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Just Sara A Bouquet for Pearls - share your appreciation for other members
  • replies: 715

Every now and then, members share a beautiful Pearl of Wisdom. How often do you think to yourself; "OMG that's great! I wish everyone could see this." Presenting someone with a bunch of flowers is a generous way of acknowledging their insightful word... View more

Every now and then, members share a beautiful Pearl of Wisdom. How often do you think to yourself; "OMG that's great! I wish everyone could see this." Presenting someone with a bunch of flowers is a generous way of acknowledging their insightful words. I hope this thread stays active through members giving out praise regularly to people they feel deserving, and therefore keep generosity of spirit alive within the pages of BeyondBlue Forum. My bunch of Red Roses (my choice) goes to Wishful for the following sentence; 'Personally, I see no reason to be praised in me, but I'm learning that seeing through the eyes of others can be more accurate!!' I so hear you Wishful. Just beautiful... Try to keep your leading comments short to focus on 'their' words. Choose specific flowers (or a gift if you like) to present to them. Sign off respectfully and sincerely. I hope this takes off... Spreading the love...Sara

All discussions

Alex_ Impulsive lying
  • replies: 2

Hey, i have always had a lyinv probblem just little white lyes and i just cant stop i dony want to lie at all I do it will out even realising what i said and i feel like crap I tell my self i got to stop cant i just can Any advice is welcome

Hey, i have always had a lyinv probblem just little white lyes and i just cant stop i dony want to lie at all I do it will out even realising what i said and i feel like crap I tell my self i got to stop cant i just can Any advice is welcome

Guest_10343 Building a "Bad Day" Toolkit - What is in yours?
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone, I’ve been reading through the threads here and finding so much comfort in knowing I’m not alone.I wanted to start a discussion about preparation. I’ve noticed that when my anxiety is peaking or the "black dog" visits, I get terrible deci... View more

Hi everyone, I’ve been reading through the threads here and finding so much comfort in knowing I’m not alone.I wanted to start a discussion about preparation. I’ve noticed that when my anxiety is peaking or the "black dog" visits, I get terrible decision fatigue. I know I should do things to help myself, but I can’t figure out what to do in the moment.So, I’ve been trying to create a mental (and physical) "Bad Day Toolkit" a short list of things I can turn to without having to think about it.My toolkit currently looks like this:Sensory: A weighted blanket and noise-cancelling headphones (absolute lifesavers).Movement: Just sitting outside in the sun for 10 minutes (even if I don't go for a walk).Comfort: Re-watching a TV show I’ve seen 100 times because it’s safe and predictable.I’m looking for more ideas to add to the list. What is in your "Bad Day Toolkit"?

ApolloCat Life feels pointless
  • replies: 1

Hi there, I’m about to turn 26 in a few days and looking at my life currently, I’m in the exact same position I was in when I started living independently at 18. I work a job that barely covers my cost of living and I’ve had the same debt for the las... View more

Hi there, I’m about to turn 26 in a few days and looking at my life currently, I’m in the exact same position I was in when I started living independently at 18. I work a job that barely covers my cost of living and I’ve had the same debt for the last 8 years that I just can’t seem to get rid of. I’ve tried starting a business in a field I’m interested in and good at, but finding new customers and trying to keep the money flowing seems next to impossible, especially given that my role is not a necessity for most customers. I spent the last 5 years getting my cert 3 and then diploma in a field I also enjoy, but the workplace itself is toxic and has honestly left me traumatised even thinking about going back to full time work. I'm feeling hopeless and like there’s no point in even trying at this point because after everything I’ve worked towards and tried to do has left me in the same position I started in. I have nothing to show for it all except a few fancy pieces of paper. I had a friend tell me that I’m going to have to work a job I hate if I want to make enough money to survive and save, but the thought of that terrifies me and makes me feel burnt out before even doing it. I just don’t know what to do or where to look. Is there any point in continuing my business, or should I just give up. Should I find a full time job that covers the bills and just try to manage the suicidal thoughts I know will come back if I burn out. im stuck, terrified and depressed at the thought that my life is going to be like this forever

Guest_10343 Does anyone else ignore physical health when their mental health is low?
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone,I wanted to start a discussion about the link between our mental state and looking after our physical bodies.I’ve noticed a pattern in myself: when my anxiety/depression flares up, I completely stop dealing with basic physical health. I’l... View more

Hi everyone,I wanted to start a discussion about the link between our mental state and looking after our physical bodies.I’ve noticed a pattern in myself: when my anxiety/depression flares up, I completely stop dealing with basic physical health. I’ll ignore a nagging cough, put off getting a blood test, or let a script run out simply because the logistics of "being a patient" feel overwhelming.It’s like a vicious cycle, I feel physically average, which makes my mood worse, but I don’t have the mental energy to go sit in a GP waiting room for 45 minutes to fix it. It feels like climbing a mountain just to leave the house.I actually managed to break the cycle yesterday for a minor issue I've been ignoring for weeks. I didn't have it in me to go to my local clinic, so I just used hola after hour service to get it sorted from the couch in the evening. Honestly, just bypassing the "receptionist small talk" and the sensory overload of the waiting room made me feel so much more in control. It’s a small win, but it felt good to actually tick a health box without spiraling.Does anyone else struggle with this specific type of avoidance? How do you force yourself to pay attention to your physical health when your brain is telling you to just hide away?I’d love to hear if you have any "low energy" hacks for staying on top of this stuff.

Alikiwi Alone at 70
  • replies: 16

As you can guess I'm 70, but oddly find myself totally alone with no one to talk to. I've lived most of my adult life in NSW, but I have no family in this state by a bizarre twist of fate. Closest I have is a nephew in Melbourne and a daughter in Tas... View more

As you can guess I'm 70, but oddly find myself totally alone with no one to talk to. I've lived most of my adult life in NSW, but I have no family in this state by a bizarre twist of fate. Closest I have is a nephew in Melbourne and a daughter in Tassie who I very rarely hear from. I've also had 5 failed marriages, last one of 10 years ending last year after I packed her off back to the USA. Short version is she stayed in bed 23 hours every day doing nothing, got addicted to painkillers and even after doctors warned her off it and then proved there was nothing physically wrong with her, the GP still wouldn't force her off it. By that stage she had become abusive. I had 1 friend of 8 years in this small town but she passed away last month totally unexpectedly. The only other close friends are in another town, and any contact has to be done by me. So, life is frustrating, and I only see people when I go shopping each week. Have a couple of good neighbours but rarely see them as they work and don't seem to be around much on the weekends either. So, there's my lot, and I'm wondering, why bother? Not sure this is the right place to post, so feel free to move it.

Karioshi Groundhog Day's
  • replies: 6

Hello there, my name is Steven, im a male in his mid twenties & i need to speak about something thats been lingering on my mind for the past few years, I already tried explaining this to family/friends, all I get is the starry eyed response. How does... View more

Hello there, my name is Steven, im a male in his mid twenties & i need to speak about something thats been lingering on my mind for the past few years, I already tried explaining this to family/friends, all I get is the starry eyed response. How does the majority do the same thing everyday like its nothing, you gotta drag yourself out of bed every morning just to go to a place you never Intentionly wanted to just to trade your time for a piece of paper with people printed on there who i have no clue nor interest of. You have to face impatient people on the road, hot heads, traffic accidents, traffic, wannabe mad max actors, then when you get to the workplace, you're forced to work like a robot with people who you dont even get along with like putting up with unessesary stress & criticism even just by being at you job, then you get scolded by bosses who hardly praise you for doing a good job but shame you for not trying harder when you just wanna get the work done & go home with no drama's etc. Here's the kicker tho, despite how much you dont like it, you have to do it anyways, not because you want to but because thats how the system's design according to meritocracy terms, after years of evolution right up into the so called modern era, you think by now things would start to get easier for everybody, instead they just get more harder & harder with no praises but belittledness by bosses, coworkers, family, all becuase you think things could be better & not wanna be part of the rat race. Now I do recieve a side income, its not something I can live on permanently due to how crazily impulsively expensive everthing continues to be, but on the side I job hop alot, & with this privilege I came to know alot just how disturbing & shallow the workforce is today, most people have a really nasty bogus attitude, they value their ego than looking at facts, everybodys always putting up a font all the time, theres a certain amount of workplace politics that youre forced to deal with, you get treated indifferently all becuase you wanna get the job done & not engage in vauge small talk conversations, youre forced to play a rigged game that you didn't sign up for just to impress others who you dont even like, you always have to deal with the feeling of getting laid off or how am I gonna pay my rent & bills etc, if behind theirs minds are saying that they dont like this & this isnt right, then why keep on perpetuating this foolish cycle, the truth is it can be better, tho it seems everybody wants to keep things the same forever, like how is this even possible? Its no wonder people get depressed, anxious, miserable, ptsd, ocd, bipolar, borderline personality disorder, arthritis, insomnia, anhedonia, easily irratated, anger issues, then they seek help only to be put on anti depression tablets, therapy, psychologists, psychiatrists, mental institutions etc, like do not see where im coming here. Then you have destructive substances that exist like alcohol, smoking, pornorgraphy, gambling addictions, if these things did not exist just imagine how even more crazy the world would be. We are all working ourselves to death over what a pipedream that most likely will never become a reality because of how greedy & self centred this species has become, only to exist for the top 1% who are machiavellian's, narcissistic & manipulators to their own citizens who actually put their trust into because who else are they gonna trust? While growing up ive always been told to be grateful being given life, its easy enough to say so, but what is there to be really grateful for, a life where im forced to participate in foolish schemes, to give my time that i wont get back to corporations who see me as a number & a tool, to realise everything i gained start to fade away as time goes on, to be part of a mediocre society thats passive aggressive, suppressive & pretentious, seriously if i knew things were gonna be like this before stepping foot into this realm with a choice then I'd choose not to be here, sure life gives but mostly takes, you age, you start loosing loved ones, you become obsolete from your job, it doesnt care about you, which is why its very hard to find a real good reason to bring someone here just so they can go thru the same things that youre going thru, sure misery loves company but also happiness doesnt loves misery, its a vicious cycle. Anyways thats all I have for now, thanks for reading.

Croix Store Your Happy Memories Here:
  • replies: 1007

Dear All~ What this place is for: This thread is a tool, a resource, and also I guess a dash of entertainment. I’ve found that when life is grim that sometimes thoughts of past happiness can create a chink of light in the grey overwhelming press of d... View more

Dear All~ What this place is for: This thread is a tool, a resource, and also I guess a dash of entertainment. I’ve found that when life is grim that sometimes thoughts of past happiness can create a chink of light in the grey overwhelming press of down. They can help occupy the mind with lighter reflections. With that in view I invite people to set down a brief passage describing some happy event they look back to with fondness and peace. They - and others too - can then return to it when they feel the need to glean a little warmth. It is not a place for gloomy or dire tales, those can go elsewhere. What to do: Just set out, as simply as you like, your recollection of some past experience that means something good to you, something you enjoyed, something from safe times. It can be, like my story below, anything – from an account of visiting grandparents to simply cooking and eating a melted-cheese sandwich in a favorite kitchen – you get to choose. How to do it: Write. Write enough so someone else can feel the mood, know what happened, find the goodness. (stop at 2,500 characters please!) Grammar, syntax, spelling, punctuation are not compulsory, just write as you can – the only important thing is the content - not literary merit. Short or long - it does not matter. I hope you enjoy, contribute and find a little distraction here when you need it. Croix

Guest_10343 Struggling with my anxiety
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, long time reader but first time posting here. I’ve been going through a bit of a rough patch with my anxiety lately mostly just wanting to hide away and not deal with the world. I know looking after my physical health is supposed to help... View more

Hi everyone, long time reader but first time posting here. I’ve been going through a bit of a rough patch with my anxiety lately mostly just wanting to hide away and not deal with the world. I know looking after my physical health is supposed to help my mental state, but I’ve been putting off seeing a GP for weeks. To be honest, the idea of sitting in a crowded waiting room, making small talk with a receptionist, and just the general noise of it all felt like climbing Everest. It went straight into the "too hard basket." I finally managed a small win yesterday. I realized I didn't actually have to go in and just used online platforms to sort out my script and referral from home. It sounds silly, but just bypassing that social interaction and doing it from my couch was such a relief. I actually felt a bit lighter just ticking it off the list without the panic attack. I’m trying to accept that taking "shortcuts" is okay if it helps me stay well right now.Does anyone else find medical appointments to be a major trigger? Or do you have other "life hacks" that help you get the boring admin stuff done when you're feeling low?

string_cheese Confused morally
  • replies: 5

Hey there BBers, Simple question I'm so interested to hear what other people, especially people with mental illness experience think of this one. Is it better to be who you are or who you should be?

Hey there BBers, Simple question I'm so interested to hear what other people, especially people with mental illness experience think of this one. Is it better to be who you are or who you should be?

Doolhof Three things to be thankful for today
  • replies: 4912

Some days it is really hard to find anything to be thankful for when we feel overcome by the darkness and fog of depression. If I look hard enough, I can find something to be thankful for. I would like to encourage others to write down three things t... View more

Some days it is really hard to find anything to be thankful for when we feel overcome by the darkness and fog of depression. If I look hard enough, I can find something to be thankful for. I would like to encourage others to write down three things they are thankful for, and to realise there is a sense of hope available to us all. Sometimes it is just a little hard to find! So my three things for today are: 1: The lovely singing of birds in the morning as they welcome in the new day 2: The ability to read and write 3: A lovely hot shower. Wishing all the "family" in BB Land a day full of noticing the nice things in life. Kind regards to you all, from Dools.