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Sophie_M Money stress? You are not alone!
  • replies: 4

So, I’ve been chatting with my friends over here at Beyond Blue and it seems we all have something in common right now: money worries. Whether it’s stressors about finding enough cash for the basics or wishing we had enough money for a holiday, we al... View more

So, I’ve been chatting with my friends over here at Beyond Blue and it seems we all have something in common right now: money worries. Whether it’s stressors about finding enough cash for the basics or wishing we had enough money for a holiday, we all seem to be experiencing a greater amount of stress surrounding money than we have in the past. And it’s impacting our ability to show up fully for the things we love. It’s not uncommon for us to experience shame and fear around expressing our financial challenges; it can be hard and somewhat taboo to openly discuss money matters. However, we believe this conversation is incredibly important and beneficial to have. Like all challenges, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’, so let’s help each other out. Of course, discussions about the economy and how to manage our money during inflation are a much larger (and frustrating!) conversation… but what we would really love to know is what your personal experience around money is. Are you feeling the pinch too? How is added financial pressure impacting your wellbeing? When was the last time things felt even slightly easier? And if you have struggled with money in the past but come out the other side, what suggestions do you have for others who might still be finding their feet? This is an opportunity to share openly and honestly about your experience in a judgement-free space. There are no wrong answers, and we encourage you to share all the things that you might be finding hard to express in your every day life. Looking forward to your answers! Abundant hugs from yours truly, Sophie M.

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

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JeffF1 Need a little advice
  • replies: 1

Hi All, Thanks for reading my post. I'm on medication for anxiety disorder very long. I'm male, over 40. I have following problems, 1) Big debts / personal loan & CC (It happen when i tried to learn new career. I broke my bank because of my mental st... View more

Hi All, Thanks for reading my post. I'm on medication for anxiety disorder very long. I'm male, over 40. I have following problems, 1) Big debts / personal loan & CC (It happen when i tried to learn new career. I broke my bank because of my mental states (emotional responses). 2) Career issue (i'm a migrant and no Australia education) + over 40 and long time break from my main work. i'm or wasn't in senior position too. Really difficult to get job *not because of recent COVID-19. I might need to change career. What sort of short course and career available in Australia? I'm considering to get security cert and job. Anything like that? security job - Care taker - not interest Child care - not interest I can think only above 3. Please add what you think i should try. I need something stable job & income to pay debts and then build for myself and kids. i'm currently working at a shop but too stress and can work only 3 days (casual). If i see crowds queuing at counter service desk i start feel anxious plus many things to handle at once. I want to get consultation. But if i go to career coach then he/she might not understand my anxiety & financial difficulties. Beside that I can't afford to pay $200-$300 per hour consultation fees. If i go to psychiatrist consular i won't get right direction either. (i tried once through online consultant.) My parents or sibling can't answer my above questions and problems. They only say i have to decide by myself. I'm not ok with my Dad. He won't give me help. I do need, financial consulting, career & mental. So who can give this kind of consultation? I don't know where to go or start. Kindly give me a right direction please. Thank you for understanding. PS. I do work as freelance for two kinds but either i don't get regular income. I dont know many people in here. I don't have many friends. I don't have budget to advertise my business. I do post free listing, social media but nothing works well. Sometime i get few jobs and income then disappear for few weeks. Not regular or developing the business. *again it is happen before COVID-19. I want to get something stable & decent income that I can manage to pay back my debts, have better hope and build for myself and family. I'm not expecting unrealistic hopes. I just want to get on track. I'm out of track at the moment, depress, isolate and poor performance at work. Thanks again.

Volkerballoon I noticed that during iso, my shopping trip was the most exciting part of the week
  • replies: 9

So while having my weekly walk to Aldi, I noticed something very unusual for a shopping trip: I was feeling somewhat excited to just walk to my destination and looking at the scenery. Initially in my pessimistic habit I was berating myself on how sad... View more

So while having my weekly walk to Aldi, I noticed something very unusual for a shopping trip: I was feeling somewhat excited to just walk to my destination and looking at the scenery. Initially in my pessimistic habit I was berating myself on how sad things were: walking to the shops is the highlight of your week? Sad! However, I think there were some cool aspects to this. When the world slows down and there's less opportunities for socialising and entertainment, the mind seems to sort of adapt and feel excited in the little things that are available - in my case, a simple walk to the shops. Maybe even a bit empowering in knowing that outside entertainment is not a necessity and slowing down with everything can work out? Just my Sunday night musings.

white knight Toxic people- who are they?
  • replies: 3

So maybe you’ve been diagnosed with a mental disorder and have commenced medication and therapy. There is a case for self help as well- a tree/sea change, career change, move away from food handling or shift work and worked on your relaxation and sle... View more

So maybe you’ve been diagnosed with a mental disorder and have commenced medication and therapy. There is a case for self help as well- a tree/sea change, career change, move away from food handling or shift work and worked on your relaxation and sleep. What about the people in your life? What is classified as a toxic person? It is very subjective, ask a thousand people all will have a different description. But there is some common trends- Someone that emotional intends to hurt you that is disloyal is ambitious at work to the disadvantage of work colleagues is not empathetic hurts your friends in a manner that you feel at risk also manipulates is narcissistic uses you as an information source only has ulterior motives is money driven eg inheritance forces their views onto you eg religion You get the idea. What is most important here is what YOUR tolerance level is, not what other people believe what yours should be. If you adopt your friends moral compass then you’ve dropped yours. This is different to a friend discussing a matter and expressing what they would do in your situation to a friend telling you that you are foolish for taking your own direction. Toxic people is those that effect you adversely more often than they make you happy. You might have a gut instinct on a person integrity based on your observations of their treatment of other people eg helping a fellow worker get sacked rather than assisting to remedy their battles with management as a supporter. The only trap with judging someone toxic is when you judge them too harshly. Often you might not know all the facts. So be cautious. Many young adults don’t realise when a friend isn’t a positive influence- be ready to act if need be. The weeding out of toxic people from your life can make your friendships less in number but higher in quality. Google beyondblue topic the labyrinth of friendships beyondblue fortress of survival (also part 2) beyondblue topic depression and toxic people Finally remember- you might well be toxic from another’s viewpoint and that’s ok. TonyWK

lifeisbutadream Starting my Journey - suggestions for help?
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, today I finally reached out to my GP after having a little breakdown last night and realising I needed help. I've been struggling lately with a lot of anxiety (and depression), and it was beginning to impact me in other ways (including d... View more

Hi everyone, today I finally reached out to my GP after having a little breakdown last night and realising I needed help. I've been struggling lately with a lot of anxiety (and depression), and it was beginning to impact me in other ways (including disordered eating/ health - I know that is a long, sad and dangerous path and I was afraid it was only getting worse). It was really scary to admit everything that is going on but I'm so glad that I did. It was so good and reassuring to be able to talk about what has been going on and have my feelings be validated. It's weird to think I'm mentally unwell and how many things I'm going to have to work on, some that go back a long way, but I'm excited for the journey for better mental health to begin. However, I am a little bit afraid I won't be able to change. My GP has recommended me to try different mindfulness exercises (CBT) over the next few weeks, until I will be seeing a psychologist. Does anyone have any techniques, apps, books or other self-care activities they have found have helped them (especially early on)? Thank you!

blondguy COVIDSafe App and the Benefits
  • replies: 9

Hi Everyone I had difficulty finding the Official CovidSafe app on Monday and eventually found it.... Of course its up to the individual if they wish to download the app or not..I have posted the link below which also includes the relevant informatio... View more

Hi Everyone I had difficulty finding the Official CovidSafe app on Monday and eventually found it.... Of course its up to the individual if they wish to download the app or not..I have posted the link below which also includes the relevant information/benefits of the app. Over 3 million downloads since Monday any input/thoughts are welcome on the app too https://covidsafe.gov.au stay well Paul

white knight Do we expect a smooth road in life?
  • replies: 17

As we grow, cared for by our parents, we reach teenage years and we are young, often healthy and we don’t have much idea where we’ll end up – not that we are worried. I remember when I was 17o and had left school. I was waiting for the RAAF to tell m... View more

As we grow, cared for by our parents, we reach teenage years and we are young, often healthy and we don’t have much idea where we’ll end up – not that we are worried. I remember when I was 17o and had left school. I was waiting for the RAAF to tell me when they would send me from Victoria to SA for recruit training. I had a plan, to serve 20 years and get a defence pension from 37yo onwards. I’d rise up through the ranks, maybe even officer material because “my family is smart”. I lasted 3 years and my driving offenses, frequent drunkenness …all things that made my bosses angry…led to my demise. Reset journey. In fact I reset the journey numerous times just as many of us have. I think (IMO) that us with emotional fragility constantly reset our pathways. We arrive at “Y” intersections all the time and take another course…always thinking we can find a better happier path to stability. Always chasing the dream via a forest of nightmares. So when we were about say, early twenties to say early thirties, we hoped for and expected to have a healthy life. What a whack we got if we found out we were to have one or many medical hoops to jump through and a larger challenge when we are told by some (including me on these forums) that your challenge with your mental care should be seen as a life long management strategy not a quick fix or even a few years fix. So its reasonable and apt to remember that most of us expect life to be an easy road. In terms of facing life in a manner that it wont likely be easy I don’t know what the answer ris. The more children are insulated from their future challenges in terms of health the better the parenting really. They are protecting them right? I’m no psychologist but I would assume teaching children that their journey through life will include some bumpy roads will prepare them for real life issues, that they have to overcome. I’m just concerned as to the frequency of new members that when they receive a diagnosis for a mental illness the horror is too much to bare when in reality with appropriate medical care they can lead near normal lives. Yet again its like a physical disability – to accept one has a permanent lower back injury or arthritis or other physical disability, having a mental illness is an injury we have to accept. The earlier acceptance is achieved the quicker one can return to the lives along the same journey pre diagnosis. Is acceptance of ones mental illness your biggest challenge?

Doolhof Happy Mother's Day 2020
  • replies: 16

I wasn't sure where to post this, as "Mother's Day" could come under many different headings depending on what the day means for the individual. Corona Virus has added another twist to Mother's Day. This is an opportunity for people to express their ... View more

I wasn't sure where to post this, as "Mother's Day" could come under many different headings depending on what the day means for the individual. Corona Virus has added another twist to Mother's Day. This is an opportunity for people to express their feelings about Mother's Day. It may be a chance to send a greeting to a Mum who is no longer in your life, a message tot he Universe perhaps. You might have a fond memory of your Mum you would like to share, or of any female you have a close connection to like a Mother figure. For some it may be a time of grief and loss, either in relation to your Mum or to children who are no longer with you. For me, I will be phoning my Mum, going to work and will spend some time thinking of my babies in Heaven. I will remember fond moments with my Mum and memories of a very special lady "J" who was a gift of love in my life. I will recall happy moments with other people's children over the years and how precious those times were. I will be working, so I will try and make Mother's Day special for those I will be working for and with. For those who celebrate Mother's Day, I wish you a special day. May you be able to embrace and accept this year will be different but it can also be okay. Kind regards from Dools

Lilly18 Help for out of control anger
  • replies: 2

Hit me with ANYTHING please that has helped you with being angry. My anger is not ok and its not 'normal' I have ruined furniture, I'm without a dining table + 8 chairs, holes in walls, chests of draws, dishes, ipads you name it. I could elaborate bu... View more

Hit me with ANYTHING please that has helped you with being angry. My anger is not ok and its not 'normal' I have ruined furniture, I'm without a dining table + 8 chairs, holes in walls, chests of draws, dishes, ipads you name it. I could elaborate but probly best I don't. I have seen psychologists, on antidepressant (have tried quite a few) and they honestly don't help. I can take an anit anxiety tablet but I don't like to feel sleepy especially when the kids are non stop. I think i know what sets me off, but there must be more behind it for it to be so bad. I'm at the end of the tether and I have said that so many times in lost count. Practicing Mindfullness, the deep breathing etc just doesnt work for me. I just can't sit down during the day to do a meditation app because I need a clean house before I could do something like that or maybe I just don't want to be still in my own head. What can I do? I'm at the end of my tether, I have lost count how many times iv said that I need help and don't know where or how Sorry this was only going to be short but eh

Ggrand Creative writing for Distraction..
  • replies: 37

Share your imagination of fantasy, Magic or happy stories here, so others can enjoy Hi everyone, This is a thread I thought might be a helpful form of relaxing, for both writing your very own virtual fantasy peaceful escape from our busy lives..Maybe... View more

Share your imagination of fantasy, Magic or happy stories here, so others can enjoy Hi everyone, This is a thread I thought might be a helpful form of relaxing, for both writing your very own virtual fantasy peaceful escape from our busy lives..Maybe you just need to sit back, read and relax or maybe you want to go on your virtual fantasy escape and put it in here for other to read or join you... Please give it a go, you might find it a great distraction from negative thoughts, as I do..and others can escape with you. I started walking into the tunnel, looking around, the ceiling and sides were covered with tiny little bright pink,yellow and darkest blue tiniest flowers you could imagine, the ground was of the darkest, thickest, greenest grass, so soft I take my shoes off and feel the cool refreshing grass under my feet and between my toes, so relaxing as I continue walking towards the sun rays I can see up ahead...lol my feet are green from the softness and greenness of the grass. Out through the other end of the tunnel, I'm greeted by, a brilliant sky of orange, purple, and clouds of the deepest greyish red, a sun that's setting in the distance..I stand and take in the beauty of the sky, a feeling of serenity passes through me...Walking further ahead I come across the same thick carpet of lush cool green grass, feeling serene and grounded I continue until I come to a small waterfall, that falls into a crystal clear lake with tiny brightly coloured butterflies flying around, they are beckoning me to enter the lake. On entering the lakes crystal clear water I head towards the waterfall, there I sit in the water with the gentle waterfall cascading onto my head, down my back, the feeling of the water running down me is just pure relaxation, the water surrounding my body is so cool and refreshing yet peacefully relaxing..I stay there it's to good to move, then I see the Butterflies flying around me, dropping tiny little sachets into the water the water becomes bubbly, bubbles of lavender scent , as the waterfall hits the water the bubbles are multiplying so much that they start to tickle my skin..The scent of the bubbles begin to make me feel sleepy..relaxed.... My eyes lids are so heavy, they want to close, slowly they close, as they do a gentle breeze blows, and I can here the tranquil sounds of wind chimes in the background so peaceful so gentle the sound, the sounds fading deeper and deeper into the background..my body, my mind is relaxed beyond belief as I slowly drift off into a peaceful, tranquil,deep sleep.. Grandy.

Titine After some chats due to lonliness and trying to avoid self medicating with alcohol
  • replies: 2

Hi ive never been on a forum before. A little bit unsure what to write. I thought id try and see if it could help by talking to other people who are possibly going through similar anxieties. Im in a difficult stage in life. I have had to deactivate a... View more

Hi ive never been on a forum before. A little bit unsure what to write. I thought id try and see if it could help by talking to other people who are possibly going through similar anxieties. Im in a difficult stage in life. I have had to deactivate all social media. Im not working and have had my licence suspended due to a seizure. Ive had to cut off most off my friends for various reasons. And now with the current added isolation, im really suffering. I live on my own in a tiny unit and feel panicy and anxious all the time. I feel trapped. Ive been fighting a battle on and off with alcohol, as its all i can think of to numb the pain. But it just makes things worse. Im trying to keep positive and get out for a walk each day but i still cant shake this horrible feeling and fear i have inside me. Thanks for listening