Welcome and Orientation

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Meet your community champions!

replies: 10

Hi everyone, We wanted to share with you the way that our wonderful Community Champions are here to support you. You may have noticed that a few of our Forums members are labelled ‘Community Champion’. Community Champions are volunteers within the Beyond Blue Forums who: have the time, skills and empathy to support other members regularly; help to welcome new members; are actively engaged members that help set the tone of our community. Our Community Champions are regular contributors to many conversations across the forums. They are a consistent and friendly voice that have committed to sharing their experience and expertise with this community. They are not health care professionals or clinicians. Like you, they have an experience with a mental health challenge or diagnosis – either for themselves or someone they care for. This forum is for people who understand what it feels like and have a lived and living experience of mental health challenges. Our Community Champions help everyone feel comfortable and confident by demonstrating what excellent peer support is all about. Click here to find out more about how you can become a Community Champion! This incredible team are excited to introduce themselves below, and we are sure you’ll see them around the forums in conversations important to you.

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

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Hello and question

replies: 8

Hi All I just joined up today, I haven’t been feeling great for the last few months and wondered if I was suffering from maybe mild depression, I did take the 10 point test on this site and it did score moderately. I’ve had a lot of change in the last 3 years, (I’m 47 now), one of my best friends passed away suddenly, my 10 year relationship broke down, I’ve had some big work changes, moved house but felt like I had coped well. I’m now wondering though if I really have dealt with it all, as everything seems to be haunting me now in the last few months, in my head when I’m awake but also in my dreams, I feel happier when I’m out walking on the trails remotely or ocean swimming. I find that some things do cheer me up momentarily but then I sink back down again, that’s the only way I can describe it and am noticing I want to spend more time by myself and don’t have the energy for big social events. I’m not sure if I’m asking a question but maybe I’m asking if this sounds familiar to others? I think maybe I will seek a professional counsellor to talk this all through before I feel any worse. Is good to be on here anyway, such an incredible organisation and support, thanks, redrunner

Hello ~ struggling with financial pressure

replies: 4

Hello all, I'm a 22 year old who has an Asian mother who constantly nags and tells me to find one or to get back on centrelink... I haven't worked a 'proper' job because of lack of experience and constant rejextions for part time jobs... hence why I'm studying further into a Masters since covid hit when I graduated last year and job hunting is frankly a lost cause due to how competitive it is. It's the constant push to get youth allowance when i got pushed back because I'm doing an unauthorised degree that's not on the list of approved degrees. She doesn't understand it and wants me to get jobseeker where the mutual obligations scare me :(( It normally doesn't affect too much where I cry for a bit and move on but last night was different where I struggled to sleep and cried for at least 4 hours on and off. Also side note is it bad that my heart races and i get scared whenever I hear her yell even if it's not directed to me. The many lockdowns in Melbourne have made me stay in my room to avoid her, even now because she will always ask if I applied to get centrelink. I have told some close friends but there's not much to help other than they are here for me. Reading the posts here gave me the courage to share my story.

Sorry for the diatribe

replies: 4

hi I was up between 1am and 5am trying to decide whether to air this... I mean is there any point? Most nights from 1am I can’t sleep - usually up for several hours Biggest problem is that I keep falling into a really dark place I’m struggling to understand/accept/break the reoccurring patterns in my life. I feel as though my needs aren’t being met in my relationships - absence of family and friendship connections (I have family but not nearby and my friends are good people but I’m the go to... I don’t feel they aren’t there for me) I’m providing the family experience for others *exes new partners having family dynamics/the family experience with my children and my exes (I couldn’t get that dynamic from them though) Having to do the hard work when it comes to my kids (the schooling, cleaning and day to day on my own while trying to earn a wage big enough to survive but not getting the family experience - togetherness, holidays, closeness... I want to share this stuff with someone... but I’m not going to have more kids and my 2/3 my kids are adults now leaving the likelihood of this ever happening very low) Having to be the single mum, struggling with having my earning capacity restricted around time looking after my daughter or needing to earn even more to pay for after school care/holidays and not having support in this. partners whose needs come way before mine (having said that my current partner is probably the most legitimate case for this with his being the carer of his terminally ill mum), *I can’t do any more relationships... if this fails I’m done - I just don’t have anything left Not affording life in general - living in homes that are old and in ill repair, struggling on my own financially with no one to share the load or build a life or even just starting to discuss the future with Jobs that I’m unpaid in, are inconsistent and that have ripped me off in relation to security (no superannuation paid) Inability to secure or keep “normal” jobs - regular ordinary paid work, Feeling so overwhelmed that I can’t complete tasks, courses to improve my situation, business plans that could possibly help move me forward I don’t feel like I have anyone in my corner and I don’t feel like I can keep going.

nickaway

replies: 1

Hope I am in the right place would like to say Hi to all will read some forums to find the right ones for myself

Lonley mother

replies: 4

Its scary to be on here because a I'm not good spelling and yeah so used to talking to my self I haven't sleeper property in weeks no i do not take drugs of medication never have..my kids are not sleeping well I've tryed sleepy tea excise ect and I'm suffering like hugely from lonelyness health iusses like crones and staff and now an random lump like on my leg which is not healing and I'm getting looked at and I'm crying about every half about on the inside because I'm so scared I have no family I'm so young half my family are dead the other half self centred drug addicts I all bye my self trying to do every thing right and the universe and what it's fishing me out ATM is worrying me I feel like having a mental break down and giving up the world's getting so hard

struggling in lockdown

replies: 3

hi everyone iam mom.of 4.kids ages 12 11 6 5 iam homeschooling all of them because of lock down that makes me crazy because I have so much other work to do also I can't just handle everything iam so much worried abt my kids studies I cannot gv them p... View more

Work Place Bullying - Workers Compensation Challenge

replies: 6

Hi All, this is my first time posting. I have experienced big bad bullying and intimation from the company I worked for it was really bad, long story short I made a workers compensation claim that has been accepted by the insurance company. I am now suffering from extreme anxiety and depression, lack of self esteem, unable to leave the house (without fear) and it is so bad that my depression is extreme. My trust for anyone is at below zero. The insurance company are pushing for me to add hours to my worker cover certificate but have not provided the appropriate treatment. They arranged a independent psychiatrist which I had a phone interview with and the report was full of lies and diagnosis that was never discussed. I don't want to say anymore, but has anyone else experienced this ?

Hi

replies: 2

I’ve just joined…

A horse walks into a bar. The bartender says, "So, why the long face?"

replies: 5

I've got a long face, not because I'm a grazing animal for whom it would be an evolutionary advantage to see potential predators, but because I'm really struggling at a pivotal time of my life. I turned 50 recently. Married with 2 attention-deficit affected boys who fight all the time (several times an hour often). My wife is sometimes supportive but more often severely critical and argumentative. Covid was tough with my wife out at work and me running a small business with 2 boys at home - with customers going bust and staff working remotely and misbehaving. Throughout my life competitive team sport has been very important as a stress-relief valve but at 50 I'm struggling through more and more injuries. On the surface I should have everything (lovely house in nice suburb, attractive and clever wife) but I can't go on much longer. Work has lost any enjoyment and my home life is constant fighting. I'm utterly burned out by it all. I feel like I need a complete change of home and work situation to recover. I worry about how I would get out of it all, but at the same time would like to have a close relationship with someone again - and doubt I can regain that with my wife, largely because she cannot see her way back to me. We had been out for lunch yesterday and I tried for a cuddle in the kitchen when we got back.........as usual not the response I wanted, and I'm getting fed up of that - I would like to be with someone that cuddled me back or I could have a bit of fun with. Her glass is always half-empty while mine is always half-full (although not at the moment). Anyway. I could have been more structured - but feel it's better to put something down and say hi while I get to know the site. Hi, Longface

My Journey

replies: 2

My journey into depression has been one of bad luck with life events starting at 22 years of age. It has been a long road of bad luck that I have been unable to turn around. I am now 48

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

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

Hello and question replies: 8

Hello ~ struggling with financial pressure replies: 4

Sorry for the diatribe replies: 4

nickaway replies: 1

Lonley mother replies: 4

struggling in lockdown replies: 3

Work Place Bullying - Workers Compensation Challenge replies: 6

Hi replies: 2

A horse walks into a bar. The bartender says, "So, why the long face?" replies: 5

My Journey replies: 2