Hi, reaching out for advice and people to talk to who understand

[Natd]

Hi, I have suffered with depression and anxiety for 12+ years from a number of life events. I go through good phases and bad phases, at one point I thought I had it under control but lately I am going through a really bad phase. I have tried many things in the past to try and get past feelings of loneliness, frustration, self-doubt, low self esteem, low motivation. Currently seeing a psychologist who I have only seen 3 times so far and now have to wait to the middle of March to see her. Also tried to talk to different friends about how I am feeling but a few of them don't seem to understand how bad I am feeling. I just wanted to know if anyone had any good self-help tips, good books that they have read that they have found helpful or anything that I could try.

Thanks

[Soberlicious96]

Dear Natd,

Welcome to Beyond Blue and well done for reaching out.

Yeah, the wait to see a psychologist can be quite long sometimes. Thank God for forums like these, where you can reach out at any time, hey?!

I am sorry to hear of your battles with depression and anxiety. I too have battles those same demons for most of my life (am edging closer to 50 every day) and yes, there are always those who don't understand. Sometimes I think that my partner doesn't get it, although he is a wonderful man and very caring and affectionate. I am quite blessed really, to have hi in my life.

One of the books I once read is a book called 'When bad things happen to good people'. I actually got it when my Dad fell gravely ill with a brain tumor and melanoma. I found it to be really helpful. another book, which I have purchased much more recently, is a book called '30 days and 30 ways to overcome anxiety'. I actually think it's a book that is perhaps more aimed at teenagers ..... but I'm not all that much of a grown up sometimes anyway, so I am enjoying it!

I've also found yoga and meditation to be quite helpful too. I think that a lot of anxiety is based around the 'what if' type of thinking, whereas yoga can help to focus your mind on the present and on 'what IS' in the here and now.

Anyway, I don't know if that helps at all. Hopefully it does help at least a little bit? Take care. I'll be thinking of you. xo

[Katyonthehamsterwheel]

Hey there

Welcome to the forums. One of the things I find helpful is browsing here on the forums to read about other people's experiences and what works for them. There's also a really good thread filled with uplifting quotes if you're into that - I am! 🙂

I also agree with soberlicious96 that yoga and meditation are really good for helping us stay in the moment and get out of our heads. You don't need classes either - there's stuff on youtube, or use an app.

A book I'm currently loving is "Build Resilience and Free Yourself from Fear" by Kate James. It's just a small book I picked up from Kmart, but it's full of simple and concise good advice. Love it! Another is "The Power of Now" by Eckhhart Tolle. Oprah recommends it lol, but it's also a bestseller. Another bestseller is "Feeling Good" by David D. Burns. I also have a gratitude journal that I picked up from Kmart. It's good because it's proactive, rather than passive. But you can also just create your own journal and write down your thoughts and work through them, as well as writing down things you're grateful for.

Kind thoughts, Katy