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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Nobody Understands.

replies: 1

Hi All, Where to start..... I am 42 and have been diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety about 8 years ago. Struggling to find the help/talk I need from people who actually UNDERSTAND what I am going through. Friends always say "I'm here when you want to chat"....results in "have a beer mate, she'll be right". Family just say "harden up Kev". I have always been inconsistent with work and have lost jobs due to not turning up. Recently (NOV 2016) I was assaulted by my partners uncle and was almost killed...he was let off with a $2,000 fine and no criminal charge. Things got worse after that....partners family blamed me....yet I was sober as I was looking after our 4 kids (3 hers, 1 ours together). I lost my job of 2 years due to recovery time off and 6 weeks ago my partner and I split over this...... I have been seeing a Psyc but she just seems to see dollar signs and won't see me for another two weeks... Yes, I have had suicidal thoughts but will not introduce this as I have a beautiful son... STUCK!!!

My intro

replies: 2

Hi all Not sure how intros should go so well see I'm 29 work for an IT company ride motorcycles. I've been to see the head doc suffer from anxiety and depression I dealt with mild depression for as long as I can remember but 5 years ago a death in the family of someone I held very dear and a failed long term relationship 2 months afterwards really sent me off the deep end. Since then its been a bit of a spiral down into just being numb Currently taking meds and have been for the better part of a year. They help with anxiety but not much else currently looking at changing

Hi, Newbie and Unsure of how this world works.

replies: 2

Hi All, New here, not new to the fact that beyound blue helps my state of anxiety. Only newly found of about 3 years but since ive been a teeny teen.. Ive known that i have been somewhat different. Ive NEVER joined a forum before and dont even know w... View more

Introducing myself

replies: 8

Hi everyone, I am an almost 50 year old from Brisbane. Lost my Mum at age 7, and since then have battled with undiagnosed mental health issues until recently when I was diagnosed with BPD, Anxiety and Depression. For me, applying labels to my situation makes it easier to accept, but right now I am struggling with massive reservations about returning to a new job after 12 months off work with a back injury. I found this forum and feel that it really might help me to stay relatively well, and perhaps by being transparent and sharing my experiences some of you may benefit as well. Great to be here, and thanks.

Cloud

replies: 5

hi.

Need to bounce thoughts off someone

replies: 2

Hey, I'm Nay & I'm 19. Basically I'm here because I don't really know what's wrong with me recently, but I know that I feel like crap 99% of the time. To give you some context, I've always described myself as passionate, motivated, ambitious, generous and kind. I've never really had anxiety and have always been quite a confident person. Had a bit of a run in with (what I think was) depression when I was 14/15 but have been okay ever since. Recently, I've just been so unmotivated about just EVERYTHING. My job, which I adore, feels like a mammoth effort to get through any shift and I had to defer uni because I was just like "nah" with all the course work and assessments and then failed everything (family disappointment right here). I am constantly tired, but can't sleep at night, I literally have to drive myself to the point of exhaustion before I can fall asleep because I can turn out the light at 11pm and not sleep at all because my brain won't shut the hell up. I get so anxious over really small things that I've never had issues with before, but then I also am SO apathetic to things that I should care about. My boss sat me down the other day and said "I'm disappointed in the way you did this this and this" (totally warranted by the way I screwed up a few things pretty badly) and people being disappointed in me has always been something that I cannot deal with and will get my butt moving to improve on whatever I messed up, but this time I was just like "ok cool I disappointed you like I disappoint myself on a daily basis what's new". The deferring uni thing has really messed me up I think, because I was always told as a kid "Not going to university is not an option" but I have hated it from the very first day. I stuck it out for 1.5 years before I was on the verge of actually offing myself because of how awful it was and was like "this is ridiculous" and deferred a semester to get myself together, but ever since then I've just spiralled and now I don't think I can go back at all. Like, yeah I'm feeling like shit now but I was feeling a hundred percent worse when I was in uni. Basically at the moment I close my eyes every night hoping that I don't wake up the next day. I've tried to combat this by filling the near future with things I'm looking forward to, concerts, holidays etc but nothing has worked & every time I go to speak to someone about this my throat closes up and my brain forgets the English language.

Hello

replies: 3

Finding it hard to get help. When I'm at my lowest point I'm not seeking help often choosing to be alone, often I'm not realizing I'm there. When I'm OK its easy to talk but counselors don't see me at my low point and advice they give when I'm coping is always go to a happy place remember happy thoughts happy times, yea I so want to tell them where they can shove that. Its 3:30am and I have been trying to write here for 2hrs and I feel lost, what to write, I want to sleep, I want a night without nightmares I'm an adult who fears sleeping. I'm not at my low point in my cycle but its now I ask for help and struggle to get it, later when I need it I'm not looking for it often choosing to isolate myself and if help is offered I'm not recognizing it when I need it the most. I recognize I have depression and have had it for years and I keep changing how I deal with it but I'm at a loss and desperate because its affecting my work, my family and the damage is both financial and relationships which feeds back quickening my cycle. And in the last few months some things have over stressed me for no logical reason, its world mental health day so I have made a decision to try again for help.

New and Looking For Help

replies: 3

Hi, I'm a 30 year old woman and this is my first post here. From as far back as I can remember I have suffered with mental health issues. My memories of my anxiety are vivid. Even as an adult I can remember how helpless, lonely and depressed I felt as a 10 year old girl sitting on the lounge in tears being unable to communicate to my parents how lonely and worthless I felt. I never understood myself to be suffering from mental illness until I sought help whilst studying at university. I was always told by well-meaning family that I felt the way I did because I was overweight or because I was introverted. To most people around me mental health was equivalent to insanity; the kind of vision-fueled schizophrenia they've seen acted out by deranged serial killers on television. As I matured and grew more intelligent I learned that how I feel is unhealthy but I've felt this way for so long now that I don't know who I am or how to change it. Earlier this year my father passed away from an aggressive form of blood cancer. After his passing my mother and I made the decision to move so that we could start fresh. I transferred to another state and have a new home. We came here with the mindset of changing our lifestyles but I still feel like I'm locked in some sort of cage I can't get out of. Before now my way of coping with my issues was to build my life around avoiding them. Putting myself out there is too frightening and friendships are too hard to maintain so I don't have any. I'm so afraid of being judged that I've only ever had one boyfriend and now I'm a 30 year old virgin. I am petrified of making phone calls. Just doing something that makes me feel uncomfortable sends my blood pressure so high that I frighten doctors when they test me. My weight is out of control, I have a real problem with spending money and I'm worried that I've become addicted to pain killers. I just feel this huge sense of worthlessness and helplessness. And it's so frustrating, you know? I am an intelligent, strong woman but I've somehow locked myself in this cage. Now I find myself with nothing in my life except for my job and my job is not satisfying enough to distract me from what I've become. I'm sick of feeling so scared and useless all the time. I want to have freedom and find success but I just can't move forward. I really don't know what to do.

Meercat..Thankyou for Welcome

replies: 3

Dropping in to say thankyou for the help and welcome guys/gals. A few days ago I wasnt sure what a BB forum was about however i joined and soon welcoming, caring messages popped onto my phone. Im still finding my way in and out of BB rooms. Iwish we'd had BB years ago. The health forums are really helpful and I like the cooking and computer posts as well. How about you? Ps. i think there was a thread to put this before but sorry i cant find it. Cheers meercat

Drowning

replies: 4

I feel like I’m drowning and everyone is watching but no ones trying to save me. I’m struggling to be here, I want to drift away. I can’t escape this emotional roller coaster of my life.

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

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

Nobody Understands. replies: 1

My intro replies: 2

Hi, Newbie and Unsure of how this world works. replies: 2

Introducing myself replies: 8

Cloud replies: 5

Need to bounce thoughts off someone replies: 2

Hello replies: 3

New and Looking For Help replies: 3

Meercat..Thankyou for Welcome replies: 3

Drowning replies: 4