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Chris_B PLEASE READ BEFORE POSTING: 3 important tips to get the most out of this section
  • replies: 0

Hi everyone, The Relationships & Family Issues section is one of the busiest here on our forums. It's also one of the areas where we find members can get themselves into trouble! Before posting here, take a deep breath and be mindful of the following... View more

Hi everyone, The Relationships & Family Issues section is one of the busiest here on our forums. It's also one of the areas where we find members can get themselves into trouble! Before posting here, take a deep breath and be mindful of the following 3 tips: 1. Do you really want to share this with the world? This is a public forum. Are you thinking of posting something that could identify you to a friend or family member? Once you've posted, you can't delete what you've written and we don't take posts down from here unless they've broken one of our community rules. This is because our members spend a lot of time composing replies, and there is a much wider audience that gets a lot out of reading what has been written. It's not fair to ask the community for support, then ask to have it removed once you've read it so others can't also benefit. Use discretion when posting here - think about the level of detail you are sharing, and think also about who might know you are posting here. Also, please keep it clean: this is an all ages forum and explicit discussions about sexual problems are not permitted. Threads and posts of this nature will be removed and your account placed on a moderation hold. 2. What do you want to get out of posting here? Relationship and family issues are stressful. Members sometimes post here seeking advice about a relationship that has broken down, but find themselves getting upset when they don't agree with the response they get. This is a peer support forum, meaning we are not mental health professionals. We are people of all ages and backgrounds, with a wide range of life experiences. While we aim for our discussions to be conducted respectfully, people here will respond with the truth as they see it, from their own experiences and perspectives. We are not here to take sides. Offence is almost never intentional, but it can be sometimes taken. The advice you will see here is not intended to be a substitute for professional counselling. 3. What other support do you have? Most people posting on our forums (about any issue) use this space as a supplement to other supports. This forum is not and cannot be a substitute for offline supports, but it is often a good place to start the ball rolling and find the courage for seeking help. If you are relying solely on an internet forum to resolve your relationship or family issues, you are likely to be disappointed. Check out the Healthy Homes section of our Healthy Families website for further information and resources.

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Emilylou Pregnant and exhausted
  • replies: 2

I'm currently 7 months pregnant with my first child and building a house with my partner. Currently we live with my parents to save a little extra money. Firstly, partner dislikes my mum so I'm constantly trying to defuse the situation. Second, I wor... View more

I'm currently 7 months pregnant with my first child and building a house with my partner. Currently we live with my parents to save a little extra money. Firstly, partner dislikes my mum so I'm constantly trying to defuse the situation. Second, I work full time in a high stress job. Third, I have high blood pressure and at high risk of antenatal and postnatal depression. I've gotten to the point where I don't want to leave my bed. I want to do the right thing for my baby so I eat at least twice a day (hearty/healthy meals) and go for walks even other day. This is for my baby. Not for me. If it was up to me I wouldn't. My partner doesn't help, instead he fights with my mum and stresses me more. He's constantly complaining about money and time. I do what I can but its never enough. I'm just lost and don't know what to do or who to talk to. Even if I talk to someone what kind of response would help?

Kitty128 Friend-less
  • replies: 6

I don't have many close friends (actually, I don't have any). Mostly, we drift apart. I still keep in touch with friends/acquaintances on social media but it's not good enough. I'm going through a really rough time now and I feel a lot of it has to d... View more

I don't have many close friends (actually, I don't have any). Mostly, we drift apart. I still keep in touch with friends/acquaintances on social media but it's not good enough. I'm going through a really rough time now and I feel a lot of it has to do with not having a large support network. My boyfriend (and my cats!) is/are my best friend(s) and while it's amazing I have is support, I know it's not healthy to "hide" away from the real world. My social anxiety has really worsened over the past 6 months. I feel awkward meeting new people or reconnecting with old friends. I haven't developed any close friendships in my job and I have been there for 9 months. I'm not close with my family either. I study part time online, but it's hard to develop connections with people. I'm 27 years old and I don't know how to make friends. My psych always discusses the importance of friendships as part of my therapy for depression/anxiety but I don't actually have any friends. I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else struggles with maintaining/creating new friendships - or if anyone has any tips on meeting new people. :)

Korrine Partner always working, feel lonely.
  • replies: 4

Hi all. My partner started a new job last year and when he took it I was aware that there was going to be travel and long hours and I was fine with that. The first few trips he'd get me something small (which I was extremely grateful for) now when he... View more

Hi all. My partner started a new job last year and when he took it I was aware that there was going to be travel and long hours and I was fine with that. The first few trips he'd get me something small (which I was extremely grateful for) now when he comes home he is tired and cranky and flies off the handle about the smallest things (I dropped something on the floor and woke him up and he went off) for the first few days and then he goes back to normal. This month he'll only be home on weekends because of travel. While his away I feel lonely and upset. I don't have many friends because I'm a bit of a loner. I have tried to bring the subject up with him and he replies with "I'll find another job then", which makes me feel like I'm being stupid and overbearing. I love him more than anything else but I can't help feeling like this. I don't want him to leave his job but I'm feeling like I'm being put second to his job and to his friends as when his home he also gets asked to help his friends with their cars (because his a mechanic, yet when I asked him to look at my car he'd keep forgetting) or he sits on his phone or laptop and does more work rather then spend time with me. Am I just being a drama queen or should I just accept everything and deal with the lonelness? We've been together for 3 years. Thank you in advance.

luke_c someone is always on my mind
  • replies: 11

I thought i'd get this off my chest as it has been on my mind for the last couple of years or so. there's this girl i used to work with a few years ago that i still fancy and i'm thinking about her most of the time. it's like i'm not interested in an... View more

I thought i'd get this off my chest as it has been on my mind for the last couple of years or so. there's this girl i used to work with a few years ago that i still fancy and i'm thinking about her most of the time. it's like i'm not interested in anyone else no matter how attractive they are, i've been on a few dates over the last couple of years and deep down i'm not into them, i felt a sense of relief that these dates didn't go any further than beyond seeing each other and having sex so i could focus on people i really want to be with (well at least friends). i dunno call it madness, i do have schizophrenic symptoms and bad anxiety, but i'm going to melbourne in a few months partly for the reason of seeing this girl, i was planning on playing hard to get just to see how interested she really is in me, with going to a jiujitsu comp and travelling with mates as an excuse. i know that she still works for the same company as before. it's hard to contact her since she doesn't want to know me at the moment. i have just threw the fishing line in the water ocassionally hoping i'd get a bite, i'm not being a creep about it and trying to constantly contact her, people need their privacy and space, i get that. i probably could go on about this but i'll leave to you guys to give me advice.

Melncoly Empty Nest??
  • replies: 3

I'm feeling so sad, lost and it feels like my soul has been crushed...again. I'll try not to go off on a tangent but I will also start from the beginning. My daughter moved from Perth to Sydney 6 years ago when she was 12 to live with her father. Thi... View more

I'm feeling so sad, lost and it feels like my soul has been crushed...again. I'll try not to go off on a tangent but I will also start from the beginning. My daughter moved from Perth to Sydney 6 years ago when she was 12 to live with her father. This broke my heart as I had been the sole parent to her for 8 years. We had a great life, but then I met my now husband who is amazing and right from the start my daughter held a grudge against him as she had never lived or shared her time with anyone but me. Life got tough, she started lying to her friends and making up far fetched stories about our life to everyone. We tried so hard to help put her on the right track, but in the end she made the choice to move to Sydney to live with her father and his family where she completed high school, completed a part time tafe course that has her qualified in childcare, had a casual job while at school, had a school formal and got her driver's license. All of these things as a parent I had to experience from across the other side of the country. It was hard not being there to be apart of her teenage life. We spoke regularly on the phone and became closer even though we were so far apart. She came back to Perth for holidays a handful of times, but holidays are always better than "real life" Things started to get tough for her at the end of last year and to cut a long story short, she made the choice to relocate back to Perth for a fresh start. YAYYYYY!!! My "little" girl was finally coming home. My husband, but more so me were over the moon!! We've had just over 3 months with her and this week she told us she's moving back to Sydney in a weeks time. She says she's not happy here, she's working casual at a supermarket, she hasn't made any friends and hasn't landed a childcare job that she so wants to have. I'm heartbroken and cannot believe this is happening again. I feel I haven't had enough time with her. My heart hurts so much, I feel like a apart of me is dying, my soul feels shattered and I don't know how i'm going to get through this...again. All I want is for her to be happy but i'm not ready to say goodbye.

Evie_ Advice on Repairing a parent / child relationship Please
  • replies: 2

Hi For 2.5 - 3 years I have been in a divorce and settlement. It has all the ugly bits of a relationship breakdown. The sad casualties of this is our children. My ex-husband and I have parent orders now its equal share. But due to the age of my eldes... View more

Hi For 2.5 - 3 years I have been in a divorce and settlement. It has all the ugly bits of a relationship breakdown. The sad casualties of this is our children. My ex-husband and I have parent orders now its equal share. But due to the age of my eldest, this child can choose to stay where they would like. I have haven't spoken to my eldest since these the separation. My ex is in the martial house. I text every week, and email regularly but I never get any replies. I keep the messages light hearted, just reminding them that I'm here when they are ready. I cant prove that there is other contributing factors, but I doubt the proper support is offered in terms of our reconciliation. Many milestones have been missed for both of us. I have some reassurance that my child is doing ok at school, and they are safe and well looked after. The child can walk past me at school, and is able to ignores me, but I feel the sadness. I found letters tonight, our relationship was always so good. Most days it's pushed down so I can get on with things, but tonight it's not. Has anyone had a similar situation. What did they do to repair their relationship . How long did it take for them to come home. My child is in year 12, they will be gone in a few months. Free to explore the world. Our time as parent and child has been cut very short. I hope this doesn't haunt them later too. Do I need to fight harder for my child or is waiting the only way forward. Eve

Bjh95 Feel like giving up on being a mum
  • replies: 2

I always had a certain imagine in my head of how I wanted to be as a mum. I pictured myself being this nurturing mother who would have a lot of time and patience for whatever may come with having a baby. But what I pictured I would be, I am far from ... View more

I always had a certain imagine in my head of how I wanted to be as a mum. I pictured myself being this nurturing mother who would have a lot of time and patience for whatever may come with having a baby. But what I pictured I would be, I am far from it. Which utterly breaks my heart to pieces knowing that I am not the mother I want to be. I feel like giving up, every aspect in my life just isn't right or where I want it to be. My partner and our son are living with my dad at the moment and it's having a toll on our relationship, and my relationship with my father. I am struggling to look after my son as he is starting to throw massive tantrums and he is always on the go go go. He is very demanding and not at all placid, I find it hard to keep up with his wants and needs. I am expected by my dad to cook dinner for everyone every night and have the kitchen spotless even though my eighteen year old brother who does't work or go to uni sits on his video games and does nothing. My health is deteriorating. I have been suffering from a chronic tension headache for the last two weeks and now I have a persistent cough that has kept me awake all night for the past 5 days. I feel at a complete low, psychically and emotionally. Not to mention the amount of weight I have put on since having my son and I can't seem to shake it back off. I feel like a stranger in my once healthy body and I am so embarrassed, I don't even leave the house anymore. My partner is slaving his backside off at work so we can move out of our dads and into our own place, and I can only imagine how he is feeling having to deal with work, a restless and irritable baby and dealing with my ongoing breakdowns and episodes. I could go into more detail about everything that has gone on since my pregnancy but I wouldn't want to bore everyone with the small details. Just at the moment, I am struggling to be the mother I want to be, the partner I want to be and the person I want to be in general. It breaks my heart to say this and I feel terrible for saying it but If I had of known all the stuff that would have happened and how unhappy I would be being a mum, I wouldn't have had my son. I have thought about giving him away to someone who knows what they are doing and who is happy with themselves and has the patience and the magic of looking after a baby. I love him dearly and I want the best for my boy and being with me is not the best for him. I'm stuck.

Observer Lonely Family.
  • replies: 3

I feel that there may be an uncontrollable fracture between the members of my family. My father is of an uneducated immigrant background and never took on the emotional mantle of being a father figure. He work hard to financially provide, but lacked ... View more

I feel that there may be an uncontrollable fracture between the members of my family. My father is of an uneducated immigrant background and never took on the emotional mantle of being a father figure. He work hard to financially provide, but lacked leadership, proactiveness and empathy. My mother suffered from 10+ years of depression which she believes is derived from a mix of a stress from working full time, taking care of two young children (emotionally and physically), her husband and a resurgence of unhappy childhood memories. She is retired now, and simply sits at home watching television endlessly. She has tried starting hobbies she previously wanted to (learning french, swimming, yoga and dance; some with and without friends to go with), but she struggles to find the motivation to commit. The only thing that has remained constant is her unwavering stubbornness and pride (she refuses to be proven wrong on a lot of occasions). My older brother has become increasingly self-centered and intentionally distant in the last 5 years. He has developed a significant disregard for our parents and the rules of their household, is quick tempered when talking about any issue, refuses to acknowledge even potential validity behind of our parents opinion and has started to speak condescendingly towards them and even towards me as well. I sit in the middle of all of this, not really sure what to make of the situation. I have tried mediating between each party, but it hasn't been successful. It feels like with any form of discussion, my brother immediately gets defensive and leaves the conversation, I can't rely on my dad to have some understanding and empathy for how each person is different, and my mum 's iron headed-ness hasn't shifted but overall her mental health seems to be deteriorating. I've tried spending more time with the family as a whole, talking to them and engaging them, but I can't help but have this sinking feeling that it's not helping at all. I'm just not sure what else there is that I can do. It just always feels lonely.

Speediegon Intercontinental long distance relationship-and struggling
  • replies: 4

Well, Hi all. I thought, from reading the others, that I should give a bit of background. My partner and I had been dating for 9 months when she finally left across the globe. I didnt have any say in length of stay, as two options were given, I was t... View more

Well, Hi all. I thought, from reading the others, that I should give a bit of background. My partner and I had been dating for 9 months when she finally left across the globe. I didnt have any say in length of stay, as two options were given, I was told only 1 was offered. The relationship was on iffy grounds when she left(unsure if she wanted to keep options open). Since she left, she has realised that this is it, she made a mistake being unsure and wants to get engaged upon her return. My issue is this. We talk a few times a day (5-30 min max) and once a week we have a date night. Now I take date night seriously. If i was scheduled to perform an open heart operation on our date night, I would postpone the operation. For me, I dont feel fulfilled with the amount we chat, but she does. We dont really get passed the "fluff" of a phone call (the good mornings, how did you sleep, what are you wearing) part of the phone call before it is time to hang up. She then takes off on trips with her housemates (no chance of anything untowards happening). Im not concerned about infedelity, but rather, Im not there to join in the activity, to have a proper date. I was told that is spontaneous person, who has anxiety over planning things for fear of missing out on something, and me, a planner, realising that not having concrete plans on times to talk, and just talking when our schedules meld (which if it was every two weeks, she would be fine with) blows my mind. I plan so we reconnect as a couple. She has been gone 7 months now, and I have gone out to visit her once. I guess Im asking for suggestions/stories/advise on ways I can cope with the difference in attitudes. To allow her the ability to discover that part of the world, while I sit here, unable to share experiences with her. I feel as I am a slight burden on her. Talking to me forces her to potentially say no to something else. She is due to finish her classes in less than 70 days, and will be flying back straight away. I want her to be able to go on side trips (which are a fair few this month) without worrying about me "losing my crap" because I cant have a date night for a couple weeks, "even though we talk a few times a day" (which are all fluff). Hope it kinda made sense

mechanical_animal Best friend doesn't want to be friends anymore
  • replies: 7

Hey I recently got into a situation where my best friend and I stopped being friends. My girlfriend and I where going through a very rough time and well I developed feelings for another girl who just happened to be my best friend. I told my girlfrien... View more

Hey I recently got into a situation where my best friend and I stopped being friends. My girlfriend and I where going through a very rough time and well I developed feelings for another girl who just happened to be my best friend. I told my girlfriend and my best friend about it. My girlfriend wasn't all that upset about it. I think because I never acted on it helped in that area. Where as my best friend pretty much abonandoned us. Once my girlfriend and I finally sorted all our issues out we both decided that the other girl could be friends again with us. I managed to speak to the other girl. At first she was all for trying to fix everything between us. Then a few weeks later. Changes her tune and doesn't want to know me anymore. It's really upset me and my girlfriend thinks she is an ahole now because of it. I would love to maybe speak to her again but I think I need to get over her and the thought of us being friends again. I just feel she is just going to keep hurting me. Mentally at this stage. I ain't there yet to deal with this