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Sophie_M 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 Be... View more

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.

Aaronsis 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 th... View more

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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ladybird22 Someone Just to Listen & Comfort
  • replies: 21

Hi everyone I feel mentally drained today & my mood is very low. Im 62 and most of the time Im outgoing, bubbly and adventurous. Ive been through a lot over the past few years; moved house many times, lost contact with friends & dont hear from my fam... View more

Hi everyone I feel mentally drained today & my mood is very low. Im 62 and most of the time Im outgoing, bubbly and adventurous. Ive been through a lot over the past few years; moved house many times, lost contact with friends & dont hear from my family much who dont live near me. But the worst part that seems to be is losing three personal relationships over the past few years. I did the leaving in all of them. These men (the first my husband) all treated me well and apparently loved me.. Im on anti depressants, have been seeing a psychologist (who at first I clicked with, but now have lost it & it seems a waste of time). I work part time, volunteer, have joined a couple of groups to make new friends, but nothing changes inside me. I live by myself but try to be around others at least every 2nd day. But the day Im by myself I start dreading the aloneness and wake up early each morning in tears. Ive tried so many things and ways of finding inner peace & contentment but I have never been able to reach it. Im tired & lost. Ive made so many mistakes in my life, but they have affected my security & stability. I cant even stay in a relationship. My life shouldnt have turned out like this, but it has... Sorry for the whinge, but this is only a tip of the iceberg. Any suggestions caring people? The fir

Baluga Hi there
  • replies: 1

hey. So im new to this. Im not much of a talker so I thought this might be a good way to learn and release i guess. Iv recently started to become anxious, feeling a little worse for wear and just not myself. I have good days and bad days like anyone ... View more

hey. So im new to this. Im not much of a talker so I thought this might be a good way to learn and release i guess. Iv recently started to become anxious, feeling a little worse for wear and just not myself. I have good days and bad days like anyone else. There has been some big changes in my life recently and I feel like I am taking on a lot of other people emotions, I like to feel like I'm helping the situation but I know it doesn't leave me alot of room to relax and declutter. I have alot of time on my hands recently which I think has added to my constant worry and anxiety and I was hoping to just talk about ways people cope and get back to a chilled lifestyle. Thankyou for reading

THP71 2nd Time Back here - Stuffed up BIG this time
  • replies: 16

Don't really know where to start but need to get some of this out so here I go. I haven't been on BB for around 6 years that was the last time I had depression. I have been off antidepressants for around 2 years (things going well) In reality I have ... View more

Don't really know where to start but need to get some of this out so here I go. I haven't been on BB for around 6 years that was the last time I had depression. I have been off antidepressants for around 2 years (things going well) In reality I have been on a downward slope for the last 18 months and should have got help before now. In the last 18 months I have been made redundant twice, 2nd time at end of March start of Covid. I won't go into detail but the last 18 months of work has been extremely degrading for me as well as reductions in pay, in hindsight I should have got help. I have always held a good job and worked all my life I am 48 years old. My partner was on disability pension because she has 3 damaged vertebrae in her neck which are too far gone for surgery. She lives in constant pain, it is just a matter of how bad is it today. Money has been one of our biggest issues so despite the pain she has tried to go back to work because money was tight. This has caused her to nearly have a breakdown, the pain is unbearable and she has not been able to function normally. So with all this going on in my head I was approached to do something Illegal which I thought would make me some good money (solve some of my problems). I know it was not right but I was at my whits end and desperate. I take full responsibility for my actions and can not blame anyone but myself anyway I got caught by the police, now I am facing criminal charges. This has sent my anxiety / depression into overdrive. I have been to my doctor and am back on antidepressants and waiting to see a psychologist. This event has shattered me I don't want to face anyone, I am struggling. I have wrecked my reputation, my future prospects for work, I have not told my parents because I am too ashamed. I am now scared of losing everything, my house and the little I do have left. My partner is supportive with me but she is going through her own issues with pain and depression so this weighs on my mind heavily also. I just feel so helpless and lost at the moment and like my whole life has been one big mess-up. Anyway thanks for reading, I know I am a bit all over the place but just wanted to get some of it out.

Mynamesjeff Newbie - DV Survivor
  • replies: 2

Hi I’m a newbie looking for advice I guess or a place I can get stuff off my chest. i was molested at the age 4-5yrs old. And have never told anyone other than a best friend. Growing up my parents were big drinkers and always got into drunken fights.... View more

Hi I’m a newbie looking for advice I guess or a place I can get stuff off my chest. i was molested at the age 4-5yrs old. And have never told anyone other than a best friend. Growing up my parents were big drinkers and always got into drunken fights. When I was 22 I met and fell in love With someone who I ended up having children with. They turned out to be a narcissist and abused me daily. Not always physical. I never told anyone for ages I was so embarrassed. After years of abuse I left started a new life and struggled for ages as a single parent. No one picked up that I was depressed. I eventually found love again with a great person who I went on to have a child with. Few years later and I’m really really depressed and suffer with bad anxiety. I’m always down, sad angry tired. I’ve tried explaining to my partner how I feel but they just don’t understand or make it about them. I’m can’t be the person they want me to be and it kills me. I hate letting my partner down. I hate feeling like this. I feel like I’ve completely given up. I hardly leave the house, cleaning the house feels way to hard to do. I’m not sleeping or eating properly. Always getting angry at the children over little things I don’t have patience these days. All I want to do is lay in bed and sleep or cry. How long does depression and anxiety last. How do I fix it? Who can I talk to! Will they report me if I confined in them? I feel like I’m going crazy am I going crazy! i would never hurt my children or myself but someday I wish I never woke up

Eloiseington Hi, I think I have depression but I can’t get a medical opinion.
  • replies: 5

Hi all, my name’s Eloiseington (not really) and I think I have depression, I took the beyond blue quiz thing and apparently I’m in the high risk section. as stated in the title, I can’t get a medical opinion on this. Mostly because of my family. I do... View more

Hi all, my name’s Eloiseington (not really) and I think I have depression, I took the beyond blue quiz thing and apparently I’m in the high risk section. as stated in the title, I can’t get a medical opinion on this. Mostly because of my family. I don’t want them to know how I feel, they aren’t bad people, but my 13 years widowed mum, is super stressed with my sister anxiety, and I don’t want to make it worse. pal little bit about me, I am 13, a girl, and I feel like crap almost all of the time. My dad died when I was a baby, I live with my sister, mum and auntie. But nothing brings me joy, none of the things I love. Not even my friends make me feel better, and I just want it to be over. im looking for help, how can I feel better? thanks for reading Eloiseington

Maine09 Feeling overwhelmed and stressed
  • replies: 3

Hi all, I am new here, 3 years ago I had a mental break down and I was diagnosed with bipolar. with this coronavirus affecting my work place I am feeling very overwhelmed and stressed. People think I am over reacting and my head feels like it’s going... View more

Hi all, I am new here, 3 years ago I had a mental break down and I was diagnosed with bipolar. with this coronavirus affecting my work place I am feeling very overwhelmed and stressed. People think I am over reacting and my head feels like it’s going to explode. a number of things have changed and I have adapted. But recently my employer has asked me to do other things which I don’t normally do and it puts a great deal of pressure on me and I don’t think it’s fair. Basically extra work but nothing in return expect for exhaustion. I instantly felt overwhelmed stressed and felt like I was being punished. my hours have dropped which is understandable in the current circumstances but when the job keeper comes into affect my employer has told me I have to do extra hours to make up for receiving the $1500 a fortnight. So basically told me to do extra hours even though I’m not needed. I don’t know what to do. I can sleep, I’m stressed and no one wants to hear about my whinging as their is a lot of people in the same situation

dee_shay PTSD coming up years after treatment
  • replies: 2

I am new to the forum writing. I work in a high stress front line job. And the last 18 months the stress and workload increased and I had pstd triggers by an assault. So going into a pstd clinic soon. Any advice for going in, I feel very scared .

I am new to the forum writing. I work in a high stress front line job. And the last 18 months the stress and workload increased and I had pstd triggers by an assault. So going into a pstd clinic soon. Any advice for going in, I feel very scared .

Failsafe Newbie
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone, I've suffered with anxiety all my life, but last weekend something broke and I found myself a ugly crying snotty mess over the state of my life and the loss of my coping mechanisms due to COVID-19. After a really unsatisfactory text conv... View more

Hi everyone, I've suffered with anxiety all my life, but last weekend something broke and I found myself a ugly crying snotty mess over the state of my life and the loss of my coping mechanisms due to COVID-19. After a really unsatisfactory text conversation that night with a friend, where my ability to still be articulate and self aware may have disguised how terrible things really were, I found myself feeling less supported but also fearful that I was slowly alienating the people I do have left. Yesterday I rang through to beyond blue and a very kind person put me through to mind Australia to arrange some counselling. Unfortunately I haven't heard anything as a result of that referral at this stage but the action has pushed me to find another local option to see. I have an appointment next week and if I find it suitable I'll set up a mental health plan. I've even made a list of the issues I know I need to work through and the outcomes I'd ike from it all. And yet I am still cycling through paralysing anxiety that steals all my focus as random thoughts pop back into my head. I also rang an additional service later that day to speak with and mentioned the interaction above with my friend. They challenged an idea I'd always had that your friends and family should be the people you reach out to when you're struggling. I always took that to mean tell them about the issue, talk it through etc, but she emphasised that they're not mental health professionals and they have their own lives and issues. She said reaching out to them when you're down is fine but if the reaction is like the one above you can rely on services like the call lines and keep those friendships in a more superficial place if needed that still gives connection. Problem with me is when I'm like this in tend to become fixated, and frequently need contact to dissect the issue or ally the anxious feelings. So I've decided to join up here, and hopefully I can post when the overwhelm hits and restrict the negative impact to friends and family until I can get myself into face to face help. I'm sorry for the overly long explanation filled post, it's pretty typical of me though. Thanks in advance to anyone who steps up in the coming days to offer support or thoughts as well.

trs86 Don't know where to start
  • replies: 3

Hi there, I'm new to this whole anxiety thing. Late last year (2019) I started having some health issues which I feel triggered anxiety. At first I didn't realise that it was anxiety. (I'm still not 100% sure tbh) this last few days has been tough an... View more

Hi there, I'm new to this whole anxiety thing. Late last year (2019) I started having some health issues which I feel triggered anxiety. At first I didn't realise that it was anxiety. (I'm still not 100% sure tbh) this last few days has been tough and I've felt so mentally and physically low. My thoughts spiral and I get the physical symptoms, short of breath, rapid hr, shakes, sometimes nausia, sweaty palms etc... It doesn't help that these symptoms are quite similar to my health issues. I'm 34, married with 4 kids (10, 8, 5, 2) we've had a lot of change this year, including my wife starting a new job which requires her to work away from us 4 to 5 days a week. Which means I'm solo dad most of the time. Due to Covid, I have dropped from full time to 3 days a week, now working completely from home. I don't have many friends and I spend a lot of time Infront of screens for my job and also my hobby as a gamer. If what I have is anxiety I'm not sure what to do about it. I just feel terrible all the time and regularly find my thoughts drifting to worst case scenario. This is something that I never thought would be an issue for me, I don't normally worry about things and I'm normally very laid back and easy going so it has taken me completely by surprise. Any advice on what I should do would be greatly appreciated. Thankyou for taking the time to read this. T

Midguardian Unloading a decade of confusion. Need help choosing next path
  • replies: 3

I'll start with this, being a straight white male I feel an almost disgust at myself for posting this, because there are people out there (Ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ people) who have it worse off then me, I'm playing on easy mode and I'm still failing. Al... View more

I'll start with this, being a straight white male I feel an almost disgust at myself for posting this, because there are people out there (Ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ people) who have it worse off then me, I'm playing on easy mode and I'm still failing. Also apologies if I'm posting in the wrong section. 10 years ago, in my early 20's I was a lazy, mean spirited person who was trying to decide what to do in life, I had a long term girlfriend that I had started to resent, but I feared confrontation so I didn't break up with her. We had a group of friends we hung out with every weekend. (I had lost touch with all my friends from school, they hated her) coming up on being together for 4 or 5 years things got worse for us, and she started hanging out with some real scumbag people (one was a neo nazi). She got pregnant, I found out she was cheating on me for months and all our friends knew about it, so we broke up. I had nobody, no friends, no girlfriend, no money (not working at the time), then the earthquake happened (I lived in Christchurch NZ). So I packed up my meagre belongings and moved to Australia to be with family. And I've done nothing since that point. I lived at my parents for years, racking up debt and getting fat. Now I live with my brother and sister in law in the house they own. I found out the man I thought was my biological father isn't my biological father (He's still my Dad nothing will change that) but I spent a lot of time researching our family history and to find out I'm not actually a part of it hurt me I've spent 10 years hiding in a bedroom or working I have maybe 3 friends, 1 of which is dating my younger sister. I haven't had a date in over a decade. I managed to pay off my debt by working long hours in a job I hate I haven't had a proper holiday since 2005. My job is boring as hell, But I have no idea what I'd actually want to do as a career, I tried to join the navy and police but failed on both fronts, not that I care I'd hate to be in either of those jobs I have no hobbies, other then gaming and that hasn't made me happy in years I'm overweight, but I can't seem to stop eating shitty food and I don't exercise I drink too much. I'm always tired even when I sleep many hours I make grand plans and fail immediately. I think people assume I'm gay, which I'm pretty sure I'm not (I'm a bit confused about that actually, but that could just be desperation) I just want a fresh start, I want to pack up and go far away.