Immediate support
Immediate support

Depression

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

Start a discussion

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
Jump to
Start a discussion

Pinned discussions

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

All discussions

Start a discussion

Richju Post natal depression
  • replies: 2

My second child was born two years after his older brother. I had expected older brother to be potty trained by then, but he wasn't. Two lots of nappies was a lot of work for a young mother with no help. Added to this, my elder child was insanely jea... View more

My second child was born two years after his older brother. I had expected older brother to be potty trained by then, but he wasn't. Two lots of nappies was a lot of work for a young mother with no help. Added to this, my elder child was insanely jealous of his brother to the point where I feared leaving them alone in the same room.Lack of money and a total inability to accept any help from friends because 'I must do it by myself' led to severe depression and severe strain on my marriage.I felt like nothing and lost interest in everything, even my children. Looking back, my inability to accept help was a major problem. I was so very hard on myself that I made it hard for others to support me. I ended up seeing a psychiatrist, who told me not to worry so much!Antidepressants did not work for me, making me even more tired and compounding my feelings of inadequacy.I spent a considerable amount of time going over past hurts but, although my life had not been easy, I came to realise that we cannot undo our past but we can learn to be resilient from going through those experiences.Although my experience of depression was difficult, I learnt so much. My last episode was ten years ago. I meditate, I keep busy, socialise and exercise regularly. But, most of all, I gain satisfaction through supporting others to overcome their depression.

Ruby01 Everyday struggles
  • replies: 1

Over the years I have had many struggles in life with friends and family. I used to always live on the edge also, no fear with anything and would almost try everything no matter of the consequences. I always knew I was being destructive but had no co... View more

Over the years I have had many struggles in life with friends and family. I used to always live on the edge also, no fear with anything and would almost try everything no matter of the consequences. I always knew I was being destructive but had no control over my actions. Sometimes I go through phases where I think everyone is out to hurt me in some way. I have big trust issues and mostly am always fearful of being hurt. Before I get hurt I seem to lash out at that person first and make myself to be the bad person. I am a happy person normally I’m life, have recently felt I can control my manic stages but the lack of trust and lashing out at people who I care about is becoming a problem. I would do anything to help anyone and then get sad because people can’t reciprocate. I have problems of letting things go. I stew on them for days and put myself through so much pain. Try and work out different scenarios of how that could of gone better or what I could have said bwttwr to defend myself. My chest hurts most of the time and I am constantly fighting with my anxiety. I have been off Al my medication for over a year now and I think I can start to see a pattern of my issues. I don’t want to go back on medication I want to strengthen my mind to make better choices. I was diagnosed with Bipolar II some years ago. This may be the case but I always feel I have more PTSD from things that he loaned to me when I was in my teens. Does anybody else feel this way ? And how do you beat handle similar situations.

Myer How to help my son who has been under depression
  • replies: 2

My son moved out about a year and half ago. He came home to collect his belongings and stayed for about 10 minutes a year ago. He almost never spoke or texted me over the last one and half years. He read my text message in about a week after I sent h... View more

My son moved out about a year and half ago. He came home to collect his belongings and stayed for about 10 minutes a year ago. He almost never spoke or texted me over the last one and half years. He read my text message in about a week after I sent him until 2 months ago when he came back to collect his last piece of stuff. We had a good chat for about an hour. He told me a lot about his daily life. I got a feeling he was OK. He didn't have a job as he hadn't found one that he really liked. I was happily listening and wished him to find a job that he really liked one day. I invited him over to have lunch with his grandma on her birthday in Oct. He said OK. I was so glad he was OK. Last week a hospital called me and told me he was in hospital. Police sent him to the hospital as he tried to harm himself. I got there. He had his eyes closed, wouldn't look at me or talk. Hospital discharged him next day. I wanted to take him to my place. He wanted to go to his place. I took him to his place. He said he couldn't sleep at hospital and was very tired on the way to his place. I thought he was going to have a sleep. He turned on his computer and started something after he had a shower instead of sleeping after we got his place. I tried to have a conversation with him. He got his eyes closed and wouldn't talk. I must be saying wrong thing. I thought it was time for me to leave. I sent him a few messages to tell him how sorry I was for what had happened to him, how much I loved him, and I was willing to help him whenever he needed after I got home. He didn't read my messages until 5 days later and didn’t reply to me. I called him next day and asked him if I could visit him and have a lunch with him in a few days. He said "No". I really don't know what to do or say to make him feel better or help him to get better. I offered him an overseas trip with me, or I would pay a trip for him to wherever he wanted to visit. I thought that might help him a bit. He said ‘No’. Can anyone please give me some ideas what I can do to help him? He seems refuses any of my help. Thank you all.

POM86 Treatment to depression and ADHD
  • replies: 2

Hi,Due to complex PTSD that I didn't treat before, I've been struggling to treat my depression. I already have a psychiatrist for about 3 years who has been trying to help me with medication, but my depression is drowning me and he doesn't know how t... View more

Hi,Due to complex PTSD that I didn't treat before, I've been struggling to treat my depression. I already have a psychiatrist for about 3 years who has been trying to help me with medication, but my depression is drowning me and he doesn't know how to help me, as we've already tried lots of different meds and treatments. The case is that he's specialist in ADHD treatment and I was wondering if I should look for another psychiatrist specialist in depression and keep both doctors? My GP said that because I have a long and complex mental health issues and I'm taking lots of prescribed meds, she doesn't feel confident to change my treatment, once a psychiatrist would be more suitable to my case. I've tried different meds and therapy for quite a while, but I'm still struggling with the depression that is destroying my life. What you guys think about it? Any suggestions to help?

olderandwiser Can't get out of bed
  • replies: 2

Hi all, Thanks so much for sharing your difficult thoughts and feelings here. I haven't engaged with this forum for some years, but am looking for support today. I seem to be in a recurrence of pretty deadening depression, and have been feeling extre... View more

Hi all, Thanks so much for sharing your difficult thoughts and feelings here. I haven't engaged with this forum for some years, but am looking for support today. I seem to be in a recurrence of pretty deadening depression, and have been feeling extremely low and unmotivated for a number of weeks,finding it really lonely. Not sleeping until early hours of the morming, then finding it almost impossible to get out of bed until late afternoon. I recently quit my job, am 54 years old tomorrow, and feel like my life has no meaning or direction. Really hard to connect with people, or do the things that will make me feel better. Feels like no life.

josh88 I'm impacting everyone around me
  • replies: 3

I feel like such a burden on everyone at the moment. My partner is tired of my depression and constant low mood. All of our family and friends constantly ask her if I am ok, which is embarrassing for her. She understands that mental health is a probl... View more

I feel like such a burden on everyone at the moment. My partner is tired of my depression and constant low mood. All of our family and friends constantly ask her if I am ok, which is embarrassing for her. She understands that mental health is a problem that can't be solved quickly, but she is tired of the outward impacts on her, including low mood, negativity, and irritability. I'm already getting help from a psychologist, which is a very slow approach to tackling my mental health issues, but how can I hide the way that I feel, and should I hide it? My partner tells me that I seem disinterested when people talk to me in social situations, which I can't seem to help or control, and that I often make people feel uncomfortable, which I also don't even know that I'm doing. I'm really stuck and don't know what I should do to show genuine change and limit my impact on other people. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

ontarioguy35 My Story - Depression/Anxiety
  • replies: 23

Where to begin. I’ve struggled with depression for around fifteen years. It’s been a struggle to say the least. I was abused emotional/verbal/psychological by my mother. As a visible minority in non multi-cultural small town, I’ve also experienced hi... View more

Where to begin. I’ve struggled with depression for around fifteen years. It’s been a struggle to say the least. I was abused emotional/verbal/psychological by my mother. As a visible minority in non multi-cultural small town, I’ve also experienced high levels of racism. When I was younger (late teens/early twenties) something inside of me knew that I couldn’t start my life until my family issues were resolved. I swallowed my pride and starting seeing a counsellor – one of many to this day. At that age, I was very ashamed of not only the change I was feeling internally, but I was also very ashamed of the dysfunction that was occurring at home. My counsellor naturally suggested that I ask the family member who abused me to join, but unfortunately she was unwilling to acknowledge the truth behind what was going on, at that point in her life. This made me not only feel rejected, but it communicated the opposite of what was preached at home (being accountable and resolving our issues). I started having suicidal thoughts and would play-out vivid fantasies of ending my life. As the thoughts of suicide got worse, I ended up sharing with my parents. I knew I needed emotional support, but it was something they we're unwilling to give at that time in their life - I believe they were in denial about the effects of their abuse. I remember crying for so long, I felt like I completely drained myself of both my tears and emotions. I struggled with violence, promiscuity, drugs, and alcohol throughout my twenties. I’ve tried many things (prescriptions, psychiatry, counselling, anger management); I’ve wanted nothing less than to lead a normal life. I used to get so upset with myself, because I felt like I was unable to control my emotions and just 'get over everything' (I’d randomly break-out in tears; and often felt emotionally fragile and weak around dominant personalities). I was constantly getting bullied/targeted at work (I suffer from extreme anxiety, which makes me come across as either weird or snooty). I ended-up losing two jobs in a row and decided to take a year off and just write/focus on getting better. Within the last year I've rededicated my life to the Lord. I've decided to fight the spirit behind depression and started opening-up about this illness. My dream has always been to write a novel, so I've decided to write a story about the struggles of depression. I've started my journey of facing down the issues behind my emotional scars.

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.

Bella051105 3 Months Post-Partum
  • replies: 2

Hi All, I'm 3 months post partum with my second child and I feel like im okay handling the kids but I lack support from my partner at times. I feel like i have such a mental list like ironing his clothes cooking and washing up on top of the kids work... View more

Hi All, I'm 3 months post partum with my second child and I feel like im okay handling the kids but I lack support from my partner at times. I feel like i have such a mental list like ironing his clothes cooking and washing up on top of the kids work. I dont work at the moment but because of that I also feel guilty for not doing anything so i compensate with housework. My partner says that hes tired and dismisses anything i do at home so I honestly feel like a maid if I stop doing it, the mess overstimulates me and makes me more irritated. When im sick im still expected to do all of this but its not the same for my partner i need to tend to him. But no one looks after me and my pregnancy was the same, he basically said he was working and didnt have time for foot massages or to tend to my requests. I just feel like im being stretched out so thin. When i explain this to him he just dismisses it says sorry and does it all over agin the next day and says he forgot like at this point i dont think it will ever change. Ive got two beautiful kids relying on me but i feel like im maeried to a narcissist. I havent gone to a single event for myself for 4 years while he has opportunities to go out with his cousins but when i get invited to something the anxiety kills ms and I dont end up going or I worry about the kids. The moment i get excited about something i convince myself not to go. Sometime i just want to pack my things and leave.the kids are the only thing thats stopping me.

Korvyn Is there a good life for someone so fundamentally broken?
  • replies: 6

Cause I struggle to believe there is, I am a 24 year old assigned at birth male that identifies as non-binary and believes to be trans but is unable to outwardly express it or even transition due to the dangers that presents in my current living situ... View more

Cause I struggle to believe there is, I am a 24 year old assigned at birth male that identifies as non-binary and believes to be trans but is unable to outwardly express it or even transition due to the dangers that presents in my current living situation, I live at my parents home and it's a real toxic environment as the both of them resent me and are abusive to me, each other and my other siblings cause they feel so entitled to do so. My siblings don't care for me much either almost all having already left the house and to leave estranged to them and their families, I remain with the youngest sibling whom of which wants nothing to do with me due to my numerous conditions making me very unapproachable, I suffer from numerous disorders most of which I only suspect and resonate with as I cannot get them diagnosed due to again, said risks that may occur if my parents were to find out as they're anti-medical science due to it conflicting with their fanatical conservative beliefs that getting help is a sign of failure and weakness. Predominately I suffer from a severe eczema condition that leaves my skin incredibly agitated every waking moment, rapidly developing chronic pains all over my body (focused mainly on my arms but the pain can surge anywhere badly too at times), a very compromised immune system, some form of ADHD or similar neurodivergent condition and so on that I can thank my parents for due to real poor genes, I have seemed to have lucked out as my siblings don't have as many conditions as I have as it appears I have copped the brunt of it. I've drawn a really short straw on life it seems and on-top of all of that I am just not a very capable human being and I can't stand it, I am a real sight for sore eyes that leads to a lot of looks when my grotesque body passes by in public spaces, I am very uncoordinated, unable to focus on tasks, I struggled at school due to homelife and being unable to discipline myself leaving me a incredibly stupid waste of space with my grades were staggering low and failing to get my ATAR and only just barely scrapping by my HSC which led to being unable to find work so I lack experience and unable to support myself. I hate the skin I'm in I've tried accepting it but it's just not going to happen but I simply don't have the means or strength to do anything about it and even if I did, everyone around me would make life even more miserable so that just feels wonderful in it's self, I have no support or friends.