Immediate support
Immediate support

Staying well

Support each other to stay well, from mindfulness, sleep, diet and exercise to reducing drug and alcohol use and coping with difficult emotions.

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

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. If you're interested - Beyond Blue also have a 'money and mental health' quiz to gauge a sense of how finances may be impacting your mental health and what to do next. 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

All discussions

Start a discussion

white knight Trust strangers at your peril
  • replies: 20

A very negative topic but one of reality for in my 61 years I've taken notice of the attitude of some people, that of, not trusting anyone until they prove themselves, as being not the right way to go. But now,I understand, we need to self preserve o... View more

A very negative topic but one of reality for in my 61 years I've taken notice of the attitude of some people, that of, not trusting anyone until they prove themselves, as being not the right way to go. But now,I understand, we need to self preserve our hearts. Trusting people that you dont know well isnt wise and hurt comes when they go "MIA". Lets clarify this. There are givers and takers in this world with a sliding scale between them. The danger I find is those that wear the mask of a giver but after a long association with me the realisation sets in...they are a taker. So whats the threat level of this? Only disappointment. Its like "will the real person please stand up"! So what I'm eluding to is the world of the mask. " they seek him here, they seek him there...they seek him everywhere. Is he in heaven, or is he in hell?...that damned elusive...pimpernell..." Its the masquerade that I find intolerable but its different to friendship of the type like a weighing scale Topic: the weighing scale of friendships- beyondblue In that thread I highlighted how my family had developed an unsatisfactory trait, of "Ive visited your place 5 times this year but you've been here just once". What Im talking about here is the bare level of expectations of a friendship or a developing one. So, back to the sliding scale. There are friends and family. Friends should exist at the start if the scale. Up until recently new friends held a position just near family on that "slider". How unwise. 95% chance of them sliding down that scale so why put them up so high at the beginning?....I know why, it isnt just benefit of the doubt, more like a situation of letting my heart rule my head. The danger of this is the hurt returning time after time. The positive is that one in 50 become lifelong friends that always remember "you always trusted me, how could I not love you". Sadly with mental illness that can include high hurt levels through disappointment, one must enter the fortress for when one lacks wisdom in any field one needs to develop an alternative. No natural crutch?, buy a wheelchair. Topic: fortress of survival- beyondblue There is little chance of anything good coming out of such disappointment of a failed friendship. Internal words like "their loss", doesnt "cut the mustard". So my advice for readers that get hurt often by friends that dont return the bare basics of care a friend should show in times of need, check your values. Protect your heart. Sadly Tony WK

james1 volunteering suggestions
  • replies: 5

Hello, volunteering is a great way to help you stay mentally well. So I'm interested in seeing if we can share our own volunteering experiences. Perhaps those who are interested in doing volunteering but don't know how or what it's like can read and ... View more

Hello, volunteering is a great way to help you stay mentally well. So I'm interested in seeing if we can share our own volunteering experiences. Perhaps those who are interested in doing volunteering but don't know how or what it's like can read and see what may suit them best. Anyway for me, these are the groups I've volunteered with: - Cancer council: an office role for 3 months, working on building brand awareness. It was actually really good for me just coming out of high school because I wanted to see what working in an office would be like, and this was the first time I'd ever been in one. I found it on their website, and did about 2 days a week. - Oxfam: I've helped out with their trailwalker event. I really recommend having a look at this if you would like a longer shift for one day. Even if you're a bit more shy, there are things you can help with in groups of 4 or less: picking up rubbish and sign markers, putting up the sign markers, driving from different stops to deliver water...and if you do not want to walk much, you can check people in, be a general helper with setting up or packing up...there's lots to do and you feel like you're part of a big event, without necessarily needing to be with lots of people. - Volunteering at uni: I did tutoring for local disadvantaged high school students. This is also very rewarding for those of you who feel comfortable with tutoring. I did not even get particularly high grades, but it really helped me build confidence in communicating and even just getting used to being in an uncomfortable position (when I didn't know the answer to something) - Volunteering through work: through my work, I have done a mentoring role for disadvantaged primary school students. this was really great and it was so nice seeing the changes in my two kids over just 4 months. - Daffodil Day/Legacy day/etc.: most charities and things tend to have volunteering for people to sell the little trinkets. i must admit, this is my least favourite. For me, I take rejection quite personally and it's very tiring trying to get people to buy things (in Sydney) What are the ones you have done or are interested in doing? I'd love to try helping out with a soup kitchen next, and a friend of mine helps run little trips around Sydney for primary school kids with Vinnies which he says is great too.

james1 It's nice to hear, but that's not me
  • replies: 6

Okay so this is a more general thought/question that has been running through my mind for a while now. I have often thought the words, "that's not me", in response to a variety of ways to help me: - A speaker is telling us about his or her recovery s... View more

Okay so this is a more general thought/question that has been running through my mind for a while now. I have often thought the words, "that's not me", in response to a variety of ways to help me: - A speaker is telling us about his or her recovery story and how he or she managed to get through it. Me: I'm glad you got through it. But that's not me. I can't do it. - A friend tells me that he managed to rebuild a relationship with his parents. Me: I'm glad you and your parents managed to do that, but my parents and I are different. We can't do it like that. - A million people on the twitter share some kind of mental health hashtag. Me: I'm not any of you. So, in the wake of all this awareness building and sharing of stories which is really great, are we also at risk of alienating people? When I was very ill, hearing about other people's recovery stories made me feel worse about myself. Why can they get better and I can't? When I heard about other people repairing family relationships, I just felt like even more of a failure of a son - just as I had been told I was. When I saw so many people talk about their issues on twitter, yet in only 140 characters, I thought: why is my story so much more convoluted, less inspiring, and btw listens anyway to me? And all these people have so many followers! So my question is: have any of you also thought similar words, "that's not me" or felt alienated by what should be a positive experience? Or perhaps you'll also say, "but that's not me" to my thread, hahaha. (just in case you aren't sure, I'm totally okay right now.)

Chris_B AI (artificial intelligence) and the future of support
  • replies: 12

Hi everyone, As technology progresses, there is an increasing amount of talk about the use of AI (artificial intelligence) and how it might affect support services in the future. At beyondblue, we're currently in the early stages of researching how w... View more

Hi everyone, As technology progresses, there is an increasing amount of talk about the use of AI (artificial intelligence) and how it might affect support services in the future. At beyondblue, we're currently in the early stages of researching how we might use AI to tailor content for people seeking information from us. But it's most important that we know how you, our members and regular visitors, feel about it. There are a wide range of possible applications for AI. At one, you have the idea of using AI to help triage people seeking assistance; at the other end you have the idea of using AI to actually provide support for people and have conversations. This is an open thread to discuss the implications of AI and how it might work on the beyondblue site. How do you think it could make your experience here better? Do you have any concerns? Have you had experience with using other services where AI is a component? Below is a link to a recent summary of work being done to incorporate AI into health services, to help jump-start the discussion: Confronting Dr Robot: Creating a people-powered future for AI in health

Chloe_M Who are you thankful for today?
  • replies: 23

Hey guys, i got the idea for this thread from some of the others in Staying well. We can use this thread to acknowledge who we are thankful for today and why. It could be a family member, friend, partner, someone on the BB forums, a colleague, a teac... View more

Hey guys, i got the idea for this thread from some of the others in Staying well. We can use this thread to acknowledge who we are thankful for today and why. It could be a family member, friend, partner, someone on the BB forums, a colleague, a teacher, or a complete stranger etc. ill start: today I am thankful to my best friend (let's call him 'L') for being there for me always and for trying to calm me down today when I had a panic attack about 2 new tests that are coming. who are you thankful for today? Chloe

Just Sara Volunteer Appreciation Week
  • replies: 4

ڰۣڿڰۣڿஇღԑ̮̑ঙღڰۣڿڰۣڿஇ 퓣퓱퓪퓷퓴픂퓸퓾 퓽퓸 퓿퓸퓵퓾퓷퓽퓮퓮퓻퓼 퓮퓿퓮퓻픂픀퓱퓮퓻퓮 픀퓱퓸 퓰퓲퓿퓮 퓽퓱퓮퓲퓻 퓹퓻퓮퓬퓲퓸퓾퓼 퓽퓲퓶퓮 퓪퓷퓭 퓬퓪퓻퓲퓷퓰 퓽퓸 퓽퓱퓮퓲퓻 퓬퓸퓶퓶퓾퓷퓲퓽픂! 퓦퓮 퓼퓪퓵퓾퓽퓮 픂퓸퓾... ڰۣڿڰۣڿஇღԑ̮̑ঙღڰۣڿڰۣڿஇ View more

ڰۣڿڰۣڿஇღԑ̮̑ঙღڰۣڿڰۣڿஇ 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓷𝓴𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓸 𝓿𝓸𝓵𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝔀𝓱𝓸 𝓰𝓲𝓿𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓲𝓻 𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓬𝓪𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓲𝓻 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓶𝓾𝓷𝓲𝓽𝔂! 𝓦𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓵𝓾𝓽𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾... ڰۣڿڰۣڿஇღԑ̮̑ঙღڰۣڿڰۣڿஇ

MsPurple We are all human and need time out for self care
  • replies: 12

As a community champion I love coming on the forums and chatting to everyone on the forums. However recently the black dog decided to stick it's head back in and was a bit more persistent than most. I had to take some time away from the forums for se... View more

As a community champion I love coming on the forums and chatting to everyone on the forums. However recently the black dog decided to stick it's head back in and was a bit more persistent than most. I had to take some time away from the forums for self care. I used to not want to overshare on the forums, because I want to be a strong community champion. But I have learnt that most people value that we are going through the same things you are and just like you we are human and need time out for ourselves. Being strong doesn't mean the black dog doesn't come, it's by putting our hand up and saying, I need to take time out, increase self care and follow what my therapist says. I want to thank everyone for their support while I had some time away from the forums. So my question to you is. What do you do when you take time out for self care? I tend to watch movies, take a warm bath and meditate before bed to help me sleep. Glad to be back and thanks in advance and I'm so glad to be part of a supportive community MsP

Elizabeth CP What I have learnt from the past & how to apply it in my current life
  • replies: 4

One of the things I have noticed talking to my psych is how much what I have learnt from earlier experiences is still impacting my life now. Some of this is appropriate but in some cases it is no longer working for me. In this thread I want people to... View more

One of the things I have noticed talking to my psych is how much what I have learnt from earlier experiences is still impacting my life now. Some of this is appropriate but in some cases it is no longer working for me. In this thread I want people to share what they have learnt if at all. Reflect on how it can be adapted to suit your life today to help keep you well What needs to be abandoned because it is not helping you in your current circumstances. My example. As a young person I learnt to be very careful with money because we had little due to circumstances outside my parents control (losing a house in a bushfire & then long term serious illness of both parents). I learnt to save & make do. Being careful with money is useful as it means we can spend our money on what is most important & go without things which are less important. Sometimes I am too careful. I need to spend money on things which will improve our lives. For example sometimes picking the cheapest accommodation is false accommodation if we aren't comfortable & can't relax. Perhaps I need to be prepared to pay someone to help me with things like repairs rather than struggling to do it myself & ending up stressed & feeling dissatisfied by the results. I hope others can share their ideas or comment on what I have shared. This way maybe I can motivate myself to make needed changes.

white knight Dilemma thread.
  • replies: 48

This thread is all about dissolving confusion by posting a dilemma say a family feud, workplace incident, what reactions are best and so on. This will give members opinions from other members on what they would do. Here is my first dilemma- Im an ath... View more

This thread is all about dissolving confusion by posting a dilemma say a family feud, workplace incident, what reactions are best and so on. This will give members opinions from other members on what they would do. Here is my first dilemma- Im an athiest. Yet I feel I'm tolerant. When my wife and I visit another couple in their 70's, they hold hands at the table to say grace. Thats ok. However, in general conversation like discussing depression its "just have faith in the lord and all will be healed" comments that ruin our friendship The dilemma- just go along with it? Push my views that it isnt realistic. Or drift away as our compatibility isnt there. We've been friends for 45 years. I'm even in their will as they have no children Thanks...whats your dilemma? Tony WK

blondguy Learning to Be Gentle to Yourself
  • replies: 30

Hi Everybody Sometimes our thoughts can be our own worst enemy where finding some peace from depression and anxiety. I have listed a few tiny little helpers that if practiced can help us help ourselves find some true calm in our lives. If you have ha... View more

Hi Everybody Sometimes our thoughts can be our own worst enemy where finding some peace from depression and anxiety. I have listed a few tiny little helpers that if practiced can help us help ourselves find some true calm in our lives. If you have had any joy in changing your thinking to bring even a little peace of mind please post as many will benefit Delete the word 'hate' from your vocabulary. Using the word 'dislike' is less mentally draining and non toxic (word substitution) Many people dont take time out to do absolutely nothing..being super busy sounds good but not for a 'tired mind' Fighting depression/anxiety will only make the illness worse...calm and true acceptance of symptoms will reduce their severity/impact Help a person doing it tougher than you....by phone...face to face...or the forums (if your energy levels permit of course) Book frequent appointments with a GP/counselor....not infrequent...you deserve to heal..and have peace of mind Treat yourself when you have had a good day...you have earned it.. Avoid overly critical and negative people....they will only hinder recovery Walk slow...Talk slow...Think slow... I hope everyone has a great week and thankyou for taking the time to read my post. Kind Thoughts Paul