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BeyondBlue Tradies National Health Month
  • replies: 0

Hi everyone, August is Tradies National Health Month, to highlight the importance of health and safety among Australia’s trade workers. Mental health and wellbeing is crucial to the safety of anyone in the mining or construction industries, so Beyond... View more

Hi everyone, August is Tradies National Health Month, to highlight the importance of health and safety among Australia’s trade workers. Mental health and wellbeing is crucial to the safety of anyone in the mining or construction industries, so Beyond Blue is hosting a special free webinar for our tradie community on Tuesday 12 August at 4.30pm which you can register for here. We know that Tradies can face unique stressors, with a culture of toughness and difficult job demands that can impact personal time and self-care. It can also be tough for partners and family members who aren’t sure how to support someone in a trade who may be showing signs that their mental health isn’t at its best. If you’re unsure where to start your conversation this is the space for you. Whether you want to share your own experiences, ask questions, or simply connect with others who understand what you're going through, you're in the right place. If you're seeking additional support, here are some resources: Hope Assistance Local Tradies: Home This Is A Conversation Starter: TIACS - This is a Conversation Starter Mates in Construction: MATES - Industry Based Suicide Prevention - MATES Don’t forget - our counsellors are always here for you on 1300 22 46 36. We’ll also use this space to post some of the questions and answers from the webinar discussion. Feel free to dive in and keep the conversation going. Thank you again for joining us — we’re glad you’re here.

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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Emmen Movies and literature on mental illness that resonated with you
  • replies: 31

Hello all, I thought we could do a thread about movies, books, poems, songs etc. about mental illnesses that you feel you could relate to, which kept you going even when times are dark, or which make you feel less alone in your struggles. I hope that... View more

Hello all, I thought we could do a thread about movies, books, poems, songs etc. about mental illnesses that you feel you could relate to, which kept you going even when times are dark, or which make you feel less alone in your struggles. I hope that by sharing these, we can build up a collection of movies and literature that members of our community can relate to as well. I'll start: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (book) - topic: depression Resumé by Dorothy Parker (poem) - topic: reasons not to commit suicide Cheers, M

Guest_8790 Seeking advice
  • replies: 3

I am not sure if I am in right area but for sometime I am dealing With hypervigilance. I did notvrealise it until my psychologist Told me. II know that I need patience and think before reacting but I am struggling To do this. For example I was going ... View more

I am not sure if I am in right area but for sometime I am dealing With hypervigilance. I did notvrealise it until my psychologist Told me. II know that I need patience and think before reacting but I am struggling To do this. For example I was going to water plants at front but a girl was walking down driveway And i asked what she wanted in a rude manner. She stated Was crossing my lawn to go next door. I apologised but she Just walked off. I feel like a low life for reacting the way I did. Can anyone Suggest any material I could get info on this? I thought of moving but that will not help me. dejected rusty

Bananie1234 How to take care of my mental health when COVID-19 restrictions are starting to eat me alive?
  • replies: 10

Hi guys, I understand people do not agree for international borders to open but when you’re not australian it makes it really difficult. Im from NZ, moved here 6 years ago for uni then work. I didn’t mind the restrictions at first as it helped flatte... View more

Hi guys, I understand people do not agree for international borders to open but when you’re not australian it makes it really difficult. Im from NZ, moved here 6 years ago for uni then work. I didn’t mind the restrictions at first as it helped flatten the curve but I didn’t realise it’d be this long. it means I can’t see my family and friends. I’ve never gone this long without seeing my family and it’s driving me insane. on top of this, my relationship also turned into long distance as he left the country to be an expat just before the border closure kicked in so I haven’t been able to see him since he left. It’s been 7 months and it’s been an emotional roller coaster. Most of the time, I’m doing fine but sometimes I’m just really on edge, feeling disconnected and frustrated and when this happens, i start to become resentful and envy of others I’ve always been okay being on my own but i knew i needed company during this time. my existing friends are almost always unavailable which is normal in adultlife. so far, I’ve just been burying myself at work and on my days off I plan things to do so Im kept busy. i love hiking so I’ve been joining hiking groups and it definitely helped heaps as I’m meeting new people but I still struggle sometimes especially when I’m with my own thoughts. I worry that my relationship would sour. We are not struggling at the moment but I’m worried if this pandemic continues, it may happen. I’m worried I won’t see my family and relatives for a long time and God forbid anything happens to anyone in my family. i considered dropping everything and just leave the country to be with my parents but I’m worried I won’t be able to come back to aus for a really long time and in the end my life and my job is based in australia. I understand there’s no point worrying about the future but I can’t help but feeling anxious so, does anyone have any tips on staying in the present and to be positive? I really hate myself being so moody. Any help or support would be appreciated. if anyone else in this forum is going through the same situation as me I’d be really interested to see how you’re doing and how have you been staying well, mentally. thanks heaps

Not_Batman How do you do it?
  • replies: 14

Hello BB. i have been posting a little bit in the last week, and have read many helpful things. a lot of what i read is helpful to my situation, but also helps me to understand another perspective. anxiety and depression for me only comes from a few ... View more

Hello BB. i have been posting a little bit in the last week, and have read many helpful things. a lot of what i read is helpful to my situation, but also helps me to understand another perspective. anxiety and depression for me only comes from a few sources. Unfortunately they are essential, so learning to cope with the source was a must. sometimes i have to remove myself, sometimes i have to write in my journal. This got me thinking, What is a trigger for you, and how do you overcome it? Not_Batman

Kim1988 Issues with driving
  • replies: 5

Hi all. I had a situation happen to me over the weekend which I’m trying to not get me down but I just need to get off my chest. The thing is I’m 32 years old and I am a late learner driver. I only just started learning a year and a bit ago. I should... View more

Hi all. I had a situation happen to me over the weekend which I’m trying to not get me down but I just need to get off my chest. The thing is I’m 32 years old and I am a late learner driver. I only just started learning a year and a bit ago. I should have learned earlier I admit but I was really not confident with it. I really do want to learn no matter how long it takes me. I have been for about 40 lessons with a driving teacher now and he has pretty much given up on me. I guess I’m not at the level he wants me to be after how many lessons we’ve had and he’s frustrated, which I can understand. I can’t point the finger solely at him for giving up on me. I probably do need to be more focused than I have been and need to be more confident in my ability. Like for instance I still hesitate a bit at roundabouts when I can quite clearly see that nobody is there. I pretty much now by know when it’s safe to go and should stop doubting myself. My driving teacher pretty much said to me that I need to find another driving teacher because he’s taught me all he can and maybe a different driving teacher would be better. Maybe he’s right? Maybe I need a different approach is better for me? To be honest we didn’t have any clear goals and expectations that we wanted to work towards each lesson. We were just kind of drifting along. I need a teacher that will discuss the goals and expectations with me as we go and someone who will discuss the progress with me. I thought about giving up learning but you know I have come so far from where I started with my driving I’m determined to stick with it.

bread2 When should you go see someone? What to say?
  • replies: 6

Hi, Someone told me I should see a psychologist, but I can't shake the feeling that if I go, it's uncalled for or an overreaction. For one thing, I really don't know what I would say.. Yes, I've been crying for some things and acting "weird", but it'... View more

Hi, Someone told me I should see a psychologist, but I can't shake the feeling that if I go, it's uncalled for or an overreaction. For one thing, I really don't know what I would say.. Yes, I've been crying for some things and acting "weird", but it's like I feel it's such a vague feeling of general "emotional unwellness" than a specific "I'm really stressed with xx" or "I have these xxx thoughts all the time". I feel uncomfortable imagining me going to a GP or psychologist and I know they'll ask "so what have you come in for?" and I'm just not going to know what to say or where to start, and they'll be confused and I'll feel weird and it just seems like a really uncomfortable non-productive experience.. Another thing is that I keep switching between thinking I should go and thinking there's really nothing too wrong that I need to go for. Maybe I'm just like this? Maybe I could just eat better and socialise better and sleep more? Maybe I just can't be bothered fixing myself when it could be so easy too but I've convinced myself there's something more so I feel less bad about it? These thoughts I keep thinking through in my head, while I also think about how people who go to GPs and psychologists usually have real, identifiable, genuine problems, like people who have depression or anxiety or extreme stress or toxic relationships. I'm not depressed or worrying about everything, nobody abuses/is mean to me, so I just feel like.. what am I going in for? But then again, sometimes I feel super heavy, like emotionally heavy, thinking that I will be as I am in the future makes me feel grim, but then I should just do something but what do I do? And then just feel bad about feeling bad for myself and I don't know what to do.. I'm wondering how do people know when they should go see someone? Is it ok to see a psychologist even if you don't have a mental illness? How do you figure out what to say? What if you have difficulty explaining how you feel? Are you ever afraid you won't be able to explain yourself right?

beth522 overwhelmed - on so many levels
  • replies: 1

This is all new to me, just anxious writing this, but I have taken the first step. Many thanks

This is all new to me, just anxious writing this, but I have taken the first step. Many thanks

Alexlisa What are three small (or big) achievements you’ve had today? Let’s cheer each other on!
  • replies: 265

Hello all, Sometimes just doing the basics is so hard. It can be tough not to get down on ourselves when we’re struggling with things that ‘should’ be easy. But we deserve to celebrate even the smallest achievements, because they are really feats of ... View more

Hello all, Sometimes just doing the basics is so hard. It can be tough not to get down on ourselves when we’re struggling with things that ‘should’ be easy. But we deserve to celebrate even the smallest achievements, because they are really feats of strength when you’re unwell. It’s ok if you can’t do everything. We know you’re doing your best, and that’s enough ☺️ What are 3 small (or big) achievements that you’ve had today? For me: 1. I washed my hair 2. I drank two glasses of water 3. I sat out in the sun for 15 minutes How bout you? Let’s cheer ourselves and each other on! Alexlisa

Crabby what is normal?
  • replies: 43

Hi, i am here to try to find out if what is happening in my head is normal and others experiance the same.

Hi, i am here to try to find out if what is happening in my head is normal and others experiance the same.

Soberlicious96 Help Lines - which number to call
  • replies: 7

Don't know which number to call, for what issue? Here's a list of numbers, in alphabetical order, just for you! Love Mel. xo 1800 RESPECT.................................................. 1800 737 732 Al-anon............................................. View more

Don't know which number to call, for what issue? Here's a list of numbers, in alphabetical order, just for you! Love Mel. xo 1800 RESPECT.................................................. 1800 737 732 Al-anon............................................................. 1300 252 666 Alcoholics Anonymous.................................... 1300 22 22 22 Beyond Blue..................................................... 1300 22 4636 Kids Helpline..................................................... 1800 55 1800 Lifeline.............................................................. 13 11 14 Mensline........................................................... 1300 78 99 78 Narcotics Anonymous..................................... 1300 652 820 Nar-Anon.......................................................... 02 8004 1214 Nurse on Call.................................................... 1300 60 60 24 Relationships Australia.................................... 1300 364 277