Welcome and Orientation

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Meet your community champions!

replies: 12

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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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 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

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 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

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 .

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 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.

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 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

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. 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.

sorry if wrong place to post... autism and depression/anxiety

replies: 5

like i said sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, but i wasnt sure where to put it. i was born with high functioning autism and in the last few years my dr informed me that i have depression and have probably had it in her opinion since i was a young child, being autistic i struggle with social and emotional situations and have learnt the last few years just how differently my brain thinks and reacts which makes it hard to explain to people what my problems are. i worked for a few years and hated it, i seem to only be happy when im home with my dogs and partner (yes somehow i found someone that cares about me even if i am a social outcast), whenever i leave the house i immediately go down hill mentally, i can barley last half an hour before i get very angry and short tempered and have the urge to rush home, which i am told is a sign of sever anxiety. as you can imagine working 8 hour shifts was horrible and i was near physical/mental collapse by the time it was over, i became very suicidal last year deciding that if this is what life is i would rather not have it... luckily i have people that care about me and tried to help me and convinced me to see a psychiatrist. my psychiatrist told me after many hours of sessions that my depression/anxiety is actually caused by my autism so unlike most people it can never really be cured since there is no cure for autism, so he convinced me to go to centerlink and try to get the disability pension so that i can stay home and have some quality of life, which i tried back in September last year, took months of doing rediculas amounts of paper work with the help of my family and as of yesterday i was rejected. my psychiatrist wants to speak to someone at centerlink because i dont think they understand that my depression is caused by autism, and they seem to think it can be treated and without depression i can work with my autism so they say i can be reskilled. esentially the entire idea of having to work again makes me want to die, ive been home for months and have never enjoyed my life more but everytime i hear from centerlink they ruin my mood up for a good week and this last one has destroyed me. currently waiting for centerlink social worker to hopefully help me appeal. sorry for the long rant i just didnt know who to tell this to and what to do.. im so done at this point

Newbie - stressed and burning out

replies: 4

Hi, I’m not sure where to look for help so I thought I would try here. I’m a professional with 20+ years experience. A bit of a sensitive soul and a bit on the intro side but otherwise usually even keeled until the last couple of years. Things have been less than happy at home. I’ve been married for 20 years later this year but we’re more like flatmates than a married couple - hubby told me he’s not interested in all that anymore so there’s no affection. He’s controlling of my time - I’m always being asked where I’m going and when I’ll be back. That’s why an online forum caught my eye. I don’t have a big social circle so I’ve been working harder to forget about any nastiness or what have you at home. Then I was assigned to be a contractor in a team where I’m not confident in what I’m doing and working for a client who’s chaotic and loud and in a high-pressure environment. I’m so stressed I can’t sleep properly, I cry almost every day (sometimes I don’t know why) and I don’t have energy to do things I enjoy anymore. My boss noticed I was down and told me to try using the Headspace app for meditation and to be more resilient/ toughen up. I’d like to say that was helpful. Is this somewhere where I can find some help?

Depression becoming consuming

replies: 3

I'm a very self-aware person and consider myself ok however, at present i'm staring into my computer screen at an office i don't feel anything for with people i don't connect with, 3 months into a new but with no direction other than "i'll leave you to your own devices, but i'm always here" by upper management. I'm a middle manager. I have depression. Having arrived at work one day in January 2016 to hear the same voice and whinge about the same thing, i took myself to the pub at 9am to enjoy the early opening hours for shift workers. This increased to near everyday over the span of 2 years. My drinking I've never considered a problem but it has increased and during the day more so. I decided to contact Relationships Australia and saw a counsellor once a week. It was beneficial as I generally never talk about myself; i use humour and make myself the butt of the joke at all times when socializing, this has always been a great tool for me. Talking about myself was draining and I’d head straight to the pub 'on the way back to the office'...at times never getting there. I would openly tell the counsellor that there was a good chance this was going to happen. I did this for 2 years without anyone noticing; i think though convenient at the time, this affected me a lot. Were people that self-invested? Was i good at hiding it? Or was i insignificant? My mum left our family when i was 15 but i don't consider this to be a severe contributing factor however it seemed this was central to the discussion within the sessions and after 4 months, i got tired of it reoccurring. I asked the counsellor to please offer a suggestion or recommendation of how to deal with what i was going through however this never came. I did reconnect and resume the weekly meets down the track for another 5 sessions, but it was to the same end. 2019 came i bought a bike, I signed up for a triathlon, i got married, i have 5 beautiful children, moved house, i lost my licence for 6 months for DUI, visited England and my family with my wife (I'm English, moved to Aus in 2007), was made redundant, got a new job, sole income provider to family, can't sleep, drink more, self confidence decreasing, motivation all time low, resentment to work life as a whole. Thought about a career change - I'm 36, but when i think of it, i truly don't think i could have any motivation for any kind of work. I need someone to tell me what to do, i feel pathetic typing that. I'm tired, weeks just pass by, i need help.

Unhappy - Forgotten myself

replies: 4

Hi My story is about no self control and now it’s led to me feeling quite hopeless. I have spent the last 3 years with my new partner going out, drinking, gambling, travelling etc Pretty much in a bubble but now reality has set in and I’m broke, overweight and generally unhappy to the point where I continue to abuse myself with alcohol and then follows gambling. The result is more unhappiness, and trying to cope with the side effects of depression and anxiety. My strength and character has changed , I have good days and bad days. I spoke to AA and also gambling hotlines but I believe I’m depressed and this is why I keep doing it. I’m not sure if it’s me or my partner that has put me here in this constant stress. It’s like a cant come on my own anymore and I really miss myself. Can anyone help me please.

Meet your community champions! replies: 12

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

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

Feeling overwhelmed and stressed replies: 3

PTSD coming up years after treatment replies: 2

Newbie replies: 4

Don't know where to start replies: 3

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

sorry if wrong place to post... autism and depression/anxiety replies: 5

Newbie - stressed and burning out replies: 4

Depression becoming consuming replies: 3

Unhappy - Forgotten myself replies: 4