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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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JacintaMarie Sorry
  • replies: 18

HiHow are you? Sorry for coming here again.I need to talk, I was going okay this morning.I should be happy, as I got a job & getting paid, but my job, the management doesn't really do anything. We've had no good changes, just staff movements.It's bec... View more

HiHow are you? Sorry for coming here again.I need to talk, I was going okay this morning.I should be happy, as I got a job & getting paid, but my job, the management doesn't really do anything. We've had no good changes, just staff movements.It's because of money, we don't have the money to do stuff. I don't know how other places do it.Getting angry, & have admitted it, which is good. And the type of people they are, they're not proactive people, so they're never going to do it.But my brain still doesn't get that & I get upset.I wish I was like the other staff there & who don't give a s*** & just want to be paid.I don't even have proof that our management is abit hopeless, just my gut feeling. It doesn't help, that they act nice, so it makes me feel worse, they're unproductive, but they're nice. Having a cry. Am looking for another job, hopefully somewhere where they give a s*** & actually want to work & do some progress & change & evolution

Guest_76518182 Feeling loved
  • replies: 2

Hi, Im 15 years old and im going through depression I don’t have my family’s support but I have an amazing bf that I have been with for nearly three years now he has helped me so much but I feel like lately it’s been to much for me and him to handle ... View more

Hi, Im 15 years old and im going through depression I don’t have my family’s support but I have an amazing bf that I have been with for nearly three years now he has helped me so much but I feel like lately it’s been to much for me and him to handle I'm trying out this website to see if I can build up my mental health. any tips on how to control emotions better I just wanna be the best for him, I also have trust issues and fear he’s gonna get with another girl better then me can anyone relate or used to fear this but got over it…

Unsettled_Mind Distressed and Overwhelmed
  • replies: 2

Hello Everyone..This is probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do - and I write this from my office desk, whilst my mind is running off in a direction of its own.I am 34, living in Sydney, enjoy my job (has its moments), and is general... View more

Hello Everyone..This is probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do - and I write this from my office desk, whilst my mind is running off in a direction of its own.I am 34, living in Sydney, enjoy my job (has its moments), and is generally a Happy go lucky person.I'd say my mental health struggled the most when I moved back home for 10months in 2024, I thought it would be easy moving back home and spending time with my parents etc - this was not the case, and it threw me into a spiral of sorts where there were weeks I would only leave the house on Tues/Wed to travel from the Central Coast into Sydney (office days). I don't know if it was a generational gap or stubbornness on ones part but the same feeling and downward thoughts are happening again (and, I have relocated back to Sydney in Jan2025). I could possibly pinpoint the moments and interactions that just throw my mind out, but over the last few months it's as though there is a darkness that just overhangs, from face value I am always smiling - it's on the inside where I know and can feel that something isn't right - when I try and detach myself away from my family, it just gets worse. I am not going to lie, however there are days when I get back home I just want to black out and not wake up to do it all again.I am open to mindfullness tips, de-stress techniques etc, it just feels like I am carrying so much weight to the point that I can't go on and continue, I am tired of it all. Thank you in advance, for anyone that reaches out.

Fixx Been going to therapy for over a decade, and I think I am hopeless?
  • replies: 5

Been going to therapy and taking meds for years since I was 6 and nothing has worked for me and I genuinly think I am not going to get better nor do I deserve it, I stopped going to therapy and taking my meds since the start of the year am I better? ... View more

Been going to therapy and taking meds for years since I was 6 and nothing has worked for me and I genuinly think I am not going to get better nor do I deserve it, I stopped going to therapy and taking my meds since the start of the year am I better? no but I wasn't better with them either, am I doomed to just be a mess up? is this it cause if so this is not living this is just a drawn out punishment that I don't wanna deal with anymore. I don't really have any family and those that I do have I don't share much with them anyway so I'm posting here for whatever reason.

Belly Feeling Low, Unsure where to from here
  • replies: 7

Hi, I'm new to beyond blue forums. I have suffered with depression and anxiety on and off most of my life. Currently things have gotten a lot worse as we are in the worst financial position and I don't know how to go on. My husband and I own our own ... View more

Hi, I'm new to beyond blue forums. I have suffered with depression and anxiety on and off most of my life. Currently things have gotten a lot worse as we are in the worst financial position and I don't know how to go on. My husband and I own our own business and it is sinking fast. We have so much debt owing on the business, numerous unpaid bills and owe all of our family members money including a couple of our kids. I guess I'm just venting I don't think there is an answer but as I sit here in bed crying unable to sleep yet again as I can't stop thinking of where the money to survive another day is going to come from. Then in a few hours I have to get up to go to work and start the day all over again. Tonight I did some more research and have found a place that may be able to help with the debt possibly. But I feel so bad at my failure I never thought I would be in such a bad situation and feel so low all of the time. I'm on the strongest possible anti depressant and anxiety tablets but I don't feel they help anymore. But I'm to scared to stop them cause goodness knows what that would look like. I have spoken to my GP and he has put me on a health plan to see a psychologist. However one I need money for that and we can't afford for me to go and two I have tried counselling before and it has never helped me. So instead here I am hoping talking to others who know what I am going through may help.

indigo22 Following the breadcrumbs to improve mental health
  • replies: 141

Hi everyone, The last few months have been somewhat confusing as I have discovered more about my mental / physical health and how it has all been connected. I had not put the pieces together, I am not sure why, it seems so obvious now. I have dealt w... View more

Hi everyone, The last few months have been somewhat confusing as I have discovered more about my mental / physical health and how it has all been connected. I had not put the pieces together, I am not sure why, it seems so obvious now. I have dealt with Dysthymia since about 12 and Major Depression since about 14 but was not diagnosed until my 40s and had no idea that had been the problem all along. I knew I wasn't like everyone else but thought I was just born that way. Back then mental health was not a subject that was openly discussed and the signs mostly went unrecognised and untreated. I had about 10 years of talk therapy with a social worker that helped immensely. I have had a sensitive digestive system for a good portion of my life, not so much that I sought treatment, just things like indigestion with certain foods, bloating and the like. I suppose I thought everyone had those types of issues. I have also had nervous system reactions over the past 15 years, like involuntary shaking in certain situations, that I had put down to getting older and being less resilient having been through a lot of difficult challenges. I have been seeing a psychotherapist who also does somatic work (turns out you were right mmmekitty, I did need some more help). The first session of somatic work, in this case EFT (tapping), brought up a deep and long standing belief that I did not deserve to be helped. The emotions were buried so deep that I was not even aware of them. After that session things went haywire physically for a few days and took some weeks to start to settle. Being the type of person who needs to have an understanding of what is happening and why, I have been reading many books on the symptoms I have had. That is when I began to join the dots about how interconnected by mental and physical health actually were. It has required a lot of processing on my part, and an acknowledgement of what I have been consciously unaware of, but it has been necessary to finding a way forward. This will be an ongoing journey as new symptoms show up that need to be looked at. I know now that there is a lot of unreleased trauma in my body that is a contributing factor in not healing mentally or physically and I know now what needs to be done to improve. There is only so much that the medical profession can do, I believe the rest of the responsibility lies with us in digging deeper to find the causes and the answers. In many ways, that in itself becomes empowering. Take care all.indigo

Earth Girl They treat me like I'm overweight and need to go on a diet
  • replies: 3

My parents act like they are so much better than me in every way including with food even though my Mum eats so much junk food and a lot more of it than me. When I eat vegetables or fruit which I do every day, they don't notice, but when I eat someth... View more

My parents act like they are so much better than me in every way including with food even though my Mum eats so much junk food and a lot more of it than me. When I eat vegetables or fruit which I do every day, they don't notice, but when I eat something unhealthy, even if it's small and right after eating something healthy, they definitely notice that, and they only focus on it. My Mum is overweight, and she says that I eat too much unhealthy stuff like pasta, and I asked her when the last time was, I ate pasta because I can't even remember the last time, I ate it, and she said, "I see you eat it a lot" and then I said like when? I didn't eat it yesterday, I didn't eat it the day before and I was going to keep going but then she stopped me to say "well, if you only haven't eating it for two days..." and then I said that I haven't eaten it in ages. It's been at least a month since I've had it and I only had it once or twice last month which isn't much or over doing it in anyway, but she just fixates on it. I'm never rude to her about all the junk food she eats. She keeps talking about her weight everyday which I really don't care about, and she says it's because of all the food that she eats that is making her big even though it's actually all the JUNK food that she eats so it's really annoying having her treat me like I eat too much unhealthy food when that's what she does! This morning, she told me that she bought lots of salad that I could have some of and I could tell that she was trying to say that I was being unhealthy without actually saying it so I told her that I JUST had some broccoli and she said "That's good" and I said that it felt like she was trying to say that I eat too much junk food and she said "well, I do worry about it" and then I said "But what have I been eating?" and then she said that I eat too much pasta which is when we had the pasta argument, and I got really upset and she said "and now I have to have this blow up. You asked me a question, and I answered," and then I said "But you're not talking to me about it, you're just trying to escape, and I never tell you that you eat too much junk food and you're a hypocrite! She would also say things like "You need to go to the gym" to my younger sister who is really fit (my Dad says things like that too). It's really annoying being treated by my parents like this when they aren't even healthy themselves, especially my Mum. I'm a healthy weight and I watch what I eat and exercise.

naralle I'm sick of my Depression
  • replies: 1

Hey everyone, it's been a while since I put a post up here and so I've been really struggling with my depression lately and when my arthritis and sciatica play up my depression joins in and then I feel like crap . I have no motivation and feel low, a... View more

Hey everyone, it's been a while since I put a post up here and so I've been really struggling with my depression lately and when my arthritis and sciatica play up my depression joins in and then I feel like crap . I have no motivation and feel low, and I just like a statue. I have my husband but he has depression and anxiety too but he tries look after me the best way he can. All I wanted to say is that I have been struggling big time with my depression:(

Coconut Feeling down (btw new to these forums)
  • replies: 7

Hi! I’m a young teen and quite nervous to talk about how I feel but love how you can stay anonymous. For the past few years I have been dealing with my ocd, adhd, and severe anxiety. However, for the past year I have been feeling not like myself and ... View more

Hi! I’m a young teen and quite nervous to talk about how I feel but love how you can stay anonymous. For the past few years I have been dealing with my ocd, adhd, and severe anxiety. However, for the past year I have been feeling not like myself and very sad. Sometimes I’ll be sad with no reason I guess. I don’t like doing my hobbies and I would rather sit in bed all day and watch tv than go to one of my friends house. Lately, school has been tough. My school has very high educational standards. I would say I am quite smart, however my scores haven’t been reflecting that and I feel like I am letting myself down (which I am) but at the same time I have absolutely no motivation whatsoever to study. My adhd affects the way I study, for example after 10 minutes I will have to go for a walk to reset my mind, which can make studying sessions twice as long as they should be. I also am very hard on myself and I always have been but it’s getting worse. If I get a 60 percent on my test, I feel like the roof is going to cave in, and I won’t have any shot to get into uni. I’m in my last year of middle school and I know it won’t affect me but my anxiety is telling me it will. A lot of people say I am too young to understand emotions, which is silly because firstly, there’s no minimum age of understanding your emotions, and also I find that I am quite mature. Another thing I have noticed is I have been so paranoid at night, like someone is going to break in. I live in one of the safest neighbourhoods and it won’t happen, but I have these thoughts about it happening. My ocd makes me lock the doors 12 times every night and open and close the windows 8 times, which still happens, but it has been getting worse because of my paranoia. I have some amazing friends but I feel so lonely. I’m trapped in a bubble that is suffocating me with every step I take and word I say. I don’t know why I am feeling so sad. I cry myself to sleep and I can’t tell any of my friends or family because I don’t want to be that one person that always cries and is a burden. At school, no one would ever pick me to be struggling. I make everyone laugh, and always have a smile on my face. However, inside, I am crying. Sorry if this is a long paragraph. I’ve never done one of these forums and really hoping someone responds. Hopefully someone can understand! Thanks guys and I hope you are doing well!

Guest_13075688 Just looking for some advice
  • replies: 2

Hi all, Just curious as to what I should do. For a few years I believe I haven't felt properly energetic towards anything. Early years of highschool I was pretty emotional, self-harmed a few times and pretty pathetically attempted suicide, but then m... View more

Hi all, Just curious as to what I should do. For a few years I believe I haven't felt properly energetic towards anything. Early years of highschool I was pretty emotional, self-harmed a few times and pretty pathetically attempted suicide, but then moved on from that when I got a girlfriend as she supported me through whatever I was dealing with. For years now I believe I haven't felt proper emotional responses towards things, and time kinda just passes on. I still enjoy doing things and in the moment I feel, but it passes really quickly and my memory of everything diminishes. My girlfriend is really understanding but it can get pretty annoying when I am constantly forgetting things. The reason I am writing on this discussion board is because today my great grandad passed away after 100 years of life, and my family was upset and we all hugged, but I simply wasn't able to produce any sort of emotional response as everyone else was crying. It made me realise I should probably look into it further because I have known I struggle with empathy and emotional responses for years. After some light research I am curious as to whether suppressing my responses growing up has anything to do with why I feel so numb now. I know that when confronted with something I would always breakdown in highschool and at home. At home I forced myself to suppress everything and not breakdown so that the moment would pass quicker and my parents would send me off to bed. So my question is, is it possible to teach yourself to suppress emotions and not express anything? Will this lead to a lack of empathy for people? Even as I write this I feel like letting something out but I am telling myself not to because it's a waste of time. I believe I do not have time to waste on figuring this out, but I would also love some closure on why I lack emotion. If anyone has some good knowledge to share on this please do. Thankyou in advance.