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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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JollyDown Physician Heal Thyself - well that didn’t work!
  • replies: 10

Hi there. I’ve just found out I have Bipolar Disorder. I received my diagnosis 2 weeks ago - a birthday present for my 50-something birthday. Yay. I’ve been on (often self-prescribed) anti-depressants intermittently for many years. However since the ... View more

Hi there. I’ve just found out I have Bipolar Disorder. I received my diagnosis 2 weeks ago - a birthday present for my 50-something birthday. Yay. I’ve been on (often self-prescribed) anti-depressants intermittently for many years. However since the death of my mother 3 years ago I have struggled with grief, depression, and increasing irritability and mood swings particularly over the last 6-12 months. As a self employed medical practitioner and surgeon (and main income earner for my family) I’ve had to keep going despite physical or mental illness ever since my internship. I had to go back to work the day after my mum’s funeral. There is no one there to see or operate on our patients if we have to go home sick. So we push through. And self-treat in order to keep secret our mental health issues. Why have I finally been properly diagnosed? Because a close friend and colleague of mine picked up the warning signs of hypomania/bipolar and staged an intervention with the help of my sister, who is a very experienced mental health nurse. I had to promise to see a psychiatrist and stop prescribing for myself. So here I am. Bipolar. Stunned. Disappointed. Even a bit devastated at the diagnosis. My psychiatrist is lovely, but the immediate reduction of my antidepressant dose was torture. I refused a second medication at the start as I can’t afford to have a tremor (as a surgeon!!!). So I was commenced on an anticonvulsant and an antipsychotic medication. After 2 weeks of awful depression I was then happy to take anything to ease my anguish so agreed to add the second medication I'd previously refused to the mix. Yesterday I gave in to the multiple meds and filled a dosette. Yay. Have gone from taking one tablet a day to about 9 a day. Suspect I have gained a couple kgs already despite significant amounts of exercise and a healthy diet - double yay. But there is no choice, keep on going I must. Hide my diagnosis I must - now more than ever. It was just becoming acceptable in the medical profession to have reactive depression but Bipolar - no way!! Who wants to be seen by a crazy doctor? Who wants to be in business with or work alongside a Bipolar doctor? Who won’t scrutinise the Bipolar doctor constantly - watching out for signs of mania or depression? Hopefully I will improve rapidly on my meds so I can cope with the extra demands of emergency call-backs, writing and giving talks and completing difficult medical reports. Thanks for letting me whinge on line.

MAP Does anyone else feel like this?
  • replies: 5

I’m just wondering if anyone else has the same experiences that I do. Some days I’ll be feeling really really low and anxious. I’ll wake up before my alarm and lie awake for half an hour feeling anxious and worrying about work. When I’m feeling anxio... View more

I’m just wondering if anyone else has the same experiences that I do. Some days I’ll be feeling really really low and anxious. I’ll wake up before my alarm and lie awake for half an hour feeling anxious and worrying about work. When I’m feeling anxious I have tingling in my hands and feet and I feel like I have butterflies in my chest. I’ll keep feeling anxious until I actually get to work and then I feel a little better. On some days I’ll feel so sad that I find myself tearing up on my way to work. More than once I’ve just broken down on the train and couldn’t stop crying. On these days I know I should be going to my GP to get some help but because I work so far away from home I can never seem to get there. Then on some days I feel perfectly fine and happy and I wonder whether I actually need to go see the GP. On these days I seem to forget how bad the other days were or I feel like I can fix it by myself. Is it normal to feel this way?

sometimesiwanttodisappear Can some please help me?
  • replies: 3

My parents have been harassing me all this year to get a job, even though they know I have depression and anxiety issues ( they thing that its bullcrap). So last week I was forced to go job hunting and I applied for about 20 jobs, the majority replie... View more

My parents have been harassing me all this year to get a job, even though they know I have depression and anxiety issues ( they thing that its bullcrap). So last week I was forced to go job hunting and I applied for about 20 jobs, the majority replied that they will not be processing my application any further. I haven't even gotten an Interview yet, and all these jobs were simple retail and customer service jobs. I wanted to go to centerlink to see if they could help me but my mother said that because my family owes a lot of debt to centerlink I wasn't a lowed to go. My parents are always fighting over finances, my mother puts be down the majority of the time. My father says he wishes he never had children especially girls. I think it would be better if I just disappeared that way everyone would be happy. Then again its like I never existed in the first place. I dont even know what love is. I feel so under valued and I just wished I wasn't born.

Odysseydave Seeking the road back
  • replies: 2

I am looking for advice to find the road back to being a functional human. The last ten years have seen be become an unemotional blob that uses alcohol to balance myself. This has worked awesomely (not). I have lost my job and isolated myself from th... View more

I am looking for advice to find the road back to being a functional human. The last ten years have seen be become an unemotional blob that uses alcohol to balance myself. This has worked awesomely (not). I have lost my job and isolated myself from those tht were previously close to me. I want to be a normal person again but do not know where to start. I know deep down what I need to do but the negative voices are too loud. As far as the drinking goes, it's hard to get away from as the few people I socialise with are also heavy drinkers. I feel like I'm drowning and that most have given up on me. I don't know what to do as, being unemployed makes it quite difficult to get councelling.

Double_K Falling into it again
  • replies: 4

Hello, i have been going so well with everything until something happened at work. we had an incid not I was involved in and ever since then things have changed so, so much. I feel as though they blame me for what happened still. And there has been b... View more

Hello, i have been going so well with everything until something happened at work. we had an incid not I was involved in and ever since then things have changed so, so much. I feel as though they blame me for what happened still. And there has been been some other things that have set me backwards too.

Looking Is there any real help out there?
  • replies: 6

There are so many people that say they care about people with depression and anxiety and do nothing. For example, Beyond Blue has a contact form via email. You sit there for an hour telling them what is happening and all you get is a email response s... View more

There are so many people that say they care about people with depression and anxiety and do nothing. For example, Beyond Blue has a contact form via email. You sit there for an hour telling them what is happening and all you get is a email response saying how they feel for you and look for answers on their website. News Flash, I went to your website, did not find the answers, so I sent you an email. Been on antidepressants for 15 years. My GP has tried all the types. Nothing worked. Read about TMS and thought that might work. But TMS can only be referred by a psychiatrist. So get referred to one. Of course he knows some wonder drug that I have most likely already tried over the last 15 years and insists on trying those first. Both had bad side effects. But I course he knew better and accused me of lying about the side effects as he was not aware of them. Maybe he should learn to use the internet. So got him to approve TMS. Unfortunately it did not work. But I wanted a different psychiatrist and I was not connecting with that one. He accused me of being a racist. He was of Indian background and argued that was the reason for wanting to changing. He also accused me of lying to him. So this is how a mental health professional treats a person with mental health issues. As I have said, pills have not worked over 15 years. I had TMS on the right side of the brain, so wanted to try it on the left side. Of course new psychiatrist thinks he has some magic pill that all the others before him have been too stupid to think of. None, of them will listen to you. None of them care what you are going through. They are only interested in putting people into boxes and charging $170 per 15 minutes. Of course this means that they only work 2 days per week and have every second month off on holidays. I NEVER have a positive experience. I cannot think of anything that would make me feel good. I have bad days and worse days, nothing else. I sit in a chair most nights shaking and heart pounding. I feel like I need to run away, but can't figure out where to run to. Even driving a car means that I have this urge to pull over and curl up in a ball and I don't know why. I just feel like I need to hit something to take out my frustration in not knowing what to do. You can't live a life like this. How do you find someone that will actually care about you. The ones that people recommend are all booked up. It even takes you a month to get into a bad one. It all just seems hopeless

D_augustine Anyone else out there feel the same?
  • replies: 7

I love my kids and I love my husband but just lately I feel like is this it? Like everyday is the same, I just wanted more out of life and I’m scared this is it. I know is sounds awful and I’ve been felt this before and I try to shrug it off but it a... View more

I love my kids and I love my husband but just lately I feel like is this it? Like everyday is the same, I just wanted more out of life and I’m scared this is it. I know is sounds awful and I’ve been felt this before and I try to shrug it off but it always comes back. I’ve never really been single or just been me. I pretty much went from one relationship to another. I’ve always been someone’s somebody and now I feel so much responsibility for everyone else. I can’t make a move or do anything without the thought of my husband or kids. I wish I had more time to be selfish before when I was not responsible for anyone. Now I feel stuck, as if all my role is to be a good house wife work and be a good mother. I honestly don’t think I even know who I am anymore. How am I supposed to teach my kids to be happy in their own skin when I’m miserable in mine?

Guest_030 Hate life
  • replies: 3

Sick of my life. I'm sick of existing in pain all the time both mentally and physically. My depression is winning. I don't think anything can help. My medication doesn't seem to work. I've been seeing a psychologist but feel even that isn't enough to... View more

Sick of my life. I'm sick of existing in pain all the time both mentally and physically. My depression is winning. I don't think anything can help. My medication doesn't seem to work. I've been seeing a psychologist but feel even that isn't enough to help me. While I wouldn't harm myself I just pray everynight when I go to sleep that I just won't wake up the next day. Going through another day is unbearable I just needed to vent as I have no friends or support

BeKindRewind4Life Alone Forever
  • replies: 4

Hi, I'm new here, well not that new I was on before but my account went AWOL, the posts are still there so I know it's nothing I said. But... besides that. Does anyone here have an issue with meeting someone or talking to women. (I'm a guy). The deal... View more

Hi, I'm new here, well not that new I was on before but my account went AWOL, the posts are still there so I know it's nothing I said. But... besides that. Does anyone here have an issue with meeting someone or talking to women. (I'm a guy). The deal is, that I was put on disability for anxiety and severe depression many years ago, and even though, I tried, and tried, and ...... tried, to get a job, both by myself and through the almost pointless government job network, I never struck gold. Only employers paying below minimum wage, or hiring me to take over the job of two employees with that workload, taking the jobs only to be shown the door, one when I wanted to be paid legally, the other when the workload got too much, which happened rather quickly as the employer knew he was cutting corners and too cheap to get two people, like he had before me. All this has resulted in, well 8 years of being on disability, and unlike others I've been assessed as being unable to work, not because I can't but because well, I don't gel with the way the system works, especially the job network because I wanted them to help me get into a paid starting position like an apprenticeship or training to get my life back. Now at the grand old age of almost 36 I am ineligible for any programs to get help, I don't even get reviewed or offered assistance because I'm over 35, and I'm exhausted. I could work a few days a week but no one, will give me a chance, ever, I actually bought a house in a town with no jobs, (west coast tas) and very little hope of employment. I was shocked that there was a job going cleaning toilets here....so I took my half uni degree (left because my mum has terminal cancer and it was impacting greatly), my 4 year old Cert IV - Networking qualification and applied, because I'll do anything just to have the chance of a job....why? when not even centrelink wants to get me back into the workforce? even though I cope better now days and could manage my anxiety working a few days a week. Well simply put, I feel worthless, not to my self but to anyone I might even consider talking to with a romantic interest, I've convinced my self that any women who is still single at my age won't be looking for a man with a lower income, I sometimes wonder if the need to be with someone and feel less alone in this world isn't enough? I never even attempt to talk to anyone I like because, I'm ashamed of my life, my worth, and my value to anyone else.

lpa101 A new diagnosis: Bipolar 1
  • replies: 4

Hi guys, new poster here! I was recently diagnosed with bipolar 1 (after some close calls and incidences) and feel almost lost about it. It's nice to have the confirmation and the possibility of accurate specific treatment but I'm terrified. The stig... View more

Hi guys, new poster here! I was recently diagnosed with bipolar 1 (after some close calls and incidences) and feel almost lost about it. It's nice to have the confirmation and the possibility of accurate specific treatment but I'm terrified. The stigma and the social isolation of people with bipolar is such a hard trope to suddenly dispose of, now that I've joined their ranks. I knew my anxiety and depression were bad, and difficult to manage, but I always managed to barrel on and keep fighting, but now it feels like this is something I can't fight anymore. Weirdly, I'm sad that the new medication might take the mania away. Those ephemeral moments of complete and utter joy are so addictive, regardless of what risks they come with, especially when compared to the bleak gloom that blankets me the rest of the time. I'm not really sure what I'm looking for anymore. I don't need help socially or academically, I have no issues with romantic relationships or familial connections. Maybe just some assistance on how to make this diagnosis palatable, and to come to terms and be comfortable with it. Sorry for the long read! I eagerly await to hear from the kind people of beyondblue!