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Mental health conditions

Anxiety and depression aren’t the only mental health conditions. Share what’s affecting you and learn more about managing your mental health.

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Anxiety

Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. Share your own story and learn about other member’s experiences with anxiety.

Guest_40594058 Anxiety/Depression
  • replies: 1

Hi there, I've been dealing with anxiety/depression for more than 3 years, and just in the past few weeks, it has really gone bad to the point where sometimes I feel like I'm alone.I've been married for 18 years, have 2 boys, one 15-year-old and the ... View more

Hi there, I've been dealing with anxiety/depression for more than 3 years, and just in the past few weeks, it has really gone bad to the point where sometimes I feel like I'm alone.I've been married for 18 years, have 2 boys, one 15-year-old and the other 8-year-old, the youngest has ASD, and some days he makes it difficult to manage the day. It started when I got a bad vertigo attack 9 years ago, and ever since then, I get bad panic attacks if my head gets dizzy and I can't drive.

Jessica_Cloud Struggling after stopping SNRI - how long will this go on?
  • replies: 2

I was on antidepressants for over 2 decades and tapered off slowly and successfully. I’m F 59. It’s been just over 3 months since stopping SNRIs and I’m experiencing awful symptoms of anxiety, dread, irritability, negative thoughts, and suicidality. ... View more

I was on antidepressants for over 2 decades and tapered off slowly and successfully. I’m F 59. It’s been just over 3 months since stopping SNRIs and I’m experiencing awful symptoms of anxiety, dread, irritability, negative thoughts, and suicidality. I didn’t experience these symptoms prior to starting meds. I started with some other natural medication but I’m not convinced it’s helping. I do a lot of self care eg exercise, eating well, sleep hygiene, etc. How long will these symptoms last? Is my brain just wrecked forever and going back on medication is the solution?

Guest_00234230 Suicidal thoughts
  • replies: 2

For about a month and a half I have been in a depression and anxiety hole that I can't seem to get out of, the constant depression and intrusive thoughts are taxing and I don't see how I can maintain this. My depression and anxiety make my IBS sympto... View more

For about a month and a half I have been in a depression and anxiety hole that I can't seem to get out of, the constant depression and intrusive thoughts are taxing and I don't see how I can maintain this. My depression and anxiety make my IBS symptoms worse which gets me deeper into the hole and then they play on each other. Most days I am waking up sad and going asleep sad, I actually look forward to going to bed so I don't have to feel anything. I just broke down to my partner and told her all this and how suicide keeps creeping into my mind. My GP and therapist are away until mid January. I keep saying to myself let's just get through today but how many times is that going to work.

Depression

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

adri4na_em i dont know anything
  • replies: 1

there are so many things i feel that kinda go against eachother. i like to do things but then at the same time im always so unmotivated, everything feels like an effort, but sometimes i like to do things so i feel like everythings an excuse for how i... View more

there are so many things i feel that kinda go against eachother. i like to do things but then at the same time im always so unmotivated, everything feels like an effort, but sometimes i like to do things so i feel like everythings an excuse for how i feel. I have no diagnoses, i cant because i dont think my family would even be open to that. i feel so many different things and i feel like no one truly understands me. sometimes i feel like im just lazy and making up excuses for the way i act and im trying to blame something to have a reason why but i feel like i see signs of depression in myself. for maybe almost 3 years now ive just gotten worse. i struggle with pretty bad (i dont know) body image issues that have driven me to want and do certain things (still undiagnosed to). i dont know if my lack of energy and motivated is because of that. (reasons for being tired) or if its the depression i could be speculating. i dont really enjoy anything. i dont have any hobbies. im not interested in anything. i kinda really hate going out unless its something im really excited for. i hate being percieved a lot of the time. i just feel super ugly and sometimes i dont exactly know what my future is going to lead. i dont know what i have going for me exactly. i dont want to die but i also have just no idea what im living for. i dont care about anything that much. maybe i am just super lazy but i feel like i just want to be understood by someone. i want to know if there is answer to why i feel things that i feel a lot of the time. i want to know whats wrong and why cant i do and want to do a lot of the things that people do. all my friends can do it but why to me does everything feel like the biggest task ever. like i just cant picture myself really doing anything. i dont know. i spend most of my time, unmotivated to move in my room. i dont like it but i also just dont like doing anything else. a lot of the time im moody. i kinda get irritated easily and i dont mean to be like that. i want to be a great friend and be a really great person but sometimes the way i feel (lacking the motivation to go out with friends soemtimes or just the effort of it all) makes me feel like i just cant really be a great friend but not in that way. i dont know. i just have so many things to kinda say but cant put it into words.

Ms-B Struggling alone and abandoned
  • replies: 1

Hi I haven’t been here for a very long time, but I’m really struggling at the moment and I’m often feeling this sense of desperation pumping through my body. Like I don’t know where to turn to. I feel so let down by community mental health they have ... View more

Hi I haven’t been here for a very long time, but I’m really struggling at the moment and I’m often feeling this sense of desperation pumping through my body. Like I don’t know where to turn to. I feel so let down by community mental health they have been so slack. I have a lot going on at the moment and it’s a really difficult time of the year. I’m safe, I wish I wasn’t, I have a lot of them bad dark thoughts, but I am safe.

lost_echo Constant empty feeling
  • replies: 2

recently i finished my hsc and went travelling for a couple weeks before returning back home. during the periods of study, exams and travelling, my mind was very occupied with the things i had to do that in a way i was able to avoid the constant voic... View more

recently i finished my hsc and went travelling for a couple weeks before returning back home. during the periods of study, exams and travelling, my mind was very occupied with the things i had to do that in a way i was able to avoid the constant voices in my head and the numbing feeling of depression. however, now that im back, i feel like i have fallen back into a pit and the waves of depression has returned. i have been dealing with mdd for over 3 years now and i feel like every year it gets worse and worse but i dont want to get hospitalised so i never really go into detail of the thoughts that play in my head constantly. these days i have just been feeling extremely low and listless. while people my age are thinking about their uni lives, i'm here literally just living because i have to. i know its just my depression but i have nihilism and everything just seems so useless, especially with all the global events occurring at the same time, it makes me lose faith in humanity and purpose to continue the existence of humans. that's not to say all humans are bad, it's just that the majority worldly leaders of earth who makes society, the economic and the overall functioning of the earth is doing a really crappy job and to imagine that im going to be a part of that workforce in a couple years is daunting. i just want everything to be over so that i can be free and escape this life. i wish an asteroid hits earth all humans can be free together.

PTSD and trauma

A space for discussing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), domestic abuse, sexual abuse and other trauma. Please note some content may be distressing.

Guest_05089762 Triggers
  • replies: 0

I experienced trauma as a child, dv and an affair in my marriage. I’m now in a relationship with a really great person who is so good to me, but I keep having terrible trigger episodes. I want to understand why I am being triggered by my partner havi... View more

I experienced trauma as a child, dv and an affair in my marriage. I’m now in a relationship with a really great person who is so good to me, but I keep having terrible trigger episodes. I want to understand why I am being triggered by my partner having attractive fb friends. I’ve never been a jealous person and this has never happened to me before him. It starts when I see an attractive person in “people you may know” and he is friends with them. It’s hard to describe now, when it’s not happening, but I actually feel like a different person and it’s hard to remember what I’m thinking but I know it starts small and my brain keeps collecting evidence that there’s something wrong with him and/or the relationship. My chest hurts. I get the horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach, then I feel so sad. I have intrusive thoughts for ages, act irrationally. Sometimes I cry, and just want it to stop, one time I sobbed heavily and my legs were shaking and for some reason I had to watch the video of my ex that I secretly filmed of him berating me. It was so strange. When I snap out of it, which can take hours, I’m embarrassed and don’t feel the way I felt during the episode. As in, of course some of his friends might be attractive, doesn’t mean he doesn’t love me, he’s not doing anything wrong.

Mudcakes Complex cptsd situation.
  • replies: 0

Okay. Basically I’m in a weird situation not many would understand. I grew up with an emotionally, financially and coercive control abusive parent. Who also was a major reason I’m an only child. It put my family into poverty and many times had to be ... View more

Okay. Basically I’m in a weird situation not many would understand. I grew up with an emotionally, financially and coercive control abusive parent. Who also was a major reason I’m an only child. It put my family into poverty and many times had to be worried where we would sleep at night. The abuser often, used their passion for their favourite sport team as their weapon of choice. If the team lost it was a scary time. Basically me being their daughter meant nothing to them. So this sports team is deeply triggering to me.The abuser is now fully blown rich now and this team are now having them and their company as a partnership and made a highlight article about how they give back and want to stop poverty and involved with a charity. I feel sick, I have used this charity for support before because of this abuser but no longer can feel safe to .Basically the news of this partnership and how it keeps getting so messed up makes me feel sick, plus we gotta move soon cause our rent is going up, meanwhile the abuser has millions of dollars. I’m safe. Just had to include that.

Guest_92179986 Coercive control / financial abuse
  • replies: 3

Hi, here’s my story. I have spent the past 30 years working in the international oil & gas industry. I’ve worked all over the world but mostly in the Middle East and North Africa. I finished working a 5 year contract in Algeria a few months ago and h... View more

Hi, here’s my story. I have spent the past 30 years working in the international oil & gas industry. I’ve worked all over the world but mostly in the Middle East and North Africa. I finished working a 5 year contract in Algeria a few months ago and have decided that I’m done with working away and will now semi retire and stay home. During the past 5 years I have paid off all our houses ($3 million worth), our super is very healthy and we have no debts. I recently discovered that over the past 5 years, all the money that I have sent back home to our joint accounts has been taken by my wife and put into a personal account in her name only. I discovered this in October when I had an accident with a table saw at home and required emergency surgery on my thumb. I had to pay $4000 up front for this surgery so asked my wife where all my money (around $250K) was and that I needed $4K to pay for the surgery. My wife refused to give me my money so I had to pay with a credit card. She flat out refuses to put the money back into a joint account, claiming that “you’ll waste it”. That is simply untrue. She has also been getting her pay deposited in a personal account, then transferring half of it to a joint account each fortnight. I have no idea where she’s hiding the rest. I also have no idea of exactly how much I have in savings, or where she’s keeping the money. A few weeks ago I went to the police to tell them my situation and asked where I stood legally and if they had any numbers I could call for support. The officer told me that I was being subjected to coercive control, which is a form of domestic violence. Therefore the police were duty bound to investigate and came to our home to question my wife. I wasn’t present during this interview but my adult daughter was and she later told me that her mother told the police a pack of lies. The parting words to me from the police sergeant was “get a lawyer mate”. Not a thing has happened to my wife. We have not spoken for close to 4 weeks now. She has moved out of our room and is sleeping in a spare bedroom (fine by me!) Ive also had legal advice which was pretty much useless. The way I see it at the moment is that she has gotten away with simply helping herself to a quarter million of my hard earned cash and there’s nothing I can do about it. My only option now is to officially separate from her. Then the courts will ask for full disclosure and she will have to show where the money is. I am totally under her control - I don’t have any access to MY money and she’s generously providing half her pay each fortnight. I can’t leave because I have no money to leave. Ive spent a lifetime working in 3rd world dumps and was finally looking forward to semi retirement. But that’s all out the window now because she’s forcing me to get back on a plane for the next 3rd world dump assignment. Im at my wits end and don’t know what to do.

Suicidal thoughts and self-harm

This space discusses suicide and self-harm. Consider limiting the time you spend here. To use the section safely, read the pinned discussion.

Guest_06154239 Self harm, suicide, depression
  • replies: 2

I’m 14 and have been struggling a lot lately. I’m just looking for people who understand how I’m feeling and are up for a chat to distract myself

I’m 14 and have been struggling a lot lately. I’m just looking for people who understand how I’m feeling and are up for a chat to distract myself