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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 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

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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.....

Troyboy I'm really struggling
  • replies: 22

I've suffered depression and anxiety for over ten years, I've tried medication, counselling ect and i eventually got to a point where I managed it, don't get me wrong everyday is a struggle but I get up and go, I've lost so many friends, family over ... View more

I've suffered depression and anxiety for over ten years, I've tried medication, counselling ect and i eventually got to a point where I managed it, don't get me wrong everyday is a struggle but I get up and go, I've lost so many friends, family over this as most just couldn't understand why I just couldn't cheer up or get over it, so when it all boiled down to it, I had my mum and dad, my grandparents, my wife and my dog jasmine. But in the last few years I've lost my mum, my grandparents, and my father had a stroke and is in nursing care, so I don't worry him no matter how bad I feel. My wife is always been here for me and still is, she has seen me at my worse and stuck by me through it all, I know she cares and will always listen, but I don't want to lump it all on her, it worries her greatly and will always ask what can she do to help, but I can never answer that since I don't know myself. i know some will find this stupid, but the reason I finally decided to join and post was because of my dog, jasmine is 14 years old and now has arthritis, on going to the vet yesterday we have been informed that we should get a X-ray in a weeks time if she hasn't improved as it may be bone cancer, if that is the case there is not much we can do. My wife is hurting just as bad as me but is very strong and knows that if she is in server pain the responsible thing to do would be let her go. I do understand this as well, but what people don't get is that, when I was diagnosed jasmine was there, when I was rolled up in a ball crying, walking the house while everyone slept, sitting in the yard, and had no one else to talk to she was there. And now it could end up being my decision to let her go, I will never let her live in pain, but it's tearing me up inside thinking what could happen, maybe the medication will work, maybe nothing will show on the X-ray, but a week is so long to see my friend struggle and wait for medication to start taking effect. I will also add that we live interstate from my remaining family and friends, my wife works full time and I'm at home alone all day, jasmine is who I turn to in those low moments during the day, a simple sit and chat to her works better than any medication ever has,I have had pets die before but I've been well lucky as it has always been peacefully in there sleep. I know this is silly but I'm really struggling at the moment and all my demons are hitting me full force. id welcome any advice

Susan83 Lost and Alone
  • replies: 3

This is my first time posting here... So I thought I would tell my story.... Sorry if its long I haven't really shared it with anyone. I have been in a very dark place for about a year now... slowly progressing and getting darker.... It started when ... View more

This is my first time posting here... So I thought I would tell my story.... Sorry if its long I haven't really shared it with anyone. I have been in a very dark place for about a year now... slowly progressing and getting darker.... It started when my youngest of two children started big school. It was one of the worse days of my life, I use to come home and cry for hours. I felt like my baby had been taken away and there was nothing I could do about it.About a month later I got a job working school hours and I thought it was my saviour. Something to keep me busy while my kids were at school....In August my Grandmother (G) who I was very close with passed away.... She was 89, didn't want to be here, just wanted to be with my Grandad, the love of her life.... She just had to wait to die... I know that she didn't want to be here... I know that she is happier now.... BUT ITS STILL HARD.... Harder than I ever imagined it would be... I don't know how to make it better and I don't know how to think about her without feeling sooooooo sad I have thought many a times about killing myself and getting away from the pain.. I have researched different methods and then I have also researched "failed attempts" in an effort to find the foul proof way. I have even once tried to do it but people were in the way.In the last week my husband has been on holidays and caught me a few times crying in the shower... I start thinking about something and work myself into a big mess and feel useless. My kids are getting more independent they don't depend on me entirely anymore..... just all little stuff.... I end up getting so down I don't want anything except to kill myself. I don't feel worthy of getting help like lifeline or anything like this.... I honestly feel like everyone would be better off without me.When I become the unrepressed me I can see how bad my thoughts are and how easy I will leave my life once I find the right way... A few days ago I had a HUGE talk with my husband and told me all the things that have been getting me down and I went to my GP for help. He is going to organise some counselling and my husband has suggested I look at ways to overcome it rather than how to end life.. Which has brought me here.... He also suggested that I talk to my mum.... Another thing that has been getting me down is that my mum doesn't have time for me. My sister is pregnant and my mum says she has to be there all the time incase she goes into labour (she only lives 10minutes away from me) This has been getting me really worked up since I made the decision to get help because I would really like to talk to mum about it. It was her mother that passed and she knows how close I was to her....Tonight I decided to stop working myself up over it and ask her to come over one night next week, I couldn't ask her in person as the decline will really upset me.... I sent her a text, I asked her to come over wednesday night, I said if she can't then just ignore my text.... I haven't heard anything yet. It makes me feel so unworthly and unloved.... I know that sounds selfish....My parent live on a yacht and I had my two kids without my mum even being in the country.... When you go into labour you know a good hour or more before you have to go to hospital... I don't understand why she can't come here and then if my sister calls she can go home to her place.... I have lost both my grandfathers two aunts and a cousin and none of them have been as hard as loosing my G.... I just can't seem to find a way out....

almost_there_ It will get better, I promise :)
  • replies: 3

It really scares me to see all of these posts here - I honestly had no idea these so-called 'illnesses' were so common. I am recovering (almost fully recovered now) from depression, and I can honestly tell you, as much as it's SO hard for you to beli... View more

It really scares me to see all of these posts here - I honestly had no idea these so-called 'illnesses' were so common. I am recovering (almost fully recovered now) from depression, and I can honestly tell you, as much as it's SO hard for you to believe right now, it does get better! I know that it might seem crazy to you now - I have been there. You are probably rolling your eyes at this post, and saying 'WHEN?'... That's probably the most common question I asked.. 'When am I going to get better??' The thing is, unfortunately no one can really answer that question for you. The trick is to just keep in mind, that it WILL get better. Even though you may not see it now, and you may think I'm crazy, but as long as you want it to, you will get better. The best thing I did for myself, and I found what helped me most, was just to get out of bed every day. It doesn't matter if you have nothing in particular to do, just get out of bed. Eat some breakfast, take a walk outside (even if it's only to your back fence in your pajamas), maybe watch a movie, do something you love (even if you may not enjoy it right now), and just take each day as it comes. You might feel one day that you're getting better, and the next feel absolutely horrible, but honestly, the best thing to do is get out of bed. As hard as it is to see that when you are comfy hiding under the covers, it honestly really helps, and even if you feel just a tiny bit better, that's something. Hang in there everyone! And remember, people DO care about you I know it's hard, but you will get through this.

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