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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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anxiety triggers anger and depression

replies: 2

I have been battling anxiety, anger, depression on & off for a very long time. I have difficulty regulating my emotions & often react too quickly to my triggers. I can see what I’m doing, often in hindsight, but have a deep desire to be heard & understood. This also means I often disregard the recipients’ feelings. I’m a coward & often express my built up anger & resentment via emails & texts. Then I feel ashamed & guilty! I need to learn how to be respectful in conflict resolution. When I feel threatened, anxious or angry, because I think the situation is unfair, I somehow feel justified in lashing out against the decisions or actions of others who hurt me. I get so worked up about unfair decisions because I feel helpless & my opinions are dismissed. I crave connections with people but anger & resentment prevent me from letting go of times they’ve hurt me or I’ve felt used. IF I actually try to talk about it, I struggle to explain myself well & ruminate about it. Then I get upset & withdraw. When am I going to learn? be brave? become articulate face to face? manage my emotions? It is a constant battle for me. Yes, I often feel overwhelming & profound sadness, but more often I feel deep anger & resentment when misunderstood, or worse, dismissed & ignored.

Afraid of medical community

replies: 8

Hi I am afraid of doctors and the medical community as a whole. I suffer from anxiety, depression,and ptsd, and have a condition that is physical and requires me to be at the go to see someone about once a month. Now I have a thing in my armpit that requires even more time with those that frighten me. I am beside myself with anxiety, flashbacks etc. my gap is good, understanding etc, my psychologist also, but seeing these people is one enormous struggle, every time. Now that I have added to my dr ‘workload’ I feel I am about to explode with the stress of it all. What do I do when getting help requires facing my fears every time and I still can’t get relief from the terror?

New member

replies: 3

Hi all , I am new to the forum ,my name is Eddie,I am 64 and have suffered from anxiety and depression for 30 years.I go thru periods of good times and then the lowest of lows.Where I work are great and try to assist.This lockdown is killing me ,I ne... View more

I’m tired

replies: 3

Hello, I’m new here. I have recently been diagnosed with PTSD but I have had depression and anxiety since I was 14 (I’m 25 now) I’ve been in and out of hospitals off and on medication and there are times were I just get so tired. I think I have accepted I am never going to get better or be anything but a burden on people. I feel so lonely all the time and I am such bad nightmares which means I don’t sleep so I am exhausted a lot. I guess I am just tired of feeling like this

It's a crying day

replies: 3

Hi all, New here, and, I guess, just looking for a place to talk to like-minded people. My mental health history is all over the place and probably never properly diagnosed. First placed on an antidepressant at 18, and have had many other drugs prescribed in my journey to find out what's wrong with me and why I do the self-destructive things that I do. I figured out that I am probably allergic to SSRIs since I had such intense side effects, usually the opposite of what was expected. So I white knuckle it. I've yet to find a empathetic GP or a psychologist who I gel with (most get max 2 appointments before I give up on them). I'm told that I am a caring, empathetic person myself, but I think that just comes from wanting to make other people happy and not feel the way I do. At this very moment I am questioning whether I deserve to be here as there are so many people whose lives are affected so much worse then my own. The guilt of not counting my blessings. But I am here because this 48 yo happily married and gainfully employed woman, cannot stop crying tonight. And all the self introspection in the world is not helping to figure out why. I feel that I should apologise for sounding so overly dramatic (which is what I would do if I shared this in real life), but I'm hoping this is a place where I don't have to do that. Anyway, I'm looking forward to hopefully being a helpful contributor here and to be able to reach out to others when they are in need and vice versa. Thanks for reading. Back to the wine and tissues (not a crutch I promise, it's just a really nice drop! )

Support for Depression and anxiety

replies: 2

Hi everyone, this is my first time posting here, and I'm a little anxious about it all. Am I posting right? Anyways, I'm struggling with depression and anxiety and hoping to get some support from people here. thank you.

Overwhelmed

replies: 3

In the past couple of weeks I have been struggling to keep my head above water, it seems like as soon as I fix one thing - something else happens. One thing after the other, I never get a chance to just breathe. As a sufferer of anxiety, this definitely doesn't help my situation as I tend to overthink absolutely everything. My boyfriend broke up with me, I've been having trouble with friends and am falling behind in school because I haven't been able to go. I have countless assessments due, and I don't know how I am going to cope. Some days I can't even force myself to get out of bed. I have a job interview for my first job ever on Wednesday and it has just added to the list of things for me to worry about. Not the interview itself, but worrying about what i'm going to do if I get the job - will i be good enough at it? Will they judge me for my mistakes? How quickly am I expected to learn everything? All of this is eating me up inside, I have so many things to worry about, but there's too many things to focus on at one time in order for me to get better, everything is just so overwhelming.

Newbie - Seeking People Who Understand

replies: 9

Hi everyone. First time post, here goes! I am 49, married (second time around) with two kids from my first marriage, and a five year old from my second. I am a career public servant at upper middle level, and I have had battles with depression and anxiety since my early 20s. Right now I'm going through (yet another) severe bout of depression. I appreciate we shouldn't post too much personal detail here but context is important. I'm actually on leave on half pay all of 2020. After many years of stress at work I decided to take this year to be a stay at home dad and help my youngest with their first year of school. Things haven't gone quite to plan with COVID etc but that's unavoidable. Now I am at home and at least not stressed by work but I am depressed as ever. I am very fortunate and have no major problems but I can't seem to shake it. I've tried two different medications over the years but mostly I feel the side-effects are worse than any possible benefits. I have finally weaned off the second of these with much difficulty. I feel hopeless ... everything is poisoned by the depression. Halfway through my leave and I am already starting to stress about returning to work. Long hours and high stress are part of the deal and my family has suffered over the years. I saw little of my older two children when they were younger because I was always at work. I don't want - and my wife definitely doesn't want - me to return to that habit. But at home not working I haven't found the peace and joy I was seeking. The depression never leaves and I am ... so... tired... of fighting every single day. I wake up and it punches me in the face. I am not suicidal but I do have thoughts about it being the only way to stop the pain. I have quit drinking because I did come close once last year on a work trip - after a lot of drinks I found myself on a high balcony and considered doing it. I do have professional help and have a psych I have seen for many years. She is good but no one else in my life understands the pain. My wife cares but doesn't know how to help, and I feel that it is slowly destroying our relationship. I have no real friends left - no one wants to be around depressed people. I feel hopeless- I see no way out and I can't see any options that will make things better. So here I am - hoping to talk to people that understand depression and won't just tell me to cheer up and move on. Thanks for listening.

Just venting

replies: 4

Hey, I have suffered from mental illness a lot of my life. Anxiety, Depression, Suicide attempts, drug and alcohol abuse is my history. I've had multiple therapist from around Australia and have had many different medications. I joined the army straight out of school and served for 6.5yrs before discharging to study Psychology so that maybe I could understand why I am the way I am. It was important to me because I hate the way I am. Now that ive finished my studies, it hasn't fixed anything. I am still struggling day to day just to keep my head above water. I know why. It doesn't help. I guess I joined this forum so that I can express myself without fear of judgment. I don't even expect people to read this but sometimes I just need to let it out. I have what's called a paranoid attachment style. Basically that means that I crave intimacy and friendship but I can't let people in and I fear they will betray me, reject me or I will ruin it. This means it is super hard for me to have friendships or relationships. As much as I know that I want them and it would be good for me, the fear overwhelms me. You might ask what evidence I have for feeling this way. Well, I've had a friend kill themselves without sharing anything about it with me beforehand, I had a wife who I had 2 children with that cheated on me with my brother after using me for years. I had friends that ghosted me when I needed them most, I had a boss that would be nice to my face and would talk shit behind my back and undercut my position. And that's all without mentioning my childhood. I've truly tried to open myself up to relationships but I always seem to drive them away or overly invest before being rejected. Because my life has gone to shit, I have found myself living with my parents and the same brother that betrayed me. I have nowhere else to go and it is impossible to heal here. I worked so hard to earn money and build a life. And now I have lost everything to my ex. So on top of crippling relationship anxiety, now I have all this anger and bitterness underneath. I just don't want to feel this way anymore. I don't want to have to rely on drugs and alcohol to feel ok. I don't want to be alone anymore. I am just over it all. Don't worry though, I won't kill myself. Although the sweet nothingness sounds good I know that there is always hope. Even when I don't feel it.

New to the forum, how are other students coping?

replies: 7

Hey everyone, I recently joined the forums and thought I would introduce myself My name is Tim and I'm currently doing my honours year at university during strict lockdown. Studying during this pandemic is becoming increasingly stressful as the situation remains unpredictable, so I thought it might be nice to meet you all and hear how anyone has been handling studying from home. Personally I've found the shift to online learning to be fine and I have been keeping myself motivated since the beginning of the year, however it really is a marathon and I'm worried I am slowly burning out. My whole family is working/studying from home now so the house is very loud and I really miss the ability to get out to see my peers to share in our stresses or study at the library. How are you all managing to keep yourself motivated? Does anyone have any tips they would like to share?

Meet your community champions! replies: 13

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

anxiety triggers anger and depression replies: 2

Afraid of medical community replies: 8

New member replies: 3

I’m tired replies: 3

It's a crying day replies: 3

Support for Depression and anxiety replies: 2

Overwhelmed replies: 3

Newbie - Seeking People Who Understand replies: 9

Just venting replies: 4

New to the forum, how are other students coping? replies: 7