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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 chats on this Forum having 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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scott05 Depressed and flat
  • replies: 1

Been feeling down for quite sometime and really don’t now where to turn 

Been feeling down for quite sometime and really don’t now where to turn 

Coco18-8 I hate my brain
  • replies: 3

Everything I do I feel like I always find a problem and it’s exhausting. My brain is so exhausting I want to stop being this way. I feel like everyday I have a problem or something that I’m anxious or worried about and end up crying . I feel like I c... View more

Everything I do I feel like I always find a problem and it’s exhausting. My brain is so exhausting I want to stop being this way. I feel like everyday I have a problem or something that I’m anxious or worried about and end up crying . I feel like I can never allow myself to be happy and it’s so frustrating because I want to be happy but so many things happen that knock me down and send me to spiral that I can’t get out of it. I feel like I’m always the problem because I’m the one with the problem all the time and it makes me want to lash out on others or just not even talk to them because I feel like a burden because I have to many anxieties or problems going on that they get sick of it.

mekkem_89 What do I enjoy?
  • replies: 3

Hello,I am in my mid 30s. I have 2 amazing children and a wonderful husband. I have great close family but no friends. I only need to work part-time so that's all I do. My children are busy with extra-curriculars and so is hubby. I'm really strugglin... View more

Hello,I am in my mid 30s. I have 2 amazing children and a wonderful husband. I have great close family but no friends. I only need to work part-time so that's all I do. My children are busy with extra-curriculars and so is hubby. I'm really struggling to find enjoyment in anything. I'm withdrawing and then feeling lonely. I don't know what to do, or what I even enjoy anymore. Is this depression?

Ilvpoppy Eating disorder
  • replies: 4

I've been recently discharged from the hospital for my anorexia I've already lost 5 kilos and I'm scared I'll be hospitalized again, I'm sick again I keep fainting and I can't stop purgeing I went to my friends house tonight first sleep over since I'... View more

I've been recently discharged from the hospital for my anorexia I've already lost 5 kilos and I'm scared I'll be hospitalized again, I'm sick again I keep fainting and I can't stop purgeing I went to my friends house tonight first sleep over since I've gotten out and I used it as a free for all to purge I feel guilty that I use my friends as a way to purge but I can't help it.

Blight Non binary, Neptunic, Asexual, Eating Disorder, Depression and Shunned From Society
  • replies: 1

I am a young non binary neptunic asexual with an eating disorder and moderate depression. I’ve tried to tell my friends but they say I’m just overreacting. Only two people believe me (plus several therapists). They are the saints known as Ash and Ava... View more

I am a young non binary neptunic asexual with an eating disorder and moderate depression. I’ve tried to tell my friends but they say I’m just overreacting. Only two people believe me (plus several therapists). They are the saints known as Ash and Ava.Everyone else has called me a drama queen. They say it’s just a phase. They say I can’t have a sexuality and still be asexual.The eating disorder has gotten worse and worse and right now I’m just a stick who fakes forgetting their lunches and hides in the shadows. The only people who support me are Ash and Ava. It’s scary when you’re suffering through this alone. Right now, I’ve lost 3kg. I’m an 11 yr old with the weight of 37kg.I’m scared that I might have to tell my parents about it and that I’ll have to go to hospital at some point. I’m scared that I’ll be called a liar by my own family. I’m scared that I’ll loose the closest people I have.

Guest_7025 Anxiety around my child being sick
  • replies: 4

I think I may need professional advice. Let me know what you think?each time my children get sick, it stirs up this intense anxiety within me. I don’t know if it’s out of sympathy. I just worry so intensely about them and if they’re going to be ok. T... View more

I think I may need professional advice. Let me know what you think?each time my children get sick, it stirs up this intense anxiety within me. I don’t know if it’s out of sympathy. I just worry so intensely about them and if they’re going to be ok. Then in the moment; any other worry I have is brought to the surface such as my anxiety around flying and travel in general. I am a homebody. my husband I think just doesn’t have the skills, words, natural empathy to help me through it. I just sat outside in the cold fresh air to clear my head. have you experienced this and how did you find your way through it?

Giggyy family insults me and making my depression worse
  • replies: 6

My family is a very badly blended family and almost every day my stepmother and step-sister insult me about everything: my appearance, my hobbies, my autism, etc... and it is really making my depression worse because they affirm all of my own negativ... View more

My family is a very badly blended family and almost every day my stepmother and step-sister insult me about everything: my appearance, my hobbies, my autism, etc... and it is really making my depression worse because they affirm all of my own negative self-talk, to the point where it is making me suicidal. How can I deal with this level of constant bullying? I just hide in my room all the time (i won't even leave to get food or water sometimes) because i try to avoid them as much as i can, but the dinner table is where they just rip me apart every night, and my dad doesn't do anything about it. they call me "disgusting", "unlovable", "lazy", "ugly" and [r- slur] etc... (you get the idea lol). what can I do? I cant even try to recover from my depression because they keep making it worse. i don't really have any friends, and i don't like to talk to the 2 friends i do have about it because i don't like to put my issues on them (its not fair on them to hear me complain).

Yellow-Thorn78 My experience with medications and COVID
  • replies: 1

I am seeing a therapist about the development of forming and being aware of the feelings of others and myself. We looked at a brain diagram in relation to the thinking brain and the 'caveman brain' how it forms responses and how to go beyond instinct... View more

I am seeing a therapist about the development of forming and being aware of the feelings of others and myself. We looked at a brain diagram in relation to the thinking brain and the 'caveman brain' how it forms responses and how to go beyond instinctual processes like fight, flight, freeze and appease. We talked about what activities can exercise the 'thinking brain' and this term in this session ignited a series of memories that always feel like they're following me. It was my relationship with acne medication, COVID and the strain that I felt was imposed on me after my grandpa died. Medication is something that should be explored more often. I was on a medication to treat acne, of which my epidemiologist told me and my parents that a primary effect of the medication is exhaustion and depression. The odd thing was the only real way I came to my feeling was after my prescription was increased, and my parents said I felt off and description. The happiness I felt after getting off them was something I was not conscious about, which I feel carried over throughout COVID. And then I hit a wall. Surrounding all the topics listed above, my senior year level experience was terrible. It was in Term 3 Year 11 that my grandpa passed away. He lives in England, and so my dad was the only one to go to his funeral. I became irritable and mad at the world, and while I'm teaching myself to live and move forward, I couldn't and still can't wholly forgive the trampling behavior of former and even current friends and family. I wasn't only that I wasn't brave enough to say something felt off, but it feels hard to dissect into tinier pieces when it can spiral out of control. I often feel alone; I've never been in an intimate or best friend relationship, and I still don't completely know why it's okay to negatively chat about things. I can't really argue about how it feels sluggish, but it simply feels overwhelming. Everything, Nothing and I can conspire against me, and it leaves me without any steps into any conceivable direction. That's all I have to say really. Sorry if parts feel cryptic or go against the second point of the guidelines. Part of me says this is to vent and move on but it would be nice to receive different approaches I should go about if situations like these or even new arise.

sylvwah Done
  • replies: 17

I'm done. I stopped anti-depressants because they made me too fatigued and I still thought constantly of suicide. I no longer believe they can work. I dropped out of my uni course that I started this year because of anxiety I cancelled my psychiatris... View more

I'm done. I stopped anti-depressants because they made me too fatigued and I still thought constantly of suicide. I no longer believe they can work. I dropped out of my uni course that I started this year because of anxiety I cancelled my psychiatrist because at $300 a visit, it's just a pot luck on experimenting with pills and I think they are reckless. My relationship with my partner feels like a bomb has gone off. I feel like hiding from my partner and newborn baby. I can't look after my older kids l. I'm so tired. I can no longer be bothered exercising. I left the social groups I'm part of - board games and baby playgroups. I'm done. I don't want to talk to family or friends or do anything. I'm so ashamed of who I am. After 4 years of psychology and two attempts at anti-depressants everything is so much worse and everything I've been striving for has been a waste of time. I don't think there is anything next.

Malen PAIN!
  • replies: 15

I have SI Joint Dysfuntion, I had an RFA recently. Recovery was supposed to be 48 hrs. Its been 12 days now since the procedure and the pain is worse than the pain I had before the procedure, in some rarer circumstances it can take up to 6 weeks for ... View more

I have SI Joint Dysfuntion, I had an RFA recently. Recovery was supposed to be 48 hrs. Its been 12 days now since the procedure and the pain is worse than the pain I had before the procedure, in some rarer circumstances it can take up to 6 weeks for recovery. Im still on the pain killers I was on before the procedure, which is alot. Like one med needs a new prescription written each fortnight. Another needs a doctor with a certain license to presscribe it. Now we have been adding more common but still hard to get pain meds on top of that to try and get the pain under control. I should mention an RFA is where they go in and burn the nerves where the spine and hip joins, its supposed to eliminate the pain from the problem there. I probably shouldnt have had the procedure when I did as I was in the midst of a brief psychotic episode, not that I was aware of it. Ive been incredibly depressed which is making the pain worse.Pain and mental health often go hand in hand which sucks and is so not fair.