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Looking for others experiences talking to loved ones about your mental health?

Jack2021
Community Member
Hi guys,

I've been a part of these forums for a few days now, but I feel already its making a huge difference in my management and recovery of severe depression, stress and anxiety.

Without rambling or going in depth of my own issues which isn't my aim of this thread I guess, I was wondering what opinions, advice, and/or experience all of you have had in regards to talking to friends, family, and loved ones about your mental health?

For me, even though I have suffered from depression about 6 months now, it has been very slow and gradual, however becoming quite severe and debilitating since around Xmas and new years of 2020/2021, lots of feelings of hopelessness, lots of sadness, lots of tears, no suicidal thoughts thankfully, but just a general lack of desire and passion to live life.

My parents, 2 close friends, and wonderful girlfriend of 6 months are really the only people who have known about it, though since last week I am trying to get as much help and support as I can from others, with my counselling finally resuming next week, and enrolling myself in a online mental health well being program that is set to start this week hopefully.

One of my recent major concerns is with my girlfriend, I have the closest relationship with her than anyone else, and trust her the most, therefore I share a lot of my troubles with her, which I am so worried about, as I don't want it to be pulling her down or worsening her mood, as I have already seen it happen twice the past 2 weeks, when I was dealing with very severe anxiety and depression and breaking down quite a lot, it did affect her wellbeing seeing me like that

As a result of this, as much as I'd love her support, I think I'm better off not telling her so much and instead talking to my counsellor and the forums here, as much as It pains me to do so...she is the most wonderful girl and is so supportive and mentally strong, but I can see it is affecting her talking about and trying to help with my issues...

Have other people been in similar situations here? I have tried looking for other threads with this sort of topic, but came up with nothing, would love to hear from you guys 😊
72 Replies 72

Oh that's a shame, at least she was nice. I usually use the webchats.

I'm sorry to hear you're jobless and unwell also, I hope you can find a job soon, and feel better.

Yeah that was the only positive, but I don't think I'd try it again unless I was in a really really bad place I guess 😱

Thanks for that, means a lot 😊

Getting better physically is something I'm hoping will come eventually with a bit of time and light exercise possibly...it's been more than a year and a half with this particular muscle injury and constant dull pain, I've had all the checks and all the GP's tell me is it's a muscular injury, just use the creams and pain killers...well if I used them every time I was in pain then I'd be using them everyday 😂😂

The job situation is a tricky one..... at first it was that I resigned from my casual/temp job (that I didn't like all that much to start off with) due to just really severe anxiety and depression, I just completely and utterly emotionally broke down one day in the morning and only lasted an hour at work before going home sick and resigning that day pretty much......my depression then started getting better day by day, and upon joining the forums here as well, it's only been until the 3rd week now that I feel well enough to go back to work, except my issue is still not wanting to return to the same industry...so I am planning to volunteer a bit, and try to go back to study a course in a career I might like (education) ...although I still will probably need to go back to working in industry for a while, cause money, but at least I can have something to look forward to...a "light at the end of the tunnel" so to speak...rather than working towards nothing and having zero career satisfaction the past year now 😱😱😱😱

Anyway, hoping it works out well....

Hey Jack, sorry I haven't been around. How have you been going?