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Depression

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What is depression?

It is normal to feel down or sad at times during your life. If you have had to cope with a stressful event you may need time to grieve and feelings of sadness may last for some time. The term depression is sometimes used to describe feelings of sadness. Depression is also the name for a group of illnesses, which affects the way someone feels and is characterised by a persistent lowering of mood.

When someone is depressed they may feel a range of things including:·

  • feeling hopeless or helpless
  • losing interest in activities they usually enjoy
  • a lack of energy
  • changes in sleeping and eating patterns
  • crying a lot or feeling agitated
  • high use of alcohol or other drugs
  • losing their temper
  • withdrawing from the group
  • headaches or stomach aches
  • feeling empty
  • feeling anxious.

Understanding depression

Sometimes people become depressed in response to something in particular and sometimes depression can occur for no apparent reason. Some of the things that can trigger depression include:

  • a history of depression within the family
  • a stressful event or chain of events such as a family break-up, child abuse, ongoing bullying at school, rape, a death, a relationship break up, family conflict
  • having a baby.

Depression + suicidal thoughts

People experiencing depression may have suicidal thoughts. If you feel like this, it is important you seek help. A family member, teacher, doctor or psychologist may be a good first step.  

If you know someone is having suicidal thoughts, encourage them to seek help. Let them know that if you think they will hurt themself then you will have to tell someone. If they are scared about telling someone else you can offer to go with them for support.

Getting help for depression

There are a number of things you can do to help you manage your depression. Try to remember that this may take time and there may be good days and not so good ones. For more information about some of the ways to help manage depression you may want to check out the Treatment options for managing depression fact sheet.

  • This content was created by Reach Out Australia.
  • Last updated 28 Jun 09

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Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Romzgirl

5 months ago

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This helps so much BUT HOW DO I STOP FEELING LIKE THIS

Mockingjay

5 months ago

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@Romzgirl - It is a hard thing to do, but why don't you have a look through some other fact sheets about getting help for depression. There's some great fact sheets about various forms of treatment, from seeing Counsellors, Psychologists, Psychiatrists. Also Kids Help Line: 1800 55 1800, or Lifeline: 13 11 14 are always there if you need someone to talk to.

I hope this has helped :)

alone_and_empty

4 months ago

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im to scared to go and get "professional" help and i dont really know what to do.

O.P.H.E.L.I.A

4 months ago

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Hello alone_and_empty


It must be so scary wanting to get 'professional' help, because I went through it last year. Last year was quite turmoil for me & I came on RO (the other Forum) (well I don't know why I came on ReachOut really, but it just came up to me) and anyways, every one gave me great advice about the good stuff when seeking help:

- You'll feel better after
- You'll become a stronger person
- You'll see the difference from before to after
- Counsellors are there to help you
- They don't judge you
- They keep things confidential
- You can trust professionals with almost anything and the list just goes on.....

I'm not forcing you to see one, but when your mind feels ready to see someone professional, than you will always have the support of us here, supporting you, even your friends & family. 

I know sometimes, people don't like sharing things like this, with their friends & family, and that's totally okay. It's up to you :)

If you want to speak to someone about it, you can try Kids Help at: 1800.55.1800.

OR

I just checked out this site, called: MoodGym that I found on ReachOut, actually, it's in the left hand side. I'm still reading through it & haven't signed up yet, so, if you want, you can check that out too. It's interesting about having an e-coach, helping to guide you in life. It's interesting, you should check it out! :)

It is hard & scary, but at the end of the day, you'll get the peace your mind is long waiting for :)

Hope you find your way through life somehow :)

alone_and_empty

4 months ago

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thanks for your help Le Ophella.

O.P.H.E.L.I.A

4 months ago

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You're welcome & welcome to ROtreat :)


Try jumping on board the Forum & join in the latest discussions happening.

See you 'round the Forum sometimes. :)

SteveSmith222

4 months ago

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Hi
My friend had depression for over 15 years and he found ways (other than Medication) to deal with his moods and feelings. He has written a book called Emotional SOS which explains how he did it. Thought you might be interested. Have a look at his story anyway its a good read..

Edited by moderator 4 months ago

Chaterino

4 months ago

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i started to think i had depression about a year ago and it kept coming and going but i always managed to get over it by exercising but now i just cant do it anymore and sometimes at school when im sitting at my desk i feel like crying for no reason and im loosing all my friends and i dont think i can control it anymore

O.P.H.E.L.I.A

4 months ago

Reply Report

Hey Chaterino,


Welcome to ROtreat and well done in stepping up. You know what I find really helpful? Talking to someone. Kids Help are good.... you can contact them @ 1800.55.1800 also, the suggestions mentioned above are great too! 

Also, taking time out and having 'me time' is good too, but than again - having the company of friends is such a wonderful thing to have around. Talk to them or talk to someone you trust.

Hop on the Forum & introduce yourself & join in the many discussions that's going in there in Chatterbox & ZenDen

=]

Spud

4 months ago

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-_o how often do I consider this bliss to be haedes domain? Often enough to know that even I need help... It is getting worse, the light at the end of the tunnel has been smashed...

If there is a soul on this site who know who I should seek, you are a god among mere mortals.

O.P.H.E.L.I.A

4 months ago

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@Spud


Hello - welcome to Reach. I hope you find light from the other side of the tunnel, that I always consider a half & never too long.

Life is tough, am not going to disagree with you, but there are people out there who can help you.
Have you considered speaking to your doctor who can perhaps allow you to seek face to face counselling? Or Kids Help too can help you, since they are trained counsellors. The no# is: 1800.55.1800. 

Also, have you checked out the sort of things you can do to help you get through your day to day routine? Head over to Zen Den on Forum if you like & try having a go at the positive stuff. There are lots of great ideas created on Forum, so if you like feel free to check these out, that may help you:


...and there's plenty more, but this has a limit with attaching links....feel free to check the Forum & fact-sheets!! :)

See you round soon.

Spud

4 months ago

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thnks... the doc idea is a nogo cos I cant stand face2face... but the helpline might b cool... would it wrk on a mobile?

O.P.H.E.L.I.A

4 months ago

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@Spud - It works on mobiles. Yes. If you are with Optus, it's free call, other services you have to pay depending on how much it costs you to make a call.

Give it a go & see how you go :)

Cassie<3

4 months ago

Reply Report

Hi Spud,

It's great that you're considering calling a help line. You can dial a helpline on a mobile, however, this may cost you money. Calling KHL on a landline is free, or if you are on Optus on a mobile phone that is also free. Otherwise, any other network on a mobile will cost you. KHL also have an emailing and online chat service that may help you too. I hope you do manage to reach out for help :)

Take care.

-Cassie

Spud

4 months ago

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theres a chat?

anna

4 months ago

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hey Spud - check out this fact sheet on KHL - they have web counselling, email counselling and telephone counselling - glad you hear you're thinking of checking them out :)

Spud

4 months ago

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:o it may be good...

pmo479

3 months ago

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I just lost my daughter and the girl of my dreams. i have started to drink a lot again.

i am too scared to seek professional help cause i think they will think i am just being stuipid or somthing. i dont know what to do anymore. without my girl and misses i am lost. i mean i lost them due to a stupid reason and all i seem to do is make it worse. what do i do?

 

Hi

 

We have had to edit your post as it goes against the Reach Out Community Guidelines.

Check them out so that you know how you can help keep Reach Out safe for all of our community members.

Edited by moderator 3 months ago

O.P.H.E.L.I.A

3 months ago

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Hey there pmo479.


Im sorry to hear you are having a difficult time, with losing your daughter and your misses.

We all see the good things in life and we see the disappointed things in life. It's difficult, I know, but have you considered speaking to Lifeline 13.11.14 or speaking to a face to face counsellor, which can help you?

Sometimes, family counselling is a good idea, but that's just a suggestion from me. It's always best to give time between one another and hope for the best, really.

Also, please check out the community guidelines, to familiarize yourself with what ROtreat is about, but so glad you've reached out for help. Very happy to hear that you are seeking help, but am sorry you are having a difficult time.

I hope you seek professional help, for yourself and wish you the best of luck.

Take care,
Ophelia

Ps; Welcome to ROtreat!!!

O.P.H.E.L.I.A

3 months ago

Reply Report

Ps: You may wish to check these factsheets out:


http://au.reachout.com/find/articles/alcohol

and dealing with loss - I am trying to find one that will help you, but they're not quite the ones that could be, but check through the factsheets and see which bests relates to you.

Cheers,

Lonley_Depressed_Teen

2 months ago

Reply Report

Hi everyone,
im only new to this online help thing but im looking for some help with with strategies. im currently suffering from Depression, Anxiety and Schizophrenia. i see a Social Worker, Psyciatrist and more but its just not enough

Please help me ( )phelia because u give good advice and u sound nice. but also help from anyone will be well appreciated

Edited by moderator 2 months ago

O.P.H.E.L.I.A

2 months ago

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Hi there Lonely_Depressed_Teen,


I am glad you reached out for help. Yay! :)

I am sorry you are going through a difficult time at this very moment, and finding that - its not helping enough with your health profession service, but trust me it will get better. It takes time, but I know you can do it. 

Life unfortunately, is not like magic. Magic only comes from within. We create that magic through 'time' & 'patience'. What we see on TV or in movies about 'life gets better in 1 or 2 hour?' ...Trust me, those filmings take forever. At least a couple of weeks or months, until they get it perfect, sometimes they plan them for years, so they turn out perfect.

And this is similar to your case. Depending on how long you've seen and seeked help with your health profession, it won't help and work in little time. 

It takes a while to get better, because I was in a dark past for almost 12 years and it destroyed my life. 

Last year, I began seeking a psychologist and from than on, I still am finding life difficult, thinking ahhh I don't want help anymore, but at the end of the day, we do need a little guidance and light in our life. Don't give up hope. I am still in a stage of confusion with a lot of losses this year and my other personal problem I have on.

Have a read through the factsheets available that can help you. If you think things aren't going well with your health profession, than try again and seek other health profession. 

There are:  

- Kids help (web or phone) on 1800.55.1800 or
- Lifeline on 13.11.14

Or these factsheets to check out...


I know you can do it, be faithful and strong towards yourself and don't let negativity eat you away.

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.

Ps: I am not a counsellor, but thank you for reaching out for help. ReachOut Crew & Members will be happy to hear that. Well done.

Ophelia.L

O.P.H.E.L.I.A

2 months ago

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PPs...check this Summer Care Plan designed yesterday (I think) ...Correct me if Im wrong Crews...sorry. I have been a little off lately :)

Lonley_Depressed_Teen

2 months ago

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Thank you Ophelia.L for replying so quickly. but my problem is that i first noticed and recognized my problems about 3 years ago and i told someone about them about 12 months later and there was no school councilor at school at that time so i started seeing a community councilor person for about 4 to 5 months and then he released me because he thought i was better because there was a lot that i was hiding from him.
then i went into this Psychosis thingy and that's when i stated seeing a Social Worker and he took me straight to the Psychiatrist, so ive had professional help for about 1.5 years and im not getting any better  my life has been going down since i got kicked out of school about 10 weeks ago.

My Provisional Psycologist reffered me to talking to people that have gone throught the same things as me. Im mainly looking for stratergies to cope with my problems which im hoping will help me get better.

Thanks alot
Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to you to....

Edited by moderator 2 months ago

Lonley_Depressed_Teen

2 months ago

Reply Report

P.S. are you a Girl
I only want to no because i find it easier to talk to girls. Because boys are mean.

But if u are a dude, i will still try to tlk to u

P.S. Im a dude

Edited by moderator 2 months ago

O.P.H.E.L.I.A

2 months ago

Reply Report

Hi there Lonely_Depressed_Teen,


I still have problems, but what's helping me really, is:
- writing, 
- speaking to people (health profession)
- going for long walks, 
- listening to music, 
- recording, 
- playing an instrument
- Setting the record straight, as in, I want to go back to the sporting industry, so I did it.

Also, being able to open up to my parents.

It took me almost 12 years to open up about my darkest past. I have hidden a dark secret for that long. I was grateful I was able to open up to someone and that person I respect so much, because of their uniqueness and care for others. Also, for themselves.

In between these 12 years, I had no help...probably with a Nun (I went a Catholic school), and speaking to a Nun, was difficult to me, because I wasn't that religious.

Since I was 9 years old, til 21 - I suffered a great deal of pain, with no help. The only thing that helped me was, writing. I released all my pain & emotion on a piece of paper with a pen. Half the time I ripped the paper, because of my anger.

In 2008, I did the same thing as you, I reached out for help and have been finding it so grateful ever since. I was scared at first to seek professional help, because I didn't know what my parents will think and what my family (aunt, uncle, couins) all think of me.

Than, I decided to say: Fuck everyone, I am getting help. I want to get better, but I can't go through this alone, because I went through hell & back last year. I was going to marry some guy, whom I have never met (from overseas) and because of my past, it triggered me, so I had to let it go. I was engaged to him, because I was forced into it.

No one respected my decision, so I went down a very unhelpful path and it lead me to a suspension from Uni, but I asked for help and I had lots of great help by someone and I was so grateful, I wasn't alone during that time.

Than, I went on the Forum (the old Forum) and I was hospitalised, because of what was going through me at the time. The doctors there also, decided and agreed with everyone from ReachOut, that I should speak with a psychologist. So, I found myself a psychologist and my psych is bloody amazing. I am working on lots of techniques with my psych and it's been helping me lots.

I think it's important you stick by your psychiatrist, because these are vital for you. It's important to understand that no one is trying to make you worse.

Health professions know what they are doing. It's up to you to pull yourself together and think positive, instead of having these negative thoughts about your family and yourself.

Your family love you, deep down, they love you. If they didn't than you would have been long gone, out of their sight. 

You know what you can do though, check out the Summer Care Plan (linked above) designed by ReachOut members, and also, have a 'Gratitude Diary' or something, and look at the good stuff in your life with what you are grateful about.

There are lots of things you can do to help yourself. It's just a matter of saying to yourself: 'I can do it' and 'I do want to get better.'

Also, please check out the Community Guidelines with boundaries for the Forum, Factsheet & Blog posting.

I will be leaving in 4 days, so I will not respond back for another month. It's important you look after yourself and do something that makes you happy, with positive stuff. Nothing negative, because negativity is basically stupid, because it does fuck up our life.

Also, please call: Kids Help Line, they are free from Optus mobile...landline, I think it charges. 

Also, check out the factsheets above I sent you. They will help you. Flick through the website and see what helps you too.

Thanks,
Ophelia.L

Lonley_Depressed_Teen

2 months ago

Reply Report

Im sorry Ophelia,
i wasn't aware of the Community Guidelines. but i just read them and i understand them
and im sorry for asking you for personal information

O.P.H.E.L.I.A

2 months ago

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That's okay. You didn't really ask me for personal information. Personal info is more like:


email address, house address, phone number, mobile number, full name of a person/s or yourself (like lastname) etc.

That's alright, I am just glad you are asking for help. :)

Lonley_Depressed_Teen

2 months ago

Reply Report

Hi everyone.
I need some help and info on depression

Im trying to write a book about my experiences with "Living with Depression".
I just want to no that if you were to read it what would you want in it.
And would it be helpful to include my strategies of how i got through the tough times

O.P.H.E.L.I.A

28 days ago

Reply Report

Hello Lonely_Depressed_Teen,


I think writing a book should be about what you personally believe in. What you go through as an individual. Every story is interesting to read, because we learn from one another.

Goodluck on writing your story. :)

-------

This whole past weeks and months, I have been going through depression, as I am diagnosed with depression. I've just had a difficult week and have been having a tough time trying to grasp the 'hope' in my life. 

I have been involved in many family dynamic breakdown (not my parents or sisters, well kinda them, but also relatives). 

Also, some friends have affected my life and the fact I felt I was being ignored, or maybe not. One of my friend expressed her feelings towards me, which she won't talk more about it to me, because I have also shared something with her, which is slightly similar, but it's not to her.

However, I am learning to *Figure of Speech* 'jump in the ocean and wash it off'! Just focus on Uni, the voluntary stuff I do, my book & the RO Book. They are like my long term goals.

I love keeping myself busy. I love getting involved, because if I don't than, it's going to depress me more if I stay at home and do nothing. So, I am glad I am keeping myself busy, just to take my mind of these things. 

People tell me, I should slow down, but if I slow down, the depression comes out and I cannot let that happen. People have to keep me busy. My mum is even keeping me busy at home. :)

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