Depression

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

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BeyondBlue Hello! Read this if you're not sure how to get started
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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?
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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
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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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Jessksch How do people get through the work week without going crazy with depression?
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I'm going crazy at the moment: My job sucks so much, I can never save enough for my own home in the future. What are we actually working for? To survive? Why survive a life when we never have time to live. I just want a house with a garden to have lo... View more

I'm going crazy at the moment: My job sucks so much, I can never save enough for my own home in the future. What are we actually working for? To survive? Why survive a life when we never have time to live. I just want a house with a garden to have loads of pets, at least then I can work to support them. Now, I'm renting and not allowed to have pets anywhere, it stresses me out and I have nothing to look forward to in the future. I'm so sick of taking it day by day at the moment, when I'm at work I would rather paint or do crafts, something that gives meaning to myself, but I'm so sick of lowering my bar to find a little sliver of something in the day to day to keep going. It all sounds like excuses to me to keep going and it's all not good enough anymore for me.

Guest_28173449 how can i find help?
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hi everyone, i think i might be depressed, and i think i have been for quite a while now. i am in my last year of high school and i really need help. i want to see a psychologist but i dont feel comfortable talking to my parents about it. they are al... View more

hi everyone, i think i might be depressed, and i think i have been for quite a while now. i am in my last year of high school and i really need help. i want to see a psychologist but i dont feel comfortable talking to my parents about it. they are also very expensive and i think there is a long waitlist. i have a councillor at school, but i don’t really want to talk to her about it. it feels weird talking about that stuff at school, so i keep conversations with her a bit more surface level. what should i do?

Anonymous1337 I don't know if I'm alone here but...
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As I sit here at my laptop I ponder where to start and if this is just a cry out for attention, I'm just a bit lost. Hello my name is David, I am a gay male, I work as a mechanic/technician and have been for now, just over 10 years. Due to the toxic ... View more

As I sit here at my laptop I ponder where to start and if this is just a cry out for attention, I'm just a bit lost. Hello my name is David, I am a gay male, I work as a mechanic/technician and have been for now, just over 10 years. Due to the toxic and hostile nature of the industry and trades it made it hard to be open about myself, I made the mistake of never coming out, being true to myself and open with everyone. As time went on, I could tell, even though there are nice people I work with, I had to "play" along (playing "straight"), come up with excuses or fake stories if there was any questions I had to be quick thinking. This has not put me in a great position as I've formed some friendships at work over the years and no one really knows. Sad thing is, I need to get out of the trade, at least out of this job. The stress and anxiety I experience actually makes me sick in the morning and i go into a blank frozen zone in my mind and just shake/panic attack, luckily I'm on meds that help with that. This is already pretty full on, add to that I've been suffering depression since probably early 2010's, ups and downs and the downs have been gradually getting worse. I have a partner which I proposed to in Japan last year when we were on holiday with friends, that was a special time of my life (I really wanna go back to Japan too haha). Add more to the mix of my messed up mind, I have issues a bit with his weight only because it turned me off during you know what time. And it really annoys me and makes me sad when i realise this. It's something I can't help, like a natural impulse thing it's hard to describe. He's working out, swimming, going for walks, getting a better job and I couldn't be any more proud of him and I love him so much. Sadly we haven't made love in probably years, I'm not kidding. It actually hurts me that my mind just doesn't feel like it (anyone had this?) I feel like I'm hurting him like I don't love him but it's not true.. I have fear of getting older tied up with being a failure and also a strong fear of change, finding a better job and new people etc. I also haven't had good luck with any psychologist in the past, could be I just haven't got the one that "clicks" with me but even to my own mind I feel extremely complicated and it's stupid and actually pisses me off. Sometimes I really want to escape it all, like spiderman no way home, have nearly everyone forget i ever existed and start again.

reading456 I don't like myself
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Hi. I don't like myself, I compair myself to others and it gets me depressed because I don't look pretty like them. I over eat because I don't feel good enough.

Hi. I don't like myself, I compair myself to others and it gets me depressed because I don't look pretty like them. I over eat because I don't feel good enough.

Guest_91029745 Don’t know what to do next
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Kindly advise me please I was pass homeless because of many situations but I rebuilt my self back do everything very normal feed my self, pay my debits but I loss my job didn’t get pay my sick leave since from two weeks my income loss because I stop ... View more

Kindly advise me please I was pass homeless because of many situations but I rebuilt my self back do everything very normal feed my self, pay my debits but I loss my job didn’t get pay my sick leave since from two weeks my income loss because I stop work because of many billing and harassment problem my work place fair work department also failed to help because I couldn’t find later from doctor because doctor don’t want give later now I can’t pay my rent and miss pay my debits and no money for anything and bills and debits miss pay and jest 2 week remaining to renew my car rego I don’t know what to do. There is many of things pass and current I’m Stuckey facing feel starting enough and tired hopeless helpless because I try to talk with many people before this situation come and after also try to find solutions but I’m failed and every minutes problem keep growing…………im xmilitry person who living here with protection visa refugee my self I face many things I’m tired

Rosie Loneliness
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HiI've been reading many of your posts and loneliness seem to be a common theme. I've never been able to articulate what loneliness means to me until I read this quote: "The story loneliness is much longer than the story of life. In the sense of what... View more

HiI've been reading many of your posts and loneliness seem to be a common theme. I've never been able to articulate what loneliness means to me until I read this quote: "The story loneliness is much longer than the story of life. In the sense of what most people mean by living. Without children or partner, without meaningful family or a home, a day can last an eternity: a life without those things is a life without a story, a life in which there is nothing - no narrative dramas - to alleviate the cruelly meticulous passing of time.The lack of tenderness or intimacy, loneliness is when nothing will stick to you,, when nothing will thrive around you, when you start to think that you kill things just by being there."

Guest_97782543 Depressed
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I’ve been diagnosed with depression and I would like to talk to someone because I’m just feeling very down right now and a mental health worker at my school said if I ever feel the need to self harm I could talk to someone for Beyond blue or minds he... View more

I’ve been diagnosed with depression and I would like to talk to someone because I’m just feeling very down right now and a mental health worker at my school said if I ever feel the need to self harm I could talk to someone for Beyond blue or minds helpline and other sights like that

roman1613 Do i need meds?
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Hi all,i cant believe im here, so difficult... guess ill explain the best i can. I have always been a bit of a loner, never had a relationship but have always been contented with that, i just figured i was asexual and left it at that. i dont really m... View more

Hi all,i cant believe im here, so difficult... guess ill explain the best i can. I have always been a bit of a loner, never had a relationship but have always been contented with that, i just figured i was asexual and left it at that. i dont really mentally understand intimacy? but a year ago i made friends with this amazing girl from the US who was on a working visa for a year and we became best friends. We both care about each other a great deal, it didnt get romantic but honestly neither brought it up or cared we just hung out heaps and enjoyed life, it was the happiest period of my life by a gigantic margin. well her visa expired and she moved back to the states. I have cried every day for a month now, and while we text daily its just not helping to remove the pain at all... i need her in my life. i feel hollow like a peice of me is missing and i cant get her out of my head at all, im obsessed with seeing her again. is that love? ive never felt it before.Am i depressed if im crying every day? I dont know if i should tell her how much she means to me now that we are so far apart but at this point im just really scared and just need another person to give me an opinion on what to do. i dont have any scary thoughts, but the sadness i live with at every moment is unbearable. thank you so much for listening,Roman.

Guest_9965 Help I am 90% sure I have depression but I don't know how to tell my parents
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I am 14 years old I have really bad anxiety, ADHD, sensory issues, OCD, POTS syndrome (not a mental disorder but I used to be able to run 12 km and now I cant even walk 3) I always feel empty and sad like inside me is just a black hole of empty nothi... View more

I am 14 years old I have really bad anxiety, ADHD, sensory issues, OCD, POTS syndrome (not a mental disorder but I used to be able to run 12 km and now I cant even walk 3) I always feel empty and sad like inside me is just a black hole of empty nothingness and I am not good enough. on the outside though I am able to put on a smile for most of the day but this takes too much energy and I end up crying myself to sleep most days or not sleeping at all. If anyone has any advice I would love to know. (I haven't hurt myself or had suicidal thoughts before)

Guest_10458609 Pregnancy
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Hi there,I’m currently 27 weeks pregnant and have been feeling a lot of doubt about if I will be a good mother. On top of that I’m constantly anxious if my baby is okay which gets draining for me and my husband also who is always getting my thoughts ... View more

Hi there,I’m currently 27 weeks pregnant and have been feeling a lot of doubt about if I will be a good mother. On top of that I’m constantly anxious if my baby is okay which gets draining for me and my husband also who is always getting my thoughts out loud. I’m worried I’m not a good person and my baby will be like me. I feel like I’m constantly upsetting everyone around me and not nice. I have a history of depression and anxiety pre pregnancy. I love being pregnant but I feel so alone. I feel like no one cares when I know they do. I tried to talk to my husband but he just brushes it off and doesn’t realise how much my mind is being affected by my thoughts. I also feel so guilty for complaining as I’m lucky to be in this positionhow do I go from here