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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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deprees8 Telling a total stranger about your depression
  • replies: 7

hi every one depress8 here again, i have quandary here i need to tell someone about my depression that does need to know as i am doing work for the dole(yes i am unemployed which is not helpful) but the person in charge needs to know about my depress... View more

hi every one depress8 here again, i have quandary here i need to tell someone about my depression that does need to know as i am doing work for the dole(yes i am unemployed which is not helpful) but the person in charge needs to know about my depression and they have already threatened to tell the government that i am skipping half of a day because i am depressed and going home. i have just written a letter and hoping to talk to them in private tomorrow and because i will be seeing them tomorrow/today and i need someone to buck me up and tell me i am doing the best thing or is there another way i can go about this. i am seeing the doc tomorrow/today to get a medical certificate but is there a better way that i can go about doing this or should i just do as the famous quote says "dame the torpedoes! full steam ahead. please help me out thank you all

Elizabeth CP What do you do when depression stops you enjoying things anymore
  • replies: 19

I struggle with feelings of low self worth. I manage this by trying to help others and being productive. I try to finish the productive tasks on my to do list before relaxing. This was an effective way of motivating me to get things done which made m... View more

I struggle with feelings of low self worth. I manage this by trying to help others and being productive. I try to finish the productive tasks on my to do list before relaxing. This was an effective way of motivating me to get things done which made me feel better and allowed me to relax after without feeling guilty. Because of several years of life stresses and depression this is no longer working. Feeling tired. depressed &/or stressed means I'm less effective & make mistakes leading little time for relaxing thus causing more fatigue etc. Things I used to enjoy are now too hard or are associated with bad experiences so it takes too much energy to make myself do things which I know will help. I avoid going out for diner, movies swimming. Holidays feel like a lot of work & I come home exhausted afterwards I was doing better but fatigue led to increased depression and wanting to give in

jobe Feeling hopeless...
  • replies: 6

Hi my name is "Jobe" i am a mother of 3,youngest being 15,i'm 42yrs old my health has always been a issue in my life but have always struggled through due to the responsibility of being a mum ect,lately things have been terrible in the last year my y... View more

Hi my name is "Jobe" i am a mother of 3,youngest being 15,i'm 42yrs old my health has always been a issue in my life but have always struggled through due to the responsibility of being a mum ect,lately things have been terrible in the last year my youngest was diagnosed with Diabetes type 1 which has been a struggle in itself & i have started going through nasty change of life issues bringing on major loss of weight,anxiety,depression,seizures although i am young for this it's happening,i've had limited help from the health system here as i live in rural vic i have to wait 7mths to see a specialist meantime trying to get in & see GP's up here......GOODLUCK!! sometimes having to wait 2wks to see someone when i tell them i've had a seizure which all just contributes more to my anxiety they have put me on a hormone leveler but that has almost sent me over the edge i am either crying or wanting to scream,the only time i leave the house is to go to the supermarket or the doctors. I cant work as i'm a chef & who wants to hire a chef who has fits,emotionally unstable & half the time physically ill? I get only the very basic help from the goverment they still want me to work even though i have been told not to drive & i live 30kms out of town. When i spoke to my GP at the start of the week i went in with a list of how i was feeling which is very un-me & left 10 mins later scratching my head,i dont think i would commit suicide but with how up & down my hormone & emotions have been i have been doing things completly out of character & struggling with my feeling & frustrations. I feel so alone,hopeless lost. I want to get in my car n run away. I have always faced my demons but holy moley dont know how anymore & losing the will to care about basic everyday life & my responsibilities which i am hating myself even more if thats even possible my GP seemed unconcerned with this. This is all too much for a first introduction sorry,just want the constant worry,sadness,anxiety,anger,fear to subside a bit i need to be back at work & being a happy & healthy roll model for my children. thanks for listening to me

lard i know I'm not the only one
  • replies: 5

I've read and heard other stories which are the same but it is hard not to feel alone. pressures of work and family build up. lately i feel i need to scream at boss or wife and say i'm done and just walk.i get treated like I'm stupid and don't know w... View more

I've read and heard other stories which are the same but it is hard not to feel alone. pressures of work and family build up. lately i feel i need to scream at boss or wife and say i'm done and just walk.i get treated like I'm stupid and don't know what I'm talking about. I've been doing my job for 18 yrs but yet i get 2nd guessed at every turn. even my own family practically disregards my input. my mind doesn't stop from these pressures. i feel invisible I'm one to bottle up rather than confrontation even though my facade is the opposite. i feel i can't tell my family as my man hood and strength will be taken away. i thought i could push through this but the last 12 months its just got harder. i know i haven't got it the worst, the problem is talking, admitting and seeking advice/help. the confidence to talk face to face about it. even now i know what i want to write but its just not coming out.......... thanks for the whinging space

Richard1 Enough of depression -im moving
  • replies: 4

I have lived with depression for probably most of my life. At school i had difficulties with bullying and social exclusion and these issues have seemed to follow me into adulthood employment and friendships. Had an ex wife who treated me poorly durin... View more

I have lived with depression for probably most of my life. At school i had difficulties with bullying and social exclusion and these issues have seemed to follow me into adulthood employment and friendships. Had an ex wife who treated me poorly during our marriage and then turned nasty when the gravy train ended. Into my fifties, i have decided enough is enough. I feel totally invisible to my social network - they either totally ignore me or only want to know me when there is some sort of gain or advantage for them. Or they only want to know me to tell me their problems because im a good listener. But no one really knows how i feel or cares. Around the time of my last birthday, i made the decision that i have had enough of feeling depressed because people treat me poorly and that im going to move interstate to try something new. Things cant be any different where im going so i feel i may as well give it a try. So sick of excuses of people being busy in their lives or they didnt mean not to include you in a group invite and not to take it personally. So tired of employment rejection. So tired of family members taking me for granted and only wanting to know me when they can get some sort of financial benefit. So bye everyone. They say you shouldnt burn bridges but most bridges start from opposite sides of the river and meet in the middle. No bridge is built in one direction all the time. So not really burning any bridges. I have cut my ties with everyone - but no one has even really noticed. Because no one actually gives a damn. So bye bye farewell. You wont have me around to punch like a punching bag any more.

kath1 When all I can do is cry
  • replies: 2

And that's been me for the last 5 years. Tonight has been a little over 4 hours of crying. Mostly whilst sitting on my shower floor. My story is a long one.More recently though the past year has finally caught up with me. 2015 , January I took my nep... View more

And that's been me for the last 5 years. Tonight has been a little over 4 hours of crying. Mostly whilst sitting on my shower floor. My story is a long one.More recently though the past year has finally caught up with me. 2015 , January I took my nephews to the safety of their nans house after their mother had lost her temper after numerous times and had the boys screaming and running for help. I got a phone call from one of my nephews who was 12 and begging for help. This night was a night i will never forget as i never knew the extent of the emotional and physical abuse occuring. What i did that night was for my nephews and their safety what resulted was my whole family gunning for my blood. I had turned on blood in their eyes and that was that. The following months would be consumed by their hatred towards me. The police even taking an avo out on my own mother because of her outburst towards me in public that would leave me so very shaken for months. Even to this day i am petrified to go anywhere incase i run into any of them. It felt like 40 of them against me. Vulgar threats and outbursts and public slandering has left me so hurt and broken but i fought everyday to hold my head high. Family court decided that my nephews were better off with their dad. A decision i was happy with. This did not and still has not given me peace from them. The most heartbreaking thing was my pop. The one man i loved and cared for was turned against me and i have spent the last year worrying over his health and if i will ever get the chance to say i love you to him ever again. A long with this happening I also resigned from a mangers postion due to the fact i was shaking everytime I worked and was consumed with fear. My boss at the time was not understanding and tried to demote me to eliminate my problem I guess. The last tiny bit of confidence i had he took in one meeting that lasted 25mins max. I have 4 boys who i need to remain strong for. They rarely see my tears or my struggle. It has been 6 months since i quit. And i am 4 months into my counselling diploma. I am trying to remain strong. But tonight after finding out yet again someone is talking about me and needing to defend who i am.. i crumbled.... and this time hard I am so scared of the overwhelming feeling to just give up. I don't know how to get the right help . I don't know where to even start. It is all just so overwhelming.am defeated. Exhausted and so very confused . And most of all scared.

20mg Has anyone else experienced this...?
  • replies: 11

Once in a blue moon I realise that I am real, feel real and feel alive and literally have a lot of free space in my head. The last two times it lasted 10-15 minutes, depends how much I try to keep the feeling in my head. But after 15 minutes the feel... View more

Once in a blue moon I realise that I am real, feel real and feel alive and literally have a lot of free space in my head. The last two times it lasted 10-15 minutes, depends how much I try to keep the feeling in my head. But after 15 minutes the feeling is almost completely invisible to me and I can barely remember how I felt in that period. I experienced this scenario 3-4 times over 3 years. The first time was when I arrived home from an operation on my abdominal region, where I realised that I am depressed and worrying too much in life. I saw a physciatrist and was diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression, where I am currently still visiting and on prescribed SSRI.​ As anyone felt like this, and is this even a real feeling or am I cooked?

Mares73 List of triggers for depression
  • replies: 5

Hi all After 2 years of being on the forums I have noticed several major things- 1) depression can affect anyone 2) however more often than not there is a trigger preceding it ie family, financial, work, health & other indicators 3) many people strug... View more

Hi all After 2 years of being on the forums I have noticed several major things- 1) depression can affect anyone 2) however more often than not there is a trigger preceding it ie family, financial, work, health & other indicators 3) many people struggle with the diagnosis initially 4) some have a predisposition to depression 5) some have depression due to external factors, others may be genetically disposed, others may suffer seemingly "out of nowhere". From my own humble understanding & making generalisations, it would appear most often that preceding events contribute greatly to depression. This includes grief, low confidence, high self expectations which cause us to feel badly about ourselves if we don't meet our expectations, life events & situations that distress us. Poor confidence, a tendency to isolate ourselves & guilt about accepting we have an illness all contribute to our poor self esteem. We are our own worst critics. We internalise our negative sense of self. We struggle with accepting our diagnosis-often thinking it is a negative reflection of our selves. Thats just a few observations. In understanding & accepting ourselves others may have ideas. After all we each battle to understand & live with our illness. please add your thoughts. Mares X

Vita16 2016 - what a start...diagnosis of depression
  • replies: 9

If you had said to me a week ago I’d be posting this on public forum I would have laughed at you. Really I would have. On the ground type laughing. But here it is, the start of my journey to recovery. I’m a middle aged male, married, good kids, pets,... View more

If you had said to me a week ago I’d be posting this on public forum I would have laughed at you. Really I would have. On the ground type laughing. But here it is, the start of my journey to recovery. I’m a middle aged male, married, good kids, pets, educated, secure job, and house – on the surface living the middle class Australian dream. What on earth have I got to complain about right? Well, for years I had a sense of loathing that even extended to shaving in the shower as to avoid seeing my reflection in the mirror. I had wondered ‘what if I wasn’t here?’ no one would really notice. Sure, my family would be devastated, but as everyone does when they lose a loved one they’ll move on, and life returns to normal...after the first anniversary I would just become a sad, distant memory. This despair escalated in late 2015 with work pressures ramping up. I was missing deadlines, yet excelling in managing some urgent situations so it was excused. I had seen my GP a few times over the preceding months, and was desperate for him to ask me how I was going...On reflection, I probably would have lied anyway. I reached out to a psychologist under the guise of wanting to be a better person - she immediately saw through my well-rehearsed front. For the first time ever really, someone saw the real me. Saw the fatigue. Saw the deep sadness and pain that was my everyday life. I eventually relayed most of the above, crying half the time in front of a woman I’d only minutes ago previously just met. She also convinced me to revisit my GP. She made me promise to her that I stay safe. Why would she need to do that? My GP was shocked that I had held off seeking help for so long, and he quickly, firmly, and compassionately arrived at a diagnosis of depression. Again I was asked to stay safe – why do people keep saying that? 6-7 weeks on and it is still tough going. The medication has kicked in; am sleeping a lot better, am calmer. My breathing rate has decreased, and I don’t feel like I am in a constant state of ‘fight or flight’. Gave up caffeine cold turkey. I had a plan to keep all of this from my wife and friends. My psychologist was having none that nonsense. So clearly trusting people was a big leap for me. But I have done it. I (now) understand it is ‘ok not to be ok’. I have an illness that for whatever reason chose me, and I won’t let it define or limit who I am. Oh, and by the way, I am indeed depressed. Vita (latin for ‘life)

Guest_1055 Worthless
  • replies: 527

Hello I am wanting to know if anyone else feels just worthless. And what they did about that feeling that creeps inside of you. Thanks

Hello I am wanting to know if anyone else feels just worthless. And what they did about that feeling that creeps inside of you. Thanks