Immediate support
Immediate support

Depression

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

Start a discussion

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Jump to
Start a discussion

Pinned discussions

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

All discussions

Start a discussion

idk_sorry I don’t want help.
  • replies: 15

idk if something is wrong or not with me. i feel so low and tired everyday. i have no interest in anything and have had no hobbies at all for ages. all i have the energy for is uni and one shift a week for work but even that’s fizzing away but it doe... View more

idk if something is wrong or not with me. i feel so low and tired everyday. i have no interest in anything and have had no hobbies at all for ages. all i have the energy for is uni and one shift a week for work but even that’s fizzing away but it doesn’t matter because i’ll push myself to do the work anyway because i don’t want to fail and be even more worthless than i already am. i cry so often and my body hurts with ache a lot of the time but i have to keep doing things or i’ll be a failure. im so afraid of making connections anymore and when i do make a friend i usually have break downs about it later. i just want to isolate as now i see socialising as too taxing on top of uni and work. i just want to be alone. i live alone and just started my first year of uni. i’m constantly stressed out of my mind that i’m losing sleep and overeating. i keep hurting myself almost daily and on the only day i have free in my week, the night before it i binge drink until i pass out. i cant tell if this is a problem or not but either way i don’t think i could ever get help because i don’t want people to worry about me. it would hurt too much to burden others so i don’t think i can ever do that no matter how much people say i wouldn’t be a burden. i’m too horrible to deserve support anyway i need to pay for existing right? i don’t know how to fix myself. i’ve tried working on myself before but it just ends up being a distraction or leans into other self destructive behaviours (such a restricting food and over exercising) anyway do you think i can keep living like this and it’ll just get better by itself? i’m worried that i’ll get worse but the thing is if i do get worse i still am unable to reach out. i just don’t know what to do. maybe it’s all fine and i’m overreacting about normal things. sorry if i am. anyway yeah i’m really sorry i just wanted to get my thoughts out i don’t even really know what i’m asking at this point. i’m so sorry.

Alone Heres the thing
  • replies: 2

Apparently I am bipolar according to two therapists and a doctor, but here's the thing, self care is not my strong suit so I cycle in and out of feeling pretty much nothing to feeling everything. You'd think I would be better at coping with life by n... View more

Apparently I am bipolar according to two therapists and a doctor, but here's the thing, self care is not my strong suit so I cycle in and out of feeling pretty much nothing to feeling everything. You'd think I would be better at coping with life by now but it's just the same thing over and over. I hate myself because why can't I deal with just ordinary things people deal with everyday? Why do I have to be broken?

Lexi Invisible
  • replies: 1

Hey I'm Lexi and I'm in a relationship with a girl that I love with my whole heart but at the moment I am invisible to her and have been ignored by her for 2 days now and on going. I have never reached out before but I have now because I'm scared of ... View more

Hey I'm Lexi and I'm in a relationship with a girl that I love with my whole heart but at the moment I am invisible to her and have been ignored by her for 2 days now and on going. I have never reached out before but I have now because I'm scared of how this may end.

OliviaD I can’t socialise and I’m tired of trying
  • replies: 2

I feel like life just cannot get better from here and I’ll always be 2 steps behind everyone. I had 3 jobs, one ghosted me, the other I quit because I was terrified to go to work, the other mass laid off every casual, and the one I had lined up had b... View more

I feel like life just cannot get better from here and I’ll always be 2 steps behind everyone. I had 3 jobs, one ghosted me, the other I quit because I was terrified to go to work, the other mass laid off every casual, and the one I had lined up had budget cuts and didn’t hire me after I signed my contract. I think normally it would’ve been fine but I’ve realised lately that I have no one to talk to. I spend 8 hours in a day at university and I don’t talk to anyone the whole day. I barely keep in touch with my friends. I feel like I can’t talk to my family. I only have my boyfriend and he just doesn’t understand. It’s like there’s this massive barrier between me and other people and it’s impossible to get over it. I have always been exceptional, I have a 142 IQ and I was told that when I got older people would be more similar to me and it would easy, but I’m older now and nothing has changed and I just can’t socialise. I’ve never faced failure of any kind before and now I feel alone and stupid, I’ve lost the competition and I can’t function if I’m not winning. And I can’t even help myself because I feel like if someone else buried me alive, why do I have to do all the work to dig myself out? Why can’t someone else pick up a shovel? I’ve done everything correctly and I still feel like people who have done everything wrong and cheated are beating me, like I’m being punished and I’m the only one. I don’t want to just be average and get by, I truly feel like I’m supposed to do and have more, and now I don’t know what to do. My brain is hurting me every day, I see patterns in everything, my senses are on fire, my thoughts scream at me over the top of each other in a cacophony of madness, it’s starting to become too much for me to handle. I know great minds often fall into madness, I’m starting to think my psychiatrist lied or I fluked my IQ test, I don’t feel like a genius I feel like a madman, and it is taking everything in me to not turn to vices that will help silence the noise. I’ve felt like this my whole life and I don’t know if I can continue to feel this way anymore, I don’t want to fight my own brain forever, I don’t want to constantly be drowning in the noise of my own thoughts or to see things as vividly as I see them. I don’t quite want to die, but I think if it was as easy as flipping a switch I would. Sometimes I want to cut that thread connecting me to reality and fall into my head completely because I’m safe there and I have friends I talk to in my own world in my mind and they understand me and I don’t have to try. Idk, this was mostly a vent, any advice on making friends as an adult who is pretending to be introverted to avoid rejection would be greatly appreciated.

Paul166 Depression, Anxiety, ADHD
  • replies: 3

Hello this is my first time,I am in my late 50's and I have depression anxiety and ADHD. It was a shock being diagnosed with ADHD a couple of years ago. It hit me regarding my life around family and friends and emplyment. I have had so many jobs and ... View more

Hello this is my first time,I am in my late 50's and I have depression anxiety and ADHD. It was a shock being diagnosed with ADHD a couple of years ago. It hit me regarding my life around family and friends and emplyment. I have had so many jobs and medical issues. After being diagnosed with ADHD, I was born with this as my specialist doctor revealed. I was prescribed medications to help with my condition some worked and some did not. Then I started reading books about it. As I was reading books it was like I was reading my past, it was a real shock to my mind. I had alot of therapy and group sessions helping with my condition.This is why I had trouble having friends and stay in employment and socialising. I have tried an transport jobs it took me a while to work out what I needed to do. I gave myself time to think and I went back to my roots and worked out doors commercial mowing.

mikasa5ever I think I have depression
  • replies: 1

I'm not sure when it started, or how it happened, but I've had almost all of the symptoms for depression. Like,,, you know the basic stuff yeah? Feeling uncontrollable sadness, bursts of anger, and hopelessness, or an increase in an irritable/annoyed... View more

I'm not sure when it started, or how it happened, but I've had almost all of the symptoms for depression. Like,,, you know the basic stuff yeah? Feeling uncontrollable sadness, bursts of anger, and hopelessness, or an increase in an irritable/annoyed mood. Even losing pleasure in the hobbies I used to love. I feel like I was hit by a freight train full of apathy and drowned myself in it, I don't know. I just want someone to confirm my feelings and someone I can talk to because I don't think I can hold this in any longer.

tryingtoexist Probably just a rant, any tips please let me know
  • replies: 3

BACK GROUND STUFF - So at school there was this beyond blue seminar that I found really helpful, and I’m here cause maybe someone out there can relate to me. In the past I haven’t had many friends, and only til a few years ago I really had myself. Th... View more

BACK GROUND STUFF - So at school there was this beyond blue seminar that I found really helpful, and I’m here cause maybe someone out there can relate to me. In the past I haven’t had many friends, and only til a few years ago I really had myself. Then during covid I had to juggle school work and take care of my mum, who was going in and out of hospital a lot and couldn’t really walk or get up easy. So I didn’t have anyone to talk to. On top of that I was also extremely bullied back at school by a certain person who said I should die and that no one liked me. I stuffed all those feelings away, I think because no one wanted to talk to me and I didn’t know what I was going through. Then the next year I forgot about all that and joined a really toxic friend group cause I didn’t know what having friends was like, I thought it was normal to be shut down and ignored. anyways, I started to just be sick of feeling so much that I started to feel nothing, to the point were I was completely numb and didn’t care if I died because I thought no one cared. I don’t know if I had depression, but I did used to purposefully hurt myself to feel something. Since then, I’ve found my way to God and realised I have a purpose, left that friend group, made new friends and started a ‘new chapter’ where I can feel happier. TO NOW - lately though, I’ve been trying to move on, but it’s been hard. I keep on wondering if things might have changed or if I really was depressed because I think I might have been and now I overthinking about that. And now I’ve been really anxious, I don’t know why, but I keep getting thoughts about: my parents dying people hating me failing school losing friends scared of talking in case I’m shut down zoning out and imagining terrible scenarios which has caused me to do: - getting chronic headaches - itching - fiddling - breathing fast - nausea - dizziness - weakness/fatigue for standing up - splitting headaches - biting my lip i know these things effect me from time to time but now they’re making my life difficult and causing me to leave in class by pretending to go to the bathroom, when in reality I feel like I’m going to breakdown crying or have a panic attack or puke. I hate that I haven’t told anyone but I want some advice like who should I tell, or how should I tell someone? Because I’m scared things will get even worse and no one will notice. I know people care but I don’t know if they can notice in time if that makes sense. i know no-one’s life is easy but I don’t think my life is good enough right now to considered ‘functioning’. I’m just not sure how to talk to my friends because they haven’t noticed at all and I’m scared they think I don’t trust them because I really do. I really hope if someone is reading this they can feel less alone, because it would be nice to know if I’m not completely alone in these feelings. Stay safe, much love<3

Trying Lonely
  • replies: 6

I feel like an imposter in this group. I have had an amazing 50 year career in nursing, owned my own home nursing business and several others. Been the manager at many community and aged care facilities. Always a go getter, confident person. As I got... View more

I feel like an imposter in this group. I have had an amazing 50 year career in nursing, owned my own home nursing business and several others. Been the manager at many community and aged care facilities. Always a go getter, confident person. As I got older I started to get anxiety. My marriage failed and I had to cope on my own. Which I did. I decided to move to NW QLD from NSW to be closer to my grandkids and great grandkids. They bring so much to my life. I've since retired, own my home and a new car. I should have it all, right? Then why do I wake up anxious every morning, no energy to face the day, struggle to maintain my house. I have 2 beautiful dogs that love exercise. I force myself to take them for walks. I can't sleep at night. Not unusual to be still up at 2am. I drink too much wine, thinking it will help me sleep and then feel like shit the next day. I got booked for low range DUI and lost my license for a month. So humiliating. That's when I realized I'd hit rock bottom. I'm seeing my GP, I've contacted a counseling service. I'm having major eye surgery in Townsville later this month and booked in to see a deep mind therapist to hopefully help with my fears and my addictions.I'm doing all I can to get back my life. I have so much to live for, but I sometimes wish I wasn't here any more. I can't live the rest of my life living like this.

hello____ I don't know what to do
  • replies: 1

hello, I'm in my final year of highschool this year, so year 12. I been struggling a lot with managing everything. I grew up in an household where my parents always fought, since the day that I could remember, and I don't really have the best relatio... View more

hello, I'm in my final year of highschool this year, so year 12. I been struggling a lot with managing everything. I grew up in an household where my parents always fought, since the day that I could remember, and I don't really have the best relationship with my parents and sibling. I also had a really traumatic incident happen to me a few months ago and I haven't really healed from it to the point that my hands are constantly shaking because of it. I keep everything to myself because I don't want to burden others but I currently just don't feel present. I feel like I'm just floating and observing everyone and everything. Nothing feels real and I'm at a point where I'm not doing my school assignments. I used to be very studious and loved school and it was my escape from my home life but now I hate it. I really don't know what to do because as much as I want to do my work, I open it up but nothing comes to my brain. Does anyone have any advice on how to help with me feeling like nothing's real?

4n0Nn13 Feeling hopeless
  • replies: 3

I’m not sure on where to start as I struggle with expressing my thoughts and feelings. I feel like I’ve been struck in this unhappiness for a while, it’s hard for me to explain it my partner what I’ve been experiencing internally. I find it an effort... View more

I’m not sure on where to start as I struggle with expressing my thoughts and feelings. I feel like I’ve been struck in this unhappiness for a while, it’s hard for me to explain it my partner what I’ve been experiencing internally. I find it an effort to try explain when I don’t really understand why I’m feeling the way I do. I have no motivation to do daily tasks as I’m waking up to a sense of dread, I don’t really have a sense of purpose and worry I’m thinking too much about what it would be like to just move on and not really do this anymore. I want to feel connected but I struggle with being vulnerable or when I do try to reach out, it’s been misunderstood and I’m feeling alone again.