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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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NumB

replies: 8

Firstly. Thankyou if your taking your time to read this.It's been a while since I've been here. I haven't been feeling any good of late...well, this is the thing, I feel...nothing. My weights almost at 130kgs and my skin is falling and whats most worrying is that i don't care.I've withdrawn from my kids and family, I'm snappy, I rave on and on about the same stuff to my teenagers.I'm tired and everything's an effort, that I don't understand the meaning of.I'm so alone.I often do think, it'd be better for everyone, if I just stayed out of the way (permanently) And here's the kicker. I'm a social worker ...

Emotionally and Mentally Struggling

replies: 7

I am 54, been living with my Partner for 12 years, we have a 10 year old Daughter. I am also the full time Carer of my 14 year old Granddaughter. I work part-time as a Support Worker (Aged Care) I married at 18 (we had 2 kids) divorced after 8 years due to DV (4 months in shelter) Had another 10 year relationship (1 kid) I ended that because I only saw him on the weekend, and at that time I felt that just wasn't enough. I had a few short relationships, then let my current Partner move in after 6 months. I care about him, but am not happy. We don't really have anything in common, and I have no interest is sex anymore. I've been on medication for Anxiety and Depression for 20 years, and still grieving the loss of my best friend, due to DV (6 years ago) I recently started talking with a Psychologist, and am now wondering if our relationship is even healthy.

Does anyone else have a constant buzzing or vibrating feeling in their hands and feet?

replies: 1

Hi everyone, I’m curious if anyone else experiences this. For years I’ve had a constant buzzing or tingling feeling in my hands and feet. It feels almost like an internal vibration. It’s there from the moment I wake up and stays until I go to sleep. I’ve had blood tests done and everything came back normal. My doctor and psychiatrist think it could be related to my nervous system being stuck in a stress response after years of anxiety. I’ve recently started treatment and medication to try and calm my nervous system, but I’m really curious if anyone else has experienced something similar. It would honestly just be nice to know I’m not the only one dealing with this. Thanks for reading.

Lost. Trapped. Burned Out. I don't know what to do at this point... help :)

replies: 3

Hello everyone! This is going to be my first time using BeyondBlue because I badly needed some advice or some helpful support. While the webchats are really useful, it'll take forever for me to get to my point so I'll just share it here. Long story short, my life is currently a mess (you can tell by the story that I'm about to tell below) and I am burned out at work... and I just want to get out and do a reset. The first two months of the year are highly chaotic. Lots of things suddenly coming in all at once and it includes some competing priorities that needed to get done and here I am trying my best to get through all of them, but the workload is just too much to do for one person alone... and I've been doing this for 3 years. The start of this year, I've had like a few mental breakdowns at work, even to the point where it just spilled and just cried instantly in front of my boss (which I still feel embarrassed about - but still appreciate them for being so supportive and empathetic)... because I am just at my limit at this point and I just feel like I've let everyone down because I've either missed the task that I'm meant to be doing or I am just bad at my job. I had one weekend where I was reevaluating my life choices and I just really don't see myself/want to be in this job any longer. And today, I just feel mentally checked out. I still went to work and do the duties as normal, but I just feel... out of it. I feel like a robot at this point (It was a long weekend here in my state and I was truly fine during those days, but Monday night came along and got the 'scaries' and felt a sense of "UGH, I don't want to go to work, but I have to go to work because there's so much to do").I've tried everything at this point: talking to someone, de-stressing, removing work related apps to any visible areas on my laptop (but not uninstalling - this will trigger me to check emails, which I have a bad habit of), but 90% of the time, I am still feeling on edge, numb, still not okay at this point.Right now, I'm just slowly transitioning my way out of my current role (i.e. updating resume and LinkedIn, start looking for jobs, etc. – note I am doing this on my days off and after hours) but now I just wanted to back out on this idea and quit overall and just evaluate my life and just start working again whenever I am ready (though the financial part is my only concern if the second plan happens).I just don't know what to do at this point. It would mean the world to me if anyone could help or offer some advice to navigate this whole thing.(See how messy it is?)

Lost

replies: 2

I am addicted to weed and I don’t know what to do about it. I am 19 and since school ,I have left my jobs, studies, friends and family behind. I am now leaving myself as well. I don’t do the things I can do to make it better. A part of me feels like I don’t deserve better. I feel afraid of rehab because I feel like I am making it all up and I could just get rid of it of myself I really cared to. I am living so misaligned to what I want for myself. I feel so fake inside and I am struggling to get out of my head. I barely want to engage with others anymore because there’s a voice screaming at me that I’m not here and I’m just here for them. I reason myself out of my support systems. I don’t feel like I can get myself across to others, I blame myself for not trying hard enough, and then I flip it onto them and think that they’re not being honest with me. I feel too difficult and too easy. I feel like I know the logical steps to get out the hole and I just resist it because it feels more validating to sit in the dirt and play inside my head sorting through everything I’ve experienced.I am terrified of judgement, change, discomfort and abandonment. I feel like this goes to having only experienced 3 years of my life so far free from sexual abuse. The first, the seventh and the now. Those experiences were repeatedly denied, dismissed, and made wholly my responsibility at the time when I was child. I felt totally alone and responsible for all aspects of my living, my safety was torn from me whenever i suffered outwardly. I sit here empty now. I know trying again is the way forward and I am terrified to the point I don’t want to initiate anything.The therapy is tiring, too much overlap, passed between different specialists. I feel guilt for sharing too much, and then feel dishonest for not sharing enough. It is a lot.

Life is nothing but a anxiety

replies: 3

HiFirst time here. I live in ACT and work in the Federal government. I have depression and anxiety issues and I take meds to manage it.

High-Functioning Autism, Underemployed, Hopeless

replies: 4

I feel like my whole rather narrow existence has been cultivated to avoid stressors, and that unfortunately the result of that is that I've become a basically useless person. My ageing parents are being supported by my brother, who is successful, but is taking strain because of my father, who has become psychologically abusive to my mother. They were violently attacked by intruders in 2020 and my mother has never really recovered. My father was knocked out instantly but my mother had her head kicked in by the invaders.I really don't recall my father being abusive to me (although he did always have a temper) and I have only seen a little of this behaviour when visiting them. She has become very frail and needs a carer. I don't think my father is a bad person, but I think he's lost all sense of purpose and is taking it out on her.Maybe two years ago, I could've helped out more than I am doing now (I send my father money for groceries, and have gotten him out of the house to bowl and my girlfriend has organised a a psychologist to help him) but I lost my longest-held job to a reshuffle and have been working part-time, so the money's a bit thin.My girlfriend has been really supportive, but is losing patience with me and I don't really blame her. She's a very high-agency person and has been cajoling me to improve my outlook with investing and so on, which I want to do but feel paralysed as my income is currently low (I do have substantial savings, but they've taken a hit). I retreat from things that cause me anxiety, and I'm so used to everything going wrong that I develop anxiety thinking about losing my savings etc. I have the usual failings of an autistic person in that I don't notice that I've been insensitive until it's far too late. You can apologise, but that doesn't really work long term, eventually people just avoid you. I try to develop habits asking about people's feelings and so on, but I always slip up.I am absolutely self-aware about my failings as a person, but I want to improve and I just don't know how. I've been working through a bout of severe depression with the attendant anhedonia, and I've sort of lost the mental energy to deal with it.

Lonely and feeling lost

replies: 5

On the outside everything looks great, I have a successful career, have travelled the world, have a beautiful & supporting wife, yet I'm lost. I'm 3 months away from turning 48 and feel alone and as though I've wasted my entire life. For as long as I can remember I've been super focussed on achieving things, either promotions, saving goals, travel, buying a car, renovations or whatever. And due to that focus everything else in my life has been neglected. I no longer have any close friends that I can just call and meet up with. I haven't started a family which was never a consideration until recently. I hardly ever visited my parents pr brother.And I no longer take joy in work or any achievement as it all seems pointless. I have my first trip to Japan with my wife next week and I could care less. I find it exhausting meeting new people yet I feel so alone. I don't know why I'm like this and I am just sitting down typing these words while crying.

Husband incarcerated

replies: 7

My husband is currently incarcerated, I know he is innocent, me heart hurts everyday, some days I feel like just giving up on life, it’s just not the same without him here with me 沈 nothing seems to put a smile on my face. life just feels like a real... View more

My husband is currently incarcerated, I know he is innocent, me heart hurts everyday, some days I feel like just giving up on life, it’s just not the same without him here with me 🥲 nothing seems to put a smile on my face. life just feels like a real struggle. Each day I wake up and just wish he was here with me. I tell him I am doing ok, but honestly I am a mess and miss him terribly.

Husband in prison

replies: 3

I know my husband is innocent, he is incarcerated for something he did not do a week ago, we have been married for 27 years and I’m not coping at all, I’m depressed , hate life and would not care if I faded away and died, it sounds morbid and I know I have a problem with these thoughts but I’m so sad, I don’t have tears left, I still hear him whistling or Keep thinking I hear his car. When the dogs bark I think he has been let free and has come home, I can’t function and my grandchildren are not even putting a smile on my face, I don’t want to have a life without him and I am extremely worried about him, I lay here and don’t do anything

Meet your community champions! replies: 14

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

NumB replies: 8

Emotionally and Mentally Struggling replies: 7

Does anyone else have a constant buzzing or vibrating feeling in their hands and feet? replies: 1

Lost. Trapped. Burned Out. I don't know what to do at this point... help :) replies: 3

Lost replies: 2

Life is nothing but a anxiety replies: 3

High-Functioning Autism, Underemployed, Hopeless replies: 4

Lonely and feeling lost replies: 5

Husband incarcerated replies: 7

Husband in prison replies: 3