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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.

blue_whale feeling kinda hopeless rn
  • replies: 1

hi recently ive felt that my mental health has kinda taken the wrong turn. this started when i was around 13... and now im 16, its been cumulating over the past few years and i thought that i could ignore it but its gotten to a point where i can't an... View more

hi recently ive felt that my mental health has kinda taken the wrong turn. this started when i was around 13... and now im 16, its been cumulating over the past few years and i thought that i could ignore it but its gotten to a point where i can't anymore. i've recently had so many deaths in the family, this year i had 2 back to back ones which has made me dread my own future now that death is so close to me now. and my family life has kind of crumbled apart, the discussion of divorce keeps seeping into every conversation, my parents have talked about it too, which just kind of puts more salt into the wound... and i feel like my cousins don't really like me... we just don't click i guess, because they have their own separate gc w e/o and have no problem talking to eachother... and i'm just kind of awkwardly sitting on the edge listening. its not just my family too, my relationships with my friends also have taken a wrong turn. i found out long ago that my friends from primary school have decided to hang out with eachother... excluding me... which felt like such a stab to the back considering i had a falling out w one of them which makes me think i'm the problem??? idk it makes me sad knowing they probably talk smack behind my back. i've come to terms with it now but it doesn't stop hurting. and i've now kind of dreaded hanging out with all of my friends, i feel bad that im clinging onto one of them when i should be talking w/ the others, but honestly theres been so many problems, dramas that i can't see some of them normally anymore. i'm also not the most attractive person ever, im 150cm with a chronic baby face which makes me look like a child compared to the people around me, one time my friend commented that her auntie thought i was in kindergarten, while laughing, which made me feel like digging myself a hole. i've turned to my studies as a way to distance myself from these issues, but my academic life is also a source of stress, it always is. i tell myself constantly that i don't have to be perfect, but i keep spewing out near-to-perfect scores which places alot of weight and anxiety on my shoulders. i don't mean to be a perfect student, i never was, and i feel like more and more people are getting annoyed when i keep telling them... its true... al of this has kind of ruined my motivation... i find myself forgetting to clean the house sometimes which causes my mum to do it for me and complain how i lie about cleaning it... i do sometimes, i just don't deep clean it like how she expects me to... idk, im just floating around between feelings of hopelessness and loneliness and its taken a turn for the worse. sorry if this is long, i've never really processed any of these feelings before and this felt like the only way for now. 🙂

ConnorIsFunni 16, 175cm and 100-110kg
  • replies: 4

Hello, My name is Connor. I’m 16 and I play basketball. I’m pretty gifted athletically (I think so anyway) as I am pretty fast for a fat guy (24km/h), but it’s not enough. I was separated from my mum due to physical abuse when I was 12 and ever since... View more

Hello, My name is Connor. I’m 16 and I play basketball. I’m pretty gifted athletically (I think so anyway) as I am pretty fast for a fat guy (24km/h), but it’s not enough. I was separated from my mum due to physical abuse when I was 12 and ever since then I’ve stayed with my nana. I was also fat since I was born, so yeah, that’s nice. In the recent years, I’ve been told I’ve become bitter, everytime I’ve tried to connect with my mum, it always ends terribly, as of writing this, just a few hours ago, I got into a physical altercation with her. I am now safe, but not mentally. My mum had called me fat and a loser all my life, ever since I was 10 ‘when I should be properly be able to take care of myself’ she always made fun of the fact I couldn’t run halfway don’t the street when I tried to run away one day. I constantly compare myself to other people at school, a lot of the boys I talk to are close to/are dunking, and basketball is everything to me, it’s how I made friends, how people respect me and I can’t get near dunking, because I’m fat. I’ve tried working out, I was 5 months consistent with just sheer forcing myself, but I can’t do it anymore. I had a knee injury and it got too hot (I live in South Australia) and I can’t even get out of my bed sometimes. People keep making me the punchline of their jokes, like the usual ‘pretend there is a earthquake when he is running’ then comparing me to popular fat people and fat fictional characters. I also have been rejected by girls for being fat, people talk down on me for my weight and height. It’s exhausting, I feel angry 24/7, I tried boxing, but my body couldn’t handle the output of my exertion because I was heavy, I try too hard when playing sports leading to injuries because of how heavy I am. I wear baggy shirts and pants 24/7, not matter the weather. My dad is nonexistent, he lives away from me in Northern Territory, and my nana just says ‘I used to be like this etc.’ when I ask for help.

Waterbotol Mental not great kinda at breaking point
  • replies: 2

I dont know where to start but like im kinda cooked?? Im 16M about to begin year 12 and literally a week ago lost two (lets say one is S (female) and the other is A (male) of my 3 (lets call the remaining one K) close friends. I lost S because im a b... View more

I dont know where to start but like im kinda cooked?? Im 16M about to begin year 12 and literally a week ago lost two (lets say one is S (female) and the other is A (male) of my 3 (lets call the remaining one K) close friends. I lost S because im a bit of a dumb one, i like had a hugeee crush on her for the past 5 years 😬 and like its been a cycle of us getting close me confessing then her rejecting me and we distance and it restarts like this is already the 4th iteration of such an occurance. This time i was hoping to actually stop it by acknowledging that its probably not great for either of us for me to keep doing this and then keeping my distance from her (oh yeahh also i have very bad anxious attachment which i suspect came from 2023 when she lowk like lead me on for half a year then ghosted me for another half year but like we ignore that). I lost A because i found out what he has been doing. He has been going around and hitting on girls (borderline harrassment imo) and also he sent someone a suicide note in order to get her number???? I tried to like get him to understand that he shouldnt be doing these things but he kept deflecting and keeps saying hes being misunderstood and that hes not harrassing girls even when he sends them videos saying their hair looks really nice and when he gets left on seen he keeps going. I dont know, also sorry if this like rant thing is disorganised its 3 am ive been lying in bed with a sensation of my heart being twisted for the past 4 hours i dont know bruh. Anyways i should get back on track, so thats why i lost him. Why this is important though is that each of my close friends had a role within my life, like S would be who i talked with normally and A would be who i ranted with about my love life, but after both of them are gone i havent got any role fillers... tbh ive just been asking chatgpt for help and i dont think thats too good so thats why im here. This alone wouldnt be that bad thooo, its the fact that im worried about my physical health (my family has a history of like gout diabetes brain issues), my love life (its been pretty difficult getting over S while im anxiously attached and shes currently in a talking stage atm) and the fact that im starting year 12 (bio, chem, physics, methods ,english language and my parents wont pay for university if i get anything less than a 95 atar... oh yeah im also moving sometime near the middle of the year and im horribly lonely.again im sorry for the disorganisation

Sexuality and gender identity

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

not_dead_yet I dont think i have my own identity
  • replies: 3

Hi yall, so basically my entire life so far has been my parents telling me what to do. Up until maybe 2 months back i didnt really have any thoughts to myself. If my parents told me i like music and want to do it for a living then i do! And like i re... View more

Hi yall, so basically my entire life so far has been my parents telling me what to do. Up until maybe 2 months back i didnt really have any thoughts to myself. If my parents told me i like music and want to do it for a living then i do! And like i really hate music and just figured that out when my classmate told me i always groan and try to avoid practice during class and i dont do that with most other subjects. The same thing with crushes- my mum likes this guy so that means i do as well. I have always like pants despite my mum always always making me wear dresses- hated that since day 1 and i am a little curious as to why i feel like i am staring at women more than men? I never really had an opinion on my life and im not really sure of what i am even asking on here. Hah i guess i jist need help on like what is going on in my brain and try to make sense of this.

BMan40 Can anyone relate??
  • replies: 1

Hi there, Just wondering if there are any other men, husbands and fathers who are in a heterosexual relationship but are very attracted to other men when your out in public?And if you find yourself checking out other guys are you feeling guilty and u... View more

Hi there, Just wondering if there are any other men, husbands and fathers who are in a heterosexual relationship but are very attracted to other men when your out in public?And if you find yourself checking out other guys are you feeling guilty and upset internally because you feel you shouldn't be attracted to the same sex, as your in a heterosexual relationship??Do you guys feel like your brain is constantly fighting with itself to stay on track then your eyes see something they like, then your in two minds??Please reach out to me.It's a hard situation to navigate.Bman40

Guest_28589019 NEED SOME ADVICE
  • replies: 2

Hi ive recently been informed that my adult son of 29 who is married, has 2 children one aged 2 and one aged 7 weeks has secretly dressing as a woman , his wife has known about this and has asked him to stop. He has started lying, about his activity ... View more

Hi ive recently been informed that my adult son of 29 who is married, has 2 children one aged 2 and one aged 7 weeks has secretly dressing as a woman , his wife has known about this and has asked him to stop. He has started lying, about his activity and has now posted photos online and his,wife has caught him out. The trust has obviously been broken in the marriage and having 2 small children my daughter n law is angry, hurt , stressed. My son has advised he knows he has in his words messed up and can seem stop doing this, he wants to get help to repair his marriage. Im dealing with the shock of this announcement and am struggling to give the advice that they both need. Ive suggested counselling, ive told my son I love him and support him and want to help him, and I also want to do this for my daughter n law as well , I just dont know where I can get the information, help organisations etc to support them both. Any help or suggestions would help immensely as I navigate through this difficult situation within my family

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.

Vik888 Racism on the media
  • replies: 1

Hey all, I thought to express some thought here. I am of immigrant background Indian to be specific. I think the mental stress is just unbearable at this stage. Any tips how to get by and keep going when you are constantly abused for just trying to b... View more

Hey all, I thought to express some thought here. I am of immigrant background Indian to be specific. I think the mental stress is just unbearable at this stage. Any tips how to get by and keep going when you are constantly abused for just trying to be a "human" and get through life

Swaggerd98 Job Search Blues
  • replies: 3

Hey everyone, Glad to meet everyone on this forum (hope it's the right forum). I quit my full time job 2.5 months ago without a job in hand, and have been looking for a job in the same field. While I have time until next December to stay in Australia... View more

Hey everyone, Glad to meet everyone on this forum (hope it's the right forum). I quit my full time job 2.5 months ago without a job in hand, and have been looking for a job in the same field. While I have time until next December to stay in Australia and look for a job and have had some interviews, I have been living in constant stress and anxiety, wondering when my next opportunity will appear. I have been regretting the time I quit my job since it acted as golden handcuffs, even though the months leading up to the exit were rough, and I was experiencing stagnant growth from a salary standpoint. Every application rejection is playing with my patience, and is making me look desperate. I am afraid people will call me out for not getting a job. Is there anybody else that is or has experienced the same issue as me? I am keen to hear people's thoughts.

A-ly Lonely a lost purpose
  • replies: 1

Hi,I was a very passionate driven person when I was younger and achieved a lot in my passions as a teen/young adult and have been lucky enough to have experienced a lot of travel and success in my passion during those years. Since retiring that passi... View more

Hi,I was a very passionate driven person when I was younger and achieved a lot in my passions as a teen/young adult and have been lucky enough to have experienced a lot of travel and success in my passion during those years. Since retiring that passion 2 years ago (it was too physically and financially demanding so can't return) I have felt as though I have really lost myself. I don't really know who I am anymore, I feel as though I don't have any connections with anyone really anymore. Like all my group of friends have slowly drifted over the years as we all went in different directions with careers and they slowly started leaving me out to the point they don't include me anymore and I never understood why. I have one best friend who I love, but our connection just isn't the same at the moment, we are in completely different seasons of life to each other. I feel like I know a lot of people but can't make connections. I don't know where I belong anymore. I am 30, have no partner, not real sense of connections to anyone and struggle to make new ones. I just feel incredibly lonely, I don't know what my purpose in life is anymore and I just feel like I'm going through the motions every day eat work sleep repeat with no sense of direction or purpose anymore.

Grief and loss

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

Trinky Don’t be sad,Mummy
  • replies: 7

Those were the last words my baby girl said on Thursday, knowing she was able to be sedated and intubated to try to save her life as she couldn’t breathe enough in her own. It’s a long story and it was a long road. I was her carer as well as working ... View more

Those were the last words my baby girl said on Thursday, knowing she was able to be sedated and intubated to try to save her life as she couldn’t breathe enough in her own. It’s a long story and it was a long road. I was her carer as well as working ft. We had some support - under strict guidelines from my baby girl, who couldn’t be around men or people who were judgemental and not kind. She was 31. It was just her and I, we were a team all her life after her dad left when she was 4.Now it’s just me and I don’t know how to live without her. I used to just potter at home happily - read, watch tv, do chores, chat to my daughter, hang about generally. We had an amazing and unbreakable bond and knew each other so well. I didn’t travel more than 5km from home due to her separation anxiety and she became housebound in the last 18mths. What do I do now? I can’t sleep at home. I’m sleeping at my dad’s place and coming home at daybreak to be with the 2 cats at the flat. They are grieving too. I don’t have the energy to do anything with her things or her room. It’s been cleaned up since she died- all the mess taken care of. But it’s her belongings. They are everywhere. Her books, her craft, her clothes. Everywhere I look I see her. It hurts so much. I have people around me but it’s Christmas and they have celebrations to have and families to be with and I just don’t want to but I am still lonely. I don’t want to be far from my home as it’s going to take a minute to be able to do that safely after so much time, but I want to be somewhere I think. What could I do?

Whyme Totally side swiped
  • replies: 3

I have been married 29 years my partner had been telling me that he has problems with sex , rejection and emotions since the start which I have tried to help and support. But last year I found out that he has been watching porn lying right beside me ... View more

I have been married 29 years my partner had been telling me that he has problems with sex , rejection and emotions since the start which I have tried to help and support. But last year I found out that he has been watching porn lying right beside me which led to paying for sex for more than 12 years now !! I don’t even know who he is anymore and I can’t cope with it . I want to run but I can’t, I want him to leave but I don’t? I hate the sight of him but I miss him . I kicked him out of our bedroom at least because the thought of him lying there made me sick. The triggers are sending me insane !! The images of detail I ask for I see all day and night. I need help but don’t know where to start please help me

Rose- Grief
  • replies: 8

My mum died recently and my husband has terminal lung cancer. Don't know what the future holds. All I know I am grieving both of them. It's hard. I've been their carer for several years.Taking care of one feels strange. Grief is different for everyon... View more

My mum died recently and my husband has terminal lung cancer. Don't know what the future holds. All I know I am grieving both of them. It's hard. I've been their carer for several years.Taking care of one feels strange. Grief is different for everyone. I cry every day. I miss my mother. I miss my husband. Who he used to be. He also has dementia.