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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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Guest_3712 Climbing out of my skin
  • replies: 10

Hi All, It's been a beautiful day in the sun and for a while there I felt normal. Until I remembered I'm not. I am a drug abuser and suffer from depression. It is almost 4 years ago since so my first hospitalisation and yet it seems like yesterday. T... View more

Hi All, It's been a beautiful day in the sun and for a while there I felt normal. Until I remembered I'm not. I am a drug abuser and suffer from depression. It is almost 4 years ago since so my first hospitalisation and yet it seems like yesterday. The same fear, shame , anxiety and the overwhelming sadness I felt at having been reduced to that state washes over me still when I am feeling particularly low. How did it happen I ask myself over and over. Now after years of therapy and four more admissions I still have these feelings. I still feel bad!. One good thing in hospital was the shared feelings and camaraderie you tend to develop with fellow sufferers after a few months. I joined BB to help fill that gap and the support has been good but part of me says I don't want to be in this 'club ' anymore. Is it just me ? I don't want to have my GP and Psych on speed dial. I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on meds that make me fat and stupid. And I really don't want that tag hanging around my neck forever of 'someone that needs to watched '( "you know because of what she did") I have been waiting to see my psych for a month due to Christmas etc and I am climbing out of my skin. It's never over. No matter how much better you become or how you seemingly get back to normal. You are not allowed to forget, ever! It's great that people from BB are going on TV, I'm all for it and if it helps make the subject less taboo then that's wonderful. But the reality for those of us living with depression is that we face discrimination, lack of understanding. and rejection on a daily basis and more often than not it's not from strangers but people we know and love. I want my family and friends to "get it", but the problem is I agree with most of the misconceptions out there. I loathe myself for what I've become and the friends and money I've lost. I can't give them back this time. I can't make it better. So all I can do is to try to make myself less loathsome and carry on. This is where the meds help. But then................................ Yep I hate myself all over again for being so weak. Feeling really shattered at the moment and despising myself for not doing what I know I need to do Stressles

Purple818 What am I supposed to do?
  • replies: 10

I think I have depression, I think I have had it a very long time. How am I supposed to get help? What do I say? I am really afraid.

I think I have depression, I think I have had it a very long time. How am I supposed to get help? What do I say? I am really afraid.

Andrew125 Now I'm really terrified, seriously seriously scared
  • replies: 2

Hi - I'm really sorry to say this to everyone but I need to vent it somewhere so i thought here would be a good place.For the last several years I've been battling depression and suicide thoughts. As I'm sure others can relate too, it's so incredibly... View more

Hi - I'm really sorry to say this to everyone but I need to vent it somewhere so i thought here would be a good place.For the last several years I've been battling depression and suicide thoughts. As I'm sure others can relate too, it's so incredibly difficult to get out of bed sometimes. I've been coping with it for years without any medical treatment or even seeing a doctor - maybe that was a big mistake.When I get these suicidal thoughts (almost daily) I can immediately recognise the difference between "what I WANT to do" and "what I would ACTUALLY do". But today, for the first time ever........I felt like I couldn't trust myself. If I was ever going to do something I know exactly how it would be done but I had always trusted myself and knew that I wouldn't do anything. Now, all of a sudden and completely out of the blue, I don't trust myself and I'm terrified that I'm going to have a "moment". It was so bad that my work had taken my car keys off me and refused to let me drive home without an escort. I don't know what to do. I always trusted myself but now I feel like I can't even trust myself anymore. Does this mean it's getting worse? All my supervisors know now and it's so embarrassing. Am I over reacting or has this happened to others where you always trusted yourself not to do anything but now you feel like that you may not be able 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.

Tarranna What do I tell my GP?
  • replies: 1

I have been seeking help for depression for nearly 33 months now and find myself loosing it more and more often over the past few months. I have been keeping my GP up to date with my medication detals and support newtork details, but my frends, famil... View more

I have been seeking help for depression for nearly 33 months now and find myself loosing it more and more often over the past few months. I have been keeping my GP up to date with my medication detals and support newtork details, but my frends, family and myself are getting worried that I am getting worse and even my treating pysicoligist has asked my permissing to break confidance. I'm not sure where to go from here and I don't know what to tell my GP.

Neil_1 Dark depths of despair - it won't go away
  • replies: 12

Me of late … well it’s so hard to put into words. I know a lot of you have been asking over the last little while. I’m just so incredibly sad. Just so low. And then it makes me angry … with myself and sometimes it borders to others as well. Not that ... View more

Me of late … well it’s so hard to put into words. I know a lot of you have been asking over the last little while. I’m just so incredibly sad. Just so low. And then it makes me angry … with myself and sometimes it borders to others as well. Not that I want to do any harm to anyone, but it’s just so difficult to express. Just over the last couple of days, what I think I’m realising is that I’m still in heavy mourning and still overcome with grief from the loss of my brother and my Dad. And it’s a long time to be coping with this … 1991 for my bro and 2007 for my Dad. But I kind of feel like why should I be happy when they’re no longer here. I feel that why should I get any enjoyment out of anything; cause Dad and my bro aren’t here anymore to enjoy such things. Even more so for my brother, cause he was just 29 when I lost him. But yeah, it’s sometimes like it’s in the days after the funeral, where everyone else is getting on with their lives and I think, “to hell with that … I can’t and won’t live properly – I’m going to continue to feel sad, because I have too. No one else does this, f**k everyone else, I’m going to feel sad for them forever and I’ll show it to everyone”. And all the while, I’m just wasting away my life … and am worried every day that my kids will be ok, that they will turn out alright. This low, awful feeling has been with me for so long now … and it’s really getting to me you know. I see my Doc, I see my psychiatrist, my meds have been reviewed; I have recently had another mental health check and that proved that yes, I am definitely not a normal functioning human being … I’m just … I can’t … anyway, they’ve got me a series of appointments with my psychologist, but the first one isn’t for another month yet. I exercise every day, we have pets at home which are great, by the way … and yet I still feel this low. This unbelievable sadness that is ripping the absolute guts out of me. You know, I’m on here every day and I reply to all sorts of different folks … wonderful folks … but all the time, you’re hearing these posts from someone who is among their lowest ebbs in life. I can’t do anything to end my life … I couldn’t and won’t do that to my beautiful family. For as much torture and hell that I live through every day, if I did that, it would destroy them. For anyone else who might be reading this … if you’re at that particular way of thinking … please think of the people you’d be hurting so badly who would be left. I know we have these thoughts and how nice it’d be to not wake up again, but we can’t do this. I’ve mentioned that we have the demons, the torture, the living hell inside our minds every day … but there’s nothing for it … despite doing you know “all the right things that they say you should do”, I still am no better. I’m clearly getting worse. So there we are, we are just a under-performing, under-achieving (whoops, sorry, that should have said I am) ……………………….. I want to scream out, I want to cry, but I can’t do the latter and I’d frighten everyone in this workplace if I did the former. I can’t even think of anything funny to say. Bye for now Neil

Chris D I need to talk to someone
  • replies: 12

Can someone reply please, i need to talk. I would like some company, wish people would msg me but they don't and when i do they say sometimes you have to deal with it on your own. I just want to talk about things in general. I feel lonely it's like n... View more

Can someone reply please, i need to talk. I would like some company, wish people would msg me but they don't and when i do they say sometimes you have to deal with it on your own. I just want to talk about things in general. I feel lonely it's like no one has time for me everyone is off doing their own thing with other people. I would like to meet all of you in person and to tell our stories and experiences face to face. I'm starting to question myself wondering wheather i am actually good enough for anyone including myself. Kind Regards Chris

Bigfish1011 I don't know where to turn.
  • replies: 2

Hi my name is Chris, I have been suffering from multiple diagnosed disorders for most of my life, the earliest being when i was 7, i am now 19. I have been in and out of psychiatrists and psychologists my whole life, it just does not seem to get bett... View more

Hi my name is Chris, I have been suffering from multiple diagnosed disorders for most of my life, the earliest being when i was 7, i am now 19. I have been in and out of psychiatrists and psychologists my whole life, it just does not seem to get better. Professionals have seemed to be able to somewhat ease my OCD, this was my biggest problem for a while, but now other problems seems to be arising. The biggest at the moment being my depression and anxiety issues. I went through a stage of self harm, which is now under wraps. But i seem to be finding more destructive ways to deal with depression and anxiety. I feel an overwhelming urge to make people happy around me even if it comes at the price of my own mental health, for example, recently i had a fight with my girlfriend of about 2 months, it is a fairly new relationship by my standards, instead of standing up for my morals, i automatically went in to a submissive mode and tried everything to make her happy again and resolve the argument, but i did fail and things haven't been the same with us since, i am constantly worrying day and night that she is going to dump me, which has made me fall into one of my oldest habits, which is drinking, to ease the anxiety i am feeling. My depression recently is also affecting my new job, as a bottle shop retailer, i spend most of my day alone, which is a lot of time to think when i am not serving customers or restocking, i missed my first shift this week, just because i wanted to sleep all day and forget about everything. I am worried this drinking habit is also going to evolve into a deeper problem, as i have a long family line of alcoholics. I don't know what to do and who to turn to guys...i really need help, but i feel i have exhausted all the help i can get at this stage. I am on medication, i have regular appointments with professionals and i surround myself with family for support. I'm just worried about what i might do next.

Chris D Something Isn't Right
  • replies: 5

As the title suggests, at this very moment in time on this day at this time like time is still something doesn't feel right. My facial expression that i feel tells me something is wrong, i feel a worried look on my face. I look out my window and into... View more

As the title suggests, at this very moment in time on this day at this time like time is still something doesn't feel right. My facial expression that i feel tells me something is wrong, i feel a worried look on my face. I look out my window and into the bright light of the suns rays and i think what is missing, before everything started back in August of last yr i was in a similar life position and i felt gd but now that i have gone through what i have i feel something left me when i got admitted to hospital in August and since then i have been trying to get back what left me. Why can't i see the qualities in myself and yet other people can? I see them sometimes but most of the time i'm just so oblivious to them like i'm blinded by everything else that is going on in my life that i some how don't recognise my qualities. Is it because my head is full of other things e.g. peoples names, appointments etc. I've felt like this for a couple of days now. Have been doing other things to take my mind of it but in the end it all comes back to the same place. It doesn't disappear it just lays dormant for a couple of hours then comes back in a slow and yet powerful way. Cheers Chris

animallover1991 unmotivated,depressed, lonely
  • replies: 4

hi to anyone reading this.... i don't really know where to begin, I'm 22 female suffering depression, I have been for a long while. part of my depression stems from being unhappy with my own personality and the lack of motivation I have for anything ... View more

hi to anyone reading this.... i don't really know where to begin, I'm 22 female suffering depression, I have been for a long while. part of my depression stems from being unhappy with my own personality and the lack of motivation I have for anything in life. One thing that made me unhappy was working at the same place for 6 years, and I finally pushed myself to resign from my job. However I didn't have another job to go to, which was probably not the smartest thing to do. But I still don't regret my decision because I figured if I didn't leave now i wouldn't probably ever leave and not experience other job ect. i do have some savings but obviously I can't just live off that. everyone asks me what other job I would like to do...and I really don't know. I mean I feel like just the thought of looking for a new job, I couldn't even be bothered. I keep putting it off, aswell as my traveling aspirations, I just can't seem to motivate myself to go and book one. partially because I'm scared of being in another country with people I don't know, and I'm not exactly a good friend maker... I basically only have my bf which I don't think is really a serious relationship, but I still enjoy his company and I rely on him to make me feel good, which I know is not healthy to be with someone to make you happy. i want to be able to join a sports club, go travelling and meet new people but it's like there is no drive in me or like I need someone else to push me to do things. I feel like I'm wasting my life away, but then some days I wonder why am I alive, what do I have to look forward to? I think the lack of confidence I have making new. friends is and always has been a problem for me. sometimes I think perhaps I couldn't be bothered with humans and I don't want to make friends, I don't know.....