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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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How do I help

replies: 3

Hi there. I'm not sure what forum to join or where I should be looking for help. My best friend is at his wits end and is bottling everything up. He is so highly strung it's like he's a volcano about to erupt and I'm worried that he feels like he can't turn anywhere for help. He doesn't speak up about many things because when he does those closest to him turn things around as if it's his fault and he gets blamed so he's given up even trying to speak his mind and just lets everything slide. It's building up more and more inside him. He has tried to talk to psychologists but finds they don't help. Is there anything I can do or suggest to him that could help?

I'm new, not sure how this works

replies: 3

Hi, I'm new to this so thought I'd give it a try as per my doctor's advice. I'm 22 and in my 5th year of a double law degree, I have always suffered from stress. I've always been a 'worrier' however in the last 2 years I've seen a shift away from worrying. I feel very low all the time, I worry to a point that it is debilitating, about anything and everything. Strangely I am an incredibly outgoing person so I find it hard for others to understand my personal struggles. For the last year I've had trouble sleeping. Sometimes to the point of maybe 1 hr solid sleep a night for around a week during really stressful periods. This month I have cried daily, I feel as though I have accomplished nothing (most of my friends are in full time work, and I know logically this is due to my degree but I can't shake this feeling). I stay up almost all night watching the clock, ironically worrying about how bad my day will be as I haven't slept enough to the extent it keeps me up all night. I also meticulously track everything about my days to try and alleviate my symptoms (from exercise, to water intake, sleep, if i've made my bed, tidied my room, taken my vitamins, etc.). I finally had a snap and I went to see my doctor. I told her everything, how overwhelmed I feel, and she diagnosed me with anxiety and also prescribed me with some low-strength anti-depressants to hopefully help me sleep. I am really upset as I spoke to my mother about this (she already swayed me from seeing my doctor because 'everybody has trouble sleeping'). Her response was "That is very personal and antidepressants can be viewed negatively and misjudged. Nothing to be ashamed of but people are judgmental". This has made me even more stressed as I always have had incredibly close and supportive friends, and now she's made me anxious about people seeing me differently. Has anyone had similar experiences to this?

My Bipolar and helping my partner understand

replies: 3

Hi All, I was diagnosed with Bipolar 10 years ago when i was married, my husband at the time seemed to have a great understanding and knew me better than i seemed to know myself, however he passed away a short time after in an accident. The years following were extremely hard for me dealing with sudden grief and also trying to understand myself , as i didn't have my husband there to help and guide me through these tough episodes. Now years down the track and i am much more in tune with my Bipolar, how it works and how to deal with things a little easier. Unfortunately my new man of 5 years now ,who is wonderful in every way , except with understanding my Bipolar. I hid my bipolar from him for quite a while until we became more involved and I was unable to hide the severity of episodes and needed support. I don't have a lot close friends that i talk to and my family don't really see it as a 'real' illness. My partner does try to be supportive ,but only if it becomes a major issue when i cant seem to cope anymore. I've asked him over the years to research as much as he can about my illness but he will look at a few google pages then that's about it and it wont be discussed anymore. His job is extremely stressful which feeds off onto the household and makes my day to day life much much harder . When i'm coming into an episode and cant function properly and REALLY need support ,,, i'm treated like i have leprosy,, no one comes near me or barely talks to me in the household. This was the case on Sunday when i was really struggling while we were at a public event with loads of noise and 1000's of people, and i discussed how hard this is and i need support, and instead of him trying to understand ,, i was being told off and told i needed to sort my s*#t out as i was ruining the day. He said to me that he wasn't going to tolerate anymore crap. He is a good man ,, except when it comes to understanding my mental illness. Does anyone have any advice on helping a spouse with understanding and better ways of supporting, or any good websites etc or people he can talk to? Suffering with bipolar is the most personal thing about me , and its the only thing i feel he doesn't know about me or maybe even want to know. Thanks

I feel like I have to choose between finishing my degree, and making short-term financial stability a priority

replies: 4

Hello, This is my first post in this forum. I'm hoping someone may be able to offer some advice, or may have gone through a similar thing. I have 40 credits to go to gain a degree in a creative discipline I really enjoy. It's taken me 7 years to get to this point, not necessarily because I found the coursework difficult, but because I have PTSD and have deferred at times for 1-2 years, just desperate to run away from the world. As a NZ citizen who arrived in Aus after the age of 18, I've never been eligible for FEE-HELP, and have paid the tuition fees at the start of every semester, which would have been okay (I worked out a financial plan at the start), except so many of the times I deferred it's been after census date and I've lost (and had to repay) the fees. So far the course has cost me almost 70K. It's a joke. In the past month or so I've felt myself slipping back into depression/panic and realising I need to make some major life changes. A main source of worry for me is that I am almost 34 and I don't have much money in savings. If I were to lose my reception job I would be screwed, and this really concerns me. I would still have to pay $8,000 in tuition fees to complete the degree, which is do-able, but won't leave me with much leftover each week, and frankly these tuition fees feel very burdensome. If I went ahead, I would finally be able to graduate in May 2019. I am considering exiting my course now and receiving a diploma, even though I am so close to the degree, but I do fear that after some time passes (and when I come out of this current bout of depression) that I will deeply regret the decision. I should also mention that my field relies on portfolio, networking and working for free/low pay/doing internships for a while - and this will be the same regardless of whether I have a diploma or a bachelors degree. If I were to take the diploma now, I could still start working toward freelance work in my field. I could build a healthy savings account, and perhaps rent a bigger flat so I could use a bedroom as a studio/office? But as I said above, I don't want to eventually regret not finishing the degree. I had hoped to pursue postgrad studies eventually (even if this sounds ridiculous to some because of how long/how impulsive I've been throughout my bachelors). I really don't know what to do and would appreciate any advice. Lizzie

Can anyone give me advice? Life’s getting so hard!

replies: 2

Hi to everyone who takes the time to read this and offers me some advice. I’m Jake, 30, from Melbourne and this is my first post. I have had anxiety/depression since around age 15 and I can’t remember a time when I’ve been genuinely happy for more than a few days or so. Nearly 3 years ago my fiancé and I separated after 10 years together and we have shared custody of our nearly 4 year old son. I don’t really have any major life events to share that would explain why I have depression apart from a relationship break down, but who hasn’t had that? I was also depressed before we separated anyway! I’ve tried different meds for different lengths of time. Had counselling off and on. Always left disappointed that after a small amount of time I’m always back to my negative thoughts and back to being down. I have no interests, no hobbies and feel pretty worthless. No knowledge on specific topics. Pretty much feel enferior to everyone I meet. I have social anxiety, I’m lonely - live alone and always feel like there is no point to my life aside from my son who I am lucky enough to have care of him 50% of the time. I truely do love him so much and I am grateful to be a big part of his life and vice versa, but I still feel like my mental health is just on a constant downward spiral. I could never do anything to harm myself as I can’t bare the thought of not being there for my son, although I still feel like I am headed closer and closer to a point where I have a break down or just get in my car one day and drive and see how far I can go. I guess I’m just after a bit of advice to keep my going, keep me getting out of bed and putting one foot in front of the other. I expect the typical response where people will suggest to go back to my GP and think of my son when I’m down and keep your chin up etc. I appreciate the efforts to help but isn’t there something more? Is there an end to this constant pain? It feels so permanent. I feel like I’m not asking for much, find someone to love and have a career that is satisfying. Two things my life is lacking from currently but I’m just so un motivated to go get it. Sorry this message is pretty sloppy and all over the place. Thanks for reading. Help?

just not sure

replies: 3

Hi, I am not sure whether I have depression but probably for the past year especially the last couple of months I haven't felt like myself and really just been questioning what I am doing. I have been around people who have depression and I always try to be a support system and I am known as the positive person but I feel like when I am by myself I'm not that person and underneath I'm not that happy person. As my family has already had to deal with one case of depression I don't wont to have them worry about me as well. Since I don't know what depression is I don't want to come across as dramatising mt situation or being attention seeking but I just really am not happy and what I once was motivated for and enjoyed I don't anymore. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to overcome this by myself before it turns into anything more serious or if there is a way I can better determine whether I have depression. Sorry, if this seems like a dumb question, I am just really unsure because I think I also am just so used to thinking of myself as the positive person and thinking of myself having depression is really new to me. I would just really like to know how other people came to realise that they needed help.

Finding work

replies: 8

Is it just me or it is really hard for graduates to find permanent work. I have been volunteering in 2 jobs and doing an internship and still get rejection letters. I tailor My resume and cover letter for each Job. Does anyone have good tips on how t... View more

Brain overload

replies: 2

Hi All Does anyone else experience their brain freezing or you blank out for a second when you are thinking of 3 things at once (and you can't stop the racing in your head) and you are constantly on the go. I then feel a bit disorientated for a second and progressively end up exhausted both with my brain and body. By evening my arms or legs will spasm a few times. One of my colleagues experiences the same as also the son of a friend of mine. All 3 of us has anxiety depression. Is this a common experience? Can anyone explain more please? Thanks you

Frustrated over dsp

replies: 2

After just being refused DSP. I'm struggling to understand how I'm meant to work with my mental and physical issues. Diagnosed with ptsd, depression,anxiety a behavior disorder and show traits of autism plus I have COPD, Vertigo and autoimmune thyroid disease. Centrelnk have told me i have to do 8hrs a week work. Im on newstart which is tough to live on in normal circumstances, but throw in all the medication i have each month its not realistic. I had a job i loved but it put me in hospital with pneumonia. Have been on centrelink medical certificates since then. I know there's alot of bludgers out there but surely with all the medical evidence i supplied to centrelink i cannot be classed the same. The Australian government has and always will treat mental health as a joke, unless its voting time ofcourse

Stuck in mud

replies: 15

Hello - I’m a newbie on this forum. I’m a senior, with no family and little outside support. I’ve been struggling with depression and anxiety for quite a while now. I have really bad days but do have some reasonably good days too so I’m all over the place. I’m recognising in myself huge lacks in motivation, self-discipline and with waaay too much procrastination about doing what I know will help me so I can move on. I’ve felt so bad for so long I don’t know how to be any other way. I almost have this feeling of being uncomfortable to be happy again - I’m stuck in a BIG rut. Can someone please help?

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

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

How do I help replies: 3

I'm new, not sure how this works replies: 3

My Bipolar and helping my partner understand replies: 3

I feel like I have to choose between finishing my degree, and making short-term financial stability a priority replies: 4

Can anyone give me advice? Life’s getting so hard! replies: 2

just not sure replies: 3

Finding work replies: 8

Brain overload replies: 2

Frustrated over dsp replies: 2

Stuck in mud replies: 15