknowledge it. They don’t want to know! Too busy! I feel very alone and disconnected. I wish l had someone or people to talk to as l know it would really help. I feel really tired all the time and very, very angry. I spend so much time crying it’s ridiculous!!! I’m really exhausted trying to figure it out. I spend so much time fighting myself and my negative thoughts. Everyday l say to myself that tomorrow will be better. I’ve been saying this for 40 years and now realise that tomorrow has arrived and it’s not better. I’m at a dead end now and really sick of myself. There are so many people out there who have depression, it’s astounding but where are they? How do l meet them? I wish for peace. Thanks for reading.

Mike_T Depression/anxiety/acopia
  • replies: 3

Hi. I have depression treated with medication. Recently the depression has worsened and my GP increased the dose. I'm not sleeping well, struggling to focus or hold a conversation. Feeling very anxious

Hi. I have depression treated with medication. Recently the depression has worsened and my GP increased the dose. I'm not sleeping well, struggling to focus or hold a conversation. Feeling very anxious