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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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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.

I think I ruined my life and now it's too late

replies: 4

I just don't know, sometimes it feels the world conspires against you and there just isn't anything I can about it. I guess my mother was right, I'll never amount to anything because I'm useless, I'm 47 by the way, she's in a nursing home and I don't have any contact with her for my own mental health but sometimes I feel those words are spot on. My husband says I need to get a job because our finances are stretched so thin we can't afford for anything to go wrong but everything always does and I understand that. I've had jobs over the years starting in the clothing manufacturing industry that is basically non existent now and had a job working as phone customer service rep for a few years and that was the most anxiety producing job I have ever had, I quite for a number of reasons one of which I sunk into a deep depression/anxiety ridden hell and also had to have my gallbladder removed and found out I'm hypothyroid. I'm too fat and ugly to get past any interviews now and I dont want to go back to customer service. I've been trying painting as that's something I enjoy and was hoping to make some side money off that but today the reality set in that it is a hopeless endeavour. I tried to sell two painting on gumtree and facebook but haven't had any interest at all. I have no friends literally, I created my facebook in the hopes of using to sell paintings but have only one ex- aquaintance from my old job as a friend but that's ok I'm not into social media and really only created it for one use. The back neighbours which is a unit complex planted a massive tree on the fence line that grew into a monster and sent roots around our pool and under our concrete foundation ( I had a massive panic attack when I discovered it), it's also pushing on the fence which today partially collapsed. I've been in communication for almost 12months about the issues but it feels like they are just ignoring me hoping it will go away. They say work has been approved but that was before Christmas. We've had issues for the past 2 months to get our internet and phone line restored and dealing with both Optus and Telstra has been soul crushing, I ended up calling the ombusdman for that, hopefully at least that will get fixed eventually. It just feels like no one cares about us and we can't afford to do anything about it. Oh and last year I found an escort service on an old credit card statement while cleaning out papers, I haven't said anything because I don't trust myself to mess it all up further so I've kept to to myself for the last 6 months, I don't have anyone to confide to anyway, I decided I would try to put off processing this for now but it's still there bubbling up now and then. Honestly the list of things that contribute to how I currently feel is too long to post because there is much much more personal issues. Today I can't see a way out of my mess. I was really hoping I that selling artwork on the side was "my thing", i'm devastated that it's not. I thought if I could get one small success somewhere it would be like a sign I'm on the right track but the stupid thing never comes. I don't know what to do. Apologies if this post is not coherent, I have lot to get off my chest and I don't know what to do.

Hi

replies: 4

Hello everyone, I am Nini 4017 and new here. I will read only for now but I'm pleased to be here. I look forward getting to know you. Cbeers Nini 4017

Newbie

replies: 3

Hi everyone. Thought I’d post something for the first time. I was recently diagnosed with anxiety/ depression . I’ve suffered from anxiety for the past 25 years. Recently I had an irregular heartbeat on a couple of occasions. This tipped me over the edge, so I thought it was time to seek help. Over the years, I’ve always exercised, so when I thought this would be compromised by the irregular heartbeat, I just lost it . Anyway, I had a couple of tests on my heart, and they came back clear. But it turns out that I’m depressed. My shrink seems to think I’ve been depressed since I was a child. Not sure about that, but I know I’ve suffered from anxiety for years, and possibly as a child too. I was recently prescribed antidepressants, but I hated them. I was only on them for 5 days. They made me feel terrible. Anyway the doctor prescribed me some different ones, but I refused to take them until recently. I’ve been on them for the last week, and they made me feel ordinary for the first few days , but I’m feeling much better now. I’ve been ruminating lots . Can’t get songs out of my head , and also thoughts of hurting people. This horrifies me , as I know I wouldn’t hurt anyone. I told my shrink, who told me this is quite common in anxiety sufferers. Anyway , although it’s annoying, I’m feeling much better than before. And my anxiety symptoms aren’t nearly as bad as before either. For years I was light headed, and a dropping sensation in my chest. I could hardly walk straight at times. All these symptoms are all but gone. I cut out caffeine ( I was drinking 12 cups of tea a day) I have also cut out junk food, and make sure I drink heaps of water. I realise I’ve got a way to go yet , and I really want to get off the antidepressants down the track. It’s nice to be on here , and I hope everyone is well

Vent/need advice

replies: 3

Hey, I’m writing this at 5 am after being awake since 4. I seriously woke up feeling like something was really not right and I’ve felt anxious ever since. My legs and arms feel filled with adrenaline and I feel like my heart is in my throat. I have no idea how to deal with my anxiety, I don’t know if I even have legit anxiety to be honest! I don’t want to tell any of my friends because I know they’ll just say “same” or look at me funny like I want the attention. My family has a history of depression and anxiety, my grandma, aunties, mum, dad and brother have struggled with it. Last year after my best friend left with barely a warning I went and spoke to a community worker or someone who studied something and I never ever want to go there again.. She gave me zero advice and just pissed me off to be 100% honest 🤭 I’m the youngest child in my family and my parents are divorced, my siblings have moved away and mum just has so much work all the time and I don’t want to put her through my whole phase where I was just mentally occupied like last year again.. I have this friend and she’s got a heart of gold but she doesn’t understand how I feel and I can explain it to her because she’ll just talk about how much she can relate, you know? She’s one of those types that just has to have something wrong all the time?? She once said “omg maybe I have anxiety” I really want to talk to someone, but I never want to see that community worker again 🤭

New and hopeless

replies: 5

Hi all, I'm new. I'm 19 coming up on 20 in a few weeks. I have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety and a few other things. I was originally diagnosed when I was in high school, around the age of 14 but that was also the first time I'd ever been to a phsycologist so I'm not sure how long I have been like this. so anyway, getting to the point. A year and a bit ago I moved out of home and into a rental property with my partner who is the love of my life. At the time I had a full time job and was doing ok, and my partner received/s a descent centrelink allowance. Somewhere along that line I got so depressed and sucked into that black hole I got admitted to the hospital for suicidal ideation. I hadn't acted on the thoughts but I had plans. When I was admitted my partner, my phsycologist and I decided it was best for me to resign from my full time position so I did. So I was out of work and had no income of my own. About three months later my partner and I had to move out of the rental because we simply couldn't afford it. We are in a fair amount of debt now because of this. We are now moved into my partners mums house. Now we have a bedroom and one cupboard in the kitchen and laundry to store out thing a in, and boxes of everything we own in the shed. Now I live my partner, he is the love of my life and he goes through hell with me and I him but it's hard. His mum is one of those people who talks down to everyone and makes them feel like shit with a simple tone in her voice. Lovely lady, but she makes me feel so worthless and like absolute trash. Now I wasn't doing well with my depression when I got here but I can feel myself sinking further back into that hole. I still have no income because of my age and my parents income, my partner doesn't get that much considering, but can't find work. I love my boyfriend, and his mum. But living here with her making me feel like shit under her boot is killing me, but we have no where else to go. I'm too proud to move back in with my parents and we have no money either way so we are stuck. To top it all off my boyfriends depression is getting worse because he feels like he's failing me. It's a never ending cycle, we both feel so down in the dumps that we can't help each other much and his mum making everything that but worse whenever she opens her mouth. Advice? I'm so lost here. I'm so scared that I'm being sucked down that hole again and each day is getting worse. Any help is appreciated

I feel like I’m dying

replies: 3

I suffer with extreme anxiety surrounding my health mainly. I haven’t slept the past 2 weeks ive had certain gynaecological symptoms and have it in my head I’m dying of ovarian cancer and have possibly months to live... I’m scared and feel out of con... View more

Perhaps I could use a few people to talk to?

replies: 12

Hi All, new here, located in Melbourne, kind of new to openly discussing mental health too in fact. Avoiding a long story I'll introduce myself like this; middle aged, wife and two kids, reasonable career in technology and struggled with mental health most of my life. There. That should do it. More seriously, I've probably suffered ADHD and Depression most of my life but in recent years my marriage and career have suffered, blame the mid-life crisis I does. Being treated again for the fourth time (bouts of depression and treatment, or 'time') and hoping to strike the right balance. Fourth time's the charm, or something? Up to this point my mother has been the only person who really understands what's going on because she suffers too. Everyone else around me nods politely and has no idea, so I stopped talking about it for a long time. Last year my son was diagnosed with ADHD and i worry that he'll suffer the same way I did without the right support and guidance. As an aside it's been a funny old week. On Monday I was approached about a new role at work, awesome, and this morning I was in a car accident (not my fault fortunately) and I spent the morning sitting at home coming down from the adrenaline. You might say this was the final nudge I needed to join up. So, here I am, looking to improve my mental well-being and arm myself and my family with some tools to keep us all in good shape. Looking forward to talking with you all. Hi! *waves*

Meet your community champions! replies: 13

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

feeling overwhelmed and lonely replies: 11

Depressed and Bored replies: 1

Survival replies: 2

I think I ruined my life and now it's too late replies: 4

Hi replies: 4

Newbie replies: 3

Vent/need advice replies: 3

New and hopeless replies: 5

I feel like I’m dying replies: 3

Perhaps I could use a few people to talk to? replies: 12