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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: 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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Bluebird1 'Coping' not living
  • replies: 6

Hi, my first post here... I have been living with depression for as long as I remember, but only realised and had treatment since I was about 30. But the treatment feels like a smoke screen, not even sure if it works as I still have desperately low t... View more

Hi, my first post here... I have been living with depression for as long as I remember, but only realised and had treatment since I was about 30. But the treatment feels like a smoke screen, not even sure if it works as I still have desperately low times. I have learnt to cope with life, but not live my life. I sweep thoughts under the carpet. Try not to look back or forward but just cope day by day...yes I get out of bed and go to work, paint that smile on my face and do everything I can to make others happy. But as I sit here writing this the tears just won't stop. I feel so alone. I moved to Australia 2yrs ago, trying for yet another 'FRESH START' but I now realise there is no such thing as I can't run away from myself. I am 46 in a few weeks and have worked hard all my life but have achieved nothing. I know I'm having a low and the light will come back, but that doesn't help now....

Joey84 Struggling to get up and do what I need to do, why is everything so hard
  • replies: 11

I've been going through this cycle for a while where I know i need to get up n go to work an just can't. I work myself up n try be positive night before but then the time comes and I struggle and get angry bout it or just don't care if I feel literal... View more

I've been going through this cycle for a while where I know i need to get up n go to work an just can't. I work myself up n try be positive night before but then the time comes and I struggle and get angry bout it or just don't care if I feel literally sick bout it all and can't do it! I've been on n off anti depressants since 2012, but recently felt like they were doing more harm then good and stop taking them. I was having bad thoughts n terrible dreams and wasn't getting any sleep. I have tryed counselling once but felt like I was being looked at and treated like a looser and that they were like if you know what you need to do then why arnt you doing it. My partner try's and helps but thinks I'm just lazy. Am I? I don't think I am? I'm sick of feeling this way and I need it to change but don't know how, if I go to gp I'll get out back on meds and I'm scared to speak to a counsellor but I want to. So I guess that's why I'm now posting on here, to see if anyone else can help or knows what I'm going through... I dunno I'm just sick of everything being so hard and can't talk to family or friends bout it for fear I'll be looked at or treated different!

87vlc Feeling lost and alone
  • replies: 5

I have suffered from depression since i was 16 and have always been on medication. Im now 28 and a year ago i came off all medication as i was stable for years and didn't think this would happen again. For the last few months i have been struggling a... View more

I have suffered from depression since i was 16 and have always been on medication. Im now 28 and a year ago i came off all medication as i was stable for years and didn't think this would happen again. For the last few months i have been struggling and this last week i have just fallen into a dark hole. I have been to see my GP and have to wait another week to see a Psychiatrist so i guess I'm just looking for someone to talk to in between. I feel so lost and alone and i don't know how to make it go away. I don't want to do anything i just want to sleep cause thats the only time i can't feel any pain or my head isn't overthinking. I feel all these mixed emotions I'm angry, hurt, sad, scared, lonely, numb and i just burst out into tears for no reason at all. I wish someone could feel how i feel inside so they could help me. I feel like I'm loosing control of myself and i want to stop it but i don't know how. I just want to be my old self again and when i smile i want it to be a real smile.

Seraph Feeling nothing
  • replies: 1

Been feeling nothing every now and then. This usually happens when I get overwhelmed with work. I just turn into this passive and unmotivated person. Been having difficulties with trying to be happy.. Happiness has been a foreign thing to me for year... View more

Been feeling nothing every now and then. This usually happens when I get overwhelmed with work. I just turn into this passive and unmotivated person. Been having difficulties with trying to be happy.. Happiness has been a foreign thing to me for years now.. I just always feel tired of being here coz i feel like I'm just existing and not actually living. Pardon for the random thoughts. Hope someone can relate and give some advice. Thanks.

Bec_b My partner doesn't understand depression, how do I talk to her
  • replies: 5

My partner doesn't understand depression or anxiety, she has never experienced either. I need to talk to her but don't want to be a bother and don't know what it would achieve to talk to her. I've told her I'm depressed, about a month ago. How do I t... View more

My partner doesn't understand depression or anxiety, she has never experienced either. I need to talk to her but don't want to be a bother and don't know what it would achieve to talk to her. I've told her I'm depressed, about a month ago. How do I talk to my partner if she has no idea what I'm talking about? Bec

sares I feel sad all the time
  • replies: 8

Hi.. im new here and wanted to chat to others going through the same thing as i feel no one around me understands it (except my brother who has depression). I feel sad all the time worthless useless empty alone and like a failure. I feel like I've fa... View more

Hi.. im new here and wanted to chat to others going through the same thing as i feel no one around me understands it (except my brother who has depression). I feel sad all the time worthless useless empty alone and like a failure. I feel like I've failed and dissapointed my family especially my kids. I wake up every day with nothing there nothing to look foward to. I say and do things that hurt the people im ment to love and feel no remorse. Its like i dont care. Things i used to be able to do that i enjoyed doing are such an effort. There are days i dont want to see anyone or do a thing i just stare at things blank and have no idea what im doing or y. Some days i cry n cry and dont no y im crying.. i have days where i can push it all down and continue on but its getting harder and harder to do.. smiling feels strange. I feel trapped in this world in this mind like im stuck in a dark empty whole and i cant get out of it... This week i went to my dr and she started me on anti depressants ive also seen a psychologist but i struggle to open up and talk. I just want this to go away.

brookey Feeling lonely and isolated despite being surrounded by people
  • replies: 11

Hey everyone, First of all thanks for taking the time to read my post. I'm a 25 year old uni student and I am currently really struggling a lot with recurrent depression. At the moment I'm finding it very hard trying to cope with the feelings of lone... View more

Hey everyone, First of all thanks for taking the time to read my post. I'm a 25 year old uni student and I am currently really struggling a lot with recurrent depression. At the moment I'm finding it very hard trying to cope with the feelings of loneliness and isolation I am experiencing. This is really frustrating as I am quite a social person who has lots of close friends, but at the moment I feel very isolated and alone. I think a large part of this stems from the fact that nearly every friend of mine is currently in a long-term relationship, and many are beginning to get engaged/married/buying a house together etc. I really struggle with a long-held belief that I will be alone forever, and that nobody could ever really love me for who I am. My psychologist and I agree that one way to challenge this would be to meet new people and develop experiences that are alternative to these thoughts/beliefs. However, I am struggling to think of ways to meet new people (last relationship was from online dating, but didn't work out; haven't really ever met someone through friends). Has anyone been in a similar experience? And does any one have any advice for strategies with coping with feelings of being unlovable, and also ways to meet new people to challenge these thoughts? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated as this is something that I am really struggling with! Cheers, Brooke xx

C_L25 no direction, no joy.
  • replies: 3

Hi there, I am seriously struggling. From an early age I was subjected to sexual abuse and through fear and threats I was forced to remain quiet about it for many years. Almost 10 years later, through a member of family whom was also affected by this... View more

Hi there, I am seriously struggling. From an early age I was subjected to sexual abuse and through fear and threats I was forced to remain quiet about it for many years. Almost 10 years later, through a member of family whom was also affected by this our story came out, we went to the police and the courts process began and the perpetrator was sentenced to 13 years in prison. This time was emotional for all our family and accordingly we were referred to a counselor in this area of expertise who I saw on a weekly basis. Counselling seemed to assist over the 2 year period I attended and I found myself needing to go there less, and my willingness to go out and socialize with people and achieve day to day activities gradually started to increase. For the next few years I seemed to be fine, I lost a heap of weight, actually managed to complete my degree and work two cafe jobs and maintain a reasonably stable work/life balance.About mid-way last year I decided to properly pursue my career using the degree I had achieved and in doing so resigned from my cafe job at the time, giving a full months notice and thoroughly explaining that I was doing this for me, to start pursuing the job I had worked so hard for. I had began applying for jobs since I completed my degree in 2013, and throughout 2014. By July I had still heard either nothing or "no" from dozens of applied jobs so as a last resort to not do nothing and earn some cash over summer I applied for a job at Aldi. Shocked I received a reply in minutes and was successful in my application.After being accepted though I felt this overwhelming guilt that all who had received my 'searching for my career' info had been deceived and I became embarrassed and withdrawn.This feeling continually ate at me which I ignored as I kept thinking to myself "a job is a job', but that feeling of worthlessness & not being able to achieve anything higher than a supermarket job caused me to shy away from not only my old work colleagues but friends and family as well.I cry so much and feel constantly down and dissatisfied. Motivation to do daily things that I enjoy such as walking or going out have gone over the past year and now I can not even go out in public without my chest tightening and feeling anxious at how much people will judge me for my past choices and how little I have achieved.I also feel everyone hates me.I actually have no idea how to get back on track as my past habits and current feelings have severely intertwined

Beryl Im like an actor playing the part of my own life. Does anyone realy understand?
  • replies: 81

Its a good day today, so im saying hello to everyone out there for the first time ever. i am beryl, i have deep depression, anxiety, ptsd and an eating disorder. I have lots of other physical things wrong too. Ive been depressed for many years and i ... View more

Its a good day today, so im saying hello to everyone out there for the first time ever. i am beryl, i have deep depression, anxiety, ptsd and an eating disorder. I have lots of other physical things wrong too. Ive been depressed for many years and i think it is my normal. Over the years it deepens and recedes in slow cycles. I just cant sort it out. Sometimes i think my life is not so bad, then other times it seems unbearable. My head is a big bowl of water and i balance it so well people dont see the tears as i never spill them with other people. There are no other people, there never has been. But now, after all this time there is all of you out there. Yes, im smiling at you. Maybe, just a tiny maybe, im not completely alone? Its sad to think there is someone else in this half life. Could we help each other? Is there light at the end of the tunnel? More importantly i dont think my tunnel has an end. Im so tired of plodding down it. So tired and for what? More of the same. Most of the time im numb, there is no enjoyment at all. I wonder if that realy exists. How does happy feel? What is it? These days i hardly leave the house. I dont actually want to do anything- thats anything. My mind is so fuzzy i havnt been able to read a book for so many years now. Im like an actor playing the part of my own life. Does anyone realy understand? Or am i in this foggy bubble alone, so alone, for ever? Is there anyone out there?

Crystal Recently diagnosed with Melancholic depression: seeking advice
  • replies: 7

Hi, I'm just wondering if anyone has beaten Melancholic depression without medication ? Or how they manage it without medication ? Though if you do take medication, what are the effects ? I don't really want to take medication, I am hoping a specific... View more

Hi, I'm just wondering if anyone has beaten Melancholic depression without medication ? Or how they manage it without medication ? Though if you do take medication, what are the effects ? I don't really want to take medication, I am hoping a specific psychologist could possibly help me instead of numbing myself out completely. I have been battling it since I was 11 and I am now 28, a variety of traumatic experience have occurred throughout my life which have effected my behaviour, mood and trust. I never wanted to admit it was actually depression, but the rubber has hit the road, so to speak. Both my parents suffer from a mental illness, my mother has paranoia schizophrenia and my dad is bipolar, I thought sharing that may help because I was told Melancholic is genetic,and maybe someone on beyond blue shares a similar story. I also suffer from PTSD, I know everyone is different, but what I have read on beyond blue I don't suffer it severely, this is all new to me talking about my situation, because growing up we were never allowed to talk about my mums sickness due to the stigma. My counselor mentioned this website about two months ago, I was abit stand offish at first but then got thinking who better to ask advice then from those who are going through or have experienced a similar illness, any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks for your time, Crystal.