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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: 0

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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Mickfor Impending bad thoughts
  • replies: 5

I know most people go through these thoughts once and a while but I have never felt like this before, constant thoughts of impending doom

I know most people go through these thoughts once and a while but I have never felt like this before, constant thoughts of impending doom

Fathiyma I felt like I was dead inside but I was alive
  • replies: 7

When my son was 8 months old I had a Mental break down I just stopped believing I was Mental capable to do anything I question everything even common things I was like I shower wrong everything I do was wrong, I stopped eating and sleeping I was worr... View more

When my son was 8 months old I had a Mental break down I just stopped believing I was Mental capable to do anything I question everything even common things I was like I shower wrong everything I do was wrong, I stopped eating and sleeping I was worried my son had iron problems I just believe it in my head, eventually my son got older then it affected him as a toddler he got sick too he wouldnt sleep and lost weight, no one really new I reached out to the doctor but they wouldn't help. I honestly felt dead, some how I wanted to go out but I wasn't mentally stable but I took my son playground we would turn up late, messy dressed, I suffered from postnatal depression, as he got older it affected him in his age he was so behind the child health nurses referred him to child development and he had have Autism test I tried explaining what was going on but they insisted that it's still Autism. Now my son is 9 years old and only 3 years ago I got better with no help but when I had a 3rd child I finally went to a Mother and baby unit for Mental help but it didn't help me at all.Eventually my kids got older and I went to adult Mental health unit the only thing that helped was they give so much food big portions and desert because I suffered postnatal depression I was so weak I wouldn't eat, if I didnt start eating no one knew not even doctors I was barely surviving my stomach I would get intense pain I used just drink water and coffee no food it felt like I was in labour pain and I would vomit so much.I eventually had surgery the doctors thought it was from my belly button from birth. After the surgery I only got better because I started eating. After being in Mental Health unit for Adults I had time for myself no children eventually I helped my self no medication no Mental health unit helped me I got better because I started doing things for me and life begun again inside of me. Just small things painting my nails, wearing make up on my face, wanting to look nice in my clothing. Taking my children on outings. Mental Illiness takes a long time go away but at one point I said my self I just have get used to it because it doesn't always go away it's like a disability. I hope this story helps everyone with there journey, Dreams do come true.

Puddles1974 Lost partner suddenly to cancer/eating disorder/control
  • replies: 3

I did post a while ago. I lost my partner to cancer earlier this year and now I find my eating disorder has come back as I cant control anything else in my life nor can I control the fact he left this earthly plane so suddenly. I've suffered an eatin... View more

I did post a while ago. I lost my partner to cancer earlier this year and now I find my eating disorder has come back as I cant control anything else in my life nor can I control the fact he left this earthly plane so suddenly. I've suffered an eating disorder for years (diagnosed) and now I feel I'm falling into that same path again. Its the one thing I can control. Its his NV birthday Wednesday and I'm feeling so sad as he should still be here.

kam_d What is depression?
  • replies: 3

Could you explain what depression is because I feel like ive been really sad and just miserable. So I dont know if I have depression or im just going though a hard time in life. Thank you.

Could you explain what depression is because I feel like ive been really sad and just miserable. So I dont know if I have depression or im just going though a hard time in life. Thank you.

Madi2007 I don't understand what's happening
  • replies: 2

I have been struggling a lot with my mental health since the start of February and it took me until Easter to even find the courage to tell my best friend what I was going through because I didn't know how she was going to react let alone the rest of... View more

I have been struggling a lot with my mental health since the start of February and it took me until Easter to even find the courage to tell my best friend what I was going through because I didn't know how she was going to react let alone the rest of the group. Since I told my best friend she has been by my side through everything even if I’ve been getting really annoying talking about my problems. Once we got back to school in term 2 she tried to convince me in every way possible to tell someone and get help from someone. After a little while of me being at my worst and trying to be ok around everyone I gave up on everything and knew that I had to do something to help myself. So since i've been struggling i've now seen a school counsellor to get help and even though I struggled to get there I think i've started to see a change but not all the time just every now and then i'll feel so much happier and happier than i've been in so long. My birthday was in March and what kept me going after I started struggling was looking forward to seeing my friends for my birthday and because I was struggling so much at the time I made my birthday into this big party with my closest friends just so that I had something to look forward to. I don't know whats going on with me and I don't know if its depression or that i'm just going through a rough patch in life. All my symptoms are pointing to depression but even though I don't know what I have i'm trying my hardest to be ok around everyone even tho i'm not and i'm glad i've told a few people, its really take some weight off my shoulders. I know I haven't said much about how I feel in this but at least i've given a little bit of information and maybe someone will be able to give some tips just off what i've written so far. I will write more in depth once I find the guts to share how I feel. Thank you!

LucyK18 struggling with my MH
  • replies: 2

Hey everyone,I feel like I’ve been struggling with my MH for a few years with lots of setbacks and disappointments and now I feel like I have completely changed. Is this a MH issue?Moods are up and down. Always feeling overwhelmed and like I have no ... View more

Hey everyone,I feel like I’ve been struggling with my MH for a few years with lots of setbacks and disappointments and now I feel like I have completely changed. Is this a MH issue?Moods are up and down. Always feeling overwhelmed and like I have no time. Exhausted and tired. Feeling bored, unsatisfied in life, like it’s being wasted. Lonely. Unmotivated, hard to concentrate and way less active and social. Even hard to socialise. I feel like I’m a downer and much harder to be social when in a group. Sometimes I get overlooked because I’ve become more introverted.I used to be outgoing and carefree and socialising was easy and I was always happy and energetic.some things that have happened since 2018- Moving home from living abroad- Dad died, battling cancer (we are a close family)- New career trained and studied etc and then had to go back to old career I hated due to injury- Covid, stressful with a lot of lost work and no income- Really struggling with being home and a lot less active during Covid - extremely stressful job back to community service, hate it.- Another stressful injury- Going nowhere. Everyone around me settling down marrying and having kids.- New career finally out of CS- New car but then was filled with safety faults, a lemon. Three month struggle to get my money back, through fair trading etc etc- Another big injury with 6 months recovery- Feeling like I’m a drag now and losing my carefree, confident, outgoing personality I still have great friends and family but I’m just not me anymore would love some feedback on what to do and what it sounds like.Thanks

ta_na im so alone
  • replies: 4

for the past 6 years i have been alone, i have terrible social anxiety and can’t bring myself to see a therapist. i don’t leave my house and i am 21 and still yet to get a job. the only people i interact with other then the very select few i speak wi... View more

for the past 6 years i have been alone, i have terrible social anxiety and can’t bring myself to see a therapist. i don’t leave my house and i am 21 and still yet to get a job. the only people i interact with other then the very select few i speak with online is my mum, brother and grandma. i don’t tell them or anybody about how i truely feel because it makes me feel weak and stupid, we have never had any conversations about mental health or anything like that and i just can’t bring myself to say something. i find temporary happiness in having a “relationship” that deep down i know will never work but i do it anyway, just to feel loved. i don’t often get upset and i am able to entertain myself most days but it’s getting to be too hard. im in a small town in the middle of nowhere and no license so even if i did have the courage to go meet new people i can’t. my family looks down on me for not living up to the standards that they expect. i just don’t know where to go from here, i want to talk to somebody or get on medication or something but i just can’t do it.

frazzled-1 Struggling
  • replies: 2

Hi Everyone, This is my first time posting. I visited the site today as I’m struggling and just needed to find tools to help until I see my doctor again. There is not one single area of my life that is going well right now - everything is extremely s... View more

Hi Everyone, This is my first time posting. I visited the site today as I’m struggling and just needed to find tools to help until I see my doctor again. There is not one single area of my life that is going well right now - everything is extremely stressful. My eldest son has moved back home and is struggling to find work, so I’m supporting him financially and emotionally. My daughter is going through a hard time, dealing with the assault of her best friend, so I’m worrying about her well-being. I'm not sure if the mother of the person who assaulted her friend knows what's happened yet, but it’s only a matter of time until she finds out. I have to see the mother every day at work as her youngest attends my preschool and I keep playing different scenarios over in my head about what will happen or be said when she finds out. My youngest son is causing the most concern. He has ongoing health issues that result in him missing a LOT of school. He’s seeing doctors and has a specialist appointment coming up to investigate the cause. But, I’m worried constantly about what his future holds and how all of this will affect him in the long run. Then there’s work. I run a preschool and am quite literally run off my feet at the moment, picking up the work load of staff members due to injuries and illnesses, falling behind on my own work as a result, having to deal with certain staff members approaching me a dozen times a day to bag someone else out or wanting me to make every little decision for them. Staff whining about their rosters and having dummy spits when I literally cannot give them their own way. Chasing up accounts I’m having ongoing issues with and having to answer to upper management about it. Then there’s my finances. I work my butt off, but between the cost of living crisis, having three teenagers to support on my own, car issues etc. I have nothing to show for it. I hold my breath for the last several days of every pay cycle, just hoping I’ll make it through to the next pay day without the kids needing anything. Finally, the last big thing going on, is that after 8 years of complete silence, the father of my children reached out, via our 18 year-old, to ask for a divorce. I’m so happy to finally be getting the divorce, but so angry that after not having any contact with any of our children in so long, he used our son solely for that purpose - because he wanted something, not because he was interested in being a father. I shouldn’t be surprised, this piece of work has 6 children with three different women and hasn’t stuck around to raise any of them. I just can’t comprehend it. There’s no way I’d have missed a second of seeing our children grow up. I've been on medication for years. It has always worked for me and I KNOW how much of a mess I’d be right now if not for the medication. But, I find with everything going on right now that everything is such an effort. All I want to do is sleep, as that’s the only time I get a mental break from everything. However, even my sleep is interrupted by violent and often gory nightmares. I’m depressed and can’t see things getting better any time soon. Thank you if you made it this far.

David35 anniversary of dad's death
  • replies: 20

It's coming up 7 years of dad's death this week. And leading up to it, I'm a mess. I'm depressed, sad, can't think straight some days. I bumped into a mate of his the other day, and the whole next day and several others, I just felt like shit. Do oth... View more

It's coming up 7 years of dad's death this week. And leading up to it, I'm a mess. I'm depressed, sad, can't think straight some days. I bumped into a mate of his the other day, and the whole next day and several others, I just felt like shit. Do other people get this? Is it delayed grief? It's like this mental block in my mind telling me that something is bothering me.

Elephant86 Buddahs path to enligtenment
  • replies: 3

I personally have been on this journey of buddism learning and understanding the concept and using it in my own life. I wanted to share some books that Ive read that has put me on this journey of personal and peacful discovery. I feel that the experi... View more

I personally have been on this journey of buddism learning and understanding the concept and using it in my own life. I wanted to share some books that Ive read that has put me on this journey of personal and peacful discovery. I feel that the experiences I have had with my mental health and in my life has led me to learn about each of the concepts in buddism. When I learnt about compassion I was volenteering in a soup kitchen serving coffee and meals to the underprivaleged. I feel I have also experienced compassion for others while doing my job at beyond blue. All of us at some point in our lives come across these concepts and they enter our lives in both a positive and sometimes a negative way. I would love to hear your story if you wish to share? My search for peace and acceptance of my condition took a long time and I still have to face the difficulties still. I want to give everyone on the platform hope that they can overcome there health issues like I have even though I know it is a different path for everyone. I learnt about compassion from my parents. There was a story of how when anyone would come to our house there is always is a warm beautiful meal for everyone no matter who you are. My mum and I love to cook curry and feed the family that is a beautiful form of compassion and love for everyone. One christmas we had 40 people at our place and I had to buy the biggest turkey I could find . We were making lasanga 10pm on enight. I did not mind because I was helpig my parents at christmas. I beleive compassion is love for community The way that the concept of acceptance entered my life was a bit unorthadox. I had had my bipolar episode and I was stuck at hme for a month reading books and waiting to get better from. I had to go on a journey of acceptance and forgivness for the struggles I was going through. At times with mental health and other health issues it is very hard to accept and come to peace and forgivness for your situation. We must realise we are not alone in our struggles with our health we all have the support of our family and friends. The second time I had to learn acceptance was when I was told I could acheive my car licence due to my epilepsy and I know there are many epileptics who struggle through a similar fait. I have grand Mal epilepsy with are earth shaking seizures and it doesn't happen as often anymore but I had to come to acceptance and forgivness of my condition and make peace with my health condition