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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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Bayliner I broke today
  • replies: 2

Hi, new to this sort of thing, feeling like I have pretty much run out of options, I'm a new dad to a beautiful 6 month old IVF bub, my wife has suffered depression for around 7 years and is suffering PND very badly ATM, wife went through cancer, los... View more

Hi, new to this sort of thing, feeling like I have pretty much run out of options, I'm a new dad to a beautiful 6 month old IVF bub, my wife has suffered depression for around 7 years and is suffering PND very badly ATM, wife went through cancer, loss of her dad, brother in jail, we relocated to central Qld 12 months ago at the request of my company, they unfairly dismissed me and I was out of work 6 months ago, i took them to court and won the case. Working again now but it's tough going. My wife hates it up here. Today I broke, my wife is aware of her depression but struggles to see anyone, after many years of encouraging her to go to a doc, holding her hand and trying to be supportive I broke down and cried for about an hour, not a real manly thing to do, still crying as I write this as I have never really thought back and spoken about this before. Feeling very helpless that I can't fix the problems for my wife, that I don't make as much money as I used to and I have to sell everything off to survive, that I feel to blame for moving my wife up here and all she wants to do is go back to vic, we can't afford to move back, I have trouble sometimes settling the baby, wife says I'm never around but all I do is work and come home, I don't know anyone up here so there isn't much for me to do. Feeling very helpless and that I have lost me... So sad that I can't fix our problems anymore and life has become so hard and complicated. I just want my wife and baby happy more than anything. I feel a bit silly writing this stuff down, normally I'm in control of my life and have direction now it feels like it's put of control and I'm heading into a dark place. The pressure is way too high, we have another baby on the way, due in May next year, not sure if my wife can cope with the additional pressures, me working to put food on the table and a roof over our head, stressed out to the max and I can't keep up, how do I get help for my wife?? How do I fix it?? How can I provide a better life for mum and bubs?? I try to always do my best, what happens when I'm not good enough and I fail?? I just want things back to normal well as normal, want my wife happy and running out of options

DrewBot TRAPPED in a stressful situation with NO easy answers
  • replies: 2

Hi,I just joined this site with hopes that I can connect to others dealing with depression like I am. I have a history of depression and a few years ago, I attempted suicide. I was glad for quite a while that I was unsuccessful, but I find myself lat... View more

Hi,I just joined this site with hopes that I can connect to others dealing with depression like I am. I have a history of depression and a few years ago, I attempted suicide. I was glad for quite a while that I was unsuccessful, but I find myself lately wishing that I would have died then. This post kind of jumps all over the place. I apologize. Its the best I can do right now. Just to give a little back story, I am a transgender guy. I have been transitioned for a few years now and that helped immensely with my feelings of depression/suicide. I am still happy regarding my transition. However, shortly after my transition, my family began to get sick. My dad has had several strokes and is now disabled. My mom has battled cancer 3 times and tries to take care of my dad. I will always be willing to care for them should the need arise. However, my brother has thrown a monkey wrench in everything!! He is a nice guy, but I remember numerous times hearing him curse people and wish death on them. For years, my wife and I told him that he needed to see a doctor because we were pretty sure he was diabetic and or had kidney/heart problems. He chose to ignore our concerns and not go see a doctor for the discoloration and swelling in his legs. He also continued to have a diet consisting mostly of fast food. He ended up having such bad kidney disease that he is now on dialysis.He has also lost most of his eyesight and has had toes amputated.He has a long history of not paying his rent and I have no idea how he even still has his apartment! Even when he was working, he didn't pay all of his rent and has come to expect his landlord to just accept however much rent he has to pay her.He also lost countless jobs by acting like an ass at work, which has no doubt allowed him to blame others for his actions.Fast forward to early this year. He began having worsening issues with his eyesight and has since lost all sight in his left eye and most in his right. He expects us to come over to his apartment whenever he needs something and then complains the whole time about how lonely he is and how he has no one. He has also told several people that my wife hates him even though she has never done anything to him. She just chooses to not get involved with his drama.I believe I should have a right to enjoy my life and not be responsible for him. I feel trapped though. I just don' t know what to do. Wish I would have died when I tried before to end my life.........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.

JustTiffanyxo Sometimes
  • replies: 5

Sometimes I just don't feel good enough. Sometimes I just want to cry. Sometimes I want to scream. Sometimes, despite my support network, I feel so alone. So many people around me, caring for me, doing there best for me and I feel alone. It doesn't m... View more

Sometimes I just don't feel good enough. Sometimes I just want to cry. Sometimes I want to scream. Sometimes, despite my support network, I feel so alone. So many people around me, caring for me, doing there best for me and I feel alone. It doesn't make sense. I've been called selfish numerous times but I don't understand how. I always feel like I'm not good enough. Someone else can be me and be a lot better at it. I wonder if I would be missed if I was gone. Sometimes i feel so black inside that i worry that the blackness is going to seep out and let everyone know I'm broken. I am broken.

margs23 I hate myself
  • replies: 6

I truly hate myself right now. I have no friends and cannot talk to my partner of 20 years as he doesn't do empathy. One of my major problems is that I can never see the good in other people and find it difficult to say anything nice to anyone. Words... View more

I truly hate myself right now. I have no friends and cannot talk to my partner of 20 years as he doesn't do empathy. One of my major problems is that I can never see the good in other people and find it difficult to say anything nice to anyone. Words come out of my mouth and I immediately regret them. I suffer with depression but I am coming off my medication as I don't feel it's helping. I never feel good enough. I think this comes from my parents as they never encouraged me to achieve anything only telling me what I wouldn't achieve. Also at school I had problems and was never encouraged and people wonder why I hated school. I have made up illnesses in the past which have resulted in long stays in hospital. I don't know why I did this. I want to stop my current behaviour as it is so destructive but I don't know how. I just want to feel better about myself and maybe have some friends that I can share my thoughts with SIMILAR THREADS I hate myself I hate my life and I have failed at everything

JustTiffanyxo Sooo
  • replies: 3

I'd just thought I'd tell everyone a bit about myself, I;m Tiffany and have had severe chronic depression for the last 12 years. 10 of those years medicated. But, I am also a Registered Nurse, I know the 'effective' measures to deal with depression a... View more

I'd just thought I'd tell everyone a bit about myself, I;m Tiffany and have had severe chronic depression for the last 12 years. 10 of those years medicated. But, I am also a Registered Nurse, I know the 'effective' measures to deal with depression almost like second nature. None of these were working for me and I'd start feeling like a failure for not being able to do simple things. A small portion of my brain told me what I needed to do to get better, but the much bigger, much depressed part of the brain said 'why bother' and has won numerous times. So Instead, I decided to write a blog entry and document every day of my life for 100 days. To see if there's a pattern, specific stressors that remain constant, I dunno. But I thought I'd give it a go (I think I'm up to day 7) haha. Id thought I'd share here too incase someone out there is feeling just like me. BROKEN.

HA1 A need to talk
  • replies: 6

I am finding that I getting increasingly frustrated that I cannot find the ability to share my thoughts and worries with a 'friend'. That I do not have a friend to share with; to listen to me. Of course it is my own doing that I find myself in this p... View more

I am finding that I getting increasingly frustrated that I cannot find the ability to share my thoughts and worries with a 'friend'. That I do not have a friend to share with; to listen to me. Of course it is my own doing that I find myself in this predicament - been without real friends all my life. Perhaps due to social anxiety, perhaps due to who I am. Of late I have been feeling progressively less well in terms of my mental health. I go to psychiatrist and psychologist all too regularly. But frankly not getting real progress there, and that is really frustrating. Although I enjoy talking to psychologist. My partner is great, but I am fearful of burdening her further, as she has really started to struggle with my illness. Not surprisingly perhaps, she can't understand that I am not getting better. After all this time, the medication should have done its job and I should be back to 'normal'. Have tried explaining the (often) usual reality of mental illness; I will (hopefully) get better, but I will always need to mange my illness. For this view I am told I am a defeatist. All this not exchanged in anger, but in discussions between partners. So, to avoid burdening her more, I am gradually keeping more of my feelings and thoughts to myself. Although I thought I had retired it, the mask has well and truly come back out of the box I threw it in. As a result, I am starting to feel the burden of not being able to share my thoughts with someone special, a friend. Replying to posts in this forum certainly helps a lot. When I started it was very therapeutic. But I need to also share with someone I can eyeball, to see their reactions and body language. Haha - that feels better now that I have vented. Thanks for reading (if you did). K

Wife24 Depression and those around you
  • replies: 5

I just wondered, Is there a chance you can get depression by living with depressed people? I don't mean "catching it" but I am in a relationship with someone who has depression and I'm starting to get down, cry and not feel like myself anymore. View more

I just wondered, Is there a chance you can get depression by living with depressed people? I don't mean "catching it" but I am in a relationship with someone who has depression and I'm starting to get down, cry and not feel like myself anymore.

Jo3 Suffering depression and having concentration & memory problems
  • replies: 8

For a while now I have been having terrible trouble concentrating on things, For eg reading a book - this is very difficult for me at the moment. I struggle trying to read a book. My psych has given me some reading to do on Mood gym but do you think ... View more

For a while now I have been having terrible trouble concentrating on things, For eg reading a book - this is very difficult for me at the moment. I struggle trying to read a book. My psych has given me some reading to do on Mood gym but do you think I can remember what I am reading? - NO. It is very frustrating because I have to go back weekly to him and let him know what I've read. I get angry with myself because I don't like what's happening. Could it be because of my depression, anxiety and BPD? Has anyone else had this problem? And if so, what did you do to help with concentration/memory? I sometimes feel that my pysch doesn't believe me when I tell him that I don't remember things. I don't know what to do, hope someone can give me some advice. Thanks Jo

White_Rose There's got to be a better way
  • replies: 9

My thoughts are whirling round my head trying to express how I feel. This cycle of ups and downs we all talk about is not good enough. Taking pills to make us feel better and then not being dependent on them. How is that different to any other kind o... View more

My thoughts are whirling round my head trying to express how I feel. This cycle of ups and downs we all talk about is not good enough. Taking pills to make us feel better and then not being dependent on them. How is that different to any other kind of drug dependency? And more to the point, what benefit do we get? The glib answer for the cause of depression is the chemical imbalance theory. So why can we not change that balance and keep the balance right? Various vitamin deficiencies and other deficiency conditions require taking medication but at least it works. What's so different about depression if chemical imbalance is the cause? So that's not the answer. The next step is psychological counseling. The way it is practiced it takes years to work effectively. Learning routines for managing thoughts, motivation, tiredness and all the other ills of depression is ridiculous. Depression is called an illness, so where is the cure? This roller coaster of good and bad days just reinforces all the negative feelings. Don't get attached to the good days because a bad day is lurking just round the corner. I don't want to spend the rest of my life forcing myself to get up in the morning, do chores, exercise, eat. I want to get up feeling great, happy to be alive and generally enjoying my life.To enjoy the feeling of solitude without dreading being alone. To be equally happy in the company of family, friends, work colleagues and all the people who come and go in our lives. Sitting on my backside believing I am worthless despite evidence to the contrary is a waste of time. Being aware of our various faults is fine. Being consumed by them is not. And yet we are urged to think about the past and find out when we were injured in some way so that we can 'come to terms with it'. Why not be taught that 'bad things happen in our lives' and then learn to forget them and live in joy and wonder as we were meant to. Why do we not care for each other when we get sad? 'Oh no', we're told. 'You've got to do it on your own'. If you break your leg you get a cast of some sort put on. Get crutches to help you walk. Possibly have some hospital care. People help in the home, physios work their magic on your leg and eventually you walk unaided again. So where's the support for mental illness. Well you get periodic counseling from people who have no experience of the condition. Family and friends are too scared to even ask how you feel much less accept that you are unwell. And that's it. Mary

Olivia_Pope Sick of myself
  • replies: 1

Hello everyone or anyone, today is another one of those days where I am not feeling well (mentally). I'm always feeling sad and anxious about things and I hate it. Worked today and I had a bad day so maybe it's a trigger. Work can be so stressful. Li... View more

Hello everyone or anyone, today is another one of those days where I am not feeling well (mentally). I'm always feeling sad and anxious about things and I hate it. Worked today and I had a bad day so maybe it's a trigger. Work can be so stressful. Life can be so stressful. I hate it. I'm sick and tired of feeling like this. I'm on medication and I thought I could start cutting down but I'm starting to feel that I cant and what's worse might need yo increase it. I just hate my life atm.