Welcome and Orientation

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HELP..Am I posting in the right section?

replies: 10

Welcome to those who are considering posting for the very first time, welcome. Thought I would repost part of the words that Chris B posted awhile ago, (2014) as I can hear that people are unsure if they are posting in the right section or worried that they are posting "the wrong thing". 1.A good title makes the difference Just like a headline in a newspaper, when scanning the dozens of threads to click into, it’s only natural that people will choose the ones that resonate with them most. A title that entices the reader, or asks a question, is likely to get a better result than something non-descriptive like “Depression” or “I don't know what to do”. If you think you’re not good at choosing titles, leave it till last. Spend time writing your post, then perhaps choose a sentence from what you’ve written as the title. 2.Join in threads that have already been posted We all have our own unique stories, but part of the reason for joining a forum like this one is because you know that you will have a lot in common with others who are posting. Before starting a new thread, have a look through the current topics being discussed and see if there’s a conversation you can join in with. It can be quite common to have a handful of very similar threads happening at any one time, with members seemingly unaware that there are others right there who are going through the same thing. Talking to other members on their threads is a great way of getting yourself known so that when you post a thread of your own, people may respond quicker because they recognize your name. 3.Choose the most appropriate section for your post Many people browse the forums looking for stories specifically to do with pregnancy and parenting, employment, grief, loss, separation etc. Going straight for the “Depression” section may seem like the easiest option, but this section is often the busiest, so your post is more likely to get lost among the threads. Making good use of the different forum sections not only helps keep the forum relevant, but you’re more likely to find others who are going through the same experiences as you. Also, if you're wanting to discuss issues of trauma, abuse, suicidal thoughts or self-harm, it's really important you post in the designated section to avoid triggering others who may not wish to read about these topics. Mostly..just come and chat, we are here for you. Our amazing wizards in the background will see your message ends up in the right spot. Sarah

Introducing...the community champions

replies: 22

Hi everyone, Some of you may have noticed that a few of our members are labelled ‘Community champion’ and have a beyondblue National Roadshow bus badge, like this: This thread explains who these members are and what they do. Community champions are volunteers within the forums who: Have the time, skills and empathy to support other members Make an effort to welcome new members Are regularly and actively engaged members that help set the tone of our community as a place of hope and recovery. Click here to find out more about how you can become a Community Champion! As this is a peer support community that includes members under the age of 18, it is important that we ensure our peer support community leaders have a current 'working with children' check as part of due diligence. In an online environment with anonymous posters, it also provides Beyond Blue (and the community) with some security as to the identity of who is posting as a community champion. We ask our community champions to spend at least 2-3 hours a week posting and responding in the forums, but in reality they go far above and beyond this. Like me, they’re not psychologists or counsellors, just regular folk like yourselves who have experience with anxiety and depression. I’ll leave it to our champion volunteers to reply below and let you know a bit about themselves. PS. If this is your first time on the forums and you'd like to introduce yourself, please start a new thread rather than replying in here.

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Is my depression influenced by other conditions

replies: 1

Hi I've suffered with depression for most of my adult life have had different diagnosis between bipolar and chronic depression. I wonder if depression is a symptom . I work in mental health have a good understanding of what i should be doing but find i can't focus on what i need to be doing. Can't find the motivation or organization to follow through. Im in my late 50s i find myself going back to my youth . Being described as hype active , troublemaker , daydreamer i wonder about my depression is because of being adhd and not fitting in have i been treating the symptoms and not the cause would really bee kean to hear others views as im so close to just giving in

Uhh idk what im doing here

replies: 8

Hello, whoever is reading this, I am a 20yr old male and I have been suffering for about my entire life. I come from an extremely abusive and toxic childhood and haven't processed it at all, I don't think. I have spent the last 2-3 years abusing drugs and making ridiculous choices without progressing at all in life. I have no goals, no motivation, no want to live or to be social. When I do get out it's usually fine and I have a great time but I regret It immensely when I'm home. My drug abuse has been getting considerably worse in the last month and I'm not sure where to go from here. I have been to the GP several times, which resulted in two grand-mal seizures from an allergic reaction to the medication I was put on. I have broken my shoulder and lost my job as a result of this. I have also tried various psychologists and it just never sticks nor continues. There's a lot more to this but I just don't know if this is even going to be worth it. Just a shot in the dark. Thank you for reading, my apologies if I have not made sense or misspelled anything. Regards A

Suddenly feel insufferably lonely

replies: 28

this is how I feel right now, not sure if this is the best place to post this... these kinds of intrusive thoughts are scary, they are not the facts but they are linked to reality. Because I'm really lonely.

To post or not to post. We'll see.

replies: 15

Is this a thing? I don't know if this is a thing. What to write... How to pin down which part of my story is relevant to this intro and decide whether it's something I want to send into the void for strangers to see. I guess my right-this-very-moment struggle is over whether being a poster here is right for me. I spent a few years rather isolated and gradually built an online "home" for myself at another site (not related to depression or MI) and for the longest time it was my default go-to place for everything. Eventually I found that whilst it got me through some tough times and was providing me with a rehearsal type practice at human interaction and experience in understanding general relationship shenanigans, in some ways it was also feeding and enabling my isolation by keeping me from needing to leave the house or try to connect to face-to-face people. Since then I have made an epic effort to go in the other direction and make online relationships secondary to face-to-face ones. But I have to admit I'm reaching a point now where I am feeling very burnt out and am finding it difficult to see people as much, if at all. And finding the site I used to use less and less appropriate for me as I have had a massive turn around in core beliefs since then and no longer agree with the basic principles on which that particular category of people operates. Back when I was notoriously online and knew that it was beyond the point of doing me any good, I used to admit it freely, but still couldn't break the habit at first. I used to say that it's like medicine. If you're sick, you might need some medicine. But if you're sick for a long time and taking medicine consistently over a long period becomes habitual, you could get addicted to your medicine and keep taking it even if it's no longer doing good. And, it can be tricky to know when you are no longer sick because the medicine has been with you for such a long time. Disclaimer: NO; I'm not talking about mental health prescription medications or suggesting anyone should go off their meds. By "sick" I don't mean MI and by "medicine" I don't mean MI drugs. It's an analogy. For argument's sake let's suppose I'm talking about a cough. Like if you had a cough for a long time but kept taking cough syrup even after the cough cleared up. Which I'm using as an analogy about coping mechanisms which are useful at first but become habitual without reassessment as things change. I'm out of characters. I'll be around. Maybe.

Reaching Out

replies: 5

I’m not really ok and probably haven’t been for a while now. I’ve probably been masquerading like I’ve got it all in hand for too long. I seem to keep having these feelings of anxiety and just generally feeling quite overwhelmed. This is across work and family. Caring for others going through mental health concerns themselves has been something I needed to do but it seems to have emptied my tank. Similarly with work thinking I can take on and endless amount of projects and not focusing on what’s important to me seems to have emptied my tank. I want to take back some control so this is my attempt (not for the first time) to do this. I know that gravitating more towards the worries in my life and not appreciating the positive especially in the moment is not the best thing for me or for those who I’m supporting.

Traumatised

replies: 2

Good evening Three years ago whilst on holidays, my house was burgled. Jewellery that was to be passed down to my children was stolen, along with other items. I have very little to give my children and I prided myself at being able to, over the years, work for and accumulate jewellery that held emotional value. I was hoping to start a tradition, to leave a legacy, that I myself was never afforded by my parents, even though my siblings were. I’ve never gotten over the emotional shock, violation, betrayal and the absolute pain and distressed caused by the theft. So much so, I suffered a heart attack. To this day even the slightest thought or anything about jewellery brings tears and the welling up of churning emotions. I feel helpless, angry, outraged, shattered and have no closure. Throughout my life, I’ve suffered both physical and psychological abuse. Then I have this violation happen. How does one get over trauma.It was more than materialistic items to me, it was my love of wanting to leave a legacy my children can see, touch and enjoy.I feel sick to the stomach.I am not coping even after all these years.

Starting over at 51

replies: 42

Ok, this is take 2 of my first post, I was wisely advised to edit it as I probably gave too much detail and risked doxxing myself and went into triggering territory so here is the revised post- Sometime ago (redacted to summarise) I had legal issues, and as a result I lost my job, my car, my license, the respect of my family, friends and colleagues, my dignity, my house and eventually, my freedom. I was in a dark place, that is allI can probably say The journey from there to where I am now is why I am here. I have been through a hell of a lot more than 2500 characters can describe and there is still a long way to go. I am now homeless and unemployed with a conviction that is proving to be a barrier to progress. I have to start over, I have to find a reason to live, some spark that gets me up in the morning. If I can get myself through this, I will be well placed to help others who find themselves starting over, whether they have just been released from prison or newly sober and commited to remaining that way or need help navigating the courts and justice department, I now have experience to share in all these areas and if that can make a difference in even one person's life, then I have found my spark, my reason to live. My goal is to get to a place where I am comfortable enough to turn around and reach out to people on the same path, learning how to use the systems and services put in place to help people in the most effective way possible by using those services. Beyond Blue is one of those services. I'm here to learn and share and try to stay focussed in the face of the daunting task of starting over at 51.

Psychologist dilemma

replies: 4

I used to see a psychologist around ten years ago and when I felt that we were not getting anywhere due to a lack of connection left that clinic. I will now be returning to that clinic to see a different psychologist, will my previous records be available to the new psychologist or does my new psychologist start a new record. Also how long are the old psychologist records kept for after leaving a clinic, are they archived or destroyed after a period of time.

Possible bipolar and/or BPD?

replies: 6

Recently i've been unwell and started noticing unusual changes in my mood. I'm 19 and i've been having violent mood swings + severe episodes of panic attacks / anger / anxiety / depression. it's been affecting relationships with my family + friends + current love interest to the point where i've been locking myself in my wardrobe as a sense of comfort and isolation. Most days staying in bed is all i can do because of how mentally exhausted i've been. i've stopped doing things i enjoy doing and i haven't been leaving the house. i have an overwhelming feeling of shame + worthlessness + and not being good enough. i just feel empty and i don't know how to cope with it or control it.

looking for some direction

replies: 9

Hi , all , lve been a member for a while now but decided to reach out for some help , not sure exactly what to say or where to start but I can no longer stand the pain Im in or function as I would normally like . my mental health is suffering badly as is my marriage , work , drug and alcohol abuse , , Ive booked in to see a doctor tomorrow to discuss counseling options in my area and really just needed to release the thoughts of this from my headspace , Thanks

HELP..Am I posting in the right section? replies: 10

Introducing...the community champions replies: 22

Is my depression influenced by other conditions replies: 1

Uhh idk what im doing here replies: 8

Suddenly feel insufferably lonely replies: 28

To post or not to post. We'll see. replies: 15

Reaching Out replies: 5

Traumatised replies: 2

Starting over at 51 replies: 42

Psychologist dilemma replies: 4

Possible bipolar and/or BPD? replies: 6

looking for some direction replies: 9