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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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Peter56 No relatives of friends
  • replies: 1

I am not normally gifted to writing letters about my personal issues, however, this forum seemed like an excellent place to contact others with similar experiences. I have never been married, have no children and have lived in my own all my life and ... View more

I am not normally gifted to writing letters about my personal issues, however, this forum seemed like an excellent place to contact others with similar experiences. I have never been married, have no children and have lived in my own all my life and up until I retired recently I begun to feel the isolation of being on my own and life became worthless to me. I`ve decided to apply to do some volunteer work for some community groups which I think I would find to be very satisfying and fulfilling for me. I have heard back from many community groups that appear to be very keen on me and have sent me an application form to fill out. On these forms, they ask me for my ``emergency contact`` details or ``next of kin`` and my problem is I don`t know or have anyone in my life. I have no siblings, no children, and no friends at all, so I was hoping if there was someone out there that might be in a similar position that might have some advice on this because I am really keep on getting outside and doing something with my life. Cheers.

Romy Recommendations for meditation/mindfulness/hypnosis apps
  • replies: 2

I have very recently broken up with my boyfriend of 8 months. He broke up with me and it was extremely sudden and unexpected. I love him and am heartbroken. It's been 13 days since the breakup and it has caused a relapse in my anxiety. I'm not eating... View more

I have very recently broken up with my boyfriend of 8 months. He broke up with me and it was extremely sudden and unexpected. I love him and am heartbroken. It's been 13 days since the breakup and it has caused a relapse in my anxiety. I'm not eating normally, I wake up and immediately feel anxious, I have an upset stomach and I can't function at work because I go there with no energy and think about everything when I'm there and try to not cry. I've today realised I can't keep focusing on him and what he's doing - I've been doing all the stupid things, checking his social media and overanalysing things he posts. I'm still in his Facebook profile picture. I post things and wait for him to like it - which he does. So today I have muted him on instagram and unfollowed him on Facebook because I know how much of an affect this is having on my health. Does anyone have any recommendations for meditation/mindfulness/hypnosis apps that have really helped them with anxiety/depression? I want to get myself in a routine to better myself and become stronger from this experience.

Hugoosey My brain cant handle the mediocrity of this decade we live in(any coping strategies?)
  • replies: 5

you read it here folks, this is a problem few people bring up because it takes a keen sense of awareness to figure out how crappy these times are. If you are perceptive and able to sense atmosphere then you'll surely know that the atmosphere has almo... View more

you read it here folks, this is a problem few people bring up because it takes a keen sense of awareness to figure out how crappy these times are. If you are perceptive and able to sense atmosphere then you'll surely know that the atmosphere has almost entirely vanished from the planet, what do I mean by atmosphere? A sense of wonder, joy and the unknown the planet used to have, everything used to be badarse and cool, the films, videogames, music and tv shows of this decade suck so bad and make life dull as hell, I never have anything to look forward to, its not just me who thinks this, its others and you(you know deep down its not as good as previous decades) this isnt about me but rather us as a species, surely we can do better. The fun has well and truely gone, now its like we are all waiting to die or something, the warm sense of togetherness and actual human interaction of the past is something I experienced and miss everyday, I cry about how much I miss the way the world used to be, the pre-smartphone and social media world to be more precise, I choose not to use either of those things because thats how strongly I hate this time, I'm not sure about a lot of things but on this one issue, I am so sincere...so so sincere I HAVE cried about it, this decade has stopped people from living organic and fun lives. Theres also an epidemic of bad taste in the world, everyone acts the same, talks the same, dresses the same, individuality is in total decline, now all we have is endless trendy clones who cant think for themselves and it reflects in this ugly time period of absolute terror. Everything new is either terrible or average, nothing makes you go WOW anymore.. why? because the past had lots of much cooler and interesting and mystical stuff going on, we should try to figure out a solution, nobody I mean nobody is bringing up this point on here, barely anyone does, you need to have a perceptive mind when it comes to the way atmosphere feels to be able to UNDERSTAND why I'm upset, realness is in decline, the world used to feel realer, now its total plastic, plastic people with plastic minds on their way to plastic homes, everyones lonely in this time, nobody is really happy, the genuine joy is scarce, I'm forced to live an isolated existence in a room which looks like its from 20 years ago with dvds stacked up to the ceiling, modern tech is boring, modern design is lame and uninspired, get me out of these times or I'll surely go insane. any questions?

AGrace Positive Affirmations
  • replies: 21

Do you have some positive affirmations that have helped you get through difficult moments? If so, share them with us and to add to those listed below... I will end up doing more than I can imagine. Everything is as it should be in this moment. I am j... View more

Do you have some positive affirmations that have helped you get through difficult moments? If so, share them with us and to add to those listed below... I will end up doing more than I can imagine. Everything is as it should be in this moment. I am just the person I need to be. I love the ways in which I am like no one else. I may be 1 in 7 billion, but I am also 1 in 7 billion. I refuse to give up, because I haven't tried all the possible ways. AGrace

Itsnotyouitsme What came first, the chicken or the egg?
  • replies: 1

Well surprise surprise this isnt really a post about chickens or eggs its more a question of whether the depression and anxiety preceded the alcohol abuse or the alcohol abuse exacerbated an already susceptible mental health concern... I wont go into... View more

Well surprise surprise this isnt really a post about chickens or eggs its more a question of whether the depression and anxiety preceded the alcohol abuse or the alcohol abuse exacerbated an already susceptible mental health concern... I wont go into the backstory too much except to say that i struggled (a lot) with depression from as pre teen years as far back as maybe single digits as i grew up at the mercy of a violent alcoholic parent. I escaped into foster care for about year at about 14 or 15 and was medicated for depression i think for about 12 months and though ive had extensive counselling and psycholigist sessions over the years im ultimately pretty damaged from it all. It took me the best part of a decade to get my shit together but not before getting into recreational party drugs for a few years which further played havoc with my brain chemistry. But i got my shit together by my mid 20's, got a good job, started studying and then pretty much spent the next decade working full time and studying part time (and takjng the edge off socially and unsocially) with alcohol. I cant remember when it got out of hand but i can recal as far back as about a decade now having no issue in kicking off on the couch to a bottle of wine. I always worked in a corporate industry so raging friday night drinks were an acceptable norm. Fast forward to moving in with my now husband about 9 years ago and as he was a big drinker (often) and i was a big drinker (binge) i feel that we too a degree enabled each others behaviours. Ive never been an all day drinker but for a time over a few months last year when i was suffering sever anxiety and then again up to a few months ago i had no qualms (well maybe a few qualms) about taking the edge off with a bottle of wine a few nights a week. I stopped drinking almost 2 months ago and though a felt good for the first few weeks (its amazing what waking up without a hangover can do) but.... My depression and anxiety is absolutely out of control. I always took the edge of 'sad', 'stressed', 'angry', 'anxious' and now that i cant self medicate i feel like i have lost all equilibrium. Lowest of lows and wired anxiousness. I dont want to medicate as we are considering trying to conceive in the near future but i dont know how to achieve calm n chill. Ive ditched alcohol, cut out most social media, im burning essential oils, taking baths, trying to exercise (but my energy levels are so low). I need help.

Guest8901 Laughter 😀 ... the best medicine?
  • replies: 36

Do you feel better after having a good laugh? It's scientifically proven that laughter is a really strong medicine, and results in significant health benefits. Did you know that laughter gives your mood a boost, helps to diminish pain, protects you f... View more

Do you feel better after having a good laugh? It's scientifically proven that laughter is a really strong medicine, and results in significant health benefits. Did you know that laughter gives your mood a boost, helps to diminish pain, protects you from the many ill-effects of stress and aids your immune system? Kids seem to laugh a lot, but as we reach adult status we tend to become more serious and laughter becomes less frequent. No doubt everyday stresses and adult responsibilities play a large part in this transition. But wouldn't it be nice to find ways or opportunities to seek more humour and to be able to laugh more often? In doing so, you're (apparently) on track to improve emotional health, strengthen relationships, find greater happiness and possibly even add years to your life expectancy. And perhaps best of all, laughter - as an invaluable medicine - is fun, free, and user friendly. When we're in the depths of depression and anxiety it often seems almost impossible to find anything to laugh about. So I've opened this thread in the hope of sharing the benefits of laughter, and to provide a place we can share what makes us laugh and to discover new ways of bringing laughter back into our lives. If you'd like to share jokes or funny stories with others here, I'd love to read them, and hopefully others will too. Please keep jokes clean and respectful, in line with the community rules. I'd also love to hear how you're able to add a bit of lightness and humour into your life, especially when times are tough. I'll post some ideas too, as I come across some. What makes you laugh - children, pets, movies? Do you have a favourite movie, one which you can be sure will give you a real belly laugh, or at least a giggle? Please post anything to do with laughter here. Whether it's telling a personal funny story, recommending a funny movie, how you feel laughter has helped you feel better, ways you have found to bring laughter into your life. Remember ... laughter is seriously good medicine for your health, both physical and mental. So let's all share ways we can have more of it. Amanda

Tinks_Violet Help with alcohol abuse
  • replies: 3

Hi I have had a long time issue with alcohol abuse and I would really like to get help but I am so scared about people finding out... I know my family and limited friends are clearly aware that I have a problem but I don't want anyone else to find ou... View more

Hi I have had a long time issue with alcohol abuse and I would really like to get help but I am so scared about people finding out... I know my family and limited friends are clearly aware that I have a problem but I don't want anyone else to find out. My GP knows and it's up to me to change but I don't know how. Is there any online support for alcohol abuse?

Whatnext23 Just need to talk.
  • replies: 2

I am pregnant with my 3rd child, I've been on anti d’s for a while for my anxiety. I was advised to stop taking them because I am pregnant and its not good for the development of the baby, which I agree with. Unfortunately I suffer from hyperemesis g... View more

I am pregnant with my 3rd child, I've been on anti d’s for a while for my anxiety. I was advised to stop taking them because I am pregnant and its not good for the development of the baby, which I agree with. Unfortunately I suffer from hyperemesis gravidarum and I am on a spiralling disaster of emotions and just want to stop this now. I don't know if I want to abort the baby to feel normal again, but at the same time I really don't want to and feel I would regrate it. I am so confused and over feeling so so so sick. I am falling apart.

16sundayz Anxiety
  • replies: 7

What else can you do when all of your distraction plans no longer work and you are so distressed ?

What else can you do when all of your distraction plans no longer work and you are so distressed ?

Needsmotivation LIVE my life not exist!!
  • replies: 2

I want to get back to how I felt a few years ago where I was LIVING my life not just existing!! Any suggestions greatly appreciated as I just feel like a loner.

I want to get back to how I felt a few years ago where I was LIVING my life not just existing!! Any suggestions greatly appreciated as I just feel like a loner.