Welcome and Orientation

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Meet your community champions!

replies: 14

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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(Deep Breath) OK. Here I Go...

replies: 5

Hi there, My name is Sydney and I suffer from lifelong "chemical" depression, diagnosed 25+ years ago. I need help and support. Can someone tell me the best way to find support here? I would like to talk to somebody, but I don't know how to start. Coming onto a forum like this scares me because understanding the forum and where to go seems like one more problem I don't have the strength to solve. I get overwhelmed so easily these days. I feel like I am walking into a very large gathering where I don't know anybody. I believe that there are people here I can talk to but I don't know where to start.

Bookmarking threads

replies: 9

Hi, I think it would be useful to be able to bookmark the threads that you may have a response to but want to think about it a bit more. Especially as it is not possible to delete a post yourself. I do not know if this has been mentioned before. than... View more

How do I make a new post?

replies: 5

Hi everybody, Feeling a little silly as I cannot work out how to start a new post! I need some help pretty please! My post is about anxiety, feeling pressured into attending my son's graduation two plane trips away...and I'm stressed, terrified, confused...and don't know what to do! I desperately need to speak to like minded individuals, so again, please help me work out how to create a new post! TIA Sarah

Struggling, thoughts sending me in a shame spiral

replies: 12

Hi All, First time ever posting on an internet forum. Hard even to continue typing.... I had a mental breakdown about 6 years back now. It drove my relationship with my now wife to breaking point. I was put on medication by my Doctor and was told to seek Counciling. I never did and ended taking myself off the medication after a month or so as i felt i didnt need it and it effecting me. Since then everything has been peachy, married my wife and life has been great.........until now. I feel myself relapsing. Ive booked into a GP today and hopefully can get referred to someone asap i hate this feeling of nothingness. No emotions (except complete sadness), no feelings towards my wife and i hate it. A week ago we were all lovey dovey and going out the movies and having lunch at cafes, and just like the flick of a switch its all gone for me. i feel like im on auto pilot! I just want to be back to normal. My bubbly self, my feelings for my wife. I have told her i feel and she is trying to support me as best she can, i just feel so bad and upset that im putting her through this all over again

I've Just Joined.

replies: 4

Hi All I am new to all of this. I decided to take the first step in reaching out to others who suffer from mental illness. Although society would tell you millions of people suffer such illnesses but most of the time you feel like it is just you. I lost my mother 2 1/2 months ago and we were extremely close. This has been the most difficult time of my life and I feel lost and alone. Having people around does not make you feel less alone. I have a dog who is everything to me and he and I share time together. He knows she is gone and he did a short period of grieving too. Amazing how dogs can know something has changed and that person we no longer visit on a daily basis. I would be lost without him to come home to. I look forward to sharing stories, reading yours, and chatting.

Hi i m UnhappyThoughts

replies: 1

Hi I m sad and lonely I m trying to socialize more but don't know how to. I mean with others aged between 25 to 29 years old. I suffer from Psychosis , Depression and Anxiety plus I got Anger issues I also got no friends at all everyone at school wer... View more

Why do I keep self imploding

replies: 3

Hi not sure what to write or say, I've suffered depression for many years, I thought I had it beat, but, alas not the case. Have finally made an appointment for counselling and have decided to be completely honest and forth-write. Time for all the sk... View more

Hello, I’m new here.

replies: 2

Hi, i don’t know where to start but I’m in my late 20s, married and I have a beautiful daughter. I was diagnosed with anxiety after the birth of my daughter, about a year ago. I was scared, I didnt know what was happening to me. I would be sitting on the couch just watching tv and out of nowhere I would be trying to catch my breath, my heart would be racing and I would think I was about to die. Little did I know I had anxiety. I have tried talking to a therapist but honestly I didn’t find it helpful at all. I stopped going and I try to face each day with my emotions, my out of control throughts myself. Each day I feel like I am fighting a battle with my mind. Each day I feel like how do I stop this. Im trying very hard to keep positive and I’m trying to manage my anxiety but techniques I have been taught. i hope I can connect with new people on here

Hello

replies: 9

Hi everyone, I am new here and a little nervous but also relieved to find a place where I can express my pain/anxiety/loneliness. I guess to start, I experience anxiety daily, panic attacks and trauma related anxiety. I grew up in an abusive home and became very self destructive as a teenager. After highschool I began working and i enjoyed it for a while, I dropped out of uni and felt like I had some control over my life, but unfortunately I trusted the wrong people. I was sexually assaulted multiple times in my early 20's and felt very afraid of people and also very afraid of life. I stopped being able to work and relied a lot on Centrelink, I felt so much shame in not being able to work. I finally decided to study in my later 20's and managed to earn a degree as of last year, despite enormous panic attacks and anxiety which made me nearly quit almost daily. Now I am starting a new job tomorrow, it is part time and in the field I wanted but I feel nothing but anxiety. I don't often feel happy and still living at home in my 30's is tough on me mentally. I want to find a way to find happiness in everyday things, I don't need much, but I struggle immensely as I never socialise because I can't seem to really connect in a meaningful way with people anymore. I hope to find some comfort here. Thank you for reading Kay

Stuck without direction

replies: 2

I guess I'll start off by introducing myself. I'm a 22 year old male currently on a hiatus from university, due to reasons that will hopefully become clear soon enough. This is my first time seeking any real help, as I've thought in the past that I can just push through all this stuff. Apparently I can't. Anyway, on to the point. I suppose I should start at the trigger. My Mother died in late 2014. Initially being surrounded by friends and family helped me in dealing with the grief. However, as I had found a new job working the night shift at a local factory a few weeks following the funeral, I was focusing more on the job than dealing with my grief. Essentially I was bottling up any emotion from the event and lost contact with most of my friends and family. Having saved a modest amount of money for university I moved there in February. I made some success in making friendships from my time living on campus, owing to my anxiety though I really felt more isolated than ever. But at least my grades were good..? Midway through my first year on campus I first felt things begin to crumble. I suppose the grief finally caught up to me? Having lost interest in my degree, most other aspects of my life over the last 3 years have also begun to fade. My grades dropped first. I lost all interest in dating, not that there was anything to draw experience from. My physical appearance is now one of my least concerns, as I've gained ~20kgs (to ~130kg at 6'5") over 2015-2018. My finances have also taken a hit, living off benefits and barely scraping by - I've had to ask my Dad and step-Mother for help on several occasions. Over this time I've taken to the habit of sleeping/napping during the day (an artifact of my time on night shift), blocking myself from most day time events. Additionally I've taken up my high school habit of playing WoW, which I thought might assist me in the social aspect, but has only served to hinder me further. I'm finding the act of playing games to also be a chore now. I guess what I'm saying is that I am definitely not enjoying my situation. I think I know the things I know I need to do. I need to: - Find a job. - Sleep at the right times. - Eat the right things. - Exercise. - See someone about my depression and anxiety. - See a GP about my general health. - Get my finances in order. - Finish my degree. - Etc. I just don't know where or how to start. Everything I NEED to do is compounding into stress. I just need some guidance. Please.

Meet your community champions! replies: 14

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

(Deep Breath) OK. Here I Go... replies: 5

Bookmarking threads replies: 9

How do I make a new post? replies: 5

Struggling, thoughts sending me in a shame spiral replies: 12

I've Just Joined. replies: 4

Hi i m UnhappyThoughts replies: 1

Why do I keep self imploding replies: 3

Hello, I’m new here. replies: 2

Hello replies: 9

Stuck without direction replies: 2