Welcome and Orientation

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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 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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Looking for work and feeling low

replies: 2

Hi All, Greetings from cool, but Sunny Adelaide. Never posted on these forums before...so hear goes. I have not held a "steady job/regular full time work for 7 years. This is because I left what was a pretty steady job in the healthcare sector for what i thought was going to be more opportunity, more hours, more money in the private sector. Unfortunately after the three month probation period they told me suddenly and without warning "sorry its not working out" and ever since then have not held a full time job. I applied for hundreds of jobs, with only limited replies and even more limited opportunities for interview. I had a few contract positions/casual jobs since then but I need some stability (for financial as well as other reasons). I have also had major illness with breast cancer throughout 2015 which turned my world upside down. I was not working at the time and then needed to go on benefits again (at the same time going through treatment). I was feeling very depressed during this time and now looking back wish I had taken action by going to the GP to talk about how I was feeling. To the present time, I am gutted after I was unsuccessful in gaining employment at a hospital which I was ideally suited and have asked them for feedback but I am yet to hear back (again disappointment). Luckily though I do have a one day a week permanent position (this ends the end of july - per contract) and some casual typing from home which works out only 1-2 days a week. Again feeling very low about my worth, but I guess I can count myself lucky that I am still alive and cancer free. Hoping that some time in the future something will come up but feel increasingly low.

Troubled Teen

replies: 1

My beautiful 16 yr old daughter is suffering anxiety and depression 2 years after a sexual assault. She struggles to get to school due to this illness. I’m so scared to leave her at home alone but I have to work.

Hi there

replies: 2

Hi everyone am 38 years old and male and chef by profession. Currently suffering from depression and anxiety but latley more depression and it's affecting my life in a big way thought I would try and get out of my shell and talk to other people who m... View more

migration,winters and work issues

replies: 1

Hi people, I am a middle aged man, recently moved to this beautiful country with my partner and a kid. As I anticipated, the move has been a pressure. Talking about work first, while I quickly found a job commensurate to my skills, the cultural differences(I'm a south-asian) at workplace have been more bothersome than the work itself. I have been a super achiever in my profession(in my home country) and believe in working hard and making my way forward. My attitude is not well received by colleagues at current workplace as my opinion and work are not valued and appreciated. Then on the personal front, I feel sorry for my partner who has been managing the kid alone while I'm at work and often I'm too exhausted to be of help when I'm back home. Most importantly, I've been an outdoor person and have always enjoyed physical activities, the winters in Victoria have made me home bound and I feel sick of not being able to go out and in some sense take control of my life. Amidst all this, It was was only through pure serendipity that I found beyondblue. I look forward to finding some good support from the community. Warmest Regards,

Injury now in wheelchair and sadness

replies: 5

Hi I had a workplace injury that caused a burst fracture in my spine leaving me with a spinal cord injury, am in constant pain and now can walk a bit but mostely in a wheelchair, my whole life has been turned upside down and still cant make sence of it. cant get any help really, try so hard to but nothing, had to reasearch and organise my own wheelchair and then was just left with it and told to look on youtube to use it, can never return to my job, feel lost and no one whats to help me, cant sleep, is so hard to do anything if i get up sometimes and think i can walk ok untill i fall to the floor and feel uesless. i try to do what i can through the day but end up just making my back and legs hurt more, i feel guilty that i can not fix things in the house, cut the grass or take out the bins. my wife tries to understand but i know it is hard for her, i belive that she will not come to terms with it, cant find a chair to sit in that is conftable. now my hands are shaking (asked the GP about it but he just changed the subject), life is so much harder now, i was fine meeting people and talking on the phone in my job but now i panic if the phone rings and sometimes just can not bring myself to answer it, no one visits me from work and it is so hard when people ask how long i need to be in the wheelchair just to be told this is it (3 neurosurgens have said the same thing and it will just get worse), i dont know how to live in this new life (i do try my hardest) but sometimes that is not enuf, everything around me seams to be not working out. and lately i can not sit anywhere in the quiet as i can hear voices in my head (thought someone had a radio on and the news was on) what do they want!, sorry for going on and on but life just cant be this hard can it, why am i the one that keeps getting knocked down and before my injury i helped everyone with what ever i could now there is no one to help me. (i am sorry)

Newbie - just wanna talk to other people

replies: 7

Hi everyone im new here and recently being diagnosed with severe depression, PTSD, and probably soon to be diagnosed with borderline personality disorder... it would be great to talk to someone... I’m seeing a councillor every 2 weeks but would be great to talk to other people. I do have a husband but he does work and I don’t hVe many friends that I can talk to about all this hope to chat to someone soon

Don’t know what’s happening

replies: 3

I really don’t understand, why people make promises, we will help you with the paper work for transition to civilian life, we will help you find a house. I wanted to live so, I could make life easier for my wife and 2 kids, but now I am way away from work, in a house where everything is a mess. Thanks to Toll, defence, dva for big promises. But I think I have had enough. I am useless, just a burden to everyone. I have done as much as I could, don’t think I can do anything anymore. Thanks everyone, it’s better to go offline now.

Relief

replies: 5

After talking my situation down for the last two years and not accepting I am suffering with depression, today I 100% opened up to my GP and admitted I am really struggling. Fulltime working single parent with 2 teenagers that I have majority care of, financial constraints and just treading water every day is wearing me down. I have lost my mojo and sense of joy and the negative self talk is hard going. A car accident 6 weeks ago where I wrote off my car was the icing on the cake and each day is just getting harder and harder. I was also afraid of the impact of my attitude, etc on my kids....so that was the push I needed to finally ask for help. My GP listened and was so supportive starting me on medication and setting up a mental health care plan. I just needed to share so thank you to whoever has read this - my family think you should just be able to pull yourself out of a bad situation and not require medication, etc, so not able to share this win with them. Small steps, but I feel relief to have started this journey and just getting all the crap thoughts out of my head felt good

Newbie

replies: 9

Hi all, Have been hovering here for a while now, and have used the chat section at one of my lowest times. I think my issues with mild depression and anxiety stem from my close relationship with a friend who has PTSD. It’s a little all over the shop and my forgiveness ( for them) is eternal. They’ve hurt me emotionally a lot and have been very cruel at times. I always forgive them. Today they’ve dumped me again and I may lose my job too. It’s probably also my age and feeling unfulfilled? I feel guilty now for feeling down? I am always the positive person with the smile and feel that pretty much everyone expects me to be happy and positive all the time. I just can’t anymore.

What is the issue here Ptsd? Depression?

replies: 1

I feel in love with someone i pushed them away as far as i could even by the things i said to them, now there is no point of return .. However the past i have with them haunts my mind, what we said, things we did it goes around in circles in my mind. They where never abusive to to me they where nice, kind, caring ect I have been told that i have Ptsd because i can't shut my mind of from the past that i have with them. The way i pushed them away haunts my mind that i can't forgive myself and it hurts that i done it to myself. Its just a never ending cycle of making myself sick with over thinking things. Anyway i have no idea if this is even Ptsd but some things trigger me eg: a song, movie, quote, places we went to can set my mind of i think negative thoughts about the situation. Would this just be depression or ptsd? I pushed them so far away that the law was involved. We got over it and became friends again for a while until i started pushing away again this time it seems to be for good my plan worked but it leaves me feeling dead inside cos of it.

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

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

Looking for work and feeling low replies: 2

Troubled Teen replies: 1

Hi there replies: 2

migration,winters and work issues replies: 1

Injury now in wheelchair and sadness replies: 5

Newbie - just wanna talk to other people replies: 7

Don’t know what’s happening replies: 3

Relief replies: 5

Newbie replies: 9

What is the issue here Ptsd? Depression? replies: 1