Members new and old, introduce yourselves here

[Chris_B]

Hi everyone,

This is (what will hopefully become) a mega-thread for members, new and old, to introduce themselves.  I'll kick off:

My name is Chris Banks and I’m the online communities manager at beyondblue. Basically, I’m here to help out, contribute to discussions, and answer any questions you may have about beyondblue. I work with a team of moderators behind-the-scenes who keep the forums running 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

I’m 37, originally from New Zealand, and have worked as a filmmaker, journalist, and musician.  I’ve spent a good chunk of time working in the mental health sector too. I have lived experience of bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety, and have been living in Melbourne for nearly two years. In my spare time I enjoy movies, music, hanging out with mates, and I barrack for Hawthorn, much to the disgust of some of our regular members!

I’m not a psychologist or counsellor (although I have seen a fair few of them), so I can’t give medical advice. Like everyone else here, I can provide peer support only.
I really enjoy being part of the community and virtually meeting the many different people of all ages who come through everyday, even if they're not feeling the best when they arrive on the doorstep. Hopefully in your time here you'll feel less alone, and pick up some tips and encouragement for the journey.  

(passes on the talking stick)

PLEASE NOTE: This thread is for introductions only, if you have an issue you would like to discuss ongoing with the community, please start a new thread with your topic in the appropriate section.

[Dette]

Hi, I'm new to the site and the forums; I'm 46, a single parent, full time nurse and have lived with depression/PTSD/Anxiety since I was 14(, undiagnosed until I had my first baby and a whopping dose of PND at 26.)  Medication has saved my life over the years, but   I'm also very stubborn;  so even though suicide has been more than a passing thought over the years, its hard to give in to that overwhelming feeling I'm sure most of us have experienced. My main reason for joining BeyondBlue is to connect with people who have the same issues, and hopefully to help in any way I can.  I'm so sick of the stigma attached to this illness, I want to be part of changing that any way possible.  I've watched my kids like a hawk over the years, and still do - I don't want their lives to be like mine, reliant on meds to be "normal" - no such thing as normal.  Thanks for listening!!   Dette]

[Little_Otter]

Hi,  I'm brand new to this website,  but not brand new to my varying conditions. I have melancholic depression,  bipolar 2 and was diagnosed with SAD yesterday.

My brain is a bit mushy due to a new medication I started taking, so Hopefully my post makes sense! I have a myriad of health issues which affect my day to day life.

The funny thing is that I'm naturally a happy person,  people are often surprised to learn of my diagnoses. When I'm in the pit, things can suck pretty bad. I'm here for community,  I started In a group therapy run by black dog, two weeks in I'm feeling a change.

[geoff]

dear Dette, welcome to the site where your professional experience, past traumas and struggles will be of tremendous assistance to all of us. L Geoff. x

[geoff]

dear Little Otter, that's a great name, but thank you for deciding to join the site, and would be very interested to know how the Black Dog has actually helped you. Geoff.

[Elle_G]

Hi Chris,

I have just signed up. I am a 39 yr married mum of 3 boys and I was diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety last year (prescribed anti-depressants). They seem to be working, in that i no longer break down sobbing when i am folding the washing. But lately i have felt such over whelming sadness come over me and the tears are starting to come back. I think being able to talk to other people who understand how i am feeling is going to be a big help. I am really good at putting on the cheerful face at work and when i am around people but it is very tiring! 

[Bez]

Hi I'm a retired mother of 3,sons all of whom and myself have suffered from depression in some form. We have all been helped by therapy and medication and this group will hopefully continue to assist. Recently my doctor suggested that I discontinue my anti depressants as he was placing me on a morphine derivative for my severe arthritis. I am now back on the anti depressants and using a different pain therapy. I thought I would be fine, after all it has been years since my last depressive incident and I only take a 5mg tablet, not so. Perhaps this will help other older people in a similar situation.

[Cherryblossom]

Hi all

I'm new to forums in general and to this site. I'm 34 and married. I have clinical depression with bi-polar tendencies. I also struggle day to day with severe panic attacks and severe anxiety that is crippling to the point where a don't leave my house for several days. The worse it has been, i didn't leave home for 15 days straight. I have body issues as well that i struggle with daily. 

I've been bullied severely throughout my schooling years and with an unhappy childhood with emotional and mental abuse from one parent that continued for many years. When I was 16 I began abusing alcohol and pot to cope. I'm ashamed to say this but I became an alcoholic and drug addict before I turned 18.

I'm now been sober for 5 years and the drugs only a couple of months. With each day passes I know it's better for me being off them. 

At the present, each day is a internal struggle of trying to trust people, trying to cope with memories I cant keep hidden or more the point I don't know how to cope with, also with anything new happening it takes me days to get used too.

Plus also trying to be strong and trying to cope with a parent that's dying of cancer and being scared with every day, and every visit, thinking is this going to be the last time i hear there voice or see them alive. 

I'm going to wrap this up now, Cheers Cherryblossom.

[Happy_Mumma]

Hi!

I'm 37 and a mum to 3 beautiful kids. However, when pregnant with my 3rd, I felt differently to the whole pregnancy than I had before, but struggled through it. About 4 months after my baby boy was born, I went to the dr and he diagnosed me with depression, and I have been taking pills now for 2 years. I have only told a handful of people about my depression, afraid how they will react. I have never really been i forums before, however I joined here, because I have been struggling a lot with my depression lately and wanted to check out the forums etc to hopefully get advice and inspiration on how to deal with this. 

[White_Rose]

Dear Cherryblossom

You certainly have a huge load to carry so I hope we can help and support you. Welcome to Beyond Blue. If you would like to talk to the community I suggest you start a new thread under Depression. You start it by clicking on Depression on the list of topics, then go to the top right hand corner and click new thread. Follow the instructions from there. Your thread will be more visible to others and not get mixed up in this thread. You can copy your post from here as a start if you wish.

First things, have you been to your GP and asked for help with your depression? If not then I suggest you do this ASAP. You are clearly not coping with all your difficulties on your own. That's not a criticism. Without my lovely GP and equally wonderful psychologist I would still be grovelling on the floor and I have fewer issues than you.

I thoroughly understand the trust issue having had the same difficulty myself. I think it is one of the central problems with depression. We so desperately want to be helped, to find comfort and freedom from fear and pain so we tend to ask all sorts of people and tell them our story. And of course many of these people have no idea what to do or say, which leads you to feel ignored. The other path is to tell no one and hide under a mask hoping someone will notice and help but we disguise ourselves too well.

All of this leads to the feeling no one is to be trusted. That is why I urge you to go to your GP and possibly see a psychologist. By the nature of their jobs they must help you or refer you to someone who can help. If you have already done this then please excuse me.

It's great that you no longer drink. There are a number of people who write on this forum who will identify with you. Similarly with drugs. Getting away from these addictions is hard enough without the complication of depression and the concern over your parent.

I will stop now. If you want this thread to be transferred to the Depression forum, contact the moderator or start a new thread. I will be looking out for you.

Mary

[Magda]

Hi!

I'm Magda and I've just joined the forum. I do hope to give support and be helpful to anyone fighting everyday with anxiety and panic attacks, bringing my personal experinece, which turned to be positive! I know the feeling of not being able to find a way out of the darkness, but I want give hope and tell it's really possible!

I've struggled with anxiety, panic attacks and eating disorders for  about 15 years, since I was very young. I think I was 13 when I got the 1st ephisode which I'm pretty sure was triggered by the sudden lost of my 20 yo cousin.From there, It's been an evolving status of fear, panic, anxiety. Symptoms changed frequently, got worst and seemed impossible to handle. As many of you, I felt I was totally alone in my world of happy people who had no idea of what these problems are. Anyway, I've lived with the belief that I was able to heal myself without any medical help for almost the whole period..but at the end accepted the idea of seeking the help of a psychologist, though always refused to take any drug (but this is just my personal idea). I worked hard with her and on myself and stopped hiding my problems to the world. It took time, some falls back and few drastic changes in my life..but here I am, 4 years from my the last panic attack! 

Hope to be part of this community to give my little contribution! I found it hard to talk to people who had never been through such things, so I know how important even just few words are from someone who understand these feelings.