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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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Oddoneout Gibberish
  • replies: 3

I'm just sitting here and crying. I don't even know what made me, but all I can feel is my heavy heart and a choked feeling in my throat. I have a family too, my wife and my 6 year old princess. I should be celebrating with them but here I am, writin... View more

I'm just sitting here and crying. I don't even know what made me, but all I can feel is my heavy heart and a choked feeling in my throat. I have a family too, my wife and my 6 year old princess. I should be celebrating with them but here I am, writing here... I don't need any support from people here, just want to write this here and just be forgotten. If someone reading this feels depressed, then I am sorry, it was not my intention. I don't know where I get this feeling from, but I think, if I were to suddenly disappear someday, not many people I know would realize I'm not there anymore... And please let me make myself clear, I am not getting suicidal thoughts, I am strong, not doing anything like that. I just don't think I can make a difference to anyone's life at all. I'm just expendable, replaceable... Sure, I do things to keep my mind away from thinking this way, like having a hobby, playing music...but every now and then this feeling creeps up on me and reminds me of truth I'm trying to suppress. Some days are just too hard to get by, and I hope I've not upset anyone reading this but I just wanted to let it out.

ap85 Struggling today
  • replies: 2

Hi All, ​So it's xmas day and I can't stop crying. I'm working today in a remote part of Australia so just want some support to get through the day. I've been suffering from glandular feve for about 3 months so I'm already feeling pretty run down and... View more

Hi All, ​So it's xmas day and I can't stop crying. I'm working today in a remote part of Australia so just want some support to get through the day. I've been suffering from glandular feve for about 3 months so I'm already feeling pretty run down and I read somewhere that depression is linked to this virus. I am also having to face my ex at work who broke it off when I first got sick which isn't helping. I haven't been able to stop crying all day and there's no real reason. Any support or suggestions would be appreciated.

Tryingtostaypositive I wish I had another body
  • replies: 4

I think some of my depression and aniexty stems from body issues I have. I'm a 29yr old female who people find attractive and I get a lot of attention from men. I can admit I have a pretty face. But I feel my body lets me down.. And in all honestly I... View more

I think some of my depression and aniexty stems from body issues I have. I'm a 29yr old female who people find attractive and I get a lot of attention from men. I can admit I have a pretty face. But I feel my body lets me down.. And in all honestly I swear I have the rarest kind of body type in this world. Not even kidding. I've googled trying to find another woman with a shape like mine and I've come across one, that was similar but not the same. I know this sounds silly.. But this is only one of my issues I have but one that really really gets me down. I have no body confidence, and it's hard when I get reminded from family, strangers coming up to me making a comment.. It's really hindered my confidence that It's effected other areas of my life, especially socially. I find it hard forming new friendships in fear of judgement and also getting envolved with new a relationship. I'm a skinny girl, if you can imagine boney shoulders, like really Viney shoulders and a protruding collarbone, and arms when i go to move to drink from a cup they look like anorexic arms like I haven't eaten in months, narrow waist with little curves (boy body) then I have big calves! That are not proportionate with the rest of my skinny body. I have so many stretch marks but what really just gets me down is when people say "you need to eat more" "you're soo skinny" "omg your arms, they're so small" and they all say this with disgusted looks and sometimes confusion on their faces. It makes me feel disgusting and that there's something wrong with me I friken sucks. Then they look down to my legs and look even more confused and grossed out. so to deal with this I try to wear different clothing so I don't get these responses, I'm limited to what I can actually wear bcos clothes look odd on me due to my unusual shape, and I try to hide my legs under pants and jeans. Dont get me wrong I do wear shorts but only when I have built up enough strength in me to pretend I don't have this issue and get on with life. But it's such a struggle among the rest of the crappy feelings I feel at the same time. I have never actually let this out, I have not shared this to anyone. I'm not looking for sympathy I think I just needed to get it out.

Cara2256 Can't escape
  • replies: 3

Hi, I am 15 years of age and have been feeling depressed for pretty much all of 2015. I have been bullied at school and one of the counselors that i saw at school passed away on the first of december. It has been very difficult for me to cope as my h... View more

Hi, I am 15 years of age and have been feeling depressed for pretty much all of 2015. I have been bullied at school and one of the counselors that i saw at school passed away on the first of december. It has been very difficult for me to cope as my house is being rebuilt so i am not living in my normal home for christmas. This has really upset me as my family has had a tradition of sitting on the lounge on christmas eve watching the carols. But my family has told me that we are going away to my cousins (who live 2 hours away) and spending christmas in our camper van. This has really upset me as i was really looking forward to keeping this tradition and now i have no input in the decision. My parents have also been very hateful towards me and saying that i am lazy and negative all the time. and all this just from not going out of the house for one day of the holidays. They never support me and just say that everything i do isn't right. They think that i am not grateful for the new house that we will have and all they do for me. Which is not true. I am very grateful. I am just finding it very hard to not be negative when all i get is negative feedback from my parents and always being told that i am a bad child. I am very much a home body and get homesick whenever we go away, my parents interpret that as i am hating the trip but that is not the case i just miss home and the familiar surroundings. I just wish i could get a little bit of praise and not always negative feedback. for example i thought i did really well in my report and i gave it to my parents and when i asked my dad all he said was there was areas that should be improved. Which really put me down since i got good results. I just don't know what to do because they just say that the parents are the boss and we do whatever they want us to. my parents have been physical at one stage, hitting me and threatening me. I am just pushed into a corner and don't know what i can do. Please help me so i know if this is all in my head or i am depressed for a real reason. Cara

Ohmydayz I can't eat
  • replies: 4

This is my second bout of depression. My 20 year marriage is falling apart. I realised the depression was coming and went to my psych. I discovered we have financial problems on Friday and cried and cried all day and went to my GP Fri night and got a... View more

This is my second bout of depression. My 20 year marriage is falling apart. I realised the depression was coming and went to my psych. I discovered we have financial problems on Friday and cried and cried all day and went to my GP Fri night and got a script for the same anti depressants I had 18 months ago. Since Friday I've eaten four pieces toast gagging the whole time. I just can't eat. The usual things that take my fancy I gag at the thought of eating. I started my medication on Saturday. I wake up queasy. Monday the queasy went at around 2pm, Tuesday around 11am. Today 9am. The pharmacist said they may make me queasy and to persevere. I can't help but think it is the lack of eating that is causing the sickness. I don't so much mind about the lack of appetite but I'd like to be able to actually eat. I am drinking plenty of water, it is actually helping with the quesiness.

Jbobo I need to function
  • replies: 2

Hi there I'm new to this forum and honestly thought I had managed to keep everything under wraps pretty well for so long >10years. I have had quite a few major life events happen in quick succession and now my depression an anxiety feels likes its ou... View more

Hi there I'm new to this forum and honestly thought I had managed to keep everything under wraps pretty well for so long >10years. I have had quite a few major life events happen in quick succession and now my depression an anxiety feels likes its out of control. I can't function and I have missed days at work. Even the days I have managed to make it I do not feel like I'm really there. My boss is aware of my recent loss of my grandmother who raised me but not of a lot of other personal things that have happened, that combined have triggered overwhelming bouts of anxiety and depression. I work in corporate in a sought after role that I was really excited about getting. Now I just feel hopeless, I'm scared I'm going to lose my job and not be able to support my son. I have no fall back. To add to all this my sons biological father has just been released from prison literally a week ago and has decided he wants to be a part of his life and is moving around the corner from us. This is a man who has previously been charged with stalking me amongst other things and went to prison for some pretty messed up things. We were together when we were teenagers and I am a completely different person than him. I thought I was over all the bad things that have happened but when he turned up at my door all the fear and terror just came flooding back. I made an appointment for grief counseling and I have been once, my next appointment is not till mid January due to this time of year. I need to function now and I just feel like an empty shell incapable of doing anything. I don't know what to tell my boss as I feel like I'm seriously underperforming to my usual standard. I have only just recently been promoted to this role. The psychologist said I need to start taking care of myself first, I know this sounds ridiculous but I don't know how on earth to do that with my current commitments to my son and my job. I am not coping. I need to function now

schoolteacher Single parent/teacher suffering depression
  • replies: 3

My story in a nutshell is that I suffer from depression and anxiety continuously and have done so for the last 20+ years. Am on a high dose of ADs and they keep it to a just manageable level. I also experience PMDD to add fun to the mix. What I've fo... View more

My story in a nutshell is that I suffer from depression and anxiety continuously and have done so for the last 20+ years. Am on a high dose of ADs and they keep it to a just manageable level. I also experience PMDD to add fun to the mix. What I've found now that I'm on school holidays (I'm a junior primary teacher in a challenging suburb) is that my depression is kicking in big time. I don't have to put on that front of getting myself to school and teaching all day then being exhausted at the end of the day and falling asleep. Now I'm on holidays (6 weeks) I'm finding myself with zero motivation, very anxious, classic not being able to cry symptom as a side effect of ADs and having to parent through all of that with my child home 24/7. It feels like all she wants, as a single child, is to be entertained. My guilt level is through the roof, feeling like I should be keeping her busy and having fun. The house is a shambles with housework piling up. If I had my choice I would be sleeping all day. I just sit on the computer and she sits watching tv. I want to be able to cry and vent but the AD's stop me from doing even that. I'm falling in a hole and I don't have family support to help me out. Having to go to work was helping me keep it together but not it's not there so I'm failing. Any suggestions? TIA.

Shim What next ?
  • replies: 1

I have never been or ever had help before. It has all come to a head and I think even my husband is reAdy to turn his back on me. I have no other family in oz and am trying to find a way to go forward. I don't know how to get out of this and feel I a... View more

I have never been or ever had help before. It has all come to a head and I think even my husband is reAdy to turn his back on me. I have no other family in oz and am trying to find a way to go forward. I don't know how to get out of this and feel I am sinking. Please help!

misty2016 up and down on the emotional merry goround
  • replies: 6

hi i'm a newbie to this bb and to forums generally have depression and anxiety and difficulty with emotion regulation not looking forward to xmas, estranged from family and just finished a 6 yr relationship i find it comforting to read and hopefully ... View more

hi i'm a newbie to this bb and to forums generally have depression and anxiety and difficulty with emotion regulation not looking forward to xmas, estranged from family and just finished a 6 yr relationship i find it comforting to read and hopefully share with others who understand depression and anxiety