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Young people

A space for people aged 12-25 to discuss life. If you’re over 25, please be mindful that this is a space for younger people to connect.

Unigurl18 University stress
  • replies: 5

So I’m 18 years old and just completed my first semester of university (I was a mid year start due to mental health problems) I have failed one of my topics (it was an option topic) and am currently sitting on a GPA of 4.33. I am really spinning out ... View more

So I’m 18 years old and just completed my first semester of university (I was a mid year start due to mental health problems) I have failed one of my topics (it was an option topic) and am currently sitting on a GPA of 4.33. I am really spinning out because initially, the degree I’m in doesn’t really have a set career path. Also I’m not even sure whether I can get my GPA up and do well in my topics. I’m terrified of disappointing my parents further because they are paying for my degree, which I am so thankful for. I don’t know what to do, and I’m terrified that this failure with my gpa will follow me around and permanently impact my career and internship options. I’m really just looking for some advice about what I should be doing. Thank you

Shelbelle I have no friends
  • replies: 1

Well if you couldn't guess by the title i have no friends, well i have 2 friends. I just finished year 9 and am part of a pretty big friend group, on the last day of school they all went to maccas and i was the only one not invited, they all tried to... View more

Well if you couldn't guess by the title i have no friends, well i have 2 friends. I just finished year 9 and am part of a pretty big friend group, on the last day of school they all went to maccas and i was the only one not invited, they all tried to blame me because 'i left the group chat' but no one tried to tell me, and i left the chat because it was all wildly inappropriate stuff that i just didn't want to deal with. So when i asked someone to add me back and confront them about it they all blamed me for not being in the group chat and it's not like i would win an argument against 15 other people. Then they removed me from the group chat and they were all mocking me and saying 'ding dong the witch is dead' like i was the problem. Then like 4 people private message me and say it to my face. One of the boys Maddox is in another group chat with me and Tessa and he just started ignoring us, and he got mad at me asking about maccas the day of and i got mad at him for making it seem like i knew about it the whole time and chose not to come so i unadded him. Anyways he kept ignoring us and i was like this is like no i am not doing this so tonight when he responeded to something tessa posted i said 'Omg u actually responded,stop pretending that "not having an input" or "reading it too late" is a valid excuse. If you cared even a little, you’d make the effort to engage or at least acknowledge me instead of letting me feel ignored. Saying nothing at all repeatedly just shows you don’t value me or my presence. And now you want to twist it around and say, "this is why I don’t respond"? That’s such a weak excuse. The so-called "backhanded remarks" you’re accusing me of making are just me standing up for myself because of how you’ve treated me. If you’re so quick to cut me out and use that as justification for being removed from the group chat, maybe you should think about why this all happened in the first place. If this is how you define friendship, then no wonder things fell apart.' and then he left the chat apparently after saying some hurtful stuff but i didn't open it because i was ignoring him the same he ignored me. But it was a 3 person group chat and neither tessa or i have any other friends to add to it so it's back to being just us. And tessa is supposed to just be finishing year 8 and my other friend izzy i can't tell anything because she is in yr 10 and severely depressed and i don't want to make it worse so. Sorry about the rant. 🙂

Guest_1837465 I don't know what to do
  • replies: 4

Hi, I usually don't speak up about things that I'm struggling with because I feel like they are small problems and I don't have any reason to feel sad or anxious because my life is pretty good. I don't like feeling vulnerable. I am really struggling ... View more

Hi, I usually don't speak up about things that I'm struggling with because I feel like they are small problems and I don't have any reason to feel sad or anxious because my life is pretty good. I don't like feeling vulnerable. I am really struggling with my body image and self esteem lately and I don't know what to do. I am 93kg at 16 and its really effecting my mental health, I don't eat processed foods, I eat veggies and fruits regularly but I just can't seem to loose weight. Its always "I'll start a diet tomorrow" but I never do it, I am not motivated and it scares me. I feel like I'm neglecting my body and I'm letting it go to waste, for example I'm not brushing my teeth as much because I can't be bothered, I won't shower because I can't be bothered, I wont exercise because I can't be bothered, I won't do skin care because I'm tired and can't be bothered, and I'm always on my phone at night till 12:00 because I cant sleep even though I'm always tired, I feel disgusting and like I'm rotting away and I don't know what to do. On another note I hate my personality, I'm shy and awkward and I don't feel like I'm interesting at all, I don't want to smoke or drink which most of my friends are doing at the moment, they don't invite me to things because I'm pretty sure they think I'm boring and I just hate myself for being like this, why can't I be outgoing and speak to boys, be funny, actually talk to people. I'm sorry if this is silly I just feel like I'm ranting and none of this is a reason to be anxious or depressed about, but it has just been building up. I am also struggling with things changing so fast and growing up. I'm moving schools for year 11 and 12 and so are my friends, I'm scared I will never speak to them again because that's what happened when moving from primary school to high school. I'm also nervous for the school year and ATAR and I feel like my motivation will get worse as I will be stressed out a lot more next year. I don't want to grow up. Things are moving so fast and I want them to slow down. I don't want to start thinking about what UNI's I want to go to, I don't want to start thinking about whether I have enough money to survive in my own. Reality is hitting hard and fast. I am pretty sure I'm over thinking it but I just want to know If I am alone in feeling like this? Am I stupid for thinking like this? If anyone has similar stories or tips to help me out please let me know, I just want to stop feeling like this.

Sexuality and gender identity

Peer support and conversations about anxiety, depression and other issues in the mental health space affecting LGBTQI+ people.

Guest_10025 About time I find out who or where I fit in
  • replies: 1

(57M 157cm 107kg) I have been struggling with my gender association all my life. I've tried the straight way, and the gay way but each way I felt I forced myself and felt uncomfortable. From a young age through adulthood, I tried both, it felt like s... View more

(57M 157cm 107kg) I have been struggling with my gender association all my life. I've tried the straight way, and the gay way but each way I felt I forced myself and felt uncomfortable. From a young age through adulthood, I tried both, it felt like something was off. I've had trouble with kissing and feeling romantic, I think I may have a past trauma or something unbalanced in my head. Deep down I felt torn between male and female thoughts, someone said I may be trans, not long ago. I have no attraction to either sex, but when I see a woman walking nearby I see how she walks and dresses, not in a stalker way but fantasize I am them, as for guys I think differently, either as friends with sexual desires or they seduce me. I'm a mad mixture, which I can't focus on what. Some days that dreaded black dog makes me think crazy things, but that's when my mind imagines ideas and I write stories about them. Now I have found a new sexuality and it fits most boxes of my make-up but not all. Autosexuality. I've lived in imagination throughout my life, even written sexual stories in forums in the past, I imagine I am what I'm writing. I live more for a sexual imagination and fantasy rather than human contact. One thing Autosexual people do that I don't is, I'm not in love with myself. Where the hell do I fit in this world, and will I find out before my time on comes to an end (not talking suicidal)?

Earth Girl Feel like I guilt-tripped myself into becoming more bisexual
  • replies: 8

During my school years, I was mostly straight. I occasionally had moments of confusion when around other girls, but it was very mild and didn't last long. I use to use a forum and people from school somehow found my search history and so they started... View more

During my school years, I was mostly straight. I occasionally had moments of confusion when around other girls, but it was very mild and didn't last long. I use to use a forum and people from school somehow found my search history and so they started thinking I must be gay because I only looked up "lesbian type of things", but I didn't want to do those things in real life. I could walk right past other girls back then and have no attraction to them what so ever. A couple years after school I think it was, I was looking back through some stuff that people were saying about me on there (e.g. she would only date pretty girls to try to get popular) or that I was just after something sexual (even though I didn't want to do those things in real life), but all this made me feel bad so I tried to be more open minded and tried to feel attracted to other girls in an emotional way instead of just admiring the emotional side of other girls like what you do with friends, but then I started being wayyy to open minded and kept feeling mild attraction to a lot of other girls and it was just getting awkward so then I had to try to teach myself to calm down a bit and for the most part, I feel I've managed to get back to being mostly straight, but that bit of confusion that I barley use to have when I was younger is still there. I miss being mostly straight because it was easier and it was more true to how I really was, now I just have moments where I feel like I am going crazy. I don't have a problem with other people being bisexual or gay, but I just want to go back to how I was before. It's like I forced myself to feel a certain way somehow. I know it sounds crazy, but it's really how what happened feels to me. Does anyone know anyway I can "calm down" and go back to how I use to be before I guilt tripped myself? I wish I didn't use that site now, for a lot of reasons, but one of the reasons is because if I didn't, people wouldn't have thought I had that problem and then I could just live life in a more natural way instead of forcing things to the point where I feel like it's just gotten complicated.

Guest_08188120 Am I Gay or Trans
  • replies: 4

I'm confused!Am I Gay or Trans?I accepted that i was and am gay after all these years but the past few years and now I'm leaning more trans?help please

I'm confused!Am I Gay or Trans?I accepted that i was and am gay after all these years but the past few years and now I'm leaning more trans?help please

Multicultural experiences

Designed for members who were born overseas, have parents who were, speak a primary language that isn’t English or have mixed cultural heritage.

Guest_17578890 It's just not working out
  • replies: 1

I am a 39 year old South African who has moved to Australia 18 months ago. It hard! Harder than I thought and in ways I could never have imagined. I moved for my kids to have a better education and for us all the be safe. I have a working visa but it... View more

I am a 39 year old South African who has moved to Australia 18 months ago. It hard! Harder than I thought and in ways I could never have imagined. I moved for my kids to have a better education and for us all the be safe. I have a working visa but it will be a long time before I'm a permanent resident (4 1/2 years), this means I am in limbo in the meantime as I don't feel like I belong. Pile on the fact that as a South African we are known to be friendly but efficient and no nonsense ie direct. I also have high functioning anxiety for all my life (abused as a kid). All of this in S A didn't seem to be an issue. If I was stressed I'd take anxiety meds, and if I was a little short at work, because of my position it would be brushed off, I'd appologise and we would all move on. Sometimes the general manager has to Crack the whip, it's part of the job. I was never rude or abusive. Now... in Australia, I feel like my entire identity has been beaten out of me. I spend 90% of my energy trying to be extra nice, extra friendly, and nothing gets done...so I do it myself, working 7 days a week to make deadlines without any support. Which of course means I'm achieving but I'm exhausted and can get snappy. I get insecure and i hear people talking about me in the office. Again, I appologise immediately after. I've now been fired essentially for not being nice enough, and every interaction has been twisted and misunderstood/represented to the boss. I dont know what to do...whats the point of being here. Achieving goals at the expense of being a push over and killing myself didn't even work, and not being a pushover is seen as being aggressive. I just can't win. I've given up everything and have nothing to go back to, plus I'd never get my children to come back with me (ex husband is here in australia) so I really have to stay, but will I ever fit in, how do I find a job where I can be myself, or just get a bit of understanding while I acclimatise. I am embarrassed about humiliated by being fired, a second time, after 4 months of probation at each despite achieving and surpassing goals, essentially because of my personality. I know that I dont want to die but I certainly cant live like this anymore. I don't see any alternatives.

Robuu Depression on international student life
  • replies: 2

Life as an international student can be extremely tough, especially when you're in a foreign country, trying to navigate unfamiliar systems. In my case, I was unknowingly influenced into participating in fraudulent activities. I had no idea what I wa... View more

Life as an international student can be extremely tough, especially when you're in a foreign country, trying to navigate unfamiliar systems. In my case, I was unknowingly influenced into participating in fraudulent activities. I had no idea what I was doing, being new to the place and the culture. This mistake led to the suspension of my NDIS, cutting off essential support that I relied on.Without the NDIS, I lost my job, making it impossible to pay bills, fines, or even manage daily expenses. As the financial pressure mounted, it became harder to keep up with tuition fees, leading the school to cancel my Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) due to outstanding fees.I tried speaking with the school to get my COE reinstated, but they refused, demanding full payment upfront—something I simply couldn’t afford. Desperate, I reached out to friends for help, but they were more like acquaintances, "hi friends" who couldn’t offer the support I needed. To make matters worse, my family back home is depending on me, adding to the burden.All of this led to feelings of loneliness, helplessness, and a deepening sense of isolation, leaving me battling with bad thoughts and the weight of depression.

Guest_74671780 Mixed relationship
  • replies: 4

So I'm in a long distance relationship with a mixed male who is white-mexican and he grew up all Hispanic, I'm Australian white and when he told an aunt about me she said "I was going to taint the blood line" and so I've been trying to embrace his cu... View more

So I'm in a long distance relationship with a mixed male who is white-mexican and he grew up all Hispanic, I'm Australian white and when he told an aunt about me she said "I was going to taint the blood line" and so I've been trying to embrace his culture more so that they don't feel that way and I'm not really sure what do to and it stresses me out alot because if him and I get married and have kids I don't want his family to disapprove or make comments further as they should be happy he has someone who loves him, so I guess in a way I want to impress his family aswell as him.

Grief and loss

Support and advice following the loss of a family member, partner, spouse or someone close to you.

Guest_75144421 Loss of Mum
  • replies: 3

I lost my mum nearly 5 weeks ago. I’m so broken, I don’t know how to live my life without my mum.Mum was diagnosed with Lymphoma on 17th November 2023 and lost her battle on 24th November 2024. I was mum’s carer for the last 6 weeks of her life. I ne... View more

I lost my mum nearly 5 weeks ago. I’m so broken, I don’t know how to live my life without my mum.Mum was diagnosed with Lymphoma on 17th November 2023 and lost her battle on 24th November 2024. I was mum’s carer for the last 6 weeks of her life. I never left her side.I am beside myself with grief and cannot find peace anywhere.My Dad doesn’t want to talk about mum, I think he needs to.I am so heartbroken and finding it difficult to get through each day.

Cheeso Loss of Dad and Mum
  • replies: 1

Hi, when I was 42 I lost my Dad to Emphysema as he was a carpenter with fine dust particles along with fibre glass particle that was commonly used back in the 70’s/80’s…. He also had Chronic Asthma & Chronic Bronchitis with Kyphosis and Scoliosis whi... View more

Hi, when I was 42 I lost my Dad to Emphysema as he was a carpenter with fine dust particles along with fibre glass particle that was commonly used back in the 70’s/80’s…. He also had Chronic Asthma & Chronic Bronchitis with Kyphosis and Scoliosis which was hard. 4 1/2 years later Mum passed away from Heart Failure and I found her deceased. Has anyone else found anyone deceased…. Needing help with mental health. Been told that I have Complex Grief.

Guest_34179805 My only child committed suicide on 12 November 2024
  • replies: 5

I am so lost I do not know what to do, our only child Ash committed suicide on November 12th 2024. We knew he suffered with his mental health for many years but his wife was always able to bring him back from the darkness. He had so many things go wr... View more

I am so lost I do not know what to do, our only child Ash committed suicide on November 12th 2024. We knew he suffered with his mental health for many years but his wife was always able to bring him back from the darkness. He had so many things go wrong for both of them over the last 3 years, from losing a baby and being told they could never carry another one, losing their beloved dog of 14 years, serious accidents landing both in hospital at different times, financial worries. Both my husband & I tried our best to help but for the last 18 months he started to distance himself from us and his friends we kept trying to make contact asking if we could pop in and see them, we felt not loved at the time, I wish they would have both reached out to us for help, but Ash & his wife were very private people and kept it all to themselves. Its only after his death that his wife told us he had started hearing voices in his head and had stopped taking his medication (we always told him we would pay for his medicataion if he was short of money) he had a good job and loved his work mates who all told us at the funeral that he never said nor displayed any issues, he kept it well hidden. I miss my boy so much it hurts to carry on every day. I have taken time off of work until the end of Jan 2025. My husband has gone back to work he said he feels better for it. I dont have any family here in Australia, although my sister came out from the UK for the funeral she has now gone home. This is my first day on my own since it happened, im so lost and lonely. Is there another mum on this site that has gone through the same with an only child that I can talk with?