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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 discussions in this section of the Forums have 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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Luci3 I used to be highly motivated, now I struggle to do anything
  • replies: 17

Hi I'm new to the forum, but not depression unfortunately. I have suffered from it for many years, and struggle terribly with a complete lack of motivation. I used to be highly motivated and had a lot of self-discipline. Now I struggle to do anything... View more

Hi I'm new to the forum, but not depression unfortunately. I have suffered from it for many years, and struggle terribly with a complete lack of motivation. I used to be highly motivated and had a lot of self-discipline. Now I struggle to do anything really, and I feel shame at the state of my house. To complicate matters I also suffer from hypersomnia. I have no immediate family, but my extended family are very old school, and very judgemental about my lack of housekeeping skills. Hence I tend to not have people around, which I know contributes to my isolation. Thank goodness for my fur-babies. I can really relate to the line in one of Robbie Williams' songs - something like "I don't want to die, but I'm not keen on living either." Any suggestions from anyone would be really appreciated. Thank you

ci Feeling so lost
  • replies: 36

I'm not sure what to expect from this post. I just really need to say out loud without dumping it on my husband I'm struggling today feel so lost and alone was doing so well I'm really disappointed in myself for the big slip backwards!

I'm not sure what to expect from this post. I just really need to say out loud without dumping it on my husband I'm struggling today feel so lost and alone was doing so well I'm really disappointed in myself for the big slip backwards!

Al2345 Partner doesn't seem to understand
  • replies: 3

Sorry, this is quite long but I'm not sure what I need to do. I recently spoke to my maternal and child health nurse and she was concerned and suggested I my need to speak to someone in regards to my feelings. i have a 1 year old and for a little whi... View more

Sorry, this is quite long but I'm not sure what I need to do. I recently spoke to my maternal and child health nurse and she was concerned and suggested I my need to speak to someone in regards to my feelings. i have a 1 year old and for a little while now it seems to be getting harder to cope. My partner works 10 hour days 6:30 till 4:30-5:00ish every day. He then usually gets home and goes cycling for an hour or so when he finishes work most days. Which is all fine, but it leaves me home on my own quite often and I start to feel quite isolated. I don't have a lot of friends that aren't busy working and have other things on. I spend a lot of time just me and my baby. my problem is, that when I spoke to my partner about what the nurse said his response was kind of "oh, that bad is it?" And the way he said it kind of felt like he thought I was being silly/ had no real reason to feel the way I do. He likes to bring up how many other mothers are in the same position and they're coping fine, and though he never says it, it's like he's getting at 'so why aren't you fine' I feel okay when he's home but he doesn't seem to understand what it's like for me when I'm on my own all day. When he is home all he wants to do is 'just have a while to sit down and relax'. Most of the time he's home he does his own thing and only really helps with baby when I'm busy cleaning or cooking. He's very much of the mindset that 'I get paid to stay at home with baby and he gets paid to go to work' meaning he works and I have to look after baby 24/7. If I ever bring that up it just starts a big fight about me not appreciating that he goes to work all day and earns the money while I sit at home all day. All these little things build up and I start to feel like I'm not doing very well. And with his reaction to what the nurse said, he seems to think there's no reason for me to feel that way. So I doubt myself and think maybe I'm over reacting. I don't want to go and talk to someone because my partner makes me feel like I should be coping fine and shouldn't need to see anyone. He's never said that, but the first thing he said when I mentioned talking to someone was that 'I'll probably go there and they'll ask about him and I'll have to mention how he's always working and riding and doing whatever he wants'. And that's probably true, so he didn't seem at all keen for me to follow through. I feel like he doesn't believe I need help. i don't know what to do!

Ma_Baker Down in the mouth
  • replies: 8

Hello Anyone out there who cares to listen! Ive hit rock bottom today and just need to connect with someone. Just writing this has made me stop crying, so thats a good start. Im 57 yo and live alone which is probably why I feel the need to do this. I... View more

Hello Anyone out there who cares to listen! Ive hit rock bottom today and just need to connect with someone. Just writing this has made me stop crying, so thats a good start. Im 57 yo and live alone which is probably why I feel the need to do this. Ive always been a loner, divorced 12 years ago and female. Work has always been a lifeline because I feel valued and its so busy you dont have time to scratch yourself! But lately Ive had issues at work and in a nutshell, Ive been forced to move and I am uncertain as to where next. I feel Ive been unfairly treated and I am following due processes but its taking so long and meanwhile Ive been left out in the cold and feel like a pariah. Just writing this has helped. Im lonely and have no one to talk to, which I know is my fault because I feel people are such hard work and Ive isolated myself, Thanks for listening.

Jez20 Feeling lost and hopeless
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, I am currently sitting on my bathroom floor feeling very lost and hopeless. I am 24 years old and have experienced depression since I was 16. I visited numerous psychologists and counsellors and finally about a year ago after experiencin... View more

Hi everyone, I am currently sitting on my bathroom floor feeling very lost and hopeless. I am 24 years old and have experienced depression since I was 16. I visited numerous psychologists and counsellors and finally about a year ago after experiencing panic attacks and felt I had enough of talking and my GP put me on medication.Over the last year I felt better than I had in years, however, over the last few weeks I have been waking up feeling sad and finding it difficult to get to work. I have had a family member in hospital and have been running around looking after everyone and have been feeling very exhausted so this might be playing a part. This morning I have called in sick to work, am feeling guilt, sad and I feel as though depression will be something I will battle my whole life and that it will continuously be something that will affect my daily life: feeling extremely negative and hopeless.

The_Count The purpose of life
  • replies: 6

Good Morning All, I feel sometimes like my life was and is like hitting my head against a brick wall and or a mice stuck running on the treadmill running very fast but getting knowhere. So these days i just take it more easy. Maybe i am going through... View more

Good Morning All, I feel sometimes like my life was and is like hitting my head against a brick wall and or a mice stuck running on the treadmill running very fast but getting knowhere. So these days i just take it more easy. Maybe i am going through a mid life crises. Anyway i did average at school except for maths and when i did finish i had very little idea of what occupation to do so did a variety of jobs and was also unemployed for periods here and there. When i new which direction to follow i studied degree finished and attempted new field but struggled with confidence, office politics and the working lies. It was stressful but challenging and partly enjoyable. Anyway now i work in a different field which requires very little education, no challenges, sometimes keeping awake is the challenge and unless i do overtime we only just manage to keep our head above water financially. I am like that mouse going around and around but going knowhere. My purpose to life is quit limited i try to look after and love my wife and son but most of the time when i get home from work i have very little energy left and am not a good listener anyway. I am living a very mediocre life. Thats not all but that will do for now. Bye for now The Count

Dennis38 Ugg its back again and this time i know the triggers yet unable to do a thing about it
  • replies: 10

Well I have done the right thing again and it has bitten me hard this time! Been fighting this depression tooth and nail and I am still back sliding, and with this back sliding there is a HUGE amount of anger though I am not totally sure if the anger... View more

Well I have done the right thing again and it has bitten me hard this time! Been fighting this depression tooth and nail and I am still back sliding, and with this back sliding there is a HUGE amount of anger though I am not totally sure if the anger is aimed at me or at the cause of my depression sliding. You see a little over a year ago I got really stupid, my wife's nephew and his wife got kicked out of the place they were living, mostly for having to many animals and lieing about it, so after talking with the wife I told the kids (they are both 40..my age..but yet myself and wife call them the kids because that is how we see them as 4 yearolds on a good day!) that they could move in for a SHORT while, so they brought all their crap, and 4 dogs with them (so I now have 5 dogs on my properity and in my home) then we find out that the newphew's wife is end stage kidney failure, which does have some bareing on my situation, on top of them being kicked out of the place they were renting they owe the government a bit of money for defrauding the government and had a lot of other bills, which my wife and I payed most of their bills off..to date they have cost us over 45 grand easily, the nephew in law is an ungreatful SOB always whining and moaning about this or that and not even offering to do the dishes, heck they both have not even changed their bed sheets since they got here the wife and I (both of us being disabled) have to do it for them. And of course the nephew's wife has a lot of problems but yet she is not ungreatful, where as the nephew realy is ungreatful. Anyways as they do not pay ANY bills (other then one of their own storeage bills) I want to charge them rent 400 a month, that "rent" money is actually away to get them a bond saved up as the nephew spends all his money (he is on the dole and has a part time "job" on stupid little toys(expensive ones) and what not, but my wife is not wanting to listen to me on the rent issue as "they are family and no one understands the nephew like I do." Doesn't not help that my wife is going though menopause and can be a real nasty piece of work to ME, everyone else she is very happy and friendly but as soon as something goes wrong I am the one she snaps at. I love her and put up with this because its not her fault some days, yet all of this is boiling inside me the depression is sinking in deeper and worse off this ANGER has a hold of me and once again. Never do the right thing it will bite you in the end!!!

Tonah First time, looking for extra help please.
  • replies: 5

Not sure where to start... Have been feeling down a lot for a long time now and my life has really gone downhill. Have only just been and talked to my gp and talked about things. Appointments have been made to talk about my issues mentally. Am lookin... View more

Not sure where to start... Have been feeling down a lot for a long time now and my life has really gone downhill. Have only just been and talked to my gp and talked about things. Appointments have been made to talk about my issues mentally. Am looking for more help in the area of trying to get over the bad days or things or tricks that might make the bad days a bit easier. My relationship is suffering big time and my partner is over having me be so down. Trying to fix me and the relationship is not going the best. Feel like I'm getting sucked into a black hole. Only on the bad days though. It hits me really fast as well, is that normal??? Thank you.

anita24 Depression and losing friends
  • replies: 6

Hi everyone, i have been struggling with severe depression for 10 years now it is a struggle to just keep on going, Ive noticed because of this i don't have many friends, i have 1 left now but even then she's quite a selfish person and needy and does... View more

Hi everyone, i have been struggling with severe depression for 10 years now it is a struggle to just keep on going, Ive noticed because of this i don't have many friends, i have 1 left now but even then she's quite a selfish person and needy and doesn't understand and i notice its hard for me to make friends as i'm not the happy person that people want to hang around, has anyone else had this happen to them? I feel quite alone because i've watched my close family die around me for the last few years so now i have barely anyone, what keeps me going is my mum, my dog and my bf ( but sometimes he doesn't understand but he does try to help) Has anyone been through sort of the same and how do you overcome this? cheers

anita24 im scared
  • replies: 3

i'm scared my boyfriend will leave me, he has said that he's unsure of our future because he helps me all the time but i dont help him back when he asks, and its true but i cant even help myself and also the fact that he wants to go out and do things... View more

i'm scared my boyfriend will leave me, he has said that he's unsure of our future because he helps me all the time but i dont help him back when he asks, and its true but i cant even help myself and also the fact that he wants to go out and do things with me but id rather sleep and then when he finally convinces me to come out i end up feeling numb and sitting in the car watching from the window. i don't know what to do.