Welcome and Orientation

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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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Hello, new member.....

replies: 3

Hi, First time i am dealing with the impacts of stress in my life. I have a teenage son who has adhd and autism and has impacted me in a major way. Never knew it would, until the day I had a anxiety attack. Then it was followed by drinking and smoking...... now on the slow recovery road, thanks to my local g.p, I am getting the help I really need. Thought I could manage it on my own, but its not that easy. Anyway, here to say hi and I'm still here. lol.... xox

Hi from a new member

replies: 3

Hi to All, I'm grateful to have found this site. I've never been diagnosed with depression, not by a doctor anyway, I've no doubt I have a degree of depression, I also don't have much time for doctors. I have a fair bit of right brain/left brain conflict in that I can see from my track record that I'm an ok and worthwhile person, but emotionally I don't feel that this is the truth, my internal dialogue is mostly pretty negative. This is as a result of my being particularly susceptible to the negative messages I was fed as a child. Where this has left me, in my 50's at times struggling to find joy in life, I can have a very bleak outlook and this affects my relationships, I have a shitty tendency to project what I'm feeling and thinking. I'm an emotional eater, I call it my last substance abuse issue. I quit smoking a decade or more ago, I stopped drinking three or four years ago, but I've no clue how to get a handle on my eating, because my 'substance abuse issue' is a coping mechanism and until I've dealt with what I'm coping with then there'll be coping mechanisms. I've been to healing retreats that work to heal the emotional trauma suffered as a child, I learned a lot about myself and people in general, but was less successful at processing the traumas from the past that have made me who I am. I learned enough that I assisted others process their own trauma and gain a degree of relief, but never was able to break down that wall and allow my self to be vulnerable and open enough to process those hurts. I've tried other stuff, counselling, resets, etc, I've yet to find a good fit that offers a more permanent fix. I refuse to use antidepressants, I firmly believe that my best path lies elsewhere, I'm mostly coping and not suicidal, if that changes I guess I'd have to investigate the chemical way, but not before. So that's me, in a nutty shell, it's so much more convoluted than that, but there's a time and space limit and I guess an attention limit too. If you got this far thanks heaps for reading and bless youse All.

Seeking help/guidance

replies: 1

Hi. I have been going through a real hard time I would say the last two years. I was diagnosed with post natal depression. I am on medication. I don't even really know what to say

Intro

replies: 1

Hi my names alisa im 20 f and i live in nsw i have a list of mental health issues that im working though. Im not aloud to work or study due to my mental health. I enjoy games drawing food and most of all company.

Hello there!

replies: 1

I am here on suggestion from my neuro psychologist to reach out to like minded people who are going through similar things to myself... So here I am. I am a nearly 38 F from QLD, who has a neurological disorder as well as a range of mental disorders ( I'm really not sure if illnesses is really the correct term). Anxiety, depression and PTSD are my main demons. You see, ever since I was a child, I have had to deal with trauma. The main catalyst was when my older brother was murdered 24 years ago. I've had broken family relationships, people bully and harass me, been assaulted physically and sexually, also had to grieve for numerous family members in such a short time period. So there's no wonder I am in such a dark space right now. Please tell me there is light at the end of this tunnel. I know logically there is, but.. at the moment it's hard to see it. Nice to meet you all.

Support needed for Supporters

replies: 2

We need more Support for the Supporters and loved ones who care for people going through anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions - we are surrounded by it - more than half my closest friends are suffering from mental health issues, and I've just been to the funeral of a young man who was suffering for years battling anorexia, fundamentally also a mental health condition. I want to be there for all of my friends and family to do what I can to help and support and care for them, but often we don't know how to do this, what the right words are, and when to read the signs that things are not good! Now that our friends have lost a family member, their son, their brother, the brother of my daughter's friend ... how do we continue to help?

I want to breakup with my boyfriend because of depression and anxiety

replies: 3

I’m 19 years old and turning twenty this year and I have been suffering from depression and anxiety since I was 17. I had to quit year 12 in high school because of it. I just didn’t want to do anything. I decided to do a hospitality course which I quit because of the bad influence. After that I started working and that’s when I met my boyfriend. I was feeling a lot better when I started dating him and I decided to repeat year 12 but it was too much pressure so I quit. After that I decided to do a bridging course in university and that was when my boyfriend and I moved in together. When I was halfway through the course I got all anxious and I started smoking cigarettes a lot to manage my anxiety but I quit the course again. I felt like a failure to my parents and boyfriend. My boyfriend tries to push me because in his opinion pushing people can wake them up but I am too sensitive. I was hurting myself and at the end of the year I considered suicide. I was taking an antidepressant back then which wasn’t working for me. And after that I stopped seeing my psychologist because it wasn’t helping me at all. I’m okay now and I don’t have any suicidal thoughts. What my boyfriend thinks is that the days that I don’t do my daily tasks is because I’m making depression an excuse but it’s not an excuse. I went to my GP and changed my antidepressant so that my sleeps get deep and I wake up fresh. It was working fine and I had my motivation back so I got a job and decided to go back to uni. I have done half of the course and I am feeling the pressure from the assignments. I want to do them but I get anxious and can’t put in the work. When I’m stressed I sleep too much or try to distract myself. I can’t do anything again. The house is a mess, I’m behind for my assignments and I get irritated fast so I argue with my boyfriend. I want to break up with him because he doesn’t deserve this pressure and stress I put him under and I want to be alone so I hurt no one else. Can someone please help me on what I should do?

Postnatal Depression: 2 under 2

replies: 2

Hey, I have just had baby number two a few weeks ago and am feeling like an absolute failure. My 22 month old is acting up (biting, emptying cupboards, getting into things and breaking dvds etc) and my two week old is obviously dependent on me as a mother. I wake up feeling stressed and I feel at my lowest at night. I do not know how to cope with this... Just need to talk it out and hear others stories.

My short introduction

replies: 5

Hello all, I just wanted to introduce myself, I'm a young female adult who has some mental health difficulties. I have overcome a lot of mental health difficulties, but I am still trying hard to overcome more some. I just wanted to pop in and say hel... View more

New Member here having some doubts about Psychology.

replies: 7

Hey Everyone, I've been diagnosed with an "adjustment disorder" with anxiety and depression, following a few years of workplace bullying. I've been on sick leave for nearly a year (yup - I had a LOT of sick leave time to draw on), and have been seeing a psychologist for 2 years. I recently switched to a new psychologist (I'm going to abbreviate this to "psych" from here on), as I didn't feel I was progressing. My concern is that the sessions with the first psych seemed to be just general agreement statements about my situation: it was ok to be angry at being bullying; it's probably different from other people's perspective; yes, lots of people go through this sort of situation. The second psych is starting down this same path, despite me laying out the situation at our first meeting. I'm not sure what I should be expecting from these sessions, as I did expect a bit more suggested treatment or practice or techniques from them. Simple agreement and an outlet for expressing all this bad stuff is not helping me much. Any opinions out there? I'm genuinely interested in people's responses. Cheers, Das

Meet your community champions! replies: 13

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

Hello, new member..... replies: 3

Hi from a new member replies: 3

Seeking help/guidance replies: 1

Intro replies: 1

Hello there! replies: 1

Support needed for Supporters replies: 2

I want to breakup with my boyfriend because of depression and anxiety replies: 3

Postnatal Depression: 2 under 2 replies: 2

My short introduction replies: 5

New Member here having some doubts about Psychology. replies: 7