Depression

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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.

Chris_B Are you looking to support someone else with depression? PLEASE READ before posting
  • replies: 0

This forum is for people seeking support for their own mental health issues. If you're posting on behalf of someone else with a mental health issue that you're concerned about, please have a look at this section of our forums: Supporting family and f... View more

This forum is for people seeking support for their own mental health issues. If you're posting on behalf of someone else with a mental health issue that you're concerned about, please have a look at this section of our forums: Supporting family and friends with a mental health condition It's full of threads from people who have family members and friends going through anxiety, depression or other related conditions. Have a read through the threads there, and feel free to take part in the discussions. Below are also some helpful beyondblue resources you might want to look through first as well: Supporting someone Have the conversation

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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koi_pond Scared about the near future. How do I cope?
  • replies: 1

Trigger warning - unaliving thoughts I recently graduated university and struggled hard to cope on my own getting through it on top of disabilities. But I made it, albeit I'm in massive HECS debt and I can't cope with the thought of it all. I wanted ... View more

Trigger warning - unaliving thoughts I recently graduated university and struggled hard to cope on my own getting through it on top of disabilities. But I made it, albeit I'm in massive HECS debt and I can't cope with the thought of it all. I wanted so badly to recover from my burn out, but a cancer diagnosis upon graduation, I was advised to put off work applications. Now that I've had surgery and am struggling with health complications one after another, I feel so alone and fight to get through most days. Some days I have to choose between chores, a medical appointment or taking a shower and making dinner. I'm never not in pain and exhausted. I'm taking each day a step at a time and trying extremely hard not to catastrophise the near future. I want so badly to support myself and get ahead but for every step forward I'm knocked back 5. I don't have family to rely on and with the cost of living crisis and no where to go if I'm struggling. I'm scared. I've had a long history of trauma and struggles in life but I've always made it through some how. But now it's all adding up and effecting my body in so many ways. I've contemplated ending my life. But I'm going to do my best not to give into those thoughts. I'm doing my best all the time and it scares me how close I am some days, with all the pain, all the time. The pain killers and nerve blocker only does so much for so long. I'm scared. I'm thinking to volunteer soon to help try building up my skills whilst applying for jobs. I'm trying extremely hard to be a productive member of society, it's always been my goal to learn as much as I possibly can in order to help others. I feel so frustrated and angry at my body that I can't do more. Every time I push just too far I end up in hospital and I don't want that. So many other people need that medical attention and I'm sick of being a burden! Every time I try my best to focus on recovery all my brain does is send me down an anxiety spiral of both shame and fear. I don't know what else I'm supposed to do.

EmiJ Just a poem I wrote.. I thought others may like to share their creative words too.
  • replies: 1

I don’t care about these walls anymoreIt will never be my placeI don’t care for the mirror anymoreI can’t stand this faceI don’t justify myself anymoreI will just take on another mistakeI don’t have dreams anymoreNightmares have driven them awayI tho... View more

I don’t care about these walls anymoreIt will never be my placeI don’t care for the mirror anymoreI can’t stand this faceI don’t justify myself anymoreI will just take on another mistakeI don’t have dreams anymoreNightmares have driven them awayI thought I was building my path to the golden life on the highYet it was the path to my quiet grave where the roots twist and close behindEJ

BabySteps I see the world for what it really is.
  • replies: 2

I have to accept that after my mothers gone, That I only will have my twin brother and that everyone else is vain and brief. I know that no one cares but also that the world is socially superficial and in general your made to feel like a second class... View more

I have to accept that after my mothers gone, That I only will have my twin brother and that everyone else is vain and brief. I know that no one cares but also that the world is socially superficial and in general your made to feel like a second class citizen if your under certain diagnoses. I absolutely can't live in a world if I can't be genuine or authentic. If anyone tells me what to think. I can't exist in a seemingly vain, fake world. I hate living in a world where you can't truthfully be confident with being who you are. Everyone is fully embracing the current decade or the way things are, People bully you for any reason and you can't choose the generation your from or anything else. I am tired of being who I am and made to feel wither I'm weird, not only did I not ask for the opinion of anyone else but I don't want to be generic or defined by anyone else. I had to miss out on my dreams to pursue identity and chase my interests & I blame the degeneracy and insecurity of potential people in society as one huge factor. It's also mixed with being discriminated and defined beneath a psychiatry diagnosis that I don't agree with and also my suffering during high school. I had all that on top of my own under confidence and insecurities. I hate how the world has always made people feel less valuable than celebrities just because their financially rich and with global popularity, regardless of what kind of person that famous individual is inside or what their reputation is. A regular person can't be confrontational because if their regular their not being sane.

Alice11 I am stuck in my small business
  • replies: 5

I felt much better previously when I had nothing than now. Now I have my own house, some savings and a small business started a year ago. I feel very stressed and feel too much to do and in a lot of time I feel very depressed although I manage to fin... View more

I felt much better previously when I had nothing than now. Now I have my own house, some savings and a small business started a year ago. I feel very stressed and feel too much to do and in a lot of time I feel very depressed although I manage to finish my tasks. I don't understand myself now, I tell myself my current situation is much better than previous, but I am so unhappy. When I fail to turn a potential customer into a new customer, I feel very sick and hopeless. I feel very bad about myself, although I know I am one of the best in the field. I had HDs in my professional exams. I just cannot take the rejections from the potential customers anymore. I figure maybe I am not good at talking to people or I don't look confident enough when meeting people, but I can't make myself look confident or outgoing because I am not an outgoing person. I am an introvert. How can I change myself to become confident and talkative. It is not my personal quality. I don't enjoy looking confident. It is not me I am not used to being confident and talkative. Moreover, I have to do marketing besides my current work. When I don't do marking, not even potential customers. I feel very bad and sick. Maybe I am still not getting used to the new routines of doing small business. I had been working for others previously. Any suggestions to me. Thank you.

randomxx Do you feel good about our country ?
  • replies: 4

Do you love your country and feel the way you should ?l'm having more and more trouble with all that this last decade or so . And our Governments, it doesn't matter which ones are in, none of them do a damn thing about anything much or if they do try... View more

Do you love your country and feel the way you should ?l'm having more and more trouble with all that this last decade or so . And our Governments, it doesn't matter which ones are in, none of them do a damn thing about anything much or if they do try like with the voice, our own people are too visionless and selfish to embrace it .The housing crises, what do they do, allow another 700k in migration and this crisis has been built and allowed to be over 20yrs to what it is now, you could see this coming for yrs and yrs now, so even with that it's still not just one GOV or the other. lt's been encouraged and allowed to just grow and get worse and worse and worse until here we are today and our own people, our young, can't even have the very first and most basic of needs fore filled and a place to call home let alone be able to afford to live.Then there's the cost of it if they even do get that lucky.There's homeless, there's violence just getting worse and worse, l can't even watch the news any more.Our insane cost of living and prices for just about anything , including housing but then there's business and greed gauging all over the place on top of it. Yeah there's been cost of living all over the world since the war but here is just madness going on and building over decades not just since the war, just like housing. None of this is new here.The over governed over nannied over regulated over lawed over costed, people come from os and can not believe some of our rules and laws or prices and costs or housing or any of just what is Oz these days. l just find it all so depressing, l no longer feel any pride in our country.Our people have a reputation for being friendly but only on surface level , being new in the country and actually making real friends even after 10 yrs gets a terrible wrap here. Our lack of any culture or depth, the money money money and materialism , the way most seem to view our first nations people - and only exasperated in the voice rejection , and the way they live and that we allow. We've even developed a racism reputation and not only toward immigrants but to our very own first nations people to. All this sort of stuff is not only what l see and live but l'm also coming across more and more of it all over the internet and YT , forums , travel reviews from people OS, all kinds of stuff it's all over the place. l wish could feel some pride about my country but tbh, beneath the glossy surface of it, l feel shame. rx

Sophie000 Mild Depression
  • replies: 1

Hi, I think I am mentally sick. I think I have anxiety or mild depression. I can’t enjoy my life recently, I couldn’t sleep well in the last 3-4weeks like very difficult falling asleep at the beginning and then woke up at midnight due to needing to g... View more

Hi, I think I am mentally sick. I think I have anxiety or mild depression. I can’t enjoy my life recently, I couldn’t sleep well in the last 3-4weeks like very difficult falling asleep at the beginning and then woke up at midnight due to needing to go to toilet then unable to fall asleep and my mind were full of reoccurring and worrying thoughts. I tried some natural stress relief pastilles and sleep formula but it only worked for the first few days. I went to work with strong headache; I felt a bit relieved with 2 days off. It is hard for me to concentrate at work and remember how to pronounce some words. My memory is not good recently too. But even at home, I have no interest in doing anything and always fired tired and lethargy. When I stay with my two little kids, I rarely feel enjoyment. It is more about my responsibility as a mum, and of course with love. I used to be active in chatting with other mothers to arrange play dates for my kids. But I don’t enjoy doing it now and avoid doing that. I am avoiding making new friends. Maybe because I am also studying part time too. I have hope for future but I am really not well. When I am writing this message and seeking help, I have headache too. I need some help please!

Santana How to heal from loss and loneliness
  • replies: 2

Hello.I'm in a bit of a bad place. The last three years have been rather traumatic, including a divorce, and the loss of both my parents. Recently my youngest child left home and the intensitiy of the loneliness is almost suffocating. In addition, I ... View more

Hello.I'm in a bit of a bad place. The last three years have been rather traumatic, including a divorce, and the loss of both my parents. Recently my youngest child left home and the intensitiy of the loneliness is almost suffocating. In addition, I took on a new job 12 months ago and the stress has been phenomenal. I am anxious all the time and I can't sleep. I am now experiencing severe fatigue and nausea everyday. I don't have a psycholgist at the moment as my last one closed her practice and it has been difficult to find someone else. Last November I stopped my antidepressants and at the moment I am feeling increasingly depressed. I don't want to go on antidepressants because mum had dementia and I've read that they have been linked to an increased risk in older people. So I am really stuck. I don't have much of a support system, just one or two friends I speak with ocassionally. But I don't want to dump on them too much. I am experiencing so much emotional distress at the moment... I sometimes despair. I hope maybe chatting here will help.

Von is lost Massive guilt
  • replies: 2

I accidentally ran over a cat this morning and it died when I took it to the vet. It must’ve been hiding under my car and I heard a bump once I started to drive and I looked in the mirror and saw the poor thing. I picked it up in a towel and drove to... View more

I accidentally ran over a cat this morning and it died when I took it to the vet. It must’ve been hiding under my car and I heard a bump once I started to drive and I looked in the mirror and saw the poor thing. I picked it up in a towel and drove to the vet basically in hysterics. They did what they could but sadly he passed away. I haven’t stopped crying since it happened and I can’t stop thinking about his body and eyes and the way he was breathing on the way to the vet. I feel an immeasurable amount of guilt

Helpful_soul At breaking point..
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, I am writing on here as a last resort for some advice for my mum. At the end of last year my mum lost a good friend of hers which was also a family friend who we had known for close to 20 years. After their death we had found out somethi... View more

Hi everyone, I am writing on here as a last resort for some advice for my mum. At the end of last year my mum lost a good friend of hers which was also a family friend who we had known for close to 20 years. After their death we had found out something regarding my mum. She couldn’t handle with us knowing this about her as she has always had this “perfectionist” outlook on herself. Of course, at first our family were all upset and dealing with things in our own way. But we never treated her differently and have told her we have forgiven her and moved on. Since early February, our mum has been depressed (having panic attacks nearly everyday, just laying down all the time, not eating properly and she has lost about 8kg in 3 months). Our family are all at breaking point. As an allied health professional I have shown her empathy, I have encouraged her to move and make small steps and tasks everyday to help her to start to feel better. She listens but then doesn’t try to put anything into effect. Even with encouragement and so many different strategies. She still says “I’m trying” even though she does nothing to help herself. It is now getting to the point where we all don’t know where to turn. Mum has sought help from a psychologist (which we thought might turn it around, but it hasn’t), she has been to the hospital twice now (she stayed one night voluntarily) and then when she came home the second time she started feeling better because she realised the hospital can’t do anything to help her, she has to do the work. Here we are a few days later and she’s back to the same as she was and has been for the last 7 weeks. I’m really lost as to what to do for her because no matter what we say or do she doesn’t take anything on board and keeps saying if she feels like this in 4 weeks then she won’t be around anymore.. it’s very heartbreaking to hear and to see her continually going through this and not even trying to help make herself a little bit better. Mind you, she has a 10 month old grandson who she babysits 3x per week and she is fine when he is there. As soon as he isn’t she doesn’t want to do anything at all. I’m worried for my dad too as he is the one that is living with her and it’s having an impact on him too.

Earth Girl I think I have psychosis, not schizophrenia
  • replies: 6

I had a rough time growing up (family issues, got bullied badly in Primary school and got bullied worse in high school and college by a huge amount of people, I had stressed induced tummy problems and I was really isolated and shy so I could barely t... View more

I had a rough time growing up (family issues, got bullied badly in Primary school and got bullied worse in high school and college by a huge amount of people, I had stressed induced tummy problems and I was really isolated and shy so I could barely talk to anyone and didn't have any friends for all those years). Close to the end of 2012, I was having a psychotic episode and said really strange things online and then people from school saw it and were really angry at me for what I said and came to my house so my stress got so extreme to the point where I blanked out and couldn't even remember going to bed and the next day, my psychotic episode got even worse and lasted 1-3 months. My psychiatrist tried different medications on me until one of them worked and I got better again. I stopped taking my medication 5 years later because I thought I didn't need it and I was fine for a while, but then something stressful happened and I had another psychotic episode and I had two other ones that year as well from other stressful events. When I have psychotic episodes, I think I am a really bad person, that everyone is trying to kill me (including my family and doctors), that my tablets are poisonous and I can't tell what is real and what isn't or, if it's a less bad episode, I think I'm an angel and that everyone in the world is so innocent and I sometimes experience feeling both good and bad things about myself in some episodes so one minute, I'll think I'm like a superhero and the next minute, I go back to thinking I'm horrible. After my second episode, my psychiatrist asked me if I thought I might be schizophrenic and not psychotic because I had more than one episode and they also thought that I might have schizophrenia because I told them that people were talking about me a lot of the time in a mean way and they just said, they wouldn't do that, it's just your mind playing tricks on you even though people DO talk about me a lot and they talk about things I did about 10 years ago almost everyday. I think it's more likely to be psychosis because I don't experience feeling these types of thoughts all the time - just when I have episodes. My psychiatrist told me that I'm lucky that there was a medication that worked well for me because a lot of people don't have ones that work for them. So, does that mean that if my medication didn't work, I would live the rest if my life thinking everyone is trying to kill me? Because that would be beyond unbearable.