Depressed Mood and needing some advice to get through it

[Oct]

Hello BB,

My mood has become very depressed due to some family issues ( I say depressed mood as I am not diagnosed, and it had only begun fairly receny).

For some additional information, these family issues don't involve me directly, but stuff is happening with other family members. We are close knit and love each other dearly, so it made me stress out so badly from worry and not being able to help them when life gives them the sh*t end of the stick. The uncertainty of how it may turn out in the future is the main culprit.

I ended up crying the whole night. Woke up the next day feeling better, but noticed that I had absolutely zero appetite, nausea, a continuous bad feeling in my stomach, needing to lie down or nap as much as possible, zero motivation, difficulty focusing (when reading manga/comics) and little enjoyment from my usual day to day pass times. Also, extra emotionally sensitive. 

The last time I had these same feelings and physical experiences was with my first break up - had a hard time getting out of bed for months, taking care of myself and being functional (work, school, social) was an absolute chore. I was fortunate the feelings didn't reoccur for a long time, until now. 

Do you guys have any simple tips or advice to share to help get through this a bit easier?

Maybe something I can try doing to get myself out of bed easier, or some easy foods/snacks to eat through out the day that won't come up as easily? Vomited out a couple of my meals and very little appetite. 

I'm seeing a psychologist for separate, anxiety issues, so I can ask them for help with this at my next appointment, but I would like to hear from people who have had same or similar experiences - what are some little things that may have helped you (in hindsight or currently)?

[Sophie_M]

Dear Oct
 
Welcome to the Beyond Blue forums, we can hear that you are feeling overwhelmed of late however glad that you felt safe enough to reach out to the online community this evening.
 
It sounds like you have a beautiful bond with your family which explains the concerns you hold right now.  Sometimes however this level of concern can show up in a variety of ways, for example, disrupted sleep, poor appetite, low motivation and more.
 
It's good to hear that you will be speaking with your Psychologist shortly however in the meantime we have included some links below for you to explore:
 
Information on Anxiety and Depression
 
Managing Stress, Anxiety
 
Oct, if ever you feel up to talking, our fully trained counsellors are also here on the other end of the line, on 1300 22 4636 or via our WebChat
 
It’s great to have you here and thank you again for reaching out, it shouldn’t be too long before you here from one of our lovely community members.  Please be kind to yourself.
 
Regards 
 
Sophie M
 

[geoff]

Hello Oct, there is an online depression test you can do, try and do this a few times, at different times of the day so you can then get a feeling of how you are, and as you have been referrd to a psychologist, then your doctor believes that there might be something you need attention with.

Have they offered you a 'mental health plan', which entitles you to 20 Medicare paid sessions per year.

If you are close to the rest of the family then you might join them when they are hurting in some way and will affect you in one way or another, and as much as this may console them, you need to gain the strength to look after yourself, because at the moment you may not be capable of taking on everyone's issues.

These different anxiety problems may also be related to what you are struggling with now and may need to be discussed with your psych.

Geoff.

Life Member.