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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New here & job loss due to company changes

replies: 2

Hi I’m new here because I’m feeling broken, lost and hopeless after being let go on the spot from my job due to changes in the company structure as my management role was no longer required. Though they have split what I used to do into 2 part time roles that they’ve just advertised. As small business there is no redundancy package. I live in a country town where there aren’t many jobs. I have lost all faith in my abilities, feel broken as can’t stop crying with a very heavy heart and my friends seem to have disappeared. I now have to move out of my rental as well so totally crushed. I really want to be positive but the more I focus on trying to be, the worse I get...? Does this make sense..???? Thank you for reading

Just Wanting to say hi

replies: 4

Hi. I'd like to leave my name anonymous. I suffer from social anxiety and mild depression. I have recently had a acquaintance who is suicidal and diagnosed with Severe Depression. While taking care of of this individual, my depression has been triggered. I don't feel like studying and working. I used to work out and exercise a lot, but all I do now is stay in bed and stay home for most days. I don't have motivation to do much. I find that I am eating more junk food as well. I study and work part time, but I am really overwhelmed with everything. There is a lot I wish to do in a short amount of time, but at the moment, it is really overwhelming.

Depressed and feel like I've tried everything

replies: 2

Hi Everyone, This is my first post in a a forum - at the moment I'm trying anything and everything to move forward. Long story short - I'm 26, I was diagnosed with depression at 19 and it has been on/off since then. I started on anti-depressants at 19 and have more or less been on them the whole time, have seen psychologists on/off and have recently started seeing an acupuncturist. In more detail-I'm working in a very toxic environment at the moment (Thankfully I should be returning to my old role within a month) but until then I feel bullied nearly everyday (but I don't think it's enough to involve hr) - I do think I take a lot of things too personally and can't take criticism very well. Lately even on anti depressants and everything I've been crying everyday and something small will usually trigger this. Today it was my manager telling me I'd completed this task wrong but he has such an odd/rude way of telling you. It's almost as if he wants to put me down? He always asks rhetorical questions and then when I answer I get 'told off' and he already knew the answer before he asked the question (that I'd done the wrong thing) god I sound like I'm in primary school and am getting told off by a teacher..... I usually just keep the things I say back minimal but today I had had enough I just said (in an assertive tone) it's not a big deal I'll just fix it - he definitely didn't like that response. After this disagreement I was nearly in tears,thankfully it was just before I was meant to leave for the day. I was driving home and wanted to see my friend but he way busy - this set me off - I cried all the way home (about an hour),my dad called and I had to tell him I'd speak to him later (because I was choking my words from crying) so now he's going to be worried (he knows about my issues at work/depression but I feel so selfish for worrying him since I'm 26 I should be able to look after myself). (That rant went on longer than intended...) So essentially I'm after some advice of what to do next? I'm thinking of joining a support group in Melbourne but I am also studying part time so that might be difficult to get to....I just need to learn to not take things so personally...my job really isn't helping at all but it's not just that things friends will say/do offend me when I know they had no intention of hurting me .... for example I have a lot of pregnant friends and all I can think is that that'll never be me I'm destined to be alone.... Thank you in advance

new and don't know what to do

replies: 3

Hi, I've just joined and I am completely lost. That is I dont know where to post anything. I'm 65 and alone and like things in boxes with labels, so you can see it and than decide what to do from there. Some people have described this as OCD, I will ... View more

Lonely & no where else to turn

replies: 4

Hi, I Joined this forum in hopes of feeling less alone and reaching out to people in some form. I am 23 years old, work full time and study at uni as well. The last 4 months of my life have been hell. I have been in a legal battle with my sister, lost thousands of dollars and my house that we both owned and lived in in the process. I feel so alone as my sister was all i ever had, now she has turned on me because she wanted money. Currently my house is on the market for sale, I am in the process of trying to find somewhere to live as I have no friends or family. My relationship has fallen apart as my depression during this time got out of control. I feel like my life is spiralling downwards and I have nothing left to live for, I have lost my sister and the person I thought I could spend the rest of my life with. I dont know how to make friends, i have never really had any and i am extremely shy. I do not have parents either. I feel so lost and alone in the world and dont know how to turn things around.

Hello from a newbie

replies: 5

Hi All, I’m 33, single, live with my fur baby (dog) in Victoria. I live 4.5 hours away from my family, have a few friends locally and am also studying to make a better life for myself. At present my biggest stress is work. I am a team leader of a customer service team and at the moment my role is highly stressful (were at peak time) and I am not getting much support from my managers and above. I work my guts out and feel like I am never good enough for them - feedback received earlier in the week cemented this feeling. My psychologist and GP have suggested I take some extended leave (not financially viable) or look at work cover (hesitant to do as I have been there before and it is not nice). So right now I’m just feeling overwhelmed, stressed and disenchanted. I’m here to talk to people who are also experiencing life’s challenges and to help others when I can. Thanks for reading!

Feeling alone and don't know how to change

replies: 7

I'm going through something at the moment and feel alone. I don't have any friends or people to turn to other than my mum who lives an hour away and we aren't very close. My sister is preoccupied with a new relationship and hasn't been as interested in me lately which upsets me too. Again my family and I have never been very close so we struggle with communication. We are there for each other though mostly. I have struggled with depression and anxiety for most of my life. I'm 30 and have been with my partner for 4 years and we decided last night that we should probably end things due to my intimacy and lack of affection issues. It's very sad and breaks my heart but I don't know how to change or how to move on. Neither of us want things to end but I can't force myself to break out of this bubble I'm in. Part of me feels like this is just who I am and all I want is companionship but part of me feels like I have built a huge wall and I have no idea how to break through it. I want us both to be happy maybe that means not together. I feel so alone and have no friends. I have had friends in the past who I worked with. But as soon as we no longer work together I never hear from them again. Which upsets me greatly as I like most want to be liked and loved. Want to be sought out by people who want to spend the time. But nobody seems to want to spend the time on me. I am very thoughtful and sweet, but also funny and kind hearted. But I fear I'm becoming bitter and not wanting try, not wanting to give anymore because I receive nothing in return. But I have an undying hope that one day I will find my place. Work is probably going under soon too so I will have to face a lot of changes all at once. End of relationship, figuring out where i will live, changing jobs and trying not to fall into the abyss. I have tried therapy before and it rarely works because I feel very indifferent most of the time but self aware of all the things I need to change. I also struggle with being happy with what I have, worrying about what I will be and what I'm not. I am always thinking I can never shut my mind of so I sleep a lot because I enjoy it but also to avoid everything I don't know how to deal with. Thank you for those who take the time to read this. I'm really stuck and don't know what will become of me but it's better out than in.

feeling overwhelmed and lonely

replies: 11

Hello there. My first posting, hope you're all having a lovely day, or at least that there is one thing lovely in your day I have dealt with anxiety my whole life but I have really only started to tackle this in the last year or so after a breakup with my last partner. She also had anxiety/depression but much more severe, and at the end of that relationship I felt I had in a way taken on a lot of this depression, had stopped talking to people and making new friends. Over the last couple of years I have made an enormous effort to make friends and reconnect with people. Sometimes it has been very very hard but I feel in a place now where I have a decent amount of nice friends and even acquaintances that I can see every now and then. I have also seen a psychologist and been on a few medications and tried mindfulness, yoga, and a lot of reading about these issues. I am still struggling though. I have ongoing anxiety, and have a problem with insomnia which becomes worse when I’m stressed. And this spirals into worrying about looking tired and not wanting to go out, and more anxiety, and more insomnia, you know the drill! I have had a terrible crush on someone for a long while now. But I think I have finally worked out that the person does not have an interest in me, and perhaps I don’t even think we would be good together. While this may be a good thing to realise, having realised this I have felt just terrible over the last few days, dealing with residual feelings of attraction and rejection. Almost like I have broken up with someone, and like I will never be with anyone and there is something wrong with me. I feel terribly lonely. I started reading the forums and it made me feel a little like I wasnt alone in this kind of feeling, so that is why I decided to post today. Another thing I really struggle with is social media. It seems mandatory to use it these days and I feel I would have missed out on a lot of events and planning with my friends if I was not on it. But it has often descended into an obsession of constant checking and rechecking, I get anxious whenever I post or message someone on there, going over and over in my head whether I have said the right thing/how I could have said something better/whether the joke I made may be taken as an insult, etc. I feel like social media should make connecting easier but it makes it harder for me. Does anyone else have this ridiculous problem?! How do you deal with it?

Depressed and Bored

replies: 1

So I’ve been feeling sad for a couple of months now. I think the reason is because of boredom of a weekly routine that repeats itself without having anything to look forward to or be excited about, not even my own birthday (which is in a couple of weeks). It’s also because I struggle to get close to my parents and when I do they get angry and blame me for feeling sad and I sometimes hear them say how much a burden I am and they don’t notice how hurtful it feels to hear that, they expect me to happy without any motivation and don’t make an effort to cheer me up. I think I have depression but have not been properly diagnosed, yet I do tend to have harmful thoughts pop in my head quite frequently now. I’ve been seeing a therapist for a short period of time and am working on my depressed feelings and anxiety with her and I hope this really helps me. I’m a teenager and was wondering if anyone felt the same way and if so, could you give me some advice on how to deal with it. Thanks

Survival

replies: 2

Does anybody know how to make your income commensurate with the cost of living ? I stick of dynamite can only be stable as long as conditions allow.

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

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

New here & job loss due to company changes replies: 2

Just Wanting to say hi replies: 4

Depressed and feel like I've tried everything replies: 2

new and don't know what to do replies: 3

Lonely & no where else to turn replies: 4

Hello from a newbie replies: 5

Feeling alone and don't know how to change replies: 7

feeling overwhelmed and lonely replies: 11

Depressed and Bored replies: 1

Survival replies: 2