Depression

hi there @Vanessa52 it's nice to e-meet you 😊

sounds like there's been quite a few things on your plate such as worrying about your mental health, employment, friendships, routine, etc. which i imagine would be so overwhelming to think about at once! please do take some deep breaths, and remember that it's okay to take things one small step at a time.

talking to a psychologist and planning things out helped me with my depression & low self-esteem. my psych really helped me analyse my thought patterns and challenge/reframe them. how do you feel about challenging/reframing thoughts?

breaking things into small steps, and celebrating each win really helped too. when i wasn't able to get things done, i would tear myself down - but working on being kind to myself really helped change a lot of my mindset too.

i'm sorry to hear that the suicidal thoughts have increased lately, that sounds quite heavy. i know you mentioned that Jesus is one of the reason why you wouldn't act on those thoughts, but if you do ever feel unsafe, please don't hesitate to reach out to crisis services (i'll link some below):

• Connect with a lifeline crisis supporter (24 Hrs) 13 11 14
• Suicide callback service (24 Hrs) 1300 659 467
• Get support - Beyond Blue - Beyond Blue
• 000 Emergency, police & ambulance (24 Hrs)

Here's a non-crisis line you can reach out to if you'd like to chat more about your suicidal thoughts: Peer CARE Companion Warmline

i also noticed that making/maintaining friendships are important to you, but also something that's been tricky for you. if you're interested, maybe chatting to FriendLine might be a nice place to practice/improve social skills?

we've also got social spaces on the forums! we'd love for you to connect with community members here, feel free to post on the Fancy a cuppa , Connect now thread. apologies if i've bombarded you with so many links and questions! take your time (and pls don't feel you have to respond to this), we're glad to have you here 💙

Hi @Vanessa52 ,

Thanks for your honest sharing.

So much going on for you.

Life can be REALLY difficult and challenging!!!

One medical condition is enough to dampen life - let alone two!

I think you're being too hard on yourself. Throw out the checklist on what a person is meant to achieve in life. The tone of your post shows a mature, accomplished person. A warm caring soul. No way in the world are you someone just starting out. I laughed on your comment about friends - when you are a little too honest.

I know this glosses over the reality of the depression (did I read your post right in that it may be connected to menopause and maybe temporary - not good now but one day things may be better). But you really do come across as a warm accomplished person.

Thank you so much for your kind words, it meant a lot.

Hi @Vanessa52 ,

I'm back.

I'm also new to this Forum. At this point I'm not able to write the beautiful honest sharing posts like you did in what I think was your first post. Nor the helpful experienced support shown in the other post that replied (sorry I can't remember the person's Forum name).

But I wanted to write to let you know I'm thinking of you.

Wondering how the study is going. Thinking not to be too hard on yourself if it isn't happening at the moment.

Hi @Vanessa52

I have just joined, and haven't written anything yet. But your post title made me think "that's me" - middle aged and depressed.

I guess I just wanted to say that you're not alone in feeling the way you do.

I am at the bottom of a pit of depression. Been fighting it for months and months. Had an embarassing crying breakdown at work last week, got sent home, and have just completely lost myself. I have money worries and have had a lot of trauma over recent years.

It's a very isolating feeling.

I'm finding it hard to help myself. For me, it's easier to help someone else. So I wanted to say I empathize with his you are feeling.

I'm starting a volunteer role as a dog walker soon. Maybe volunteering would help with your self esteem? I've always had low self-esteem, so I'm hoping this dog walking helps both the dog and myself.

Anyway, I hope you are doing ok, and take care.

Hi @Buddy203

A warm welcome 👋 and thanks for sharing your experiences with the community!

Sounds like you can really relate to other members here having also experienced depression and isolation - and that sounds so tough 😐

It takes courage to share your experiences with the community, and you are being really brave 🦁 reaching out to your peers 🌿.  It's great that despite the challenges you're facing you are focused on how to improve your well-being 🌺. Volunteering as a dog walker sounds great 🐕

Do you have any other supports in place to help you cope with the depression and feelings of isolation?

Take care

TunedIn 🌻

Hi TunedIn

Thank you 😊

Yes, I am speaking to a psychologist this week. I also have a friend who I can trust to speak to.