Immediate support
Immediate support

Welcome and orientation

Welcome! If you’re not sure where to start, that’s OK. We’re keen to know more about you and what you’re looking for on our Forums.

Start a discussion

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Jump to
Start a discussion

Pinned discussions

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

Chris_B Introducing...the community champions
  • replies: 22

Hi everyone, Some of you may have noticed that a few of our members are labelled ‘Community champion’ and have a beyondblue National Roadshow bus badge, like this: This thread explains who these members are and what they do. Community champions are v... View more

Hi everyone, Some of you may have noticed that a few of our members are labelled ‘Community champion’ and have a beyondblue National Roadshow bus badge, like this: This thread explains who these members are and what they do. Community champions are volunteers within the forums who: Have the time, skills and empathy to support other members Make an effort to welcome new members Are regularly and actively engaged members that help set the tone of our community as a place of hope and recovery. Click here to find out more about how you can become a Community Champion! As this is a peer support community that includes members under the age of 18, it is important that we ensure our peer support community leaders have a current 'working with children' check as part of due diligence. In an online environment with anonymous posters, it also provides Beyond Blue (and the community) with some security as to the identity of who is posting as a community champion. We ask our community champions to spend at least 2-3 hours a week posting and responding in the forums, but in reality they go far above and beyond this. Like me, they’re not psychologists or counsellors, just regular folk like yourselves who have experience with anxiety and depression. I’ll leave it to our champion volunteers to reply below and let you know a bit about themselves. PS. If this is your first time on the forums and you'd like to introduce yourself, please start a new thread rather than replying in here.

All discussions

Start a discussion

wakewoke Hello
  • replies: 5

Hello, Im new here. Would like to talk about my own issues and such, maybe get advice on life and living for my issues.

Hello, Im new here. Would like to talk about my own issues and such, maybe get advice on life and living for my issues.

Sharon_S Hello :)
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, This is my first post. I have never used a forum before so I am a bit nervous about it, not really sure where to begin but I know I am doing a good thing for my mental health. I cannot get into a psychologist at the current time. I am ho... View more

Hi everyone, This is my first post. I have never used a forum before so I am a bit nervous about it, not really sure where to begin but I know I am doing a good thing for my mental health. I cannot get into a psychologist at the current time. I am hoping I can get some advice to help me feel less empty/alone also some tips on how to work through low self esteem and Social Anxiety. I also hope I can help people along the way as well Thank you

Alex_M ~ I’m new ~
  • replies: 3

I’ve only decided to join these forums because I realised that my mental health has been rapidly declining, and I thought it was a good idea to hear everyone else’s stories/situations. I’ve been suffering from untreated depression and anxiety for abo... View more

I’ve only decided to join these forums because I realised that my mental health has been rapidly declining, and I thought it was a good idea to hear everyone else’s stories/situations. I’ve been suffering from untreated depression and anxiety for about 3 years, and undiagnosed bipolar for 2 years. This past year my grades have been dropping for no know reason and my friends seem to not like me as much as they used to, I’ve been putting off going to a doctor because I didn’t know how I would explain it to my family but I’ve decided it’s time to face my fears and go to a professional about what’s going on currently. If anyone has any advice it would really help right now

BreeFree90 Hello Everyone
  • replies: 1

I've been on many forums before, but never one like this. I really hope to become apart of this community by sharing my story and hopefully helping others along the way. In retrospect, my mental health issues have been with me since I was very young,... View more

I've been on many forums before, but never one like this. I really hope to become apart of this community by sharing my story and hopefully helping others along the way. In retrospect, my mental health issues have been with me since I was very young, but unfortunately, they weren't detected until I was an adult. At age 19 I was diagnosed with depression and saw a psychologist, but I wasn't ready to receive help and so I squandered the experience. Then last August I had a very real and life-changing mental breakdown. I didn't speak to anyone for a week and had to slowly rebuild myself. I was diagnosed with anxiety and have been on medication since. During this last year, I have sought professional help, started a new career, got engaged, bought a house with my finance, struggled immensely with my anxiety, and within the last week, I've had a relapse and quit my job. I am now seeing a new psychologist and looking at my future prospects. That's my mental health in a nutshell. Life isn't easy at the moment, but when is it ever?

DadNeedsHelp Introducing Me
  • replies: 2

Hi all. I've just signed up in the hope I can find ways here to help my adult daughter who suffers from anxiety and depression. Sadly, the fact that she suffers from this is not a surprise to me because of her history. Her mother also suffers from th... View more

Hi all. I've just signed up in the hope I can find ways here to help my adult daughter who suffers from anxiety and depression. Sadly, the fact that she suffers from this is not a surprise to me because of her history. Her mother also suffers from these things and has been through anorexia, OCD, panic attacks among other issues. We have been divorced for quite a few years now and sadly, our relationship is little more than polite. I am remarried and very happy in my new marriage. My wife is very supportive, has a good relationship with my children and is happy to do whatever she can to help so this is a good start. Anyway, I guess this is about introducing me so I'll restrict myself to that if I can. I am prematurely retired (aged 60) and play a lot of golf. I don't have great numbers of friends but I value the ones that I have. My own history includes bouts of depression at times especially when I was young and suffered bullying at school. I think I am reasonably well adjusted these days but I do find it difficult to maintain good friendships because I suppose I still have some anxiety about other peoples' opinions of me. This causes me to be less proactive in my friendships than what is probably ideal. That said, I think I cope fairly well with life most of the time. I will probably have a bit of a look around and perhaps post elsewhere about my current concerns. I hope that my presence here can add to this community and that I can also find information that can help me to understand how to help my children.

Helen91 New to BB forum.
  • replies: 8

Hi everyone, I am new to the forum world, not really sure how to work this but I’m sure I’ll pick it up along the way! I’ve come to the BB forum because I cannot get into a psychologist at the moment, a friend recommended I check this out to see if i... View more

Hi everyone, I am new to the forum world, not really sure how to work this but I’m sure I’ll pick it up along the way! I’ve come to the BB forum because I cannot get into a psychologist at the moment, a friend recommended I check this out to see if it could help me. I hope I can get some advice to help me feel less lonely and empty also some tips on how to work through my low self esteem and social anxiety, I am really interested to read about some of your experiences. I also hope I can help people in return

Aesural Hi.
  • replies: 1

I'm not really used to this, nor really up for talking about myself. I believe, I have bpd, and may be narcissistic. Being one who constantly fears everything I do, always evaluating how eventual encounters with people may lead and how I can just... ... View more

I'm not really used to this, nor really up for talking about myself. I believe, I have bpd, and may be narcissistic. Being one who constantly fears everything I do, always evaluating how eventual encounters with people may lead and how I can just... make things fine. I'm rather rigid right now, with how I speak about myself, since I don't really have an outlet. Hi, I'm a person, sorry if this made your day a lil bleary. It's a pleasure that you read.

icantthinkofadisplayname howdy strangers
  • replies: 1

hello,, ive been on forums before but never this one. im here cause i cant see my counsellor too often and my mum never listens to me when i ask for help. i get vv socially anxious and stressed, plus constantly hearing homophobic things and just a wh... View more

hello,, ive been on forums before but never this one. im here cause i cant see my counsellor too often and my mum never listens to me when i ask for help. i get vv socially anxious and stressed, plus constantly hearing homophobic things and just a whole bunch of other stuff. so uhh, hi

MJ79 It’s been a rough year
  • replies: 1

I have assumed that I’ve been needing to go to a professional to understand what I’m going through at the moment. However, in my situation at home my culture looks down upon those types of healing. i have felt depressed and anxious since I was 14, no... View more

I have assumed that I’ve been needing to go to a professional to understand what I’m going through at the moment. However, in my situation at home my culture looks down upon those types of healing. i have felt depressed and anxious since I was 14, now being 19 it’s a second nature that I don’t want. I feel like since my first ever relationship my trust in people has dissappeared, as he lied about my family and made the majority of my friends believe I was a liar. Mind you, I’m a strong willed person, and don’t mind if people think I lied or what my personality is. But my anxiety plays on what people think about my family and it hurts to go out and not know who knows about my life today. although we broke up a year ago and I’ve moved on. My depression spikes as I think back to what he did. Telling everyone and having this constant burden on my shoulders. I feel like I am overreacting but I need help. What should I do? I can’t really go to my family, and my friends I talk to can only do their best. This was my last option.