Newbie

[Nomad888]

Hi,

I'm new to the forums and just wanted to say hi 😉

i've been struggling recently with a lot of symptoms of depression which can come on with no notice at all and leave me feeling miserable for days. I'm isolating myself from others and my family and have no interest in things anymore. Everything I used to find fun is now just a chore and I just want to spend my day in bed.

i also experience some OCD tendencies, mainly at night which though not severe are disruptive and make me worried why I have rituals. In addition, I binge eat often, I think to make myself feel happy or at least feel something but ends up having the opposite effect. I am self conscious of myself and obsessive about food (although I am working on this).

i haven't told anyone about my struggles, mainly because I don't think they are serious enough and I don't want to be looked down upon by others ( I live in a supportive household) but I feel that admitting these issues would make me appear weak. As such, I don't quite feel comfortable going to a doctor or psychologist, but my parents would have to know as i live at home.

if anyone as any advice or tips I would love to hear it 🙂

thank you for reading!

x

[MsPurple]

HI Nomad

No matter how bad you think it is I think it is always good to discuss it with a GP or someone you are comfortable with. If you have had a really sore throat for a few days and it's not getting better you would go to your GP to check it out wouldn't you? It could be an infection and need antibiotics or it could be just a cold and pass on it's own. Either way the dr is glad you checked it out and doesn't think it is a waste of time because it is better to be safe than sorry. I have the same mentality with mental health and someone questioning if they think they may have a problem. I was the same as you and I didn't think it was bad enough so I didn't do anything about it and I wish I had done it soon. I was also like you and I wasn't comfortable talking about it with my GP. I ended up going to headspace which is a youth mental health service. I saw a GP there who did a mental health care plan so I could get 6 free psychology sessions. I am not sure if you if you are between 12-25 but if you are it could be something to consider.

It is normal to have these feelings. I felt the same way in the depths of my GAD and depression and I sometimes have rough days here and there. But with help and support from my psych and GP I can now manage it. I wish I had opened up and gotten help sooner. It was probably one of the best things I did. I can now manage and I feel free knowing what was going on with me.

I want you to know you are not weak. You are strong for opening up and asking for help and advice on the forums. This is the hardest step to take. You can overcome this and feel better. Trust me. If you have any questions feel free to ask 🙂

[BballJ]

Hi Nomad888,

Firstly, welcome to the forums. Well done for posting a reaching out for help.

Sorry to read what you are going through, depression and any mental health issue is so tough and pretty much everyone on these forums has dealt with or is dealing with a mental health concern so you will find these forums very supportive and non judgemental.

Do you know when these depression symptoms starting coming on?

I know you don't want to reach out for help and let people know what you are going through but one of the most important steps to recovery in my opinion is having a good solid support network whilst you are recovering and learning how to overcome mental health issues. You said yourself you family is supportive and I am sure they would just want you to tell them if something was wrong and try to help as best as possible. My first suggestion is going to see a GP about how you are feeling, if you struggle to speak face to face about these things then perhaps writing down a list of everything you are experiencing and giving it to them as you don't want to leave details out so that way you can ensure they give you the best help possible.

Please also remember you can call the Beyond Blue helpline on 1300 22 4636 24/7 to discuss anything you are feeling, they are trained professionals on there and that is great.

Please feel free to post back as much as you like.

My best for you,

Jay