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 Me

replies: 5

Hey all, So I am 27 yo single mother to a 6yo boy. My clinical "diagnosis" are Depression, Borderline Personality Disorder and Aspergers Syndrome. The short and sweet of my issues are: -Feeling like I'm not good enough. -I OVERTHINK everything A lot of the time, like tonight, I will just hit points where I'm flat and miserable and dealing with this horrible yucky feeling inside that is so uncomfortable. Sometimes things will be triggering sometimes I will just have an episode. So I don't really have any friends, except people on Facebook.

Needing help and support

replies: 3

Hey my name is Tim. I have been struggling for some years with several items. Self love, expressing myself and opening up myself to other people, bottling up feelings because I don't want to burden others with my problems. On the outside I always try to be happy but some days I can't even get out of bed. I have been in a relationship that had been very unstable and ended up with me turning violent and being charged I now live with my brother his partner and kid in a two bedroom apartment. I also had leg surgery and cannot walk or drive for six weeks. I'm not allowed near my partner or my house and even before I met her I would go in and out of moods. I also am without a job currently, I understand it is my fault I feel ashamed in myself for not being big enough to address these issues within my self sooner. I want to better myself and get in control and be able to have healthy relationships going forward. Any help or advice anyone has would be greatly appreciated and I look forward to the day that I can help others make it to the other side. Thank you all.

Hi!

replies: 1

Hi, I am rather nervous about posting on here as I don't usually feel comfortable with telling other people my issues unless I fully trust them and sadly there is currently no one who fits the criteria. I suffer from anxiety and depression, everyone ... View more

Introducing myself

replies: 9

Hi everyone. I am a retired librarian and have been living with mental illness since my teens. Have self medicated with drugs and alcohol till I was diagnosed with Bi-Polar Disorder at forty years of age, Found an incredibly good psychiatrist who has managed my medication and I am really well and settled now. Still have the odd anxiety attack but assistance from an excellent psychologist has helped me with that. I feel that I am very fortunate to have found health professionals who are smart and caring. I have joined the BB forums to help other (if I can) in their struggle with this illness.Best wishes Johnno

New here

replies: 2

Hi guys so I've just joined this forum. I've spent years reading through people's personal opinions, situations & struggles however i have never posted anything in my life. I have a lot of trouble opening up to people and i have even more trouble wit... View more

No friends at all

replies: 8

I have had this sick realisation I don't really have any friends at all since I was 17. I just turned 23 and feel really bad about it. I feel like no one would genuinely want to be friends with me because I don't have some already. I have tried to meet others but as soon as they know they disappear. I don't have depression or anxiety however I feel if I don't get some friends into my life, I could very well sink into depression. As a child I use to be extremely quiet and shy. I am still very quiet now however I am told I carry myself confidently (so I got told from job interviews that my presentation was impressive) I have a full time job so that keeps me busy enough usually. My family and boyfriend don't understand how I don't have any. They say I'm intelligent, humble, pretty and hardworking so there should be no reason I have such difficulty in making friends. I have put in effort when I was in uni actively trying to talk to others gone to meetups etc with no results. What should I do? For the past year I've been feeling like an alien, there's something wrong with me and it cannot be fixed.

Hello, Im new and ready to make a difference

replies: 7

This is another step on my personal journey towards a more positive and healthier lifestyle for myself. I'm very much out of my comfort zone and would love to connect with like minded people. Any tips/ suggestions and support greatly appreciated. Hav... View more

I sometimes go to an inner dark place

replies: 17

Hello, I have always had an inner dark place which I try to avoid but can’t always manage to stay away from. Posting here is a huge step for me, as it is for most of you. I have a family history of mental health issues and deep depression and saw, heard and experienced things during childhood which I then seemed to carry some of onto adulthood. There is no blame here, It is what it is. Past years have bought highs and lows (as they do to everyone) and visiting the dark inner place seemed to serve a purpose from which I always managed to emerge from. This year some extreme lows, have left me feeling totally isolated and bereft. I have at times feared that I would totally unravel and not be able to find my way back. Darker thoughts, personal issues and an awful tragedy have been eating away and recent feelings of absolute un bearable sadness, low self worth, self depreciation and regret for some past major decisions was leading me to much darker areas. Somehow I seem to manage to escape from this terrible place. I constantly tell myself I will be OK and that I must change. My dilemma is how can I change who and what I am. On a good day I actually quite like who I am, even with my short-comings. On a bad day I wonder who the hell I am. Today is a better day, but yesterday I was in the abyss after a couple of really bad weeks leading to a dire week-end. How can these feelings sometimes change so fast? I really appreciate days like today. I feel nearly normal (whatever that is) and I hope that every day I will feel like this. There is so much I have to be thankful for, I cannot comprehend why I feel so hopeless sometimes.

So tired of being homeless

replies: 26

So many years I have been homeless. I'm so tired. I can't go to housing as I can't handle towns and cities. If only housing had bush blocks where I could build a shelter and just be me. Trouble is I don't know me,I'm so tired of the hand I've been de... View more

I don't know what to do anymore.

replies: 3

I can't get my depression and anxiety out in a healthy way, and it annoys me, because ive tried, but i keep hurting people that i love and that hurts me even more.

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

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

New Me replies: 5

Needing help and support replies: 3

Hi! replies: 1

Introducing myself replies: 9

New here replies: 2

No friends at all replies: 8

Hello, Im new and ready to make a difference replies: 7

I sometimes go to an inner dark place replies: 17

So tired of being homeless replies: 26

I don't know what to do anymore. replies: 3