Support
Support

PTSD and trauma

A space for discussing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), domestic abuse, sexual abuse and other trauma. Please note some content may be distressing.

Start a conversation

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Categories
Start a conversation

Pinned discussions

Sophie_M If you need to talk about Bondi Beach - Our community is here
  • replies: 8

Hi everyone, After the heartbreaking events at Bondi Beach on Sunday night, we know many people in our community may be feeling shaken, distressed, or unsure how to make sense of what has happened. Religious and political violence has no place is Aus... View more

Hi everyone, After the heartbreaking events at Bondi Beach on Sunday night, we know many people in our community may be feeling shaken, distressed, or unsure how to make sense of what has happened. Religious and political violence has no place is Australia and we extend our heartfelt condolences to the individuals and families affected by this tragedy. We wanted to create a space where you can share whatever you’re feeling - whether that’s fear, shock, grief, or anything else that has come up for you. If you need support from others in the community, please feel welcome to post here. Violence and acts of terror can bring feelings of shock, grief, profound sadness, anger and fear. It’s normal to experience these emotions while trying to make sense of distressing events. It may take time for these feelings to ease, but it’s never too early to seek support if you are feeling distressed. Beyond Blue is here for you anytime, by phone on 1300 224 636 or via webchat: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/talk-to-a-counsellor You can also support those around you by being available to them and listening. Thank you for being such an important part of this community, and for the kindness, honesty, and wisdom you continue to share with each other. We remind the community that Beyond Blue is here for all people in Australia, no matter what you believe, how you live or who you worship. Kind regards Sophie M

A_Tech PTSD for Medical and First Responders
  • replies: 276

Hi, Well obviously this my situation. I was hoping to find others here that might have a similar background to chat with, it can be so hard to talk about this stuff with non-med people (and I mean no disrespect, it's just often graffic or upsetting t... View more

Hi, Well obviously this my situation. I was hoping to find others here that might have a similar background to chat with, it can be so hard to talk about this stuff with non-med people (and I mean no disrespect, it's just often graffic or upsetting to others). Im a 40 year old female that has spent the last 10years in the State Trauma Hospital as an Anaesthetic Technician. My PTSD was brought about after years of exposure to shocking traumas, deaths, and no support from management. I would love to hear from anyone that has a similar story, or just wants to chat. Cheers

All discussions

Start a conversation

TBella Longing for May To Over Already
  • replies: 15

I'm struggling with the month of May. May is full of painful memories & reminders of loss & grief. Mothers day the reminder that I will never be a mum- all I have ever wanted since I was 5 years old was to grow up & be a good mum! The anniversary of ... View more

I'm struggling with the month of May. May is full of painful memories & reminders of loss & grief. Mothers day the reminder that I will never be a mum- all I have ever wanted since I was 5 years old was to grow up & be a good mum! The anniversary of my dad's death & loss of losing a close friend, actually the love of my life, on the same day, different years. And my sisters harsh reaction towards me having PTSD- that it's just a label I'm using to stay a victim. Her harsh judgement has made me feel so alone & like I can't honestly say how I'm feeling. I have to pretend I'm ok when I'm not, when I desperately just a hug & support coz I too am only human! I go through this every May. I got through it for the last 21years so I guess I will get through this May too. I just want May to hurry up and be over!

ScarlettR PTSD resulting from school experiences?
  • replies: 5

Hi everyone, I joined the BeyondBlue discussion board about 8 months ago. I haven't used this board a lot but I hope to come here more frequently now as I believe I've found a place in my own home country to come to and share my issues and advice. So... View more

Hi everyone, I joined the BeyondBlue discussion board about 8 months ago. I haven't used this board a lot but I hope to come here more frequently now as I believe I've found a place in my own home country to come to and share my issues and advice. So I am a 29 year old white female living in Melbourne. I used to live in South Australia as a teen and graduated high school at the age of 17. Now we all know bullying is a common issue in school and a lot of people has gone through this. But for me, I had never really forgotten those bullying I experienced. I was very young when I first experienced bullying. It was at my first primary school, I must have been about 6 or 7. I remember being picked on by these group of boys because I was hanging out with another boy that I liked. As I got older, the bullying from different people in different schools continued (I moved school a lot of times in my childhood). At every school, there was always trouble - from both boys and girls. Sometimes it got physical - I remember a girl hit me hard in the face for not going down a playground pole. It literally felt like a brick and I thought I was disfigured for life (which I wasn't). I've also had people throw stuff at me - insects (living, I hope), sticks and wasted food were the most common objects thrown at me. Then the really bad happened when I was 10 and sexually abused by another girl who was bullying me and directly telling me to move schools because they didn't like me. High school started off pretty bad too. I started putting on a lot of weight due to stress at home and having no virtual support. The teen students would taunt me over my weight, call me rude names, "really fat and really chubby" and "fatty". A gym teacher even called me a "fat" for not being dressed in time for a gym class. I remember a boy called me "stupid" for packing my bag in the middle of a hallway where he and his friends were walking through. I remember the boys laughed as they walked passed. I haven't experienced any serious bullying since 2005 (senior year) but the memories still haunt me and upset me. I only wish I had the courage to report those people at the very least and make them realise their actions were not cool. So sometimes I get panic attacks or anxiety and my mind would switch to those bullying memories. It's a vicious circle. I think I'm pathetic for even thinking about school now.

StephSaid Three years and nine months
  • replies: 1

Hello. I've never posted on anything like this before, and while part of me thinks that this might help, another part remains a little unconvinced, so sorry in advance if I don't take a huge part in other threads, or conversations. I've had PTSD for ... View more

Hello. I've never posted on anything like this before, and while part of me thinks that this might help, another part remains a little unconvinced, so sorry in advance if I don't take a huge part in other threads, or conversations. I've had PTSD for roughly around 3 years now, and haven't always known that I've had it. I was diagnosed with other things like borderline personality disorder, anxiety, depression etc. My PTSD has been triggered by a pregnancy termination that ultimately derailed my life, and was in part, caused by my ex boy friends insistance and pressure to do it. I regret what I did, and I broke my own heart by doing it. I find that I still have nightmares all the time. Sometimes I don't even realise that they're nightmares, but they involve the people who cause distress, and conflicting feelings of love, hatred and desire. When I wake up the next day, I feel like there's an elephant sitting on my chest, and my throat feels constricted and tight. I'm easily irritable and easy to anger. I've made a lot of progress over the past three years, but have recently stopped going to my psychiatrist due to money complications. I had nightmares last night. I suppose I'm writing all of this to just see that there are others in my position, and that there is an end in sight. I find that its hard on my family, and sometimes they don't fully comprehend what's going on. I don't even really know who I am anymore. I kind of feel like the lyrics from The Beatles I'm Looking Through You are a good representation of how I feel about myself "I'm looking through you, Where did you go? I thought I knew you, What did I know? You don't look different, but you have changed. I'm looking through you, you're not the same."

tarni New here recovering from a car accident
  • replies: 3

HI I am new here and struggling to recover from a bad car accident a year ago. I shattered my arm and broke my knee. I live rural on a hobby farm and am really struggling with not being able to do what I used to on the property. My lack of motivation... View more

HI I am new here and struggling to recover from a bad car accident a year ago. I shattered my arm and broke my knee. I live rural on a hobby farm and am really struggling with not being able to do what I used to on the property. My lack of motivation is harder for me than even my physical limitations. Most days it's a struggle to do the daily basics.

Spiro96 (Trigger warning) Bullying, home invasion, PCOS and anxiety
  • replies: 1

Hello, I am new here and not sure how to even go about this. Lets just start at the beginning (well, the beginning of all this). when I was younger I had witnessed numerous things growing up, due to being a victim of circumstance. I was bullied since... View more

Hello, I am new here and not sure how to even go about this. Lets just start at the beginning (well, the beginning of all this). when I was younger I had witnessed numerous things growing up, due to being a victim of circumstance. I was bullied since I first started school, which led to me refusing to be enthusiastic about learning and resulted in me dropping out by yr 10. During my school life, I had witnessed my mother fight for her life with meningitis when I was barely 7 or 8, around the same years my family had a home invasion where my step-father was beaten nearly to death I made eye contact with the men who did it. It was awful. not long after that, my home, just a month or two after my birthday, had had a Molotov Cocktail thrown at it, which resulted in losing our home and being very close to dying. not even a year had gone by when I returned to school for yr 7, that a boy had told me to my face that i should have died there. I lost everything and those words just killed what little of my happiness that i had left. all this happened to me before I had even started year 8, and boy was I not prepared for what was to come during my highschool years. bullying was worse, I was the target of spit balls, aggressive girls looking for fights, and casted aside socially by everyone. I spent 70% of year 9 and 8, hiding in my room, crying myself to sleep. I drew the line when my mum brought home beyond blue books for my "depression". I guess I was embarrassed about how horrible my self-esteem was at that age and it definitely didnt help when one of my friends tried to make it a competition of how depressed we could be. it was awful. On my 19th birthday, i had gone into the doctors to pick up my results from some tests I did due to not having my period for a long time.and well, I was diagnosed with PCOS. Too much to go into about what PCOS is, so if you're curious, please just google as I have explained so much its starting to hurt me more. The doctor gave me a prescription, and I took the medication for a while, but it just made me feel sick. Now, today, I'm 20, turning 21 in a few months time. Ive taken tests on beyond blue that suggest my anxiety and depression level is at extreme 'high'. Im constantly crying these passed couple of weeks, ive had mood swings a lot... and not only that, I've been having bursts of anger resulting in me punching walls and going absolutely insane. i can't handle this anymore. Theres so much more to this. Idk what to do.

TBella And So The Nightmares Begin Again
  • replies: 9

I woke up from a nightmare & had panic attack. I am so over the nightmares, it just makes you feel so crappie for the whole day. Im dreading going to work today & full of anxiety & nauseous. I know that since having PTSD that my current job is not su... View more

I woke up from a nightmare & had panic attack. I am so over the nightmares, it just makes you feel so crappie for the whole day. Im dreading going to work today & full of anxiety & nauseous. I know that since having PTSD that my current job is not suitable for me but I don't know what else I can do. I find the limitations of PTSD so frustrating, especially when people don't understand & think you're just making excuses. Just feeling very deflated & sad today! Tbella

summerdays Parenting & trauma triggers
  • replies: 5

Hello I recently had a light bulb moment and realised I am suffering PTSD. It's not like I just stumbled across the idea... I spend 90 % of my time soul searching and wondering what is wrong with me and what the purpose of life even is. I don't know ... View more

Hello I recently had a light bulb moment and realised I am suffering PTSD. It's not like I just stumbled across the idea... I spend 90 % of my time soul searching and wondering what is wrong with me and what the purpose of life even is. I don't know whether I feel more sad or more happy now that I know what is actually wrong with me. I have had so much trauma in my life I just can't understand why me or the psychologists or dr's haven't thought of PTSD before? My Dad died when I was 8 and my bro (M) died when he was 20, Both suicided. But it's alot more complicated than that, obviously. I experienced domestic violence by both, and I lived in fear that me or my mum or my other younger bro (P) would die. M would hurt P the most and I was the one who always saved him and helped him even though M was very strong. Anyway, I have a 3 year old and 17 month old and I am struggling BIG TIME. And whenever they cry or whinge (which is all the time) I get triggered and my body just flips out. Like I can't handle it, I can't think straight and I do anything to stop them from crying. This is causing them to depend on me because i am hovering trying to avoid the noise and crying and upset, and it's just making it worse. I guess now my body just remembers my previous experiences and whenever I hear crying my brain just goes into fight/flight mode. I am constantly in overdrive and on edge and i'm so frigging exhausted all the time and I feel like I have no space in my brain. I'm booked in to see my psych this week (who I have seen only 3 times before) and also an alternative healing session. I look forward to connecting with others here, and would love to talk to others who experienced trauma during childhood and are now triggered as a parent. Thanks for reading. Sorry it probably doesn't make sense but I just wanted to get this out without thinking too much

Peace_Seeker Going it alone... PTSD, cPTSD and undiagnosed panic disorder?
  • replies: 71

Im new here. A bit at my wits end to be honest. There's no one I can talk to that Im not a burden to. I was diagnosed with PTSD after an "event"in 2012. A little after with cPTSD too. People say PTSD is with you for life. I thought I was different. I... View more

Im new here. A bit at my wits end to be honest. There's no one I can talk to that Im not a burden to. I was diagnosed with PTSD after an "event"in 2012. A little after with cPTSD too. People say PTSD is with you for life. I thought I was different. I just went through a time of very mild symptoms and thought I must have cured myself through mindfulness and meditation. I was even off meds for the last two years. Managing with therapy, meditation, mindfulness and exercise. A little mild mania or anxiety but for months I had a reprieve. I guess at the least I'm lucky compared to some. But It turns out I'm not special. PTSD has come back and kicked my arse. I'm struggling to think, communicate, nightmares, crying, panic attacks and dissociating, hyper vigilant, isolating, feel safer alone, and just had to end a new relationship. I've had to take time off work again. All because I watched something on Tv that triggered me. I don't have a support network (no friends or family) beyond my therapist and I live alone with my dog. I work in law enforcement (interestingly none of my trauma is work related, I'm shit magnet outside of work!) so that's not exactly an industry leading the way in terms of support for people with PTSD. My last boss did his best to have me fired because of it. My idea of socialising is to go to the health food shop and chat with the woman that owns it. Or go to yoga. One yoga class this week I cried for 50% of my class. Probably because I saw my therapist the same day. I asked her for some suggestions to aid me in a technique where you imagine your most loved and supportive people all surrounding you and really imagine the love and supportive feelings they give you. Something to draw on in lonely dark times. It's a great resource. IF you have supportive people in your life. I asked her how might I go about this technique given I don't have anyone. She suggested imagining someone entirely new that would give and love and support in all the ways I need. For a second I thought this could work. But broke down at the thought of being so lonely and broken and pathetic that at the age of 37 I have to conjure an "imaginary friend" to feel connected and loved . So for the length of my yoga class I imagined what my new friend would wear. What he would look like, how he would listen to me and what he would say to me in support. And I cried and cried. On the plus side I have this new imaginary friend. On the negative side I now feel COMPLETELY insane.

Elizabeth CP PTSD from natural disaster as a child
  • replies: 10

I was 10 when I was caught in a bushfire which destroyed our home in 1965. I stood in the house waiting to die. We walked out through the smouldering bush after the fire front past. Afterwards I felt guilty for not doing anything to help eg gathering... View more

I was 10 when I was caught in a bushfire which destroyed our home in 1965. I stood in the house waiting to die. We walked out through the smouldering bush after the fire front past. Afterwards I felt guilty for not doing anything to help eg gathering photos etc as they were all lost. In those days you were expected to get back to 'normal'life straight away. Life was never the same as we moved away to a new area were it was hard to make friends. I struggled on my own to overcome many challenges eg learning to use a match to light a stove or fire took several years and I felt very embarrassed about it. I compensated for my guilt feelings and poor self esteem by working hard to achieve goals such as high academic results and also by helping people (particularly my parents). My mother became disabled so I took over the shopping and other housework as a teenager. Later I cared for her full time for 12 years after my father died. More recent bushfires including Ash Wednesday and Black Saturday have been close to us (sparks & embers landing in our garden) thus stirring up bad memories. I react strongly to reports of fires even in other states. I have recently started exposure therapy to help me deal with my problem. Hot dry summers are bad for me and I recently injured myself & have had to give up work because my husband has been very ill and it became too difficult to work and care for him. This means my normal strategy of working hard to drown out the negative feelings isn't possible at the moment. I wondered if anyone else had experienced anything similar and how they dealt with it. In my case it wasn't just the traumatic event but all the losses ( including complete change of lifestyle) experienced afterwards which have had a negative impact on my mental health

startingnew conflicted
  • replies: 4

i have a bad sexual past but i wont get into that nor would i like to- but in short it wasnt the way i planned it or liked it either i was watching a movie and it had a sex secene in it and usually i would look away and cringe but this time it was li... View more

i have a bad sexual past but i wont get into that nor would i like to- but in short it wasnt the way i planned it or liked it either i was watching a movie and it had a sex secene in it and usually i would look away and cringe but this time it was like my body was yearning for it- ive also ahd a pleasureable dream before too i havent acted on these desires- and ive just ignored them and im hoping they subside i am quite embarassed about it i dont think these are normal are they?

As an organisation that supports people from across Australia, Beyond Blue acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay respect to Elders past and present.

First Nations Peoples are advised that this website may include reference to and images of deceased persons.

Beyond Blue is committed to safe inclusive spaces, policies and services for people of LGBTIQ+ communities and their families.

Helpful information

Stay in touch

Sign up below for regular emails from Beyond Blue, filled with information, advice and support for you or your loved ones.

Stay in touch

Talk it through with us, we'll point you in the right direction.

Call 1300 224 636

24 hours / 7 days a week

Chat Online

24 hours / 7 days a week

Email us

Get a reply in 24 hours

Copyright © 2026 Beyond Blue Ltd

All rights reserved

Contact us Terms of use Privacy policy Site map