Support
Support

Depression

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

Start a conversation

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
Categories
Start a conversation

Pinned discussions

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

All discussions

Start a conversation

Perth86 I feel like im fighting a losing battle
  • replies: 1

This is the first time i have thought about the possibility of being depressed but now it has finally hit me. Having a beautiful 10 minth old son and being somehow still engaged by fiancee and i are at crossroads. Things are just so bad that i dont k... View more

This is the first time i have thought about the possibility of being depressed but now it has finally hit me. Having a beautiful 10 minth old son and being somehow still engaged by fiancee and i are at crossroads. Things are just so bad that i dont know if they are fixable. She cant stand the sight of me yet alone us even having any intimacy. She is still suffering from Post natal depression and its very difficult on us both but she does her thing in some secrecy and i just ponder whether we will be like before. Its eating me up inside that its affecting my health. I have no motivation to go to the gym anymore or even eat on time. Everything has become a chore and is just an everyday repetitive cycle. I wake up early go to work. Come home and shower, have dinner and let her watch her tv shows. I absolutely adore soending as much time with my son and just miss the feeling of love. I dkbt know how to motivate myself and go to the gym again. I forgotten what it is to be happy again. I miss all of it. Someone please help me save myself from this destruction im in the path of i just cant handle it anymore feeling like this wondering am i good enough or am i worth it at all. It really really hurts feeling this way.

Qualm At the Crossroads
  • replies: 6

It's my first post on here; decided to sign up since I've just tumbled into the pits. I don't know what I expect to accomplish by posting here. Just venting, I guess.I'm a 30-year-old male who's sick of going nowhere and decided to return to study in... View more

It's my first post on here; decided to sign up since I've just tumbled into the pits. I don't know what I expect to accomplish by posting here. Just venting, I guess.I'm a 30-year-old male who's sick of going nowhere and decided to return to study in an area that interested me and which might yield a more fulfilling day-to-day life (and possibly more than near-minimum wage). Just got my grades back - I've failed two of the four units in the first semester and I'm feeling angry... really angry about this. Recently, I felt that I was getting on top of my depression; I had finally found a drug that seemed to be doing the job, and I was feeling relatively positive about things. But now with this recent bad news, all the bad thoughts are forcing their way back in - the ones that tell you that you're worthless and stupid and will never amount to anything, so you might as well just kill yourself.On top of that, I'm living at home with my parents while all my friends are grown up, getting married, managing careers, buying houses, having kids, etc. etc. while I continue to be a perpetually single, underachieving, overgrown man-child. I'm not even working at the moment - not even part time. During this semester, I haven't come close to being able handle the workload and don't know how I could possibly fit employment into my schedule considering the amount of time it takes me to work through the assessment material; so instead, my savings from past employment continues to dwindle while I try to study. I feel even more worthless for this; I know many younger students can manage a balance between work and study and at my age and lack of other commitments, I should be able to as well.Anyway, I'll leave it at that for now, before I tell my life story. Hi everyone! 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:8.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:107%; 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-fareast-language:EN-US;}

Tittles Does anyone else feel fuzzy and on edge all the time?
  • replies: 2

i have been suffering these for at least 20 yrs and have been on medication since then they have helped but I am a worry wart and always thinking of the worst, I lost my mum/hubby within 6 mths and I suppose being on ur own doesn't help because u hav... View more

i have been suffering these for at least 20 yrs and have been on medication since then they have helped but I am a worry wart and always thinking of the worst, I lost my mum/hubby within 6 mths and I suppose being on ur own doesn't help because u have to think. And u have no one to say hey it's ok. Just wondering if anyone else has the feelings which I get,head a little fuzzy and being on edge all the time. Tittles

Mares73 Motivation-how to stop thinking & take action
  • replies: 5

The past few weeks I've felt deep depression & anxiety come crashing down on me. My biggest problem is I have a lot that needs doing & I spend hours worrying & thinking about these things, telling myself I'll do it in the next hour & then keep procra... View more

The past few weeks I've felt deep depression & anxiety come crashing down on me. My biggest problem is I have a lot that needs doing & I spend hours worrying & thinking about these things, telling myself I'll do it in the next hour & then keep procrastinating to the point I've achieved nothing. My circumstances are difficult-a partner with acute leukemia & 2 children who are acting out & not coping. I'm also involved in a civil case against the Church for abuse I suffered as a child. Yet despite those things I was very strong & coping with it all until 2 weeks ago. Yes I was running on adrenaline but at least I was on top of things in terms of being the main support for my family. Now I'm highly anxious & unable to get it together to do simple things. For example I've done all the washing the past few weeks yet there are 8 baskets in my room that need sorting & put away. It takes me at least an hour each morning to build up myself to even have a shower.im ashamed of this & spent most of my thoughts worrying about what I haven't been able to achieve. Does anyone have tips on how to deal with no motivation, too much worrying & no action?

strech69 3 nervous breakdowns and a nasty divorce - it gets better
  • replies: 2

HAVE had 3 nervous breakdowns went though a nasty devorce whilstgoing though thid my depression got worce went down the black hole several times nasty trip down that hole believe me its a trip where no one has to go or needs to go people just did not... View more

HAVE had 3 nervous breakdowns went though a nasty devorce whilstgoing though thid my depression got worce went down the black hole several times nasty trip down that hole believe me its a trip where no one has to go or needs to go people just did not understand what i was going though its a lonely trip down that hole i thought i was never going to get out but i did with 1hs special women that i met on line got to know her and ended up marrying her honerst truth if it was not for her i would not be here to day dont get me wrong i still have my good days and bad ones some days i feel like being left alone the way out of this it to talk to people they are there to help ,

Erkle Is it all in my head
  • replies: 2

Hi , new to this forum. I have been struggling with depression for close to 10 years and have a great wife and 2 teenage kids. Why i ask this, is it all in my head is I can go to bed feeling great and wake up feeling down. I usually don't sleep for m... View more

Hi , new to this forum. I have been struggling with depression for close to 10 years and have a great wife and 2 teenage kids. Why i ask this, is it all in my head is I can go to bed feeling great and wake up feeling down. I usually don't sleep for more than 2-3 hours a night but am not tired in the morning. I have been to a psychologist for a couple of 6 week sessions and I walk away from my treatment feeling great. But it only seems to last for 3-6 mths and then I start having the ups and downs again with the up times getting shorter and the downs getting longer. I have been to my GP and asked if going on meds could help with this but they told me that meds are not for me. The psychologist also didn't want to prescibe meds and said that i should try different types of stress management techniques.With my ups and downs I don't feel it is fair to put my family through this all the time. I know everyone is different but is it all in my head or is this not so uncommon.

Sebby First steps
  • replies: 3

I'm wanting, needing to talk to someone about help/treatment of what I assume is depression or some other form of mental illness. It's hounded me for years but really reared its head with the birth of my first daughter 9yrs ago and has never really l... View more

I'm wanting, needing to talk to someone about help/treatment of what I assume is depression or some other form of mental illness. It's hounded me for years but really reared its head with the birth of my first daughter 9yrs ago and has never really left.i mentioned suicidal thoughts with a maternal nurse when my second daughter was a newborn. I went through a very dark time. She walked me through a questionnaire and was worried about the results but she just handed me some pamphlets and sent me on my way. Never asking about it again.In the past two years I've had to slow down and now stop my once regular high intensity exercise due to some pretty major injuries and ever since I've had major ups and downs as the weight crept on and I lost my coping mechanism, exercise.i talked to a dr the other week but he was more concerned about my BMI (body mass index) than my mental health. Actually added increased BMI to my notes not the fact that I had also discussed how I was feeling mentally.these past experiences have left me with a major lack of trust with GPs and I'm struggling to make the first step to get help.im worried of wasting the practioners time and falling into a pile crying mess than I am in front of a professional. I'm worried of them judging me before they know my story. I'm worried about telling my story. I'm worried that I know I'm better off than so many yet still have these issues. I'm worried about being labeled as a sook, attention seeker and waste of time.i know I can no longer drag my beloved husband through another breakdown. I know my children deserve so much better and I need to get strong for them. But taking that first step again seems nearly impossible. I did the questionnaire on the beyond blue website and it puts me at high risk. That's about as far as I've gotten.who is best to seek professional help without a GP referral? i have no idea about all the different titles. Mental health nurse sounds like a good option, approachable maybe?what was everyone's first step? Did everyone go through their GP? Those that didn't who did you see first? 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;}

Mr_echo Life long depression
  • replies: 2

Where to start. I've known I have depression for all my adult life. It's now worse than ever. I also gamble to excess when very heavily stressed and depressed. Both go hand in hand. I don't drink. For some reason my vent is to say oh well, what does ... View more

Where to start. I've known I have depression for all my adult life. It's now worse than ever. I also gamble to excess when very heavily stressed and depressed. Both go hand in hand. I don't drink. For some reason my vent is to say oh well, what does it matter and after the event feel even worse. Can't believe I blew the money the next day. Why do I vent this way? Wife of 23 years is now saying we should split. I love her and my kids with my last breath. I do everything for them. I need to get positive but it seems too high a mountain to climb. I'm feeling physical symptoms as well. Always cold and can't warm up. Multiple issues I know. Marriage in trouble. Causes Worse depression and in turn I turn to my vent which is gambling. I hate it. I do not gamble when not in bad depressed state. My depression is all consuming at times and I just want it gone for good. I want normal life and above all I want the love of my family. I need their support but my wife does not understand the illness. I'm a good person. Worked hard and provided. How can I ask for their support when I don't believe in myself to beat this affliction? I also don't like my job but I do it everyday and feel I am wasting away with no one to care. I would love a job helping people like me as I've been through it all. Feel good about myself and at the same time helping others will be perfect medicine. But here I am. Depressed and almost broke. Money can be replaced and I want my mood to be replaced too. Advice is appreciated. I've had so many things happen to me in my life and I see so many negatives in the world that get the depression into overdrive. I want to be helped and then to help.

Elton Not sure any of this makes sense
  • replies: 4

A lot of people on here seem to echo the feelings I have a lot of the time. Are there really answers or do most of us just need to put up with it? I’m married to a wonderful woman. My job is well paid but insecure and unfulfilling, I spend most days ... View more

A lot of people on here seem to echo the feelings I have a lot of the time. Are there really answers or do most of us just need to put up with it? I’m married to a wonderful woman. My job is well paid but insecure and unfulfilling, I spend most days on my own. My wife is away at the moment and I haven’t spoken to a real person, face to face in 3 days. I usually exercise to help with how I’m feeling but I broke a rib recently so can’t do anything which is making things harder. I don’t taken medication, the only time I ever went to a Dr they told me there was nothing wrong with me. However when I tick the boxes on the test here it says I am scoring High. I guess the very fact I’m even looking at this site should tell me something. I just can’t see a way to climb out of this today. Everything feels like it’s a crisis when I know in my heart it really isn’t. Then I start to feel like an idiot for thinking this way because I really have no actual problems at all. I’ve tried to talk to my wife but she feels impotent because what can she do? Then she starts to feel like it’s her fault (which it isn’t) and then I feel ashamed that I’m dragging her down with me so I just smile and say I’m fine. Not sure what my point for writing all this is now, but here it is nonetheless.

Bubblemum I am enjoying this - a peek into my head as I spin and spin on giddy heights
  • replies: 1

A confession from my life living with depression. I am enjoying this. I am enjoying me. I am happy. I am larger than life. I am sparkling. My wit is razor sharp. My hilarity knows no bounds. I am open. I am affectionate. I am full of love. I am so fu... View more

A confession from my life living with depression. I am enjoying this. I am enjoying me. I am happy. I am larger than life. I am sparkling. My wit is razor sharp. My hilarity knows no bounds. I am open. I am affectionate. I am full of love. I am so full of joy that my skin is stretched tight. Perhaps you have noticed? I am super ME. The biggest brightest version there is of ME. I am a blazing star. I am shining so I bright you can barely look at me. I draw you to me. I love this version of me. Life does not get any better than this. The crushing reality is... life does NOT get any better than this. I'm as good as I get. I am on a high. I am peaking. I am also a yo-yo. I swing from high to low. For me this joy is tainted with sadness as I know it is fleeting. So heartbreakingly fleeting. The only thing that follows this joyful feeling is a downward rush. I know I will free fall. There is no safety net. I have no parachute. The wind will slap at me and tear the joy from my heart and wrench tears from my eyes. I will burn out. My constant companion will make himself heard. He will not stay silent much longer. He waits patiently to pounce. He will try for his pound of flesh. He will want to fill the emptiness with darkness. He is already rubbing his hands together. We will battle. We are familiar. We fight the same fight over and over and over again, slashing and hacking and punching and clawing and screaming until one of us collapses in exhaustion and defeat. Neither knows who will win. I win more than I lose. I am hardened. I have perfected my moves. I dodge and duck and weave. I keep my guard up. I clutch my shield. I surprise him with my resilience. I am no longer predictable. I refuse to be any easy mark. I will not surrender without a fight. I don't let him see me tremble. I try to be brave. But he sees me. He knows me. He is me. We have been each other forever. He twists my dreams. He laughs loud and long. I hate him. Maybe. Maybe I hate him. So for today, I am enjoying this - my freedom and my joy. I am enjoying being so high I am dizzy and spinning and giddy.

As an organisation that supports people from across Australia, Beyond Blue acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay respect to Elders past and present.

First Nations Peoples are advised that this website may include reference to and images of deceased persons.

Beyond Blue is committed to safe inclusive spaces, policies and services for people of LGBTIQ+ communities and their families.

Helpful information

Stay in touch

Sign up below for regular emails from Beyond Blue, filled with information, advice and support for you or your loved ones.

Stay in touch

Talk it through with us, we'll point you in the right direction.

Call 1300 224 636

24 hours / 7 days a week

Chat Online

24 hours / 7 days a week

Email us

Get a reply in 24 hours

Copyright © 2026 Beyond Blue Ltd

All rights reserved

Contact us Terms of use Privacy policy Site map