Immediate support
Immediate support

Relationship and family issues

Anything to do with managing relationships and family, including parenting, separation, loneliness, divorce, family and friendships.

Start a discussion

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
Jump to
Start a discussion

Pinned discussions

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.

All discussions

Start a discussion

CJ1398 Why can't I move on?
  • replies: 2

Around two months ago my boyfriend of 10 months broke up with me pretty harshly. I didn't see it coming and the only reason I got was that he only loved me when I was with him (we only just started on a long distance with me away for university). Sin... View more

Around two months ago my boyfriend of 10 months broke up with me pretty harshly. I didn't see it coming and the only reason I got was that he only loved me when I was with him (we only just started on a long distance with me away for university). Since this breakup I have fallen into a bit of a rut. I struggle to find reasons to get up in the mornings and just generally aren't a polite person to be around. Everyone around me has been telling me to find things that make me happy and to fill my life with them. I don't know whether I just don't want to or simply can't find something that doesn't remind me of our relationship. Ive always struggled with having friends and thought I had 3 pretty good ones. One is now my ex, the other one is now dating my ex and the third is struggling with her own relationship problems. I can't figure out who to talk to and how to cope with all of these changes. After he broke up with me we continued to talk for a while but it has since gotten very negative from him with insults to both me and my family to the degree where I just lose it at myself. I can't help but think all of this is my fault. I have tried to grasp that it isn't yet come back to me every time. Now I just want him to hurt as much as I do and to be as miserable as I am. That's not the person I want to be. Im scared to go and see a professional because I don't know where to start and who to start with, my family have enough problems without me adding to the mix and I don't want to be put on medication. i want to be the kind of person I was before all of this happened. I just don't know how to start.

Kalling Help us live with Narcissism
  • replies: 8

Our son's new family is dominated by a narcissistic mother. He's been married for 2 years now and has not realized her behavior is narcissistic. He is slowly being isolated from all of his family not only his parents but his brothers and their family... View more

Our son's new family is dominated by a narcissistic mother. He's been married for 2 years now and has not realized her behavior is narcissistic. He is slowly being isolated from all of his family not only his parents but his brothers and their family. We know she will be part of our family for a long time so we need to learn to live with her behavior and learn how to come become part of his life again before it's too late. There's been no arguments and we are hoping there won't be any but some of us are beginning to feel depression set in because of the isolation. Please help us live with this and not fight it because we know that will only lead to total isolation, there is a baby on the way and our hearts are breaking please help us, we don't want to cause trouble for him.

Kalling Help us live with Narcissism
  • replies: 5

We are a family just realizing that our son has married in to a family where the mother is a narcissist. We understand he hasn't and probably won't realize it for a long time. He has been married for a year and a half and over that time the mother is... View more

We are a family just realizing that our son has married in to a family where the mother is a narcissist. We understand he hasn't and probably won't realize it for a long time. He has been married for a year and a half and over that time the mother is slowly tying to isolate his family from him. Not only his mother and father but his brothers and their wives as well. It's coming to a point where our family is starting to break away from our son, we've been reading up on narcissism and have finally realized what the mother is doing to our family. We know that we cannot change her behavior and don't want to cause any pain to our son with his new family. We are feeling more and more isolated and really need to know how to live with this situation instead of bottling up our anxiety. We all had a wonderful family relationship but now I am starting to feel the depression setting in please help me survive our hearts are breaking to see our family in this state.

SquarePeggie Is therapy making me worse?
  • replies: 5

I'm in my early 30's and have had some form of depression and anxiety ever since a teenager. I grew up in a household that provided materialistically but I don't have any memories of affection or hugs and have an incredibly critical parent. I've neve... View more

I'm in my early 30's and have had some form of depression and anxiety ever since a teenager. I grew up in a household that provided materialistically but I don't have any memories of affection or hugs and have an incredibly critical parent. I've never really had a relationship and have had counselling for the past couple of years to help me get past this. However I feel that i'm not at the lowest point i've ever been. I hardly see friends as they are all in relationships and many now have children. My family live far away and visiting them is so stressful that I know the distance is for the best. I have tried online dating and have been on a lot of dates but I don't ever feel a connection and none have lead anywhere and now I get feelings of anxiety even just opening up the online dating app. I feel as though therapy has made me aware of my problems and now I feel so broken that I've lost all hope. I spend so much time alone and the thought that this is the rest of my life is crushing me. Has anyone else experienced getting much worse after having therapy and do you get past it?

avier My anxiety is destroying our relationship
  • replies: 1

Hi all I normally scroll through the partners and support side of the forums as my boyfriend has severe depression. Unfortunately I have not coped well, and the very mild anxiety I've always had has become so much worse. It started with me just getti... View more

Hi all I normally scroll through the partners and support side of the forums as my boyfriend has severe depression. Unfortunately I have not coped well, and the very mild anxiety I've always had has become so much worse. It started with me just getting sad. Often. Thinking he didn't want me anymore, didn't enjoy spending time with me. Then I found him in a lie. His friend was taking him out for a surprise outing for his birthday. Wrong. He arranged the whole night, his friend had no idea what they were up to. And I was specifically not invited and lied to about it. Shortly after that we both had a big break down where he asked to stay at a male friends house 1-2 nights a week. It ended up being 3 weeks in total, and during that time I found out he was staying with a female friend. Single. Only known her for this year. Since all of this, my thoughts have been so destructive. I keep trying to prove that he doesn't want me, that he doesn't love me. He gets hurt by this. Wants me to trust in him. Then Friday I tried to prove my thoughts by accessing his ipad. I failed to unlock it and he found out. I then lied. Prior to this, I thought and had convinced everyone I was doing ok. My thoughts weren't super bad, it was just minor situational anxiety. I couldn't lie to him. I told him how bad I really am, and what I did. I am now so torn. He is hurt. So very hurt. And he doesn't seem understand anxiety at all. Keeps telling me to stop thinking these thoughts. But he's also been so sweet. He is worried I want to hurt myself. Has been even more affectionate than normal (well, going back to our normal level that is, affection dropped off a bit prior to all this). I have promised to tell my therapist everything I'm going through. To talk to him about my thoughts when they first happen. But I can't help being scared. What if he isn't dealing with this? What if this just eats him up inside and festers away? I still feel guilty. So guilty at what I did. At how much I hurt him. I don't know how to move past this, to stop these thoughts from taking over. I never want to betray him like this again.

Aprillia31 Where to get help in my situation
  • replies: 3

Hi, i put a thread up a couple of months ago about going through ivf with my partner just for him to leave me at 20 weeks. I was very confused at the time and desperate for answers. i have since learnt that he holds covert narcissistic personality tr... View more

Hi, i put a thread up a couple of months ago about going through ivf with my partner just for him to leave me at 20 weeks. I was very confused at the time and desperate for answers. i have since learnt that he holds covert narcissistic personality traits and i am wondering if anyone can help or know where i can get information as to what i can expect from someone like this in relation to my situation. Do i cut contact? Do i give him pregnancy updates? Do i tell him when i go into labour? Should i have him in the labour room? Should i run a mile and cut him off? Im worried if I completely shut him out he will use the baby against me by taking him 50% as its law. He has used my greatest fear in life of becoming a single mum against me amoungst other behaviors. Yet i still find myself questioning that maybe its in my head that he is narcissistic and feeling like im the bad one and feeling guilty if he wants to be at the birth and if i say no. any help would help. Ty

Justkeepswimming77 New member at wits end from kids step kid and partner, help!!
  • replies: 1

Hi, new member here, thought it's worth a shot. I've been to a councilor and she turned me away! (Yes she did) and no one wants to try family councelling but me! my family consists of my 3 kids and my partners son. My boys 16 & 11 live with their dad... View more

Hi, new member here, thought it's worth a shot. I've been to a councilor and she turned me away! (Yes she did) and no one wants to try family councelling but me! my family consists of my 3 kids and my partners son. My boys 16 & 11 live with their dad having moved my youngest son out last year as I didint want him growing up with my step son as they continuously fought physically with each other which also involved weapons like threatening with knives and throwing things. My daughter 15 and my partners son 12 live with us. Here is my predicament, I am all about tough love and children having discipline and rules plus consequences and also being responsible for their chores in the house. My partner is not. He gives these 2 everything. He tells my daughter she doesn't have to clean (they clean their rooms when told to by my partner which is usually after it becomes unbearable) as she's not a slave but a princess. So they have no chores, no discipline no structure and can basically do what they want. My partner has turned around and said I don't want to be a parent I want to be their friend and spoil them. both these 2 kids don't attend school as the local high school won't take my partners boy and my daughter refuses to go which last time I made her go she got drunk which resulted in a very messy 14 year old vomiting all over the staff room floor. My partners boy is always in trouble with the law but as he has no discipline or structure he is allowed to do what he likes. My partner has not yet had custody of his boy 2 years full time as he was living with his mum and stepdad by which the stepdad physically hit this kid and as he told DCP he was being bashed by his stepdad. The psych who had to asses my partners boy for court has listed a whole range of disorders including PTSD and ADHD. My daughter has also become fixated on my partner as he gives her everything she wants and he puts her before me. He buys expensive gifts for her but not for me. We currently live in my house which I watch get destroyed by these 2 kids and the lack of respect for my things and household. My partner and I are continuously fighting due to the differences between my parenting style and his (lack of) parenting. I'm always made out to be the grinch and am having to cover for him and Iam forever picking up everyone's crap and it gets so bad that I loose my cool and tell them to leave. my partner refuses to clean as that's the woman's job. I also miss my boys terribly. Help!!!!

v1990 Am i a bad person?
  • replies: 5

I'm 26 years old and have struggled with very low self esteem and depression for several years now. I had started to feel a lot better that last couple of years - i guess i matured and realized the things i was once worried about actually didn't matt... View more

I'm 26 years old and have struggled with very low self esteem and depression for several years now. I had started to feel a lot better that last couple of years - i guess i matured and realized the things i was once worried about actually didn't matter as much as i thought. More recently though i have had a lot of issues with friends, mostly people telling me that they don't like me, ignoring my texts and coming to town to visit friends that live nearby and not telling me. I have one friend who i met through my boyfriend who, for as long as i have known him, every 6 months or so goes out of his way to make me feel awfu, tell me im a bad person an wants nothing to do with me and then all of a sudden will be kind to me again. I had managed to try to avoid him where possible, until i became friends with his girlfriend. And she became one of my best friends! it was one of the first times as an adult that i had had so much in common with someone. Over time though he would get angry at her for spending time with me, or barely talk when we did see him, and then one day out of the blue she told me that everything he said was true, that i'm a bad person and wanted nothing to do with me. She did apologize but i am truly unable to forget such hurtful things. Now another couple of our friends who are friends with them also are not returning my texts and won't see me. I am beside myself. I feel like i am being bullied and feel so lonely. I know in life you aren't supposed to get along with everyone but it breaks my heart, what is wrong with me? I value my friendships so much in life yet i feel like no one values me at all and i just don't know why. I am kind and caring and all i want for everyone else it do be happy, yet i always end up being let down and made to feel like i don't deserve anyone. It makes me paranoid as i feel like everyone talks about me behind my back and i now find it very hard to open up to anyone as i don't ever know if what i say will be turned against me. I feel like i am in primary school again when my friends used to 'run away' from me and not speak to me for days. Has anyone else been through anything similar? I really don't know what to do. I don't think i am doing anything wrong, but now i really do doubt myself. It seems like inevitably, everyone ends up not liking me at some point in time.

Rosieposie97 Relationships and depression
  • replies: 1

Hi, This is my first time using the forum, or beyond blue, but I would really like to get some outside opinions with the security of a bit of anonymity. I don't feel like I can talk to my friends or family about this: I just don't feel comfortable ta... View more

Hi, This is my first time using the forum, or beyond blue, but I would really like to get some outside opinions with the security of a bit of anonymity. I don't feel like I can talk to my friends or family about this: I just don't feel comfortable talking to them about it. It's not because of their attitude to mental illness, it's just me. It's hard to open up to people you know. Anyway, my issue is with my relationship. It's been 3 years together. He is kind and I love him, but his job requires him to work away at the moment, and it is really difficult to communicate a lot. It puts a lot of stress on me, because I'm one of those awful over thinkers. Prior to the start of the year, I would have believed he loved me and wouldn't have left me, but I'm a hard person to be with with depression and recently he seems unsure. I know it sounds petty, but I'm so scared of being alone. I'm young, I'm at university, but I have terrible social anxiety and I think my personality is hard to connect with, not to mention low self esteem in the appearance area. I just genuinely believe that if this relationship doesn't work out, I will never find anyone who will love me again, and I need that. As silly as that is, I really believe I need somebody to love me romantically. All I want in the world is to feel loved unconditionally. I'm still in a relationship now, and I love him, but I don't have faith that he still loves me. I feel like I have to mentally prepare myself for him inevitably breaking up with me, which leads me to sobs every night. I just don't know what to do to feel better within myself. I've recently gone on medication, which has helped and I'm no longer suicidal, but the pain is still lingering. I can't tell him any of this because I feel like I'd be emotionally abusing him by making him feel bad or like he is responsible for my unhappiness. I'm really just looking for support. I don't know what else to say.

Quiettall Confusion and depression
  • replies: 23

Earlier this year, I took the opportunity to work for three months as a volunteer on an overseas aid project in Vietnam. I have been retired for a few years and find it is not fulfilling enough to just be at home, do a few voluntary committee board r... View more

Earlier this year, I took the opportunity to work for three months as a volunteer on an overseas aid project in Vietnam. I have been retired for a few years and find it is not fulfilling enough to just be at home, do a few voluntary committee board roles, and play in the garden. My wife insisted we move back to Brisbane to be close to her family, but since moving here, we have only made contact with 2 out of 8 other siblings, due to ongoing ill-feeling over distribution of her mother's estate. I had an interesting time in Vietnam. I felt socially isolated due to language and culture issues, but stuck it out and achieved what I set out to do and more. However, while there, I met a woman 20 years younger and over the last 8 weeks I was there developed a strong and intimate bond. I felt younger, more alive and could see a future which was much more rewarding than sitting around here listening to grievances about family, her illnesses, and watching the world go by. I've been back 2 weeks, and tried to share my experiences with my wife and her family, but there is little if any interest on their part. I feel very lost and alone and constantly thinking about going back to Vietnam to reconnect with my partner there and try to assimilate into Vietnamese life. I've tried showing warmth and interest in my wife, but there is not much in return. My head says stay and try to work things out. My heart says follow your instincts and take the positives of my experiences and see if I can make something of them back in Vietnam. I dont know which way to turn, as it is easier and more comfortable from a financial and lifestyle to stay here and pretend nothing happened, though my mind constantly replays the good parts of my Hanoi experience. I try to counteract that by reminding myself of the challenges I had with language, culture etc.