Immediate support
Immediate support

Depression

Depression affects people in Australia every day. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with depression.

Start a discussion

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Jump to
Start a discussion

Pinned discussions

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

All discussions

Start a discussion

GabJH Depression came back and I'm lost
  • replies: 8

Hi, I'm a young academic who is trying to fight depression on my own. I've fought this before in high school and never thought it would come back for another tournament. I know the signs and they scare me. I'm too ashamed to tell my fiance. My work i... View more

Hi, I'm a young academic who is trying to fight depression on my own. I've fought this before in high school and never thought it would come back for another tournament. I know the signs and they scare me. I'm too ashamed to tell my fiance. My work is slowly crushing me and I am continually thinking that I've made my parter sad or mad when I haven't and he isn't. I go from super excited to downright miserable all in a day. It's a cycle I don't know how to get out from. I don't have many friends where I live and none I can really talk to. I hope by posting here there might be someone who's in the same situation as me or has been and could give me some insight into how to Start climbing back out of the ring.

OhmeOhmy Finding My Way Back From Isolation
  • replies: 5

Hi Everyone, This is my first post and I am doing this as a way of helping myself out of this depressive state of being. I am so very tired and feel like I just want to stay in my bedroom and sleep however I am a sole parent to 3 wonderful children (... View more

Hi Everyone, This is my first post and I am doing this as a way of helping myself out of this depressive state of being. I am so very tired and feel like I just want to stay in my bedroom and sleep however I am a sole parent to 3 wonderful children (22months, 11yrs and 16yrs) and I must function not only to meet my responsibilities but because I love my children and want to be the best that I can be for them and myself. I have isolated myself socially for a very long time. I realise I need to makes steps to remedy this and recently started going to AA meetings however I find them overwhelming on every level. I have been sober for 1 month and 17 days and I am grateful AA and intend to keep going however I haven't been for 3 weeks now and am trying to work up the courage to go back. I have always used alcohol and pot to deal with depression since I was a teenager and it has only ever made things worse so I am determined to walk down a new path from now on. I thought that by talking to people online it may be a start to finding my way back from the isolation I have dealt myself over the years and might lead me to build up the courage to reach out to people in the real world. I'm not going to hide who I am anymore, I have to be honest with myself and others so I can move forward. Does anyone have any advice about how to form new connections with people after actively avoiding connections for so long?

nataya all this help but getting nowhere
  • replies: 3

I have a great team of help who look after me. I have a case manager and a peer support worker, I am currently waiting for a new psychologist but that may come when the dbt group starts I am not sure on that one. I still feel iI am getting nowhere ev... View more

I have a great team of help who look after me. I have a case manager and a peer support worker, I am currently waiting for a new psychologist but that may come when the dbt group starts I am not sure on that one. I still feel iI am getting nowhere even with all this support I am also on medication. I feel all I have learnt is what I can and can not say due to there requirements. I feel I can not be honest about my latest plan, but yet I am still trying to get all this help. I am loosing hope and fast I want to see that this is worth all my time and energy I put in but it feels like it's all been worth nothing I just need some hope but I have lost all mine....... 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.

Ashmad Many years of depression, but it does not rule me
  • replies: 4

I have suffered depression for many years (8yrs). I have been to the lowest point you can go and have come back from it. I view my illness now as the equivalent of diabetes there is no cure, but I have learned to live and manage it. It does not rule ... View more

I have suffered depression for many years (8yrs). I have been to the lowest point you can go and have come back from it. I view my illness now as the equivalent of diabetes there is no cure, but I have learned to live and manage it. It does not rule me I rule it. The thoughts are just that. It had taken me many year and countless hours of treatment and a few hospital admission to come to this conclusion, finally I have. There is hope and light at the end of the tunnel. I hope someone reads this that has no hope, but believe me there is. I tried to harm myself thank god I did not take. I am now working On myself every day and believe there is a better world out there. My goal in life now is to help people in need and to explains experience. Life is worth living and enjoying

redbrigade Breakdowns - what are the warning signs & what are the symptoms?
  • replies: 7

Dear all, I've recently been having experiences which are (not ironically) increasing my anxiety that I might be approaching a breakdown. A week or so ago I had my mental healthcare plan renewed at my GP. We didn't really discuss much that might have... View more

Dear all, I've recently been having experiences which are (not ironically) increasing my anxiety that I might be approaching a breakdown. A week or so ago I had my mental healthcare plan renewed at my GP. We didn't really discuss much that might have been obvious triggers, but afterwards, when I got into my car I just started crying and struggled to stop. I've been googling for information but can't really find any that isn't vague. Perhaps that's just the way this sort of thing goes, but I'm really trying to understand what the warning signs of a breakdown are, and what the symptoms are, because knowing - I guess - is half the battle. Cheers

nurse-36 overwhelmed by life
  • replies: 4

800x600 Hi, this is my first post here. It is 3 am, & I can't sleep.Life is pretty darn hard at the moment.I am on the recovery side of extreme workplace bullying. An entire team of managers at work were bullied to breaking point. Following a period ... View more

800x600 Hi, this is my first post here. It is 3 am, & I can't sleep.Life is pretty darn hard at the moment.I am on the recovery side of extreme workplace bullying. An entire team of managers at work were bullied to breaking point. Following a period of investigation that lasted 5 months, the CEO (bully) was given the opportunity to resign- which she did. She left a parting shot email telling me I cry too much, & people don't respect me as a nurse.Through this process I have developed depression and anxiety. I have severe insommnia. I fall asleep ok, but as soon as i wake up i have work shit and rambling thoughts going on. I have gained 15 kg in a year, & lived on 2 minute noodles and popcorn. I thought once the bully was gone things would improve - & they have, but not to the extent I had hoped.Each time I experience a stressor, I have these horrific visualisations. They can be relatively minor stresses that trigger these thoughts, and can happen anywhere - work, supermarket, while I'm on a walk. This started during the bullying process, but hasn't gone away.I live in a very isolated rural town. Bully lives here still- she moved house and now lives around the corner from me. She drives a very distinctive car, if i see it on the street, i feel very overwhelmed. Recently i was in New Zealand & saw the same make and model car. I freaked out, & had to do some serious self talk to calm down.There is not much opportunity for good mental health support here.My partner says she understands, but when she asks how I'm feeling, & I am honest with her she tells me to stop talking - I know this is because it upsets her.I can't seem to make decisions, relationship is suffering greatly, sex is non existent, everything is just too hard. Sometimes I sit in my car and wonder if I would have the courage to just drive & keep going. I don't know where I would go, or how I would survive, & that unknown is probably the only thing that keeps me from going.I got back to work yesterday after holidays, & the first conversation I had with the acting CEO essentially centred around how much better things had been while I was away. I am being performance managed now because of that. I am at a total loss on what to do to keep going.I have a friend who tells me I need to sit in this pain and reflect on it to understand. The thought of doing that makes me physically sick - I don't think I can bear the rawness of it Normal 0 false false false EN-AU X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* 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:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";} 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.

Emily2015 Finding a partner when you have depression?
  • replies: 5

I am 23 yrs old, so have a life ahead of me and wonder if any of you ladies have found a partner who genuinely cares for you and accepts your depression as something that is not your fault and that you need occasional empathy and special care for? Wh... View more

I am 23 yrs old, so have a life ahead of me and wonder if any of you ladies have found a partner who genuinely cares for you and accepts your depression as something that is not your fault and that you need occasional empathy and special care for? While I have been very reluctant to define depression as 'a part of who I am' during the nearly 1 yr in which I've been seeing a psychologist on a weekly basis, a recent panic attack and sadness about memories from my childhood when I thought I was truly 'over depression' and moving forward with my life has made me think that maybe depression will be a theme in the rest of my life.I was previously in a 3 yr relationship with a man who I thought loved me but turned out to have lied to me since the beginning and called me 'crazy' for exhibiting behavior that he thought was strange when I was going through a lot of sadness about remembering painful memories and wonder if any man will accept me and the sadness I have about my past.

Stinson I feel like a book that's missing chapters
  • replies: 3

I don't know where to start, I don't know if I even suffer from depression or am just a little lost in life.I'm Stinson, I'm a 23 year old Caucasian male. I haven't had the best luck with employment, everytime I get a break get a job, it falls apart ... View more

I don't know where to start, I don't know if I even suffer from depression or am just a little lost in life.I'm Stinson, I'm a 23 year old Caucasian male. I haven't had the best luck with employment, everytime I get a break get a job, it falls apart as soon as I get ahead, and I end up back to square one. It's like I can't move forward. I've been going through this for 4 years, and it's stressful.my relationship history is the only thing more sketchy than my working history, I've had 2 long term relationships, 1 mid term passionate, romantic relationship and then the spark of a pre relationship recently. All of which were unsuccessful and just end in me being hurt more than they are. so I'm sort of in a point in life where I don't know what to do, I think it would be easier to not wake up most mornings, and I think about dieing more often than not. I'm not capable of suicide, I couldn't do it, it scares me too much, but I do think it would be easier if I just stopped waking up one morning. so this is where I'm at, I don't know what's wrong with me, I just thought I'd reach out, because I'm at a point that I need someone but have no one. 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;}

Rossmonkey Self harm and Depression
  • replies: 3

Ok So I cant mention self harm but would like to say it does go hand in hand with certain forms of depression. This can mean putting yourself in dangerous situations, physically hurting yourself, abusing drugs, becoming reclusive, associating with th... View more

Ok So I cant mention self harm but would like to say it does go hand in hand with certain forms of depression. This can mean putting yourself in dangerous situations, physically hurting yourself, abusing drugs, becoming reclusive, associating with the 'Wrong type' of people. I have done them all but would like to hear from anyone who has had success in suppressing these urges. Strategies, own stories, Anything even a good recipe for scones. The only tricks I have learned so far are laughing at 'It' or compartmentalising it....

Molly604 Hope?
  • replies: 3

I would be very interested in hearing from people on this. What gives you hope? What makes you hopeful? I have been in such a dark place for so long I just don't know if it will end.

I would be very interested in hearing from people on this. What gives you hope? What makes you hopeful? I have been in such a dark place for so long I just don't know if it will end.