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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Lost

replies: 6

Hi I am 39yr old female and I am new here. I am not sure where to start but I am feeling down and I am looking for advice. I have found myself lonely and lost again in life and I feel like I am not going anywhere. The magic of my youth has gone and I have no real purpose. Apologies, I sound ungrateful but I am really lost. I have gained weight and backed myself into corner, where I have no energy and have lost my sparkle. I keep annoying people and don’t seem to get things right.

Burnt out

replies: 3

My username kinda explains why I'm here, but I'm a volunteer first responder and for the last year I've been struggling a lot with things I've experienced over the years. I still love what I do, but I struggle sometimes to put my uniform on because I feel ashamed that I'm weak for my mental health struggles. I do have people in my service I can talk to, but there's a lot of pressure when they know me, I feel like some anonymous chat and support might help, but also offering support to others cause it's what I do on the daily.

Overwhelmed

replies: 2

Hi everyone I’m a 38 year old woman feeling very overwhelmed in both my personal and professional life.I put so much pressure on myself that when something goes wrong it send me in a downward spiral and I just get frustrated to the point of crying at work or getting so angry I start fighting with people..I get told by various people that I’m challenging , ask too many questions and it throws my anxiety offAny advice would be greatly appreciated as I feel very overwhelmed and frustrated

Struggling

replies: 2

Hi, I am a 33yr old female and was diagnosed with severe depression and anxiety a few years back but I choose not to medicate due the the side effects caused by the many different meds I have tried in the past. This is rough at the best of times but lately it has really gotten to me. I live with my partner and our 8yr old daughter and we have been struggling financially but my partner does not know the extent to our issues as he has a disability and cannot work so I dont want to upset him by telling him which adds to my stress. I am a store manager of a retail store which is stressful enough but I am going through a period where my staff just dont want to turn up to work which results in me having to work extra hours and not really getting any proper time off which would be more tolerable if i was actually paid for the extra hours but as I am on salary I only accumulate time in lieu which I am unable to use due to the staff issues. On top of this I am also studying to complete my cert 4 in fitness in hopes of starting a PT business to get some extra income on the side. I am extremely exhausted and stressed, I am not sleeping and not eating properly and am honestly at breaking point. I dont have anyone I can talk to about this as my partner also suffers depression as a result of his disability and if i tell him how I am feeling he goes into a dark hole and blames himself. My Mum is very self centred and she turns these kinds of conversations around to be about her so I am not getting help at work or at home and I dont see the point in professional help as I have tried this in the past an got nothing out of it except the added stress of yet another expense.I just dont know where to turn anymore and am hoping reaching out to some like minded people might help.

Feeling dispair

replies: 3

Hi allNot sure where to start.I am a 56 year old guy, and have always suffered depression. Never quite felt happy. I was diagnosed with ADHD fairly late in life, and recently been told I have C-PTSD and high functioning autism. All this explains my life well, but doesnt help me get through it.I have always felt like an imposter, and tried over and over to make a success of things, but just seem to keep messing things up.Lately, the business I own has had more blows to it, and left me feeling even worse then ever before. My lows are so low, but I have to put on a brave face, and be strong for the family.. but I dont feel strong anymore. My wife is already so stressed and gets more stressed when I say anything, so I keep it to myself now, so as not to worry her more.I have always felt very young at heart and in body (I dont look my age), but recently have started feeling very old.. old and despairing. I sit at my computer trying to work, and nothing happens.. I get to 80% and then realise I should do something else, so I start on that, and then get distracted by another thing... and around it goes..I dont know how to keep going, and just need some friendly and understanding people to talk to.Anyway.. hope to hear from someone...cheers

Hi

replies: 6

I really don’t know where to start, I’ve been diagnosed with ptsd(c), borderline personality disorder, depression and very high anxiety. I’ve also got severe pain in both of my hands which makes it very difficult for me to use them , which doesn’t he... View more

Celebrating 20 years of our Blue Voices community

replies: 3

Hey everyone, We wanted to share some lovely news. This month, we celebrate 20 years of our Blue Voices community, founded by a few pioneering members in lived experience advocacy back in 2003. Today, 5,800 people make up the Blue Voices community. They each have their own unique lived and living experience of depression, anxiety, and suicide, or have experience supporting someone else. Many of them are here on the Forums. You may have spotted their Blue Voices badges next to their names. Community members with this badge interact with Beyond Blue to help shape our work, using their voices to make sure that the work we do is guided by the knowledge, experiences and expertise of the community. To our Blue Voices legends: Every day you have inspired and challenged us to listen harder, think differently, and drive positive change. We are grateful for your foresight, generosity and hard-won expertise and wisdom. Our deep thanks to each and every one of you. For anyone who'd like to find out more about Blue Voices, click here. To see what our Blue Voices members have to say about their experience, check out our Facebook post here. If you know a Forums member who has this badge, we'd love for you to celebrate them below!

Long time sufferer seeking support

replies: 2

Hi anyone wanna chat

Not sure where to start

replies: 5

Hey there. As the title suggests, I’m not sure where to post exactly. I became a parent almost 2 years ago and it’s brought up a lot from my childhood, but I don’t feel like I’ve got any right to claim I’ve got any big problems. i struggle daily with feeling inadequate both at work and as a parent (I work 3 days a week). I’m unhappy with the way I look, my abilities and how I interact socially. I don’t have any friends, but I used to when I was younger. i worry way too much about what others think but I want so badly to be liked by people I don’t even like. It sounds so stupid to say it. my partner and I have chosen to go down the gentle parenting route, and this wasn’t how I was brought up. I’m facing resistance from family for it, but it’s also bringing up a lot from my own childhood. I believe my father was a narcissist but not an awful one. I was the less desired sibling of the two of us and I guess I knew it but just accepted that’s the way things were. anyway, I’m not sure what to expect here. Or how to go about seeking help. But I’d really like to feel more balanced.

I need help

replies: 5

I smoke weed it feels like I let everybody down my family don’t even want me in the house cos I flip out and scare everyone I’m nothing but a little prick how can I treat y own family like this the one that looked after me half my life idk I just wan... View more

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

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

Lost replies: 6

Burnt out replies: 3

Overwhelmed replies: 2

Struggling replies: 2

Feeling dispair replies: 3

Hi replies: 6

Celebrating 20 years of our Blue Voices community replies: 3

Long time sufferer seeking support replies: 2

Not sure where to start replies: 5

I need help replies: 5