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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 chats on this Forum having 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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Hopefullseeking Low
  • replies: 10

Feeling extremely low today, thank goodness I am off to see my shrink this afternoon. Have been going along feeling not great but managing to get through the day. My resting rate as my shrink calls it. Yesterday I could feel myself going down and thi... View more

Feeling extremely low today, thank goodness I am off to see my shrink this afternoon. Have been going along feeling not great but managing to get through the day. My resting rate as my shrink calls it. Yesterday I could feel myself going down and this morning I woke up feeling really low. Yes I suffer from depression/anxiety/ptsd/gad but with the help of my shrink and a psychologist I am presently seeing on the mental health scheme, I get by. Today is a shocker, feel like a heavy weight is squashing me and I don't know why. Nothing unusual has happened that I can think of. Saw my mum last weekend and I feel she is a bit more frail but I was aware of that. Don't know what is going on, don't like it, was feeling a slight glimmer of hope that one day I would feel better but today that has gone. Life shouldn't feel so hopeless.

Findinganswers3761 How did you first admit you needed help?
  • replies: 6

Please note I have not been formally diagnosed with any mental Illness, this post is to determine whether I should seek professional help. In the past five weeks I have been experiencing some out of character behaviours that I believe may be the star... View more

Please note I have not been formally diagnosed with any mental Illness, this post is to determine whether I should seek professional help. In the past five weeks I have been experiencing some out of character behaviours that I believe may be the start of a mild depression. These are as follows: Completely random feelings of sadness that often lead me to cry, sometimes up to six times a day with no apprant reason. Insomnia, previously I would sleep like a log, now I spend sometimes up to three hours a night trying to get to sleep, which has been ongoing for the entire five weeks. I'm finding myself having these little 'episodes' where I break down and cry at almost anytime e.g. driving in the car,often I can feel a little worthless or hopeless and while I have had some of these little breakdowns in front of my boyfriend I find that they mostly affect me when I am alone and that I have more intense one's when I am by myself. I've never once thought about self harm, or suicide and I have always considered myself quite a strong person mentally. I just seem to be having these little epsiodes of intense crying and sadness that I really cannot explain, and of course the Insonmia Is starting to really affect me. Do you think my concerns are valid? Did you ever experience anything like this? And what did you do?

Tinuviel14 Dealing with the really dark moods.
  • replies: 7

I have been fighting depression for a while now but lately I have been getting what I refer to as the really dark moods. They are something beyond the sadness or numbness that I usually get. I just feel like curling into a ball and crying at first an... View more

I have been fighting depression for a while now but lately I have been getting what I refer to as the really dark moods. They are something beyond the sadness or numbness that I usually get. I just feel like curling into a ball and crying at first and then I get irrationally angry. I feel like falling to my knees, holding my hands over my ears and screaming for the world to just shut up. I don't know what or who I want to shut up, that's just what I feel like screaming. They really scare me. They seem to happen randomly and can be triggered by the most insignificant reason. For example, today one of my really dark moods got triggered by getting frustrated by traffic. They always happen in the late afternoon or at night. Has anyone else felt like this? How do you deal with them? I really struggle with them and can be stuck in one of these moods for many hours at a time. They only seem to go away with sleep but it always leaves me feeling extremely drained afterwards.

Just_Lost All the help I can get
  • replies: 17

Been low for a long time I think.Bought up 7 children who are my rocks.Hubby is Fifo worker 10 years ongoing.Have always held it together somehow but now I'm crumbling.i feel so lost and confused about everything these days.cannot sleep, cannot eat.C... View more

Been low for a long time I think.Bought up 7 children who are my rocks.Hubby is Fifo worker 10 years ongoing.Have always held it together somehow but now I'm crumbling.i feel so lost and confused about everything these days.cannot sleep, cannot eat.Concentrating on anything is very difficult.I cry a lot.Go for days without even speaking sometimes when I'm home alone,which is a lot .i have never felt so helpless to help myself.my husband does not understand at all why I'm always blue.he is a very social person. My stomach churns constantly and I feel nervous most of the time. Some days I feel like I've no reason to be here really, though I know I do.My only constant is my daily work. routinely day in day out just do don't have to think because thinking is just to hard right now because it's all such a mess.im about to see a Doctor this Friday prompted by a friend.Im hoping it's a start on the right track because this black hole is consuming my every waking minute leaving me exhausted, vague and detached .I feel at this point that there is no hope really ....so please please assure me I can overcome this demon and beat it and begin to live again....please. 800x600 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 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";}

Santana Struggling to remember the good stuff
  • replies: 10

Hi, I've suffered from both generalised anxiety and depression for a number of years. At present I feel I'm slipping into depression again, feeling disconnected and sad. One of my on going challenges is to remember the good stuff. When I think back i... View more

Hi, I've suffered from both generalised anxiety and depression for a number of years. At present I feel I'm slipping into depression again, feeling disconnected and sad. One of my on going challenges is to remember the good stuff. When I think back in time, it's the negative experiences that I remember most, and I find myself beating myself up over stuff that happened long ago. Anyone else out there experiencing something similar? What do you find helpful? I've read about mindfulness but I find it quite difficult to put into practice.

lolamoonrock I don't feel like a real person
  • replies: 4

I don't know what's wrong with me. A couple of years , even when I was in an abusive relationship, I was still interested in lots of things and being involved with activities and people. But now I feel like an empty husk. The only things I feel I can... View more

I don't know what's wrong with me. A couple of years , even when I was in an abusive relationship, I was still interested in lots of things and being involved with activities and people. But now I feel like an empty husk. The only things I feel I can manage to do is blog on tumblr; even on there I find it difficult to be involved with people and interests. I have a lovely new partner, but I feel like I don't bring anything to the table, that I'm there like a doll. I have no urge to do anything productive, I have no skills, I can't commit to interests anymore. I feel like I exist as some kind of doll, I'm not actually living a life. I despise my past, especially because I feel that my ex ruined me psychologically, I don't like the person I am now and I have no motivation to become better, and the future I want seems like a big joke because I won't achieve it. I just want to slip into sleep and not wake up.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.

MegW Trust
  • replies: 3

For years I have had depression, I am better now then in the last twenty years having taken control over some aspects of my life such as work and how I live. For years I worked hard and gave much and only others benefited. I am 45 now, I have little,... View more

For years I have had depression, I am better now then in the last twenty years having taken control over some aspects of my life such as work and how I live. For years I worked hard and gave much and only others benefited. I am 45 now, I have little, I left my marriage with nothing and was in an accident that left me in debt, I have no savings but if I keep going I will be able to clear my debts by the end of next year and be able to save to have my own home. I worry that it's too late in life for me to be able to save and pay off a home and I'll always have to just rent someone elses but I can only try, atleast either way I can afford my lifestyle, to keep a roof over my head and take care of my pets. I went on a few dates after my marriage but the last ended after three months when he asked if I would support him so that he didn't have to go to work anymore. After that I dismissed the idea of subjecting myself to any form of relationship, I have been on my own for two years, I have no family and my only human interaction is with work colleagues, I spend weekends alone with my pets for company and feel happy with this, I only occasionally think it may be nice to have someone to converse with or do activities with or hug. I tried to join a bike club but found I actually prefer cycling alone, I joined the dog club and having a common interest through the dogs helps interacting with the people. I feel safer, more comfortable and less stressed living alone then I ever did living with someone else. I don't feel judged, put down or hurt, I only occasionally feel lonely, bored or afraid. I feel good about myself when I achieve things and in my ability to manage my own affairs without a need to rely on anyone else. Sometimes I try to imagine in another relationship or even just giving one a go but I dismiss the idea because I can't trust my ability to judge a good person from a bad one and am too afraid. I think some people in life become so broken that they lose the ability to try again, people may say that I am cutting myself off from things that may turn out to be wonderful but I am also protecting myself from any further loss and pain. I have an inability to try to trust any longer. I have a tattoo which reads Trust No1 which can be read to mean either Trust Noone or Trust Number One and I do trust noone not even myself as I have made too many errors of judgement in the past. Is it wrong to not trust ever again, why does it matter if I don't?

Conch Why now?
  • replies: 4

I'm sitting on the couch at midnight, sobbing. Why does this hit with no warning? My daughter is home from boarding school, my family are all well, safe. There is no reason to feel this way. It is so frustrating! This year I have had to resign from w... View more

I'm sitting on the couch at midnight, sobbing. Why does this hit with no warning? My daughter is home from boarding school, my family are all well, safe. There is no reason to feel this way. It is so frustrating! This year I have had to resign from work due to anxiety and depression. For several weeks now it has felt like a huge weight has been lifted, and I was actually happy. Then tonight it feels like I am suffocating and I don't know why. I have read a lot of others' thoughts, things to try, but I just can't bring myself to do anything. I also feel ridiculous writing this, looking for what? I'm not sure, just a need to know that it affects others in the same way I suppose, that I'm not going crazy. I'm sitting here hoping my husband doesn't wake up because he won't know what to do or say, how to make it better, and then he will feel bad too. 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.

alivalentine Struggling to talk to family & friends about mental health issues
  • replies: 4

About 4 months ago, I was let go from my job and my mental health began to spiral. I sat through a mental health assessment with my GP and was told I scored extremely high with depression and anxiety. I suspect that I have had depression on varying s... View more

About 4 months ago, I was let go from my job and my mental health began to spiral. I sat through a mental health assessment with my GP and was told I scored extremely high with depression and anxiety. I suspect that I have had depression on varying scales since I was a teenager but have always struggled to open myself up to others for fear of humiliation or judgement so I always swept it under the rug. Since losing my job, I have been having increasingly negative thought patterns, mostly feelings of extreme guilt that I am letting others in my life down because of how I am acting and feeling or worse, I will make assumptions of what those people may be thinking about me and those assumptions turn to fact in my head. This in turn has made me feel the need to withdraw from my family and friends. I have been struggling to find a counsellor who I am comfortable talking to, but also who operates outside normal business hours (as to not conflict with my new job), and is bulk billed as my husband and I are experiencing hardship. I had an extremely bad day a few weeks ago where I just felt that there was no hope of receiving any kind of help, and unfortunately had a family get together later that night where I reacted irrationally to a comment someone made which left me in an anxiety attack and unable to stop myself crying for hours. My husband took me home and I told my mum and brother that I would open up to them about it when I was ready. I still don't feel as though I am ready to talk to them, but if I have learnt anything from other people's experiences, it is that having a support network is one of the best things you can do. My issue is that I don't know how to begin talking, or what sort of reaction I will get. I have this overwhelming fear that if people know the thoughts that I am having, they won't want to know me and I'm not sure how to push past it. Any advice would be amazing.

Steven1 Worried how I am going to cope when my wife gives birth to child number 2 in a few weeks...
  • replies: 15

Hi everyone. I am relatively new to the forums. Have found it helpful so far (thanks all for your support to those that have written to me). Just need to vent really about my situation at the moment as I am worrying a lot.. I am a 30 year old married... View more

Hi everyone. I am relatively new to the forums. Have found it helpful so far (thanks all for your support to those that have written to me). Just need to vent really about my situation at the moment as I am worrying a lot.. I am a 30 year old married guy with a young son (he will be 3 in May) and my wife is 35 weeks pregnant and will be having our second child in the next few weeks. She is most likely going to have to have a Caesar too so will be needing even more support from me. I work full time doing shift work at all weird and wonderful hours but will get a few weeks off when the baby comes. I have only been on antidepressants about 6 months but have probably been depressed for a few years. Was in denial for a long time. My wife reckons I haven't been the same man since our son was born in 2012 and I tend to agree. As much as I adore and love my son to bits, I have struggled with fatherhood and the way it has changed my life (and our relationship) forever. I feel like I have no time at all for me anymore and am really worried this will get even worse when the baby comes. I am excited about the birth but also really scared! Saw my doctor recently and she thinks I should stay on the tablets for now and thinks I am going to need them for a while. Have recently been trying to increase the amount of physical activity I am doing with some success but can't see it lasting once baby arrives. There just isn't going to be anytime.. I am sure anyone with young kids or kids in general can relate?? Or am I wrong? Finding it very difficult to relax and wind down after work. I come home and it is straight into playing cars, toilet training, cleaning up endless mess and trying to maintain a house, garden and pay bills etc. I know I sound like a real whinger and this is just everyday life, but how am I going to cope with a new born baby on top of all of this too? And try and manage my moods and find time for me. It is going to be a real struggle. Feel sick just thinking about it to be honest.