Depression

Depression affects people in Australia every day. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with 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

All discussions

dwade3 Stuck
  • replies: 1

Its been almost 2 years since I last posted here. I haven't been having self-harming or suicidal thoughts lately or for the past months. But despite my mental health improving slightly. I'm just not happy. I rejoined a sporting hobby, hang out with f... View more

Its been almost 2 years since I last posted here. I haven't been having self-harming or suicidal thoughts lately or for the past months. But despite my mental health improving slightly. I'm just not happy. I rejoined a sporting hobby, hang out with friends occasionally. But it just keeps feeling like its temporary. That whatever is happening is in the long run is meaningless and is just going to be forgotten. I just keep thinking to myself. Is this all I'm gonna be ? I wish I could just try something new but I'm just do damn afraid of meeting people that will just trigger my mental health problems like it always does

Lee8523 Depressed and possible ED
  • replies: 2

Hi there It is my first time here and I wanted to reach out anonymously because I'm struggling and feel like I need validation. I visited my GP a week ago where I was diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety and prescribed medication. I am on a 6 week w... View more

Hi there It is my first time here and I wanted to reach out anonymously because I'm struggling and feel like I need validation. I visited my GP a week ago where I was diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety and prescribed medication. I am on a 6 week wait to see a Psychologist. I took one tablet and the next day I woke witha dry mouth and throat and felt completely sedated. I hardly got through the day at work and decided not to take it again. I am going back to see if another medication is a better option. Has anyone had experience with taking anti-depressants? I explained to the doctor that I am extremely fearful of gaining weight and I dont really eat right. She didnt ask anymore questions. If something happens that I get really upset or triggered by I will become emotional and cry and then restrict my eating to punish myself. If I eat too much I will then skip meals or eat very little/low calories to balance myself out. I hate that i do this because I love food but I feel like I don't deserve to eat and use this as a way to control how I feel or situations. Last night i gave in and ate dinner, then had pretzels, ice cream and a hot berry pie and felt like a disgusting pig and was mean to myself. I don't think anyone will take me seriously enough because I am not underweight. Comments are made at work sometimes on what i am eating as sometimes It's just a can of no sugar coke or a piece of fruit. I just wish people could understand but I feel like a fool explaining it. I feel like I am doing ok 30% of the time so why even bother seek therapy over these things, I should be doing better and just move on.

Guest_68382286 Can't get out of it
  • replies: 1

How do I fight this depressed feeling and get out. I feel very depressed due to my business. Can't seem to have the courage to fight on.

How do I fight this depressed feeling and get out. I feel very depressed due to my business. Can't seem to have the courage to fight on.

DeepBlue1771 In-person support groups
  • replies: 1

Hello, I was wondering if anyone knows of any in-person support groups in Melbourne where people going through depression or a hard time can regularly meet, talk, and support each other, without judgement? People going through depression or hard time... View more

Hello, I was wondering if anyone knows of any in-person support groups in Melbourne where people going through depression or a hard time can regularly meet, talk, and support each other, without judgement? People going through depression or hard times often don't really want to keep burdening friends and family with their issues and are often isolated as a result. Forums like this are good but online support doesn't really foster true connection and can only help a bit. We're living in a world that is becoming more and more virtual and isolated, and I think human connection in person is needed.

Poppycorn Somewhere along the way I lost my sparkle
  • replies: 2

Hello! Not sure how to start... I feel like my life got stuck at some point and I run out of motivation to change it. I live quite comfortable, thanks to my husband. He is amazing and does everything he can to cheer me up. But I often feel sad and fe... View more

Hello! Not sure how to start... I feel like my life got stuck at some point and I run out of motivation to change it. I live quite comfortable, thanks to my husband. He is amazing and does everything he can to cheer me up. But I often feel sad and feel like I'm wasting my life, thinking about everything I could be doing, but I don't have the energy...We have everything that we need but we could be better financially. We have some debts so there isn't much spare money and I feel bad that I'm not helping. Sometimes, the only productive thing that I do in a whole day is a load of washing. I've been living in Australia for 6 years, the only job that I could get since then is sales assistant. I've applied for hundreds of jobs and never got a successful outcome. I had a career before, I used to have confidence that I could achieve things, but now I just feel like I'm dumb, I'm boring, I'm inferior, I'm not good enough. I'm currently studying a Master and I constantly feel that everyone is smarter and they are taking the course way better. I'm struggling to focus on my assignments because I have a lot of anxiety and worries about failing. I also feel that I don't belong, that I am the "spare" friend. I never had too many friends (still have some good ones overseas) but I feel like I'm not good in terms of building strong friendships. I'm 35 and I'm feeling completely lost and that I didn't do anything significant in the past few years. There are some situations that I feel sad to remember because I couldn't feel the plenitude of the moment, even if it was something really great. I was feeling empty. I find it hard to stick to a routine, get into hobbies, be motivated to exercise and finish whatever I started. I'm just tired of doing things the wrong way and not doing my best (or not doing enough) to achieve things. I still dream with a better version of myself, living with purpose and sharing the weight of the responsibilities with my husband. I look my photos from 5 years ago and I was glowing, I miss being that person but I don't know what can I do...

Von is lost Massive guilt
  • replies: 3

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

SLSTR computer gambling game
  • replies: 7

I need some assistance with something that is bothering me. My dad sits up most nights after dinner and ignores the family and plays a computer gambling casino game for hours. This happens most nights, recently he has been very angry again and I thin... View more

I need some assistance with something that is bothering me. My dad sits up most nights after dinner and ignores the family and plays a computer gambling casino game for hours. This happens most nights, recently he has been very angry again and I think he is depressed with his life situation he told me today he did not want to see other members of our family because he is "sick of hearing about their holidays and good things they are doing". I feel like he avoiding the family or maybe he is just winding down each night but I feel its not healthy.. what should I do hes 74, it may seem fun and harmless but i feel it could be a behavioral addiction.

random__ I'm terrified of my ex best friend part 2
  • replies: 4

Hello to whoever is reading this.. WARNING SENSITIVE TOPICSI have already had a discussion about this topic which is still up on my profile and it includes some sensitive topics but I am making a part 2 on this cause after years it's still going..BAC... View more

Hello to whoever is reading this.. WARNING SENSITIVE TOPICSI have already had a discussion about this topic which is still up on my profile and it includes some sensitive topics but I am making a part 2 on this cause after years it's still going..BACKSTORY: I had a best friend who had made some horrid accusations about me "SA-ing" her in 2021 which is false as I have many screenshots and convos of her admitting to me is was a false accusation. she took any guy that I wanted to get to know, she made fat comments to me on a daily, she made posted photos online that looked identical to mine, she use to stalk my house before school and when she accused me of SA-ing her I moved state which she followed me her.This has been going on for years and as of recent she has been doing some things that are quite uncomfortable e.x.changing her name on her socials to the same as mine just with 1 letter difference.dying her hair the same color as mine every time I change it.stalking all my socials with other accounts.trying to destroy my friends by telling people about the (SA).. and when she tells people about it she smiles and laughs about it almost like she's proud of it.. and as someone who has been R-word before.. it makes me sick to my stomach watching her tell every Tom, Dick and Harry about it with a smile.. even posting tiktoks of her posing 'sexually' whilst spreading what happened..It's taken a few years but I've gotten better with physical touch now but I'm still a bit scared of touching girls e.x. (hugging, touching arm, sitting next to someone and our legs touch)I've been told to go to the police but because it was so long ago.. "nothing can be done"and I can't go to the police about this.. they'd turn me away as it was considered "just girl drama"it still keeps me up at night and sometimes feel like I shouldn't be existing because that's the label I'll always have attached to me, no matter how much proof I have against me showing I'm innocent..I want to see it a different way and not see it as I'm stuck in one place scared all the time, I've been trying different methods to help ignore, help the situation and how I feel but it's always sitting there in the back of my mind.. Sometimes I feel like I hate this world and humanity and there is no point cause people are so mean and they don't care how it effects others.

Rara Am I in denial?
  • replies: 2

BG: I have been diagnosed with Bipolar depression from my previous psychiatrist. I seek a professional help way back 2020. I had my anti depressants since then. Around 2022, I attempted suicide and was hospitalised for almost a week. Then around Augu... View more

BG: I have been diagnosed with Bipolar depression from my previous psychiatrist. I seek a professional help way back 2020. I had my anti depressants since then. Around 2022, I attempted suicide and was hospitalised for almost a week. Then around August 2023, I full forced stopped taking any medicine. I thought I was getting better. From the past, I have prolonged low episodes. Usually every 2 and more months before I switch to any episodes. Yet, after not taking any medicine. My episodes became upside down; switching either weekly (or within the week) or having many switches within a day. At some point, I was still in denial. I think? Not fully acknowledging that I am really personally experiencing this. Since I was way compassionate helping people in a mental health sector. I wanted to seek professional help again, this time through more compassionate psychotherapy. But then, I also don't know why. Why should I?At some point, I wasn't ready for my subconscious to be awakened.I have the fear of being questioned. I have the fear of not being believed by what I talked about.Their questions made me feel like disregarded for what I feel or for what I am experiencing. Knowing that it is often for me to hear from a family member about their capacity to conquer different situations over mine (a harder one than my experiences, leaving me comparing everything from my emotions and mental capacity). Most of the time, my voice isn't really heard. I was stopped in the middle of telling myself—of me speaking on behalf of my most authentic self. Most of the time, they heard of themselves more than they heard the sole soul I have. And now, somehow, I feel hesitant and in denial? It's like, people, they generally make you feel that what you are experiencing is nothing more than your own kind of trouble with yourself. Leaving me questioning myself: am I overreacting? Am I sensitive, or are they insensitive? Somehow, it makes me think that what I am experiencing is far from what they had. And questioning my right to be in this mental state. And everytime I have my sessions, I thought that "why should I need this? I am doing fine. Does those matter? (The lows)". Because it usually happens that I feel high when there's a session. Or sometimes, I just felt like I am fine. It is very confusing and hard—too.