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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New to here

replies: 10

Hi Everybody! This is my first post. I've never reached out to any support group, but now I feel that my mind is deteriorating. I mean everyday it feels as if things are just getting more difficult. I feel so alone and tired, with no end in sight. Th... View more

How can I help my adult son ?

replies: 20

Hi everyone , I’m desperate and new . I have an adult son that suffers terrible anxiety & now depression, his life has turned into a train wreck. He sleeps all day & stays up all night , drinking & smoking, never sees the sun . He’s put on so much weight & looks pasty . the sad thing is he refuses to see this as a problem and just tells me to leave him alone , I’ve had multiple conversations with him . He will not seek help or acknowledge that there is anything wrong . His friends , sister & parents are all very concerned , his girlfriend of 10 years left him because she can’t see any future ( which is sad but I understand her reasons ) this is not new behaviour but lockdown has certainly made it worse . Should I do tough love ? Should I take the door off his room ? I’m scared to leave him the way he is , I can’t convince him to come outside for fresh air let alone come to the doctor with me . Any advice?

Can I live with anxiety?

replies: 4

Hiya, I guess you could say I've been dealing with anxiety since my first major episode in 2015. I seemed to be fine until Covid and lockdowns. I had my first major attack in 5 years following Melbourne's first major lockdown in 2020. It crippled me. Fastword to now and I have been seeing a therapist since February as things were quite bad. Some days are better than others. I'm currently struggling with the physical effects of my anxiety and starting to feel that this will never go away. Reaching out to say hello, hear your stories and hopefully gain some insight on management of anxiety. Thanks and much love.

Doing it tough

replies: 5

Hi All, I have just signed up and this is my first post. To be honest my main reason to sign up was to give I guess for lack of a better term, an uptick to so many posts that I have read on the forum. So many amazing people on here, like they have peered into my windows and know me. Makes me feel less alone. This is the beginning of my journey, I have finally come to terms that i do struggle with anxiety and depression which is strange because I have always tried to be a provider and protector for my wife and family, a fortress if you will with no fear I thought but, I do now acknowledge that I cant run and hide from the things that have formed me any longer. Long story short, I know I have so much to be grateful for, an amazing wife,I don't know where she gets the strength, and in material things, they however don't make me loathe myself any less and it makes me wonder why somebody like my amazing wife would bother with me. Many thanks.

Countryhousebound

replies: 3

Not sure about this but I need to try find help I can't seem to get our of this depressed mood I'm in I've been like this for months the only thing that seems to help is drugs or alcohol

I'm new here

replies: 38

Hi I'm new here and was recommended to join the forums. I dont know where to start. I'm in my mid 30s, still single, and recently Ive felt so depressed that I can't do anything. Friday just felt like the worst day ever and I haven't been any better since. Its like a whole bomb was dropped on me. My account was overdrawn, I keep getting rejected, people take advantage of me. I feel like there is no way out of this. I felt this way last year and though I could deal with it but it just keeps coming back. I tried making plans and changing but it just keeps failing. Ive had the worst bad luck

Feeling so alone

replies: 8

Hi I’m in my 40s, 3 kids and married. I have no diagnosis but I feel like I’ve come to a fork in the road and I need to face this or it’ll ruin me. I seem to swing from feeling super elated and so happy with life to just pure darkness. Right now I’m in the darkness. I’m also a nurse and I am totally drained. I’m so sick of listening to everyone’s else’s issues. The world right now just doesn’t seem to be a place I want to be in. I don’t find any joy on anything. I dread waking each day. I’ve tried to talk to my husband who ends up making it about him and tells me all I do is complain. I feel so alone and so down. I feel ashamed to feel like this. I’m usually the social one, the bubbly person. People don’t know the real me. And yet the ones who I try and be vulnerable with just disregard me. feeling so lost and alone

introduction

replies: 3

hello, I am new here and I don't know where else I should be posting this I just started uni and I feel like I was going really well for the first two weeks and getting everything done, but now I feel so overwhelmed and tired and like I can't focus or concentrate on my work, in my lectures I can't pay attention for more than 10 minutes and I feel like I can't read any more then a few pages of my textbook without feeling overwhelmed or exhausted. I've been sleeping for 9-11+ hours every night but I still just feel so fatigued and unmotivated all the time, I feel like I have no interest in my course or life at all. I know I'm a smart person and the work isn't that hard but it just feels so impossible to do and like it just keeps adding up. yet I feel so invalidated because I always hear that every single uni student is going through the same thing and so guilty that I can't just do my work because its not that hard. I guess I am looking for some advice on what to do, because I enjoy learning and doing something with my life and I want to get a degree of some sort but I genuinely feel like everything is too much at the moment. sorry for the length of my 'introduction'! thanks

Reaching out for help for me young adult son

replies: 5

Hi there, I am reaching out to see if anyone has ideas on how I can best help my 18 year old son. He has had mental health issues that have been quite serious for the past 3 months, he is engaging in some treatment, but he is really up and down and I am not sure whether he is taking his medication. It is difficult as I now live in a different state to him and cannot travel to where he is due to current restrictions. I love him to bits and want to help, but I'm not sure how I can best do that. I am also a bit wary of doing things that might make things worse for him. He often doesn't respond to my texts or answer my calls and I am left wondering if it has all become too much for him. Any suggestions would be welcome.

New to forum - seeking study tips from adults diagnosed with ADHD

replies: 1

Hi there, I've never been part of a forum before so I'm not exactly sure how they work. I have a few chronic conditions (anxiety, type 1 diabetes, CPTSD to name a few) but the thing I am struggling most with at the moment is my ADHD. I was diagnosed when I was 23 and I am medicated. I recently left my job to commence a fully-online university course and I'm continually brought to my knees in tears of frustration because though I want to do the work, I just can't. I am interested in the topics, I'm quite capable of learning the content and demonstrating my understanding but I just cannot seem to 'sit and do'. I have upped my medication and tried so many tips, tricks and hacks - timers, lists, sit/stand desk, fidgets, concentration music, library study, study buddy, removing distractions, do not disturb sign, headphones with music, headphones without music, turning study into a game/challenge, using a text-to-speech app, being kind to myself, being hard on myself, verbalising my goals/to do's to others, visually displayed my 'why' - and nothing has worked. I have a support plan from the university which gives me an extra week to complete assignments (thankful!) but I'm really concerned that I'm still not going to make it even with the extensions. My ADHD was manageable in the workplace but this is just next level and I'm not sure what else I can do to help myself. Please, if you have any ideas or suggestions, I'd be most grateful. Thank you

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

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

New to here replies: 10

How can I help my adult son ? replies: 20

Can I live with anxiety? replies: 4

Doing it tough replies: 5

Countryhousebound replies: 3

I'm new here replies: 38

Feeling so alone replies: 8

introduction replies: 3

Reaching out for help for me young adult son replies: 5

New to forum - seeking study tips from adults diagnosed with ADHD replies: 1