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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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sconee am I always going to feel like this?
  • replies: 1

I’m from a small country town. this year I was living pretty much alone in my family’s rental house in the city to finish year 12. it was pretty lonely all year and I didn’t have a lot of friends. I did basically everything outside of school alone an... View more

I’m from a small country town. this year I was living pretty much alone in my family’s rental house in the city to finish year 12. it was pretty lonely all year and I didn’t have a lot of friends. I did basically everything outside of school alone and never felt like I made any real connections or that anyone ever wanted to hang out with me. I got homesick a lot and often wished I could just move home because I was convinced it would be better. I graduated a few weeks ago and have since moved home again, and I was excited because I thought I would be super happy and things would be way different. I pictured hanging out with friends and doing heaps of fun stuff, but now I’ve been here for about two weeks and I’m feeling miserable. my job hasn’t started so I have nothing to do all day, and my few friends are either away or too busy for me. I’m just sick of doing everything alone. I know I can and I know there’s nothing wrong with it but I just want friends to do stuff with. I’ve been crying all morning and I just feel so lonely and so disappointed that being home isn’t how I thought it was going to be. am I just being a sook? what can I do to keep myself busy and feel better? I don’t even know where to find more friends but I really want them. I think it’ll be better when my job finally starts but until then am I just going to feel miserable all day? how can I make the most of this time so I don’t look back and judge myself for how I was feeling and acting? is it just a period of feeling bad or am I always going to feel like this?

maggie1 Where do i start!
  • replies: 1

Hello,Not sure what I'm looking for here, just some advice I guess. I have suffered from anxiety/depression on on off for many years. Currently I. Going through a rough time, I was made redundant from my part time job, I hated the job but it was good... View more

Hello,Not sure what I'm looking for here, just some advice I guess. I have suffered from anxiety/depression on on off for many years. Currently I. Going through a rough time, I was made redundant from my part time job, I hated the job but it was good to get some extra cash for my family. Now I'm jobless I don't know what to do with my life and feel like I have no passion. When the subject of passion and what I want in life comes up with my partner I shut down and dissociate. I find myself mindlessly scrolling instagram all day and not being present with my daughter, it's causing arguments with me and her dad and she is noticing, it breaks my heart. I have a psychologist referral, also a psychiatrist referral to get adhd diagnosis, I keep forgetting to book and I don't have the money to book. I don't know how to prioritise my life, so I just end up doing nothing.I feel like I'm just going in circles all day. I don't know where to start

Earth Girl This is hard to talk about
  • replies: 4

So for most of my life I was almost completely straight (until I was about 22 or 23 I think), but before then, the only attraction I had towards other girls was really mild, like sometimes if i was talking to a girl and they were really nice to me, I... View more

So for most of my life I was almost completely straight (until I was about 22 or 23 I think), but before then, the only attraction I had towards other girls was really mild, like sometimes if i was talking to a girl and they were really nice to me, I felt... whatever you would call that type of thing, like sort of romantic attraction, I think? But back then, it rarely happened and I was mostly just attracted to guys. But even though I rarely felt attracted to girls when I was actually around them, when I had "particular alone time", I thought about other girls with a sexual attraction and then when I finished having "particular alone time", I felt really awkward because I didn't feel comfortable with being bisexual in any way at all. When I was in year 6, I was really excited about starting high school the next year because for some reason I thought that I was going to become the prettiest and most popular girl in school and be really thin, have great style, etc, but the next year, another girl was the pretty popular girl and I was like um, what the hell? That was suppose to be me! So I was really annoyed at her and then one day I thought, she may be pretty and popular, but... she hasn't done anything to me? So I stopped hating her and then I found out she was going out with a guy in one of my classes and at first I didn't mind too much, but one day, in P.E, we were doing this running thing where you had to get to this end point by a certain amount of time by running and walking and at one stage, while we were walking the girl, her boyfriend and another one of their friends came up to me and had a chat and her boyfriend said something to me that was kind of funny so then I had a crush on him (shy girls get crushes really easily) and the same thing happened the next day so then I started hating the girl again (my bad). There was another guy who I also liked in the year above us as well so I was trying to figure out which guy I liked more because liking two guys at the same time is hard. Later on during the year, I think I ended up having some type of girl crush on the girl who I was jealous of, it was confusing though because I wasn't attracted to her when I was actually around her, I just thought about her sometimes when I was alone (if you get what I mean), and then later I felt really awkward. (I'll write some more soon).

Tamrby depressed and eating
  • replies: 2

I accidentally went cold turkey on therapy. The person I was seeing suggested that it would be better if I saw someone who specialises in eating stuff, the thing is when I told my parents my mum was okayyyy but my dad flipped out at me and he said I ... View more

I accidentally went cold turkey on therapy. The person I was seeing suggested that it would be better if I saw someone who specialises in eating stuff, the thing is when I told my parents my mum was okayyyy but my dad flipped out at me and he said I need to stop making problems for myself so I have kind of just closed off about getting help again, I feel guilty like I do just make problems for myself. That was a few months ago and I feel myself getting bad again at first it was just my self image and eating I guess but I feel myself feeling hopeless and bad and worthless again, i think I might be depressed again. Because I struggle with my body image and food and stuff its also causing me alot of anxiety because I want to go to the gym alot but its just getting harder to get out of bed and because I cant I feel really guilty. I think trying to deal with this alone has exhausted me but I am scared to stop, that I will lose control and I will be disgusted by myself even though nothing I do will actually make me feel good enough.I am seeing my old psychologist next week so I guess I will see what my next steps are I am hoping she can talk to my parents because she tried calling them but then never followed up and so I had to try explain alone what I felt and it was really hard. It is an on going battle in my head i know what is right and wrong sometimes but it feels like my body is sending me a different message.sorry for how long it is I just really cant talk to anyone about this, I have a lovely girlfriend but obviously can only share a bit because no matter what anyone says I am really a burden to her and I make her anxious and worried with my feelings so its probably better to just deal with it myself.

Cake So lonely even when not alone
  • replies: 8

I've been struggling with depression and anxiety for over a decade now. I'm 32, live my partner of 7 years and my cat. But I feel so alone and it feels like I'm going to keep feeling this way for the rest of my life. I'm a very emotional person and g... View more

I've been struggling with depression and anxiety for over a decade now. I'm 32, live my partner of 7 years and my cat. But I feel so alone and it feels like I'm going to keep feeling this way for the rest of my life. I'm a very emotional person and get stressed and cry really easily. My partner is the complete opposite - nothing really phases him. He doesn't get stressed and rarely gets upset. He has very little emotional intelligence and doesn't know how to react when I'm upset. He has no idea what to say so will say nothing, and will try to provide a bit of physical comfort but just doesn't provide the kind of comfort and response I want, need and expect. I've tried to tell him multiple times what I want from him in these situations but it seems he's just not capable of it. I have no one else I can confide in and talk to. My family have never been the type to go deep and I just can't talk to them, and they live interstate anyway. I have no real friends and haven't for about 10 years. My partner is the only person I have to talk to, and because he doesn't provide any real comfort, I end up feeling worse after confiding in him. It's the loneliest feeling confiding in the person you're closest to and getting little to no response. And then I think about how he will always be like this, therefore I will always be feeling like this. I have a lifetime ahead of me of feeling alone. I'm still feeling the grief of losing my 21yo cat, my best friend, 4 years ago. Before, I'd had the comfort that no matter what happened, she was always there, loving me unconditionally. Now I've lost that comfort. I fight a battle with my head every day. I have the ability to think logically, but then there's what I call this monster also in my head that takes over. The monster will put all these negative thoughts in my head. It's exhausting trying to fight him off. I'm a perfectionist. I want to do things right and be liked. So I can get really stressed about making decisions and making sure I do and say the right thing, and any mistake I make will be replayed in my head over and over again. I'm very shy and lacking confidence. I don't like social situations because I get anxious about what to say and did I say the right thing, and what do they think of me. I never feel good enough. I'm so exhausted of having to lift myself up after every breakdown. Of having to try and fight off the voice screaming in my head. I'm so exhausted. I want it to stop. I want to not feel lonely.

Lizeyloo Struggling with loneliness
  • replies: 1

Hi, I'm a 20F and struggling a lot at the moment. I only have 1 friend who lives in another city but has mental issues of her own, I don't feel close to her rlly at all anymore and I feel like whenever we talk its just negative and makes me feel wors... View more

Hi, I'm a 20F and struggling a lot at the moment. I only have 1 friend who lives in another city but has mental issues of her own, I don't feel close to her rlly at all anymore and I feel like whenever we talk its just negative and makes me feel worse, there is no escape. Its hard to be living like this at 20 when everyone is going out and living their best life, I can't help but just be depressed. I'm rlly socially awkward and I feel like it is just getting worse bc i don't know how normal 20 yr olds should act. I've developed some weird habits too. I've become obsessed with this celebrity to the point I'm refreshing my feed every hr to see if they've posted. It's not that I want to date them but I'm just so lonely I think it comforts me to see them happy and living a life. Right now I work at a dead end job and go to uni, socializing seems so easy for everyone and when I go to uni everyone is in their groups laughing and I just feel so alone. How can it already be so hard when I'm only 20. I'm not sure how to be happy and be myself when I'm so anxious about everything, I just can't let loose. My heart beats so fast and words come out so badly that ppl just stare at me weirdly, it is getting more and more worse as time goes on. My confidence has never been worse. I also feel sad knowing I'm turning 21 next year and probably no one will be there to celebrate with me. It looks so easy for everyone else. I feel very lost.

Guest_39895792 Can't find a reason to keep going
  • replies: 3

Don't want to keep going anymore. Can't believe I went through all of the sign up to end up here. Oh well. Its in writing now. I guess it's no longer just a thought....I am so damn weak and defective.

Don't want to keep going anymore. Can't believe I went through all of the sign up to end up here. Oh well. Its in writing now. I guess it's no longer just a thought....I am so damn weak and defective.

Pink grapefruit Feel depressed
  • replies: 1

Hi, there was a change in the workplace and my role has been removed. This is purely about business but I feel I am not good enough and not worth it. How should I cope such a change…

Hi, there was a change in the workplace and my role has been removed. This is purely about business but I feel I am not good enough and not worth it. How should I cope such a change…

ABC01 Had an okay day,now feel like crap.
  • replies: 9

Dear All, Today I had the first nearly okay day I have had in 6 whole months. I have been working towards,even ASKING/BEGGING for just okay days. But as the sun is setting, I now am starting to feel so upset. Is it because I haven’t felt like this in... View more

Dear All, Today I had the first nearly okay day I have had in 6 whole months. I have been working towards,even ASKING/BEGGING for just okay days. But as the sun is setting, I now am starting to feel so upset. Is it because I haven’t felt like this in a long time? Is it because I am so used to feeling upset,that if I get upset again during the day, I have already felt it so it doesn’t hit so hard? Is it guilt? Do I feel guilty to feel NEARLY OKAY?What is wrong with me?ABC01

Esc Frozen in fear
  • replies: 1

Hello all. I’ve no doubts that I suffer from depression and anxiety. My biggest hurdle, is that I make headways at bettering myself, only to regress backwards into a frozen fearful world. At present, realisation has made me painfully aware, how littl... View more

Hello all. I’ve no doubts that I suffer from depression and anxiety. My biggest hurdle, is that I make headways at bettering myself, only to regress backwards into a frozen fearful world. At present, realisation has made me painfully aware, how little friends I have. My inept ability hinders me in making new friends, or how I don’t follow through to keep them. My self loathe and hatred, blinds me into believing that I am not worthy and inferior as I don’t work, when others do. I feel judged or scorned because I am not experiencing the struggles most others endure. I volunteer and study, but can’t shake the feeling of worthlessness. My family has grown and I am often overlooked. Discarded, only spoken to when they need something from me. I have no connections or resources to help them in today’s social and economic climate. I am useless, of no consequence or of value to others. I try so hard to move forwards in the positive, but I let myself down with a “why bother, I’d still be alone and lonely”. My hatred and self loathing is tangible and my self esteem can only be judged by how others never contact me. I am a worthless individual whose only redeeming feature, is that I am always there for others. How can I possibly find solace in knowing what a complete and utter failure I am. Loneliness is cruel and I am completely incapable of moving forward and making friends. Yes, I’ve tried counselling etc., only to find very little joy in life. So tired of being tired and isolated.