Long-term support over the journey

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Chris_B PLEASE READ: What this forum is for (trigger warning advisory)
  • replies: 2

The threads in this section have been created by longer-term community members, and have evolved over time into rich, complex discussions about many aspects of living with a mental health condition. They were originally started in one of our other to... View more

The threads in this section have been created by longer-term community members, and have evolved over time into rich, complex discussions about many aspects of living with a mental health condition. They were originally started in one of our other topic sections, and have migrated here once reaching the milestone of 100 posts in order to allow members to keep following the life story being shared as it happens day to day. This is not a place to start new threads - discussions here have reached a sufficient level of popularity and depth that they have been moved here by moderators. Long-term support here on the forums is defined in terms of receiving that support here in this space, which is why we have chosen the 100-post milestone to select threads that will appear here. Our research tells us that 55% of our members have been living with a mental health condition for ten years or more, so long-term support in the real world will not be a strange concept to many of you. If you're seeking long-term support on your journey, we'd encourage you to start a new thread in the section that best suits where you are at this point. Making a commitment to daily posting and supporting others will eventually see your thread join the wonderful stories here in this section. A few important points to note: 1. The "new thread" button has been disabled for this section - if you click on it, you will be redirected to the beyondblue home page. 2. Please be aware that threads in this section may contain discussion of suicide, self-harm, sexual abuse, domestic abuse and other trauma-related topics. 3. Threads in this section may be archived periodically (locked or unpublished) at the discretion of moderators.

All discussions

focus008 Nobody’s Person
  • replies: 7

Hi all, I have just recently joined.Im 38, female, single and living alone.I’ve come to realise lately that although my family love me because they are my family and will always have that tie to me, I am not important to anyone by choice.I am no one’... View more

Hi all, I have just recently joined.Im 38, female, single and living alone.I’ve come to realise lately that although my family love me because they are my family and will always have that tie to me, I am not important to anyone by choice.I am no one’s best friend, I am no one’s partner, no one has ever loved me enough to stay or go want to marry me or have children with me. It must be the most wonderful feeing in the world to mean so much to another person, but I am always left feeling not good enough and alone. I come home to an empty house after work and cry because life isn’t meant to be lived alone and I feel so alone… I just don’t know what do do about it.

Matchy69 how do i stop crying
  • replies: 784

I feel so alone,i dont have many friends or anyone who wants to know what i am going through.I just find my self just breaking down and crying.I just want some one to listen and not to judge me.

I feel so alone,i dont have many friends or anyone who wants to know what i am going through.I just find my self just breaking down and crying.I just want some one to listen and not to judge me.

Elizabeth CP Feeling down due to fatigue & undiagnosed health issues
  • replies: 974

I haven't been using the forums much apart from a couple of responses to others posts. I stopped as I was too busy & trying to keep up with the forums was becoming too stressful. In September My husband went to Europe which was great although tiring ... View more

I haven't been using the forums much apart from a couple of responses to others posts. I stopped as I was too busy & trying to keep up with the forums was becoming too stressful. In September My husband went to Europe which was great although tiring due to the pace of the tour we did. Unfortunately a few days before returning home I fell heavily on concrete steps hurting my right side. I continued on relying on icepacks to manage the pain. I couldn't sleep because of the pain when lying down. The last day I came down with a bad cold which developed into a chest infection later on. The pain eased after 6 weeks & I recovered from the chest infection but have ongoing problems with fatigue & abdominal discomfort. My GP arranged pathology tests. The blood tests are normal but urine isn't. Today I was sent for a ultrasound of kidneys & bladder. Next week I have a gastroscopy & colonoscopy. My stress levels seem to be escalating out of proportion each time I see the GP & get sent for more tests. Prior to my accident my mental health issues were settling down but the last week it is much worse. I have lost my temper a few times in the last week without much provocation. This is not normal for me. I have been on a diet for several months but I am now finding it really hard to stick to it I just want to go & eat food I know will make me feel worse. The diet is a healthy one which I normally find easy to stick to because the food is satisfying. I just want to get back on track & feel in control of my life & not feel so stressed & down. I also feel guilty for feeling this way because There is no confirmation of a serious illness.

Azzdog Sexual Health and the Idea of Never Having a Partner
  • replies: 768

Hi everyone, I'm not sure how to put this but hopefully it will make sense. I am a 24 year old male who currently is in therapy and sees a psychologist regularly. I have OCD, anxiety, depression, and autism, and when you put those all together, it be... View more

Hi everyone, I'm not sure how to put this but hopefully it will make sense. I am a 24 year old male who currently is in therapy and sees a psychologist regularly. I have OCD, anxiety, depression, and autism, and when you put those all together, it becomes understandable why socialising is a major problem for me. One major cause of my current situation is the fact that I have never hd a girlfriend or had sex. Because we live in the digital age, it is almost impossible to avoid the fact that a lot of people are in relationships and that modern society is obsessed with the concept of sex. You would almost have to live on a deserted island in order to completely avoid all the triggers associated with it. My cause of concern is that I have no one that I can relate to on this and that I feel like I struggle to articulate how bad it is for my mental health. My psychologist says that I am well in the normal distribution for young men but that doesn't really make me feel any better. Because I am shy, introverted, and have a lot of hobbies and interests that are not in line with contemporary society, I genuinely feel like I will never have a girlfriend, never have sex, and die alone. This fact alone has meant in the past 6 months, I have had 5 separate stints in a psychiatric ward due to concerns of my own safety. I was wondering if there are any other young men out there who feel the same way and are currently in the same boat, and if there are any young mens health groups around? I feel the latter would be important for me and reassure me that I am not the only one who feels this way.

Tess2 Struggling to go on
  • replies: 329

Life is being really hard for me and troubles keep compounding. I cannot face wading through what is needed to move forward I feel isolated and alone. I have people who care but I think they can be overloaded with my despair and it can be a burden. T... View more

Life is being really hard for me and troubles keep compounding. I cannot face wading through what is needed to move forward I feel isolated and alone. I have people who care but I think they can be overloaded with my despair and it can be a burden. There seem to be obstacles all along the way. Two years ago I lost my job. A career of 50 years. I am 66 and have no partner. I have not coped well with this loss and now have significant financial problems too. I have to sell my home. Pay off my mortgage and buy a new place. I live with my son who is very caring but I have suppported him financially and emotionally through the family court. His ex is trying to remove him from his daughters life. I feel I have reached my retirement years with very little and no joy. Depression has been a big part of my life. But I have managed. Now I also have severe anxiety. It paralyses me. And panic attacks. I don’t know how to do each day.

Saree_p Really struggling
  • replies: 1085

Hi All, This is the first time I have ever tried to use a forum. I simply don't know what else to do. Atm I have a lot of memories, images, voices from past experiences resurfacing. On top of work environment that can trigger these. I simply can not ... View more

Hi All, This is the first time I have ever tried to use a forum. I simply don't know what else to do. Atm I have a lot of memories, images, voices from past experiences resurfacing. On top of work environment that can trigger these. I simply can not take it anymore and cope. All I want to do is make everything stop. I have been sitting with suicide for a while now, and I am tired of fighting it. I feel like I have exhausted all my options, I am wondering if anyone has any advice. I have started the process of seeking help, however it'll take months to organise. On top of this I can't exactly share what's going on etc. Sorry

Steven1 My wife isn't the least bit interested in sex and I am taking it personally. Should I?
  • replies: 173

Hey guys. I am hoping I am not the only guy in this boat... my wife never wants to have sex with me. We are still relatively young (I am 30 and she is 29) and we have been married 4 years, been together about ten. We used to have a pretty active sex ... View more

Hey guys. I am hoping I am not the only guy in this boat... my wife never wants to have sex with me. We are still relatively young (I am 30 and she is 29) and we have been married 4 years, been together about ten. We used to have a pretty active sex life but it has gone dormant since we had kids about 3 years ago. She always says she is tired and makes excuses like she can't be bothered or other trivial things. And she never comes on to me. I always have to initiate it and I feel rejected and horrible when she knocks me back. Being depressed and having low self esteem probably makes it seem worse, but I take it pretty badly being knocked back and going without sex for months. I feel maybe she isn't attracted to me or in love with me anymore but she denies this. I don't know what to think anymore. Any thoughts anyone?

Jill_G Anxiety symptom makes me gag
  • replies: 111

Hi its ny first time posting. Ive been suffering anxiety now for over 3 months and it came out of the blue. ...wasnt sure what was happening to me. Been to doctors and dicussed all sorts of treatments. Lots of ups and downs. One sympton lve been havi... View more

Hi its ny first time posting. Ive been suffering anxiety now for over 3 months and it came out of the blue. ...wasnt sure what was happening to me. Been to doctors and dicussed all sorts of treatments. Lots of ups and downs. One sympton lve been having over the last month is gagging every morning abd there is no medical reason for it. ...has anyone else experienced this ...its really imoacted my life terribly

Katyonthehamsterwheel Not in a good space
  • replies: 1405

It's like a feeling just bubbling up to the surface. It's panicky and disgusting and I dont' know what to do with it. There's no thoughts associated with it. It's a feeling. A really gross one. I called the Suicide Call Back service. I didn't find th... View more

It's like a feeling just bubbling up to the surface. It's panicky and disgusting and I dont' know what to do with it. There's no thoughts associated with it. It's a feeling. A really gross one. I called the Suicide Call Back service. I didn't find them helpful. What do you do? What helps you?

Guest_1643 Thinking about death.... all the time...
  • replies: 948

Hi all I've been struggling for 3 weeks with suicidal thoughts My new GP is amazing He tells me to think of suicidal thoughts as a symptom maybe a solution Could he be right? Today he assigned someone to give me a call to check in on my safety. I don... View more

Hi all I've been struggling for 3 weeks with suicidal thoughts My new GP is amazing He tells me to think of suicidal thoughts as a symptom maybe a solution Could he be right? Today he assigned someone to give me a call to check in on my safety. I don't think that will happen. I've not received the call. Small things like this lead to rage, hurt and fear for me. And so I am left to deal with the thoughts alone.