Depression

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

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

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

Derek_ Why am I depressed if my life is perfectly fine
  • replies: 3

my life is perfectly fine, I have a loving family, nice friends and a girlfriend, my parents are sometimes stressing as for school but I don’t really think that’ll make me depressed, I have diagnosed depression and anxiety I’m 16, I harm myself and h... View more

my life is perfectly fine, I have a loving family, nice friends and a girlfriend, my parents are sometimes stressing as for school but I don’t really think that’ll make me depressed, I have diagnosed depression and anxiety I’m 16, I harm myself and have suicide attempts I want to know why I’m depressed, but there’s no reason at all.

roga I have suffered from depression for many years.
  • replies: 1

Hi, I have suffered from depression for many years. I am now in my seventies and it seems to be getting worse. That Is I believe is from the time I have on my hands. Some days I am unable to get out of bed. My wife leaves me alone to navigate through... View more

Hi, I have suffered from depression for many years. I am now in my seventies and it seems to be getting worse. That Is I believe is from the time I have on my hands. Some days I am unable to get out of bed. My wife leaves me alone to navigate through this. I play guitar but even that feels like a struggle to pick it up. My personnel hygiene suffers for having a shower can be too much for me to do regularly. There seems no end to this in my thought pattern. If anyone can recognise these symptoms I would love to hear from you.

dubrovnik Fed up
  • replies: 20

Hello I am a middle aged woman who is youthful both in looks and attitude. I have siblings who often dismiss me, put me down, are nice when they feel like it. I have often walked out of family get togethers & it’s made me look neurotic in front of ot... View more

Hello I am a middle aged woman who is youthful both in looks and attitude. I have siblings who often dismiss me, put me down, are nice when they feel like it. I have often walked out of family get togethers & it’s made me look neurotic in front of other family members & mutual friends, certain friends that I had always take their side. This has impacted my relationships with other people, I have lost trust in people, I have severe trust issues stemming back to being hurt in relationships & former friends. when I am away from & with other people, I am confident, happy & comfortable within myself but when I am around 2 of my siblings they make me feel like I am boring. I am a reserved person but once I get to know people I am quite open. I have tried talking to them, things go well for awhile but then their attitude towards me starts all over again. I have always been a good sister towards them, I don’t understand it at all. I get upset and emotional when they start with their put downs. I have a different personality to them which they seem to put me down about. I am at a loss. i have been told that I am too sensitive but their attitude is beyond a joke. I don’t know what to do.

Oct0ber Recognising I’m struggling and asking for help
  • replies: 2

The last 2 years have not been easy. My teenage daughter has struggled with her mental health to a great extent and all my focus was on helping her. My life is nothing like what it was two years ago. I have finally admitted to myself that I’m depress... View more

The last 2 years have not been easy. My teenage daughter has struggled with her mental health to a great extent and all my focus was on helping her. My life is nothing like what it was two years ago. I have finally admitted to myself that I’m depressed and possibly suffering from some PTSD. I have a GP appointment next week. I am a private person and have always been able to manage and bounce back from every situation or set back. I am very nervous about the discussion with the GP and not sure how to ask for help without either downplaying the extent of how sad I am all the time or falling apart in the appointment. I’m not entirely sure what I’m looking for here. Maybe some words of encouragement or insights into what to expect.

Euphie I am suffering from depression
  • replies: 2

I’ve been suffering for a long time, while recently I lost the one I love the most, my grandmother, she was everything to me, she raised me, and my real parents were not involved so much in my life as my grandparents, I’ve spent 17 years with them be... View more

I’ve been suffering for a long time, while recently I lost the one I love the most, my grandmother, she was everything to me, she raised me, and my real parents were not involved so much in my life as my grandparents, I’ve spent 17 years with them before I started my life alone in Australia. I still feel the grief and sadness that makes me cannot sleep and work, but I have to work to pay all the bills. My work is really intense and stressful, I feel like I am always chasing the deadlines. When I finish my work I feel exhausted but I still cannot sleep well when things remind me that my grandmother passed. Now I have no idea how can I find the peace and get away from all the depression and anxiousness. I feel sad and guilty when I start to feel happy again, because my grandmother cannot see and feel the same.Can you talk how you walk through the grief process if you experienced this before?

I am not okay What helps being really lonely?
  • replies: 2

I’ve gotten somewhat better than what I was but the one thing I realised is that I’m really lonely. Everyone I had in the time when I was unwell I’ve pushed away.

I’ve gotten somewhat better than what I was but the one thing I realised is that I’m really lonely. Everyone I had in the time when I was unwell I’ve pushed away.

CourtneyJ Just need to share my feelings - Deep deep shame
  • replies: 4

35yr old diagnosed GAD, SAD and depression. I've struggled with my weight all my life. I'm currently trying to "unlearn" all the toxic diet advice I've read over the years and implement and more healthy, consistent and long term plan. I'm currently t... View more

35yr old diagnosed GAD, SAD and depression. I've struggled with my weight all my life. I'm currently trying to "unlearn" all the toxic diet advice I've read over the years and implement and more healthy, consistent and long term plan. I'm currently the heaviest I've ever been (+30kg overweight). My job allows me to WFH and I have been since the start of the year (going through a difficult time mentally and working through it) but this morning I finally decided to go back into the office. I got up early, put my makeup on and went to get dressed... and I looked disgusting in every outfit I tried on. There's just no way I could walk into the office looking like that. If I was someone who could readily express their emotions I would be weeping in bed right now with the sheer depth of my shame. Instead I'm currently trying to manage my immediate reaction to try and fix it by implementing a drastic calorie restricted diet to lose as much weight as fast as possible. Experience tells me this is not a helpful solution. So right now I have no idea what I'm going to do.

Cailin Depressed and terrified to leave my house
  • replies: 4

I’m 60 and have suffered from depression and anxiety most of my life but usually with support I overcome This time I haven’t left my house for 10 days, not showered and just eat, sleep or watch tvi live alone with my beautiful little dog and I feel s... View more

I’m 60 and have suffered from depression and anxiety most of my life but usually with support I overcome This time I haven’t left my house for 10 days, not showered and just eat, sleep or watch tvi live alone with my beautiful little dog and I feel so bad that I haven’t walked her im just locked inside my house and I have to go to the shops by Friday but it feels insurmountable I can’t get a gp appointment for 6 weeks and feel so alone and worthless

white knight Highly Sensitive People (HSP)
  • replies: 133

Are you sensitive? If so you might be in the range of a HSP. Studies show up to 15-30% of people could fall into this category. And I thought I was alone! Have you had the comments ”you should toughen up” ”don’t be so sensitive” Yet these people don’... View more

Are you sensitive? If so you might be in the range of a HSP. Studies show up to 15-30% of people could fall into this category. And I thought I was alone! Have you had the comments ”you should toughen up” ”don’t be so sensitive” Yet these people don’t realise that your sensitivity is part of you, your personality. It’s like you suggesting they grow shorter as “you are too tall” How absurd. Sensitive people have strong inner feelings, can be creative in things like writing, like to help other people or animals and generally care deeply in their convictions. So people that criticise us are in effect bullying us to be someone we are not. If possible stand up for yourself because sure as yabbies bite your toes, if you don’t then you’ll be walked over. We cant all be without sensitivity, we can’t all be low in emotion... not everyone is a highly sensitive person, if they were they’d understand how our world is full of inner feelings and also wonderful in a strange way because we “feel” and that my friend is priceless... TonyWK

livin-life-I-guess my dad doesn't acknowledge my depression
  • replies: 6

Hi guys I'm new on here but I rly just need advice on how to deal with this situation tbh. I guess I have been dealing with these issues for a long time now (especially through year 11 and 12) but was only diagnosed after I was admitted to the psych ... View more

Hi guys I'm new on here but I rly just need advice on how to deal with this situation tbh. I guess I have been dealing with these issues for a long time now (especially through year 11 and 12) but was only diagnosed after I was admitted to the psych ward in November. I got diagnosed with depression, ADHD and anxiety, and I'm on medication for all of them. I started meds in september and its now January and none of my medication has worked, I'm worse than I was before I began lol. I deferred my uni exams around the time I went into the psych ward (november 2022), but now I have to sit them in under a month and I'm still feeling like shit and nothing has worked. To make matters worse I am living at home at the moment (during the uni semesters I live at college) and I'm constantly copping mean comments from my dad about how lazy I am, always sitting in my room, apparently all I do is watch TV according to him. Like I have tried to explain the fatigue and lack of motivation is literally a symptom of both depression and ADHD but he just doesnt believe me. When I tried to explain this to him he literally said "if I lived your lifestyle and never left my room or exercised I'd be depressed too." He just doesnt get it. He is already difficult to deal with on his own because I swear he is a narcissist, but on top of the added stress of everything and depression and exams, its unbearable. People from college don't understand why I never visit home but the constant fights, anger, blame and tension in my house is hard to explain and understand unless you have experienced it yourself. I really need advice on how to deal with this as its starting to effect me and I feel like I can never do anything right. Its hard enough having to deal with all the depression crap without having to feel like anything I do could get me yelled at or in trouble. And on top of this I have to find the motivation to study for exams in like 3 weeks (keeping in mind I was so depressed for the whole of sem 2 that I literally did no work and have to start from scratch on all my subjects so that I can pass my deferred exams that start late january). help lol, I hate it here thanks guys sorry for the rant, any advice at all would be appreciated