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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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MegJane89 Should i really be depressed?
  • replies: 2

Hello.Im 25yrs old and seemed to have my life together about a year ago. However things crumbled slowly. My mum took a bad turn and attempted suicide. She has been suffering from depression and anxiety for years and lately its been at its worse. Some... View more

Hello.Im 25yrs old and seemed to have my life together about a year ago. However things crumbled slowly. My mum took a bad turn and attempted suicide. She has been suffering from depression and anxiety for years and lately its been at its worse. Sometimes She wont leave the house and lays around being depressed. It affects because i have to live with it. Last year i left my job of five years and since then i still havnt found a suitable job or even know what i want to do. I feel like i am now becoming depressed because i cant find a job. I keep putting guilt on myself for not having a new job. Should i really be like this? beyondblue's clinically-trained moderators often work offline (invisible to you) on issues relating to suicide or self-harm. At the same time, general supportive comments from the community are encouraged. If you have concerns around suicide or self-harm, please phone our support service on 1300 22 4636. Normal 0 false false false EN-AU X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}

Lookingforpeace Regret and winter blues
  • replies: 6

Hi all Finding myself feeling really low today. It's been cold and wet today and getting dark earlier and I just seem to get depressed as a result. Then when I'm in this "funk" I start to obsess over things I've done in the past and things that have ... View more

Hi all Finding myself feeling really low today. It's been cold and wet today and getting dark earlier and I just seem to get depressed as a result. Then when I'm in this "funk" I start to obsess over things I've done in the past and things that have happened and feel intense guilt and regret. I'm also not very well physically and struggling to see a light at the end of the tunnel or imagine a day when I'll feel better. Anyone else experience the same feelings, particularly in winter? What do you do to cope?

roogirl Big Black Hole
  • replies: 24

Hi there, I'm new to the forums. I have been battling depression for the past few months after a health scare. Now I'm finding that a lot of issues from my past have cropped up and I'm having to deal with my grief from a broken marriage 10 years ago.... View more

Hi there, I'm new to the forums. I have been battling depression for the past few months after a health scare. Now I'm finding that a lot of issues from my past have cropped up and I'm having to deal with my grief from a broken marriage 10 years ago. This is really hard for my as I've lived alone quite successfully for the past 10 years. I am getting professional help etc, but some days it's really hard going. I have a good family and good friends who support me, but at times I feel totally alone in this. My greatest thing is battling my stomach depression which wakes me up in the morning, it's like a gigantic knot in my stomach. I do breathing exercises and try to relax, but the only real way of releasing the knot is to cry, and then that can last for quite a while. Now to top it off, I,m having songs and music stuck in my head. Am I going crazy????? Any suggestions would be great. I'm 65 years old and didn't think I'd have to walk this road again.

lookingforme Not doing so well...
  • replies: 3

I've been...feeling quite low these past couple of weeks. Upon the suggestion of my psych I've tried to isolate what I feel and what I've come up with is what I'm writing here. Problem is that often I can't understand why I feel this way. Anyway... I... View more

I've been...feeling quite low these past couple of weeks. Upon the suggestion of my psych I've tried to isolate what I feel and what I've come up with is what I'm writing here. Problem is that often I can't understand why I feel this way. Anyway... I realised that I feel like I'm being phased out of my own life; that I'm becoming irrelevant. Between not feeling comfortable at all around my family and feeling like a low priority to my friends, I feel like with everything that I've built up for myself in this life can get along without me now. And life seems to just be erasing me. And on some level, I think I'm letting it. i had to get that thought out across to someone.

Jess19925 Have I or haven't I?
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone, I'm looking for some clarification or explanation for my behaviour/feelings. I'm not sure whether I would be classified depressed and/or anxious. I am a uni student in my last year of study currently on placement. (Perhaps ironically) My... View more

Hi everyone, I'm looking for some clarification or explanation for my behaviour/feelings. I'm not sure whether I would be classified depressed and/or anxious. I am a uni student in my last year of study currently on placement. (Perhaps ironically) My degree is in welfare and I am really interested in exploring mental health and disability avenues for employment. My mother had depression when I was around 10 and recovered, although not without the help of antidepressants which she used for several years. My situation involves me being very stressed because of a lack of time, motivation and energy. Placement is very fast-paced, and very challenging. I am doing a job that I can sometimes feel overwhelmed by for a number of reasons. 1, the work is challenging and I am still learning. 2, all the things I do have fast deadlines, which can be stressful, especially because those deadlines are my supervisor's deadlines, not mine. That gives me a feeling of guilt when I am not working as fast as I need to be. 3, the job requires me to wake up early (5:15am, 2 days a week) and coupled with my paid job (bartending day and night shifts, 3-4 times per week) I can be very tired. This combination of factors can lead me to be anxious some mornings, with one instance leading me to call in sick one day to placement. I have also got feelings of being flat, miserable, irritable, sad, exhaustion and episodes of crying without any provocation. I have had instances where I would tear up randomly and I would have to fight off a fit of crying. I have had instances where I've just thought everything is just too hard. Please let me stress that I don't mean this in regard to life itself. I do not have suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming myself or others. I have called in sick to my paid work more than once because I just couldn't see myself turning up to work and forcing myself to smile for the patrons and other staff. I have told my partner about these feelings as we live together and I know it's not healthy to try to keep feelings like this to myself. However, I don't think he completely understands the gravity of what I'm saying, or maybe he doesn't know what to do. The bottom line is I haven't seen a professional yet as I'm not sure if I would be classed as anxious and/or depressed and I'm not too keen to speak to a stranger about something so personal. Also, I don't want to speak to my family as I don't want them to worry (yet), especially given the family history.

Shazzydazzy stuck with it
  • replies: 5

hey. So I post here now and again and read people's stories. I have a wife and I don't like sharing things. Like depression and bad stuff that used to happen to me. So I talk to people online about it and it makes me feel better. The problem is she's... View more

hey. So I post here now and again and read people's stories. I have a wife and I don't like sharing things. Like depression and bad stuff that used to happen to me. So I talk to people online about it and it makes me feel better. The problem is she's insecure. So when I talk to people about it I do it discretely. I don't want to bring it up with her and I don't want her to know about my old life. I tell people I can't remember anything from before I was 16. Anyhow she caught me taking to someone and immediately went ballistic. She doesn't like me talking to people online. up till 2 am getting blasted Because I won't share anything with her or take about it. The thing is I don't want to talk about it. I just want anon people to listen and not judge so I can keep living normally. I don't want anything in my past to get dragged up ever. And I don't want to share. I guess I'm just venting but how do you convey to someone there's a part of you they will never know and you'll never share it with them. Without them feeling rejected. Especially when shes your wife. How do you explain to them how depressed you get and it's natural. They've had a perfect life. No medical issues. No abuse. No trauma. Like someone with PTSD I get angry at her when she wants to talk and I really don't want to. How would a soldier talking about what he did in the war and the things he's seen and had done to him help... it wouldn't. I just don't know what to do. I feel like I want to be normal but I'm being forced. It doesn't help that she's insecure and thinks I cheat on her even though I tell her I don't I just talk to people. And I don't want to tell her about how I talk to people and talk on forums because I don't want her reading the things I type mainly to protect her from myself Because I'm afraid she might leave me if she found out. I feel so ashamed I can't just be normal.

Broken_stooge How I knew it was time to get serious about help.
  • replies: 2

Today after another day of being in the pit I decided to try and cheer myself up with a lollie at home. As I ate it, the wrapper asked: "What's your favourite thing about a person in this room?" As I sat there in a room on my own, I could think of no... View more

Today after another day of being in the pit I decided to try and cheer myself up with a lollie at home. As I ate it, the wrapper asked: "What's your favourite thing about a person in this room?" As I sat there in a room on my own, I could think of nothing I liked, let alone my favourite thing. Today I realised I need to get serious about help.

Daisycqt The physical struggle each day
  • replies: 4

Does anyone else struggle physically each day? I feel like to just get up and move, putting one foot in front of the other, even drawing breath a real struggle. I've worked one way or another since I was 6 years old, but now if I had to "go to work" ... View more

Does anyone else struggle physically each day? I feel like to just get up and move, putting one foot in front of the other, even drawing breath a real struggle. I've worked one way or another since I was 6 years old, but now if I had to "go to work" I doubt I coukd even make it to the car without collapsing. Every little thing, even taking a shower, seems to take so much energy I just can't do it. Does anyone else have this?

Daisycqt Why are you not smiling-you used to be so funny
  • replies: 3

Ever since I was a child I was told " you eldest sister had the brains, your next sister is beautiful, but never mind you're the funny one". A tag which has annoyed me all my life as I'm not a blasted clown. Since my depressions got worse and I've sl... View more

Ever since I was a child I was told " you eldest sister had the brains, your next sister is beautiful, but never mind you're the funny one". A tag which has annoyed me all my life as I'm not a blasted clown. Since my depressions got worse and I've slowed down physically and mentally, I'm getting reminded of this even more, especially when I cant be all bright and happy. Even right now, after telling family I am fine, not cross, I've just been told "I don't care what you say, something's making you cross right now because you are not all happy and smiling" which means either I've got to pretend to be happy or I'll end up in a fight in about 3 hours or so. I can't handle a fight so I'll slap on a smile and then everyone else will feel ok while I'm crying inside. Why can't I just be how I feel? Why are their feelings more important than mine?

Charteuse Scared of hospital
  • replies: 4

I have been on and off many different anti depressants for nearly 20 years . First diagnosed as post natal after my mum died in awful circumstances during the pregnancy of my first child. I have always thought of myself as resilient and determined de... View more

I have been on and off many different anti depressants for nearly 20 years . First diagnosed as post natal after my mum died in awful circumstances during the pregnancy of my first child. I have always thought of myself as resilient and determined despite a very difficult child hood and have succeed career wise . I have a great husband and wonderful healthy kids. I don't like relying on meds because of hang up over my mum's addictive behaviors ( which killed her) but every few years it seems to come back. A horrible depressive episode. It seems I can be that adventurous, positive , spontaneous Mum. Wife and colleague. I can take on projects and succeed at high levels in the workplace with loads of energy and then I can be back here, a horrible person, irritable, angry, full of self loathing and despair after my despicable outbursts. I just ride the the ups and downs and apologies a lot to my family when I know I have been unreasonable. (God knows how I control it in the workplace but I seem better at controlling outbursts there)This time it has got so bad my husband said he has had enough, he has since said he doesn't mean it ,but I don't blame him. tI haven't been able to go to work or do anything for a week. Tomorrow I am likely to be admitted to hospital. I told them I want to go because I can't cope anymore and I don't want to do this to my family. I don't want my kids seeing me like this. I am hoping someone is going to tell me that going to hospital is a good decision. I will do all the therapy courses an someone will assess me and give the right medication and I will come out and it will be all good again. A few people,have told me it could be really traumatic and I should try to heal myself at home.