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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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Plzwhy Breakup
  • replies: 5

Hello, currently going through a breakup after 19yrs and 3 kids. Its been the hardest time of my life. Any advice or help trying to get through this would be appreciated. Currently just a mess & not in a great place. Im trying my hardest to stay stro... View more

Hello, currently going through a breakup after 19yrs and 3 kids. Its been the hardest time of my life. Any advice or help trying to get through this would be appreciated. Currently just a mess & not in a great place. Im trying my hardest to stay strong for the kids but much easier said than. Just struggling

Needhugsx What was your outcome?
  • replies: 1

Good evening x25yr relationship with my husband and 20 years married with 17 and 18 -year-old teen boys. High functioning corporate husband who will refuse professional help so this is not an option. For 2 years he has been going a bit downhill with ... View more

Good evening x25yr relationship with my husband and 20 years married with 17 and 18 -year-old teen boys. High functioning corporate husband who will refuse professional help so this is not an option. For 2 years he has been going a bit downhill with depression with the last 12 months being the hardest. December 2025 he started to spend more nights away from home, zero contact and I retaliated, thinking the worst, lots of questions, texts etc. all the things I shouldn't have done. But I have learned, studied and now understand how his head feels. For the last 4 months he stays closer to work, easy commute because he lost his license because of reckless driving (another symptom). I understand this and he comes back here once per week. It's hard, I am managing, I miss him but I know he needs peace.He has been my best friend, the kindest soul but he is really stuck and the best I can do is text him, " good morning, I hope you have an amazing day" etc. It's hard getting no replies and the last time he phoned me was over a month ago and before that would have been a couple of months. I'm getting used to it but I miss his voice,his touch, He's compliments and his company. I am 12mths perimenopause so it's perfect timing but I have brushed it aside and have to cop it. I don't get angry, I just get sad. Recently I have been dreaming and thinking about what it would be like to start dating and having attention from other men that could give me more than what I'm getting now. But then I snap out of it and think that I could never do that to my husband. All I'm doing is protecting him and making sure I don't hurt him. He's starting to say things like, " if we ever moved on from each other, would I always be welcome to come over and be a part of your lives etc?. Of course I say yes, but now I've realized he just needs validation that I'm not going to abandon him. I never will, I'll never ask you anything for me because he has given me the best 25 years of my life. I think what I am asking, without professional help, are there any couples that have or can come out of this the same as what it used to be, or better. I'm constantly reading the bad side, the unsuccessful stories, women who walk away who don't understand....But I really want to read some good stories just to pick me up a little bit. He trains hard at the gym, he manages to work everyday In a management corporate role, highly intelligent but I know he is masking when he comes here.Thank you

Raa Does anybody relate?
  • replies: 3

Does anybody else relate to the feeling of being so alone , both physically and mentally? Like being overcome with waves of darkness and trying to hold onto the light that is the will to continue.After repeatedly failing at life , and ruining not jus... View more

Does anybody else relate to the feeling of being so alone , both physically and mentally? Like being overcome with waves of darkness and trying to hold onto the light that is the will to continue.After repeatedly failing at life , and ruining not just your life , but others too , how do you pick up the pieces of the broken you and continue? Doesn't it just seem easier to let go and be selfish and end that pain even if it causes other people grief because you've fought this battle for so long ... I don't mean this to be a call for help , im literally just trying to understand if there is something wrong with me or if it is somewhat normal.

Guest_16356908 I'm sick of everything
  • replies: 3

Hi, There's so much to write, but I don't know where to start. I've had depression for nearly 30 years & have been medicated the whole time - I have a strong genetic depression link on both sides of my family & have been told that I won't be coming o... View more

Hi, There's so much to write, but I don't know where to start. I've had depression for nearly 30 years & have been medicated the whole time - I have a strong genetic depression link on both sides of my family & have been told that I won't be coming off my meds anytime soon. I'm at that point in my life that I am starting to hate it. Nothing brings me happiness anymore. I overeat to compensate for how I'm feeling & it's alway junk food. I work in a high school & hate having to come to work each day - due to my depression & an awful manager who thinks they own the school. My life also includes looking after my elderly mother - I live with her. I have to shop, assist her with her meds everyday as well as help dress her. My other siblings have their own lives & help out, but my mum is my responsibility most of the time. I never seem to enjoy anything that I do anymore as I always feel guilty leaving mum alone & I hate coming in to work. I'm sleeping more too as I want to forget how I'm feeling while I'm awake. Has anyone felt like this & what advise would you give for getting out this rut? Chacky

CedricT Poem
  • replies: 7

I don't know if this helps or makes things worse but I write poetry about how I am feeling. This is one: Hurt: And so it goes The story of to and fros The ups and downs Will sadden the happiest of clowns Scared of the pain You are the one left to dra... View more

I don't know if this helps or makes things worse but I write poetry about how I am feeling. This is one: Hurt: And so it goes The story of to and fros The ups and downs Will sadden the happiest of clowns Scared of the pain You are the one left to drain Each week has a new low You have become life’s little hoe Nothing inside is left to hurt Your heart torn out and stomped in the dirt The pain turns physical A razor is now seen as clinical The loss of a friend Another step closer to the end You push and mislead They want to help and do a good deed Your mind is now your worst enemy Will you ever find some form of clarity? Your hurt and scared Are you too damaged to be repaired? Allow people in please! The pain will begin to ease Dont be scared of this monster Be the hero of the story Tame the beast and learn to conquer

Ozhugbear Cant cope with friendship break up
  • replies: 4

I have had a friend for 11 years we spend 5 hours a day together and eat lunch and he makes dinner together. Yesterday he said to me out of the blue when i said i loved you it made my skin crawl he was so nasty yesterday. Today he wrote that his goin... View more

I have had a friend for 11 years we spend 5 hours a day together and eat lunch and he makes dinner together. Yesterday he said to me out of the blue when i said i loved you it made my skin crawl he was so nasty yesterday. Today he wrote that his going into hospital next week and doesnt want to see me for 3 weeks. I am so depressed do i just let the friendship go

Guest_94481555 dealing with sadness as a teen
  • replies: 1

I’ve felt sad most of my life I’ve had my phases where it would get better but it never left it would just hide until it had its chance to come out again what I’m dealing with right now I feel is serious but I seem to feel like no one believes me and... View more

I’ve felt sad most of my life I’ve had my phases where it would get better but it never left it would just hide until it had its chance to come out again what I’m dealing with right now I feel is serious but I seem to feel like no one believes me and they think I’m exaggerating but I’m legit begging for help I’ve never asked for help I’ve always delt with it alone and I had control but not anymore I don’t feel real and I’m too numb to think I’ve lost my train of thought and I’m unaware on what to do I hope someone reads this and can relate but I also don’t bc I’m very empathetic i wouldn’t want someone to feel the way I feel but it’s only natural i guess I feel so empty to the point I feel nothing at all I just wanted someone to believe me and understand just because I put up a act around people doesn’t mean I’m not slowing dying from the inside

Earth Girl Apparently, I have livedo reticularis
  • replies: 2

I was playing Sims 4 and I didn't know people could see me play on there. In the corner of a part of the game, I would get comments and most of them just sounded like things the game might randomly say to players like "Hey there, *username*", but onc... View more

I was playing Sims 4 and I didn't know people could see me play on there. In the corner of a part of the game, I would get comments and most of them just sounded like things the game might randomly say to players like "Hey there, *username*", but once when I was playing, one of them said "Mmm, *username*?, tasty" and I was like, okay, that's not something the game would say unless there was weird AI stuff going on or something so people probably are watching me. Luckily, most people were saying nice things like "Magical *username*" and "Nice one, *username*", but one of the last things someone said before I stopped playing was "A reticulated *username*." I looked it up and Google said it was a skin and possible serious autoimmune condition. I told my dad about it and he just say "Yeah, okay." I said a bit more about it to him and then he said, "I don't know why they would think that" and kept typing on his computer. Apparently, this condition can be caused from dehydration and shows up on people with really fair skin, or it can be something very serious that you should see a doctor/hospital about - which I will do. I'm a bit worried. If I tell my parents about this, they will think I'm over-reacting and say there's nothing wrong with my skin. I have heard people I went to school with say that my face sometimes looks blue and before anyone even said anything like that about my skin, I felt like my skin looked kind of purple and very blotchy with different colors on my face (blue, red and purple). I used to wear make-up almost every day because I was so insecure about the coloring of my facial skin. At least now I know what could be wrong with my skin and that it might look better with help and more importantly, I should get help for health reasons. It could be dehydration since some days I use my water bottle a lot and other days, I just have about a cup of water, which I'm kind of embarrassed about, but it would still probably be better for my health if that is what is causing it and probably also easier to fix.

Reminiscent_sky How far should self sacrifice go? A genuine question.
  • replies: 2

Hello again forum. it's been a while. There's been a fair bit that's happened between posts but I'm not necessarily here to do an update post.I'm here to ask a question. I earlier today left my online friend group after having an inconsequential argu... View more

Hello again forum. it's been a while. There's been a fair bit that's happened between posts but I'm not necessarily here to do an update post.I'm here to ask a question. I earlier today left my online friend group after having an inconsequential argument with my friends. The argument wasn't particularly important but I came to the realisation that the obscuration of my personal self and the idealised version that I had charaded online was able to be broken. Of course there was times before where my moroseness would seep through the cracks of the facade, of course I could pick up the pieces then but this was genuinely the first time I felt like falling into an outburst under pressure. Lately my hopelessness has reached a critical mass of sorts and this has caused me to lash out (usually at myself). My self loathing has manifested its own hatred seemingly. Like I've become more irritable, I used to have pretty serious anger management issues when I was younger and I've always kept the explosive anger part but it's like my short fuse has returned from the past to bite me. The good news though is that I can't hurt anyone with this since there's nobody who interacts with me in real life. Everybody finds out eventually that I'm not a very nice person and so eventually I was left alone. Back to what I was saying I *thought* I couldn't hurt anyone with this but now it seems like I'm struggling if not failing to contain my stress, lamentation and pain. This separation between me and the way I presented myself to my online friends lead me to stay in touch with my online friends past the initial downfall of my mental state. After doing a quick reflection I realised that if I'm going under I don't want to be dragging down their moods with me especially when I'm giving them nothing back in return. The friend I talked to about leaving said that they would never give me crap for the way I'm feeling but that isn't what's wrong. It's the fact that their empathy attunes with my sorrow and makes them feel worse, the fact that I'm also now emotionally unstable is just a silver lining to these reasonings. There's no end to these thoughts and feelings in sight so if I had any self respect left I would abandon my friends and force them to forget me, as to wither away as silently as possible. They might be the only people I converse with which has kept my head above water for a while now, but it's selfish of me to keep them by my side if I'm aware that I'll just be dragging them down. But at the same time am I being selfish by hurting them like this because I can't bear to see them leave me on their own terms? What's the worse option? I do want to stay and remain friends but I'm not sure how I'd even talk to them if, after I come crawling back, I experience a total mental collapse in the future. They don't deserve to deal with that. I was never worthy of their friendship anyway. But It's been about 3 hours, it's felt like 6. I've got this impending sense of doom in my chest, the kind before you experience something terrifyingly painful. I'm regretting the things I've said and leaving that server. But do I listen to my selfish self preservation that's kicking in or do I just need to swallow my despair and accept what's coming from here on out? I don't want an answer like "I don't deserve to do this to myself" because I do. I'd much rather take the full force of my pain than offload it onto my friends. Until my psychologist works that out of me it's just objective fact. I just want to know if I've made the right choice by not letting my venom linger in others. Should I relent and let myself brew my tempest over a peaceful, happy village full of people who say they enjoy my presence? Is it worth it even with the chance I create another ruin of a relationship in my wake?

DepressedNoEnd Current Struggles
  • replies: 2

Posted this earlier as a reply but adding as a main post as only got one response and any other advice would be good. What I find hard is the constant interactions and criticism, really not good....sorry to bother.... Sounds pathetic, but I am just a... View more

Posted this earlier as a reply but adding as a main post as only got one response and any other advice would be good. What I find hard is the constant interactions and criticism, really not good....sorry to bother.... Sounds pathetic, but I am just absolutely sick of family life, I am sure I would be much happier on my own. Wife and 3 children all close in age, eldest is 11. Boys constantly argue, daughter okay but my wife and I are also fed up of each other as well, just a constant constant continuous grind. Earn money, spent before I get it, until next pay day, I work two jobs. Alot of pressure is financial pressure but not all of it, getting abuse from boys, if not one its the other, constant I hate you etc, wont read, do school work, be obedient, leave me alone….. They do plenty of clubs etc. Its horrible, work is a relief, people treat you like normal there. Come home and I just cant stand it, I want this that and the other... Mid 40s renting, just seems like no end, been on anti depressants 5 years, used to be happy and very fit doing running 40-60km a week or so, now just eat and have 25kg plus to lose. I think its the children that I just dont like, we got on fine more or less without children. Just wish I woulndnt wake up some days, got to be realistic, ideally our/my own house with an annex would be great and we could both get some time away but in small place renting and the constant noise drives be batty so I have a noise cancelling headset as work from home a bit and means dont hear the children. I realise I must sound selfish as my wife calls me every single day, but its completely miserable, every day. I absolutely hate family life, not saying we dont have any some good times but its the constant grind and wining about everything that gets me down, had a few days away with work a while back, really enjoyed it not seeing them, read some books, ate better and went to some classes in local gym. I am trying to turn it around and just joined a gym as have a lot of weight to lose and got to start somewhere but sometimes I wish they would just leave me alone and I didnt have a family. I know I should be grateful for a family etc but its just pushing me to my limits. Dont know how to turn this around…any help much appreciated, thank you for your time in reading…..

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