Melbourne

2418 readers

36 users here now

This community is a place created for the people of Melbourne and Victoria. We are a positive, welcoming and inclusive community. We might not agree about everything, but we always strive to stay civil and respectful.

The focus of our discussions is based around things that affect Victoria, but we are also free to discuss our local perspective on wider issues. Or head to the regular Daily Random Discussion thread to talk about anything.

Full Community Guidelines

Ongoing discussions, FAQs & Resources (still under construction)

Adoption Certificate for Nellie, the Daily Thread numbat (with thanks to @Catfish)

Feedback & Suggestions

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

lodion@aussie.zone

RustyRaven@aussie.zone

briongloid@aussie.zone

bot001@aussie.zone

YarraByte@aussie.zone

Discussion Thread 🎲 Thursday 19 March 2026 (aussie.zone)

submitted 1 month ago by YarraByte@aussie.zone to c/melbourne@aussie.zone

124 comments fedilink hide all child comments

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] melbaboutown@aussie.zone 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (10 children)

Mental health, grieving

I feel so sad and scared all of the time. There has been talk of antidepressants but I've tried so many and none of them have worked. They just cause intolerable side effects with no benefit and then severely destabilize me when I have to come off them. So I'm stuck like this. Treatment resistant.

I wrap Melbcat's urn in a blanket burrito and hold it close at night to feel like she's still there. It's something but not really helping fully. It's only been 21 days which both looks like so long but feels like nothing. I still can't believe she's gone.

The people around me are supportive but have limited availability and have their own lives which are very separate from mine. Other old friends have drifted. Other people move on from your grief a lot faster than you do. And social thinning is very real as an adult.

[–] imoldgreeeg@aussie.zone 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Hugs.

Here are a few things that have helped me when grieving. Take or leave

something really small that's just nice that you can either look forward to or savour. Ginger tea or sweet black tea - just sipping and enjoying is my go to. Or finding a eucalyptus and just putting my hand on it and saying good morning. Tiny tiny tiny little rituals.
use some external thing to drown out the rumination. For me that's ABC late night radio, a few really low stakes podcasts (dear Hank and John is my current one) yoga lectures, audiobooks. Just something I can listen to and not the thoughts. I call it constructive disassociation.
on audiobooks the ABC listen app has a whole heap of free classics as audiobooks. Classics are great because they are a bit dull. I read all of Asimov's books and others when my sister was dying
emergency relief. Sure you know the basic panic attack stuff. Look up humming breath and ujjayi breath. Lie on your back with legs up (e.g. resting on bed) or in fetal position with cushion between legs and do one of these. The noise helps calm .
I will pop more thoughts in if anything helps. You know the basics - sleep, water, food, sun, move. But these are some little weird things that have helped. Also I sometimes set a timer. I will crap into bed and curl up. Set alarm for 15 mins. Feel it all for an amount of time the get up shower/move/glass of water and big breath. The timer is more about permission to let go then "you must be done and up again now" if that makes sense. The trick is letting it out/integrate while still living in the littlest of ways.

[–] melbaboutown@aussie.zone 2 points 1 month ago

Thanks, I really appreciate this.

load more comments (8 replies)