Welcome and Orientation

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Meet your community champions!

replies: 13

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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Just going through a hard time

replies: 4

Hi my name is Beau and to be honest i never thought i would be in a website like this. Im so proud of myself because i was able to make the call to beyond blue which was so tough and go to the doctors and get help. My wife and myself havent been getting along for a long time and i feel trapped and on edge the whole time shes around. She also felt the same and resulted in her texting another man which is so hard as we have 2 kids aswell in this. Ive now moved out to my dads house for the time being but were still communicating just not the same. Im not sure where the future takes us however we still love eachother but we just dont know anymore how to express is as the trust has gone. If anyone has any tips on this situation or how to regain some trust would be great. This has resulted me in getting depression really bad and anxiety and i just want to work so hard to get better. thanks for reading Beau

New to this!

replies: 4

Hi I'm new to this, I'm 15 and a girl. So When i I started high school i made this new friend who seemed to be quite nice but turns out she wasn't and we would always be getting into fights and it was extremely stressful for me especially because I had never been in a situation where I was fighting with friends. Then it got super bad where i wasn't wanting to go to school and didn't want to see this girl. One day my parents had enough and rang up the school and we had a meeting with out year level coordinators. I switched class with my other friend to make a new start, which turned out pretty well except for the fact that whenever I passed her or her family they would always stare at me or make nasty faces and giggle. This girl has still been bothering me for the past 3-4 years. Then I moved up to year 8 and i was feeling quite good I had my best friend in my class and i had 2 friends from primary school and I had also managed to recruit 3 new friends I was feeling on top of the world. Then I started to become slightly over weight and and I didn't like it i started being a lot more private i would always wear baggy clothes and i still do to this day I will wear all black and hoodies just to cover up my fat, whilst these others girls my age would be walking around with perfect figures wearing half cut tops. I am becoming more and more insecure. Then one day I put on my school dress and I could hear and feel the fabric slightly rip around my stomach and I was so disappointed in my self because I had always been the skinny tall girl and my parents and grandparents would always make small comments about how they were jealous of me being so skinny and it had just felt like i had let them down some way. Then I went into year nine and i had recruited 2 new friends once again I was so happy because i was thinking to my self I actually have so many friends I have never known this feeling. I was still expanding weight wise. Then it was announced that there was a global pandemic which did not help me at all when we went into isolation i was failing school not handing tasks in it was horrible and worst of all my friends and i were getting into so many fights it wasn't good. Year ten starts (2021) and I honestly don't know how i feel anymore. The past 3 weeks i have been feeling extremely emotional and fidgety so just before i took a depression test and i got the result high i read the description and it was so intense that i couldn't hold back my tears. so here i am

Teenage daughter

replies: 5

Takes a lot to reach out but this mum gig is hard!!!! Struggling with a teenage daughter who is really having a hard time. She hates school and has retreated to her bed. I can’t motivate her to do anything really. She is pretty closed in her conversa... View more

Reaching out.. first time + super overwhelmed right now

replies: 6

Hiya, I am.hoping to chat with supportive and like-minded people. I don't know where else to turn and feel I'm constantly crying to my friends and partner. This year has been hard.. first off 2 friends lost their dad, and I really didn't want to go back to work.. I took time off until 11th.. my office space is all female and I feel so on the outer.. it's quite clicky.. Then, in a matter of 3 weeks, my dad and I had words, my partner of near 2 years had a heart attack and was in hospital for days in the city. He is home now and is just not himself anymore... His daughter who lived with him, decided when he got home to up and move out... He was devastated! Then I needed to have surgery.. and then on Friday just as the announcement came for a 5 day snap lockdown (I'm in country Victoria) my daughter's school rang to say she had a fall... Which resulted in a broken arm... I suffer anxiety and am usually an upbeat person, yet I just can't seem to rise up at the moment... PS not that it's a biggie.. but myself partner also forgot Valentine's Day.. How do we cope with things like this???

Depression & Brief Psychotic Episode

replies: 3

Hi I have been diagnosed with depression, and I had a brief psychotic episode last year. I am still in recovery, taking meds, and attempting to rebuild my life. Has anyone here been through a brief psychotic episode? It's been really tough... I've had to change a lot of things in my life, stopping certain interests like tarot cards, which have contributed to me developing delusions. At the moment I'm struggling to find new interests that are healthy and good for me, since I am quite spiritual and lean towards spiritual interests. Anyone here who's spiritual? I've gotten into Buddhism more and been reading lots of self-development books! I also have depression, and it's been hard to find any motivation to do things - even the things I usually love doing. My mood is so flat. How do guys cope with that? Thanks for reading this

Hi all, I'm a Newbee

replies: 5

I would just like to say a quick hello to everyone and to wish you all the best. I've joined because I'm finding it so hard not being able to talk to anyone close to me about what happened to me because of the hurt and discomfort it causes them. Several of my loved ones have distanced themselves since I told them what happened. I think it might be because they think I will bring it up when their friends are present or other mutual friends who don't know. I have a lot to learn about dealing with it all, and dealing with the changes to every relationship with people I've told. Only a very small few haven't changed.

First time user

replies: 4

Hello All Ive joined this forum to introduce myself as a long time anxiety and depression survivor. If you met me you’d never believe I have suffered this most of my adult life. On the surface I have a sunny disposition and when I’m feeling good can light up a room like no other. When I’m in the grips of this “thing” I am a fraction of my self and can barely get the words out. As with most of us who reside in this unbearable Club of Despair I have learned all the tactics to appear entirely’normal’. This is of course only multiplies the effect. I am successful professionally, have a loving family and a valuable and close network of friends. This is the enduring conundrum. All of this middle class privilege and opportunity and I still wake up with a head that wants to explode and adrenalin surging through my body. It doesn’t add up. On a recent trip to India I witnessed unspeakable poverty and social dislocation. But I was struck by the enormous resilience and optimism within the population that defied the circumstances. anyway, thought I’d just throw this ramble up to get things going. Thanks for listening..Stevie O

Changes to moderation policies: no more face pics in profile images

replies: 40

Hi everyone, The beyondblue forums are an anonymous space where we discourage the sharing of any information that may personally identify you to someone reading. These forums are public, searchable and indexed by Google, so we ask people to consider their words and think about the level of detail they are sharing with the world before hitting 'post'. Up until now, we have allowed the use of profile pictures that depict a member's face, but after feedback from the community we have decided to change this policy in order to keep our message about anonymity on the forums consistent. From today, our moderators will no longer approve the use of profile picture images that clearly depict your face. If you already have a face picture displayed on your profile, we won't be removing it, but would ask you to have a think about the privacy implications of having your face on display in connection with other personal detail you may be sharing in your posts here. This thread will also serve as a runnning discussion around how to protect your privacy and anonymity on the forums. Feedback is welcome.

hello! i think this might be just the kind of space i need

replies: 3

hello! i think i'm going to go by bee (some bees have just started building a nest in my yard so it's on the brain :}} ) ive had depression and a lot of the classic brain problems since i was quite young and im 21 now. even though i have some lovely friends and a very supportive partner i do often find myself aware that many of them have had a very different experience than i have when it comes to mental health, and it often unsettles me thinking how no one may ever truly understand me. but i think maybe a space like this will fill some of that worry in. i have always really loved writing my thoughts, but to be able to do that and connect with others would be very special and comforting. i don't suffer as much as i used to - my mental health has become one of those things that i just deal with every day in a lot of ways. i'm really proud of how far i've come, but it's still very much part of who i am and my day to day existence, and that's okay! anyway, that's a bit about me and what i'm doing here. nice to meet you

[Constructive title pending...]

replies: 46

I’ll try to keep this intro as brief as possible... Hi! My name is [INSERT NAME], and I have virtually no self-esteem. I look forward to getting to know you so we can share our stories and support each other. ...okay, perhaps that’s a little TOO succinct. I’ll share a few of the negative lowlights that have led to the empty shell that is [INSERT NAME], and we can go from there (assuming I haven’t yet alienated you): I grew up as (and still am) a societal outcast, with long-term ostracism, bullying and “Are you an alien?” queries since I was eight, when a peer tricked me into yelling out “F***!” in class. CONTEXT: I was testing my spelling skills by requesting words, and one student said, “Spell Eff-Yoo-Cee-Kay”, and I was surprised to hear a word I didn’t yet know, hence my elevated voice and subsequent time-out. Speaking of which... Misunderstandings and punishment from teachers made primary school (1996-2000) the worst years of my academia. I later learned I’m on the autism spectrum, but far too late in my formative years... thankfully, I started to leave my shell during secondary school, though a teacher in Year 12 saying I would amount to nothing (a comment I’d received from a different teacher in Year 7), followed soon after by a peer saying to my face that none of the other students actually likes me (I had only “school friends” for a decade and a quarter, and no long-term social network even now, as mentioned above and below), forced me right back in. Speaking of which... I’ve recently discovered I’m the scapegoat in my unsupportive family, which started the same year as I started high school, with my diagnosis being used as leverage against me by both parents, and my well-supported brother being abusive throughout puberty. My life is in service to my family’s, and reality forbid me from standing up for myself and my wellbeing without them sweeping over me like a tsunami... In summary: I have no career, no support network, no finances, nowhere to go, nowhere to turn, no means of seeking long-term help and support without my family casting me aside... and no self-esteem. I now know my circumstances are not my doing, and that there’s nothing wrong with me despite what I’ve been taught, yet there is no escape. The family nest is a cage, preventing me from soaring. I just turned 17 for the seventeenth time in a row, and (to quote a relatable song) “all my hope is gone...” And as for my name? I’ll insert it when I know...

Meet your community champions! replies: 13

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

Just going through a hard time replies: 4

New to this! replies: 4

Teenage daughter replies: 5

Reaching out.. first time + super overwhelmed right now replies: 6

Depression & Brief Psychotic Episode replies: 3

Hi all, I'm a Newbee replies: 5

First time user replies: 4

Changes to moderation policies: no more face pics in profile images replies: 40

hello! i think this might be just the kind of space i need replies: 3

[Constructive title pending...] replies: 46