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Depression

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BeyondBlue Hello! Read this if you're not sure how to get started
  • replies: 0

Welcome This section of the Beyond Blue Forums is for talking about our experiences with depression. There are lots of chats about how it makes us feel, what it’s like to live with depression and what has worked to help in these times. Thank you for ... View more

Welcome This section of the Beyond Blue Forums is for talking about our experiences with depression. There are lots of chats about how it makes us feel, what it’s like to live with depression and what has worked to help in these times. Thank you for coming this far, we know it can be really hard to take these steps if depression is in your life - we see you and think this is a great step. To get the most out of this space we have a few tips: Get involved. The Forums work best for you when you get active and post where you can. Now, we know that can be really hard, especially when you are experiencing depression. So, if you can post something supportive to someone else here, that would be an incredible start. Speak from the heart. This community wants to know how YOU feel and what has worked for YOU. We trust that you have something unique to say and we can’t wait to hear it. Check in. Lots of the discussions in this section of the Forums have been going for years and they are some of the richest conversations we have. Keep checking in to get new ideas and offer your support. We know it can be tough to start, but when you are ready we want to hear your thoughts. If you need some time to get to know the community, that's okay! Have a look around and see where you want to get involved. Thank you for being here! Beyond Blue

Jeriava How do I talk to my doctor?
  • replies: 9

I’ve been struggling with my life for the past 7-8 years but I finally made an appointment with a doctor. I feel really scared though because I don’t ever go to the doctor for anything, and I havent seen this doctor for so many years that I’m really ... View more

I’ve been struggling with my life for the past 7-8 years but I finally made an appointment with a doctor. I feel really scared though because I don’t ever go to the doctor for anything, and I havent seen this doctor for so many years that I’m really scared that they’ll judge me or won’t believe anything I say. I’m really anti social so I feel like I won’t be able to say what I wanna say or I’ll say the wrong thing causing them to just dismiss me and move me along without helping. I’m just tired of feeling alone, depressed and just worthless but I’m really scared to talk to them.

AGrace SELF HELP TIPS FOR MANAGING DEPRESSION
  • replies: 132

Hi Everyone, Here are some ideas you might like to try for managing symptoms of depression. Of course everyone's different, so let us know what works for you, and please feel free to add to the list... Mindfulness – through breathing or engaging the ... View more

Hi Everyone, Here are some ideas you might like to try for managing symptoms of depression. Of course everyone's different, so let us know what works for you, and please feel free to add to the list... Mindfulness – through breathing or engaging the 5 senses Distress Tolerance – Accepting Emotions and Self Soothing Distraction – Put the thoughts/feelings aside and come back to them when you are ready to deal with them Positive Affirmations – Have some affirmations written down repeat them to yourself daily Sleep/Exercise/Diet – All 3 aspects of our lifestyle can impact the way we think/feel Increasing Pleasurable Activities – Engage in at least one pleasurable activity per day

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Guest_73802030 help.
  • replies: 0

I think I'm struggling with depression, I can barley get out of bed I don't eat I'm always fighting with my parents ever since they split I'm 15 yrs old and stuck in the middle of adult drama, and im so done with hearing them constantly talk bad abou... View more

I think I'm struggling with depression, I can barley get out of bed I don't eat I'm always fighting with my parents ever since they split I'm 15 yrs old and stuck in the middle of adult drama, and im so done with hearing them constantly talk bad about eachother.

Guest_28755086 Teen with anxiety and depression
  • replies: 4

Hi i have been really struggling with anxiety and depression i always feel sad but try to act happy because my mum thinks its not real i did get diagnosed but she said that the doctors are wrong. I feel so alone and don't know what to do.

Hi i have been really struggling with anxiety and depression i always feel sad but try to act happy because my mum thinks its not real i did get diagnosed but she said that the doctors are wrong. I feel so alone and don't know what to do.

Neve year 7 stress
  • replies: 2

I think I have deppresionIn year 4 I moved schools and it was great but when I went to high school my mental helth dropt and I started to get freaked out by things like cars passing, getting strest out by simple mistakes or tests and always feeling l... View more

I think I have deppresionIn year 4 I moved schools and it was great but when I went to high school my mental helth dropt and I started to get freaked out by things like cars passing, getting strest out by simple mistakes or tests and always feeling like I have no perpous or everythink is an effort.

Finding_Courage Giving up hope that help is available
  • replies: 0

I’ve had trauma throughout my life from childhood through to adulthood. Depression, anxiety and recently ADHD diagnosed. I’ve experienced parental abandonment, DV (in 3 relationships and 2 family) and all of that led to drinking as self medication. B... View more

I’ve had trauma throughout my life from childhood through to adulthood. Depression, anxiety and recently ADHD diagnosed. I’ve experienced parental abandonment, DV (in 3 relationships and 2 family) and all of that led to drinking as self medication. But I stopped drinking, married a wonderful man and felt like life was finally getting better. Then I’ve recently discovered video and photos of me online posted by a twisted ex without consent. I’m traumatised and still in shock because he took the videos without me knowing. I’ve reported it to the police but I feel like nothing is being done and that they just don’t think finding this creep and questioning him is a priority. I’ve contacted two DV support services, one just gave generic responses and referred me on, and the other has not even responded to my request for support. I was treated with disrespect by a police officer when reporting the image/video abuse. I feel like I’m being courageous by seeking help as it’s so hard for me to do. I feel like I’m hitting road blocks everywhere I turn. I can’t sleep, my stomach is in knots, I’m anxious and depressed. I can’t focus at work. I feel like I’m going downhill and I’m losing hope.

sofaking Weird/Embarassing coping mechanism. Will i ruin my life more by living in fantasy land
  • replies: 2

Hey everyone, first time posting here I think my life objectively sucks i am 17 but may have a future with a 100,000 medical debt, my parents dont accept me for being gay, i go to a christian school, i am socially quiet/lethargic so people probably t... View more

Hey everyone, first time posting here I think my life objectively sucks i am 17 but may have a future with a 100,000 medical debt, my parents dont accept me for being gay, i go to a christian school, i am socially quiet/lethargic so people probably think im weird. I have some light friendships but i dont have the time for much leisure time because im always stressed if im not working or high.i have been doing this ever since i was 6, but i still pretend that a cartoon character is my boyfrend, i dont tell anyone the extent he makes me feel, for obvious reasons [he is also um.. inhuman,,, not even an animal, a literal talking object] but when i think of him i dont feel like shit. this is tearing me up. why did god firstly make me a gross homosexual but secondly make me sexually disturbed so i feel loved watching a static projected image of a sexless thing!do i only do this because i am sick in the head? i was exposed to cartoon porn since the age of 6 [nobody to blame but myself for that one,, literally searched it up all the time, never told my parents that i was looking at gross things because id know theyd kill me] am i making my disease of sexual perversion worse? im not even interested in real people anymore [because they wouldnt want someone like me] but i feel as if i need to stop living in fantasy land with him. i forced myself to lose my virginity with my friend, so i could stop the thought of imagining myself as a 30 year old virgin. whats worse is that he actually helps me. last year i stopped smoking pot for a whole week, because i at least had him in my mind. i feel happy drawing him and whenever i watch him i involentarily smile. My family isnt that bad, my friends are cool, im not bullied, if i was to complain about anything with my life i would be heard [and then told that jesus loves me]. why must i waste my life away like this

Tam100 Broken family
  • replies: 2

I walked into our lounge room to find my husband consoling our 22 year old son who has been arrested for graffiti. My husband did all the talking and said our son feels terrible and is not in a good space mentally. My son also shared that he thinks h... View more

I walked into our lounge room to find my husband consoling our 22 year old son who has been arrested for graffiti. My husband did all the talking and said our son feels terrible and is not in a good space mentally. My son also shared that he thinks he may have Borderline Personality Disorder. On top of that, he has been caught using AI at Uni and is meant to have an interview about it tomorrow but will defer that because he is not in the right head space. I didn’t say much because I was letting it all sink in. My husband kept saying “I’ve told XXX we will support him and help him get legal advice” . My son went to his room before I could say anything. I honestly don’t know how I should respond. He has had mental health problems on and off since he was 15. He uses drugs and he has always been difficult to live with. We have another younger son who hates my eldest and they haven’t spoken for 5 years and we haven’t had any family celebrations together because of this. We also can’t leave them alone together in case they blow up so my husband and I have out our lives on hold for them. Their relationship has brought me to breaking point and now the graffiti thing feels like too much for me to cope with. How do I deal with my son - give him unconditional support? At the moment I don’t feel supportive. I feel I have nothing left but want to do the right thing.

Juno_11 Fighting the depression
  • replies: 4

Hi! I've been experiencing an intense period of depression that gets worsened by PMDD. Essentially what I'm wondering is if anyone has any tips on stopping the fight between my brain and myself (since it's essentially just... me)? I'm autistic, so I'... View more

Hi! I've been experiencing an intense period of depression that gets worsened by PMDD. Essentially what I'm wondering is if anyone has any tips on stopping the fight between my brain and myself (since it's essentially just... me)? I'm autistic, so I'm very much hyperfocused at the moment on finding answers to try and "solve" my depression, but I've already done a lot. I'm on a break from uni, am looking for a new job, and am getting involved in different social activities. But with all of my free time due to the break and no structure, I'm often alone with my thoughts, and get bored to the point of anger. I rely on my closest friends and family, but they're always busy to some extent. I used to be an introvert, and really enjoyed time to myself. Now, it's a burden, and it feels like I can't be alone with my thoughts, or else I'll get upset. I'm extremely restless, tired, and burned out. So, I'm wondering how I can accept what I'm going through, and stop fighting it? It seems like every time I try to accept it, or internalise positive messages, it just goes in one ear and out the other, or makes me more upset.

Casper im severly under motivated and im not sure what to do
  • replies: 2

hey, my name is casper. I was on this form a while ago talking about how im failing classes. I think its happening again, or well, is still happening. im a trans man in an all female catholic school and im in year 10. i have audhd, depression, gad, o... View more

hey, my name is casper. I was on this form a while ago talking about how im failing classes. I think its happening again, or well, is still happening. im a trans man in an all female catholic school and im in year 10. i have audhd, depression, gad, ocd, anemia, and im sure some others. i like to draw and i like anime, and i want to be a voice actor or a 3d animator. i was attempting to do my art assignment today and i was just so unmotivated to do it, and i realised that i havent been able to do any of my assignments, or study for my exams. yes, i have support, but i feel like i cant get anything down without being confused or just giving up entirely. even if its broken down into simple steps, its still hard to follow. i would do it at home, but i barely get any time to myself in my own home, so i like to cherish my free time. i feel like if i tell my parents, they will simply force me to do all the work in one go (thats what they have done before). not to mention my school situation sucks. on top of being transgender, i also like to openly express my interests in school (pins, keychains, etc) and its very important to me. However, being in a all girls school with teenagers ready to judge you without even talking to you... yeah. it sucks. i'm currently trying to change schools to an alterative school so it can support me better, but its a slow process, and i wont be able to transfer till next year. which means another term of work. i just feel like im being selfish and lazy, and im not sure what else to do. nothing seems to motivate me. if anyone can help, that would mean the world to me. thank you.

Guest_10305 Wanting to taper off your antidepressants? Start here
  • replies: 2

I’m seeing a lot of posts on this forum from people who have attempted to taper off their antidepressants only to go through horrible discontinuation syndrome, and/or have to go back on their medication. If you’ve been on an antidepressant for a numb... View more

I’m seeing a lot of posts on this forum from people who have attempted to taper off their antidepressants only to go through horrible discontinuation syndrome, and/or have to go back on their medication. If you’ve been on an antidepressant for a number of years you can’t just taper off over a couple of weeks or months because your brain has now become dependent on that antidepressant and it needs time to learn to function without it. You should be thinking in terms of years. The vast majority of doctors are not aware of this and will tell you to taper off way too fast. If you go too fast, you are very likely to get discontinuation syndrome which is basically hell on earth. You want to try and avoid that at all costs. It is entirely possible to get off antidepressants and stay off them, and it is well worth doing, but you must do it slowly. I have been antidepressant free for nearly 3 years now and my life is better in so many ways, but it is not a quick or easy journey. If you can go into it realising that, and set yourself up for success with a proper tapering protocol, you’ll have an easier time of it. I wish I’d known these forums existed before I started to taper off my antidepressants. I hope this can help others. Please take care of yourselves

Christine-R The wall i built
  • replies: 1

The Wall I Build Weights are pressing, pulling me down,I am drowning, lost where no light is found.Darkness whispers, it seeps through my skin,Not sadness now—something deeper within. I push the world back, it feels safer this way,A wall of stone shi... View more

The Wall I Build Weights are pressing, pulling me down,I am drowning, lost where no light is found.Darkness whispers, it seeps through my skin,Not sadness now—something deeper within. I push the world back, it feels safer this way,A wall of stone shields the night from the day.I tell myself pain won’t reach me again,So I harden my heart, think only of gain. But love in others is salt on my wound,Their laughter feels cruel, their joy ill-tuned.I stand in shadows, brittle and weak,A broken soul the daylight won’t seek.I am tired of pain—always the same. My veins run heavy with, hatred and anger , a venomous thought . I push away love, for safety, for breath,Building strong walls that resemble my death. Yet somewhere inside, a flicker remains,A fragile ember beneath all the chains.Though darkness has worn me, and silence has grown,I dream of a place where I’m not alone.