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Cyclone Alfred - Mental Health Support

replies: 1

Hey everyone, We acknowledge that many of our Forums members here are currently facing the impacts of Cyclone Alfred and might be feeling uncertain, afraid and overwhelmed. We wanted to create a separate post here to come together during what may be a distressing time for many of us to support one another. Recognising that the impacts of a natural disaster can occur both before, during and after, we have prepared some resources which we hope can be helpful: From the Queensland Government, Useful information to help you get ready for a cyclone:Home | Get Ready Queensland Emotional Preparedness: Prepare your mind | Australian Red Cross Three-steps-to-emotionally-prepare-for-the-disaster-season.pdf What now? Coping after the event: Coping after a crisis | Australian Red Cross Maintaining wellbeing in the face of long-term stress | Australian Red Cross Emergency preparedness guide | Australian Red Cross As always, if you wish to speak to a counsellor, the Beyond Blue Support Service is available via phone 24/7 on 1300 22 4636 or via beyondblue.org.au/get-support for online chat. Stay safe, everyone, and take good care of yourself during what can be a deeply challenging time. Kind regards Sophie M

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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hi there from victoria

replies: 7

hi all ,I would like to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about what is going on with me . I've recently turned 50 and have suffered on and of with depression and anxiety for the last 20 years ,but the last 5 have been the hardest for me , it all started with a bad long term relationship ending ,and I know that it may sound like a good thing but it was a gateway to something much worse ,the next relationship. in 2011 I was diagnosed with kidney cancer and just a couple of days after surgery my then girlfriend left me and was 6 months pregnant , I found it hard but I managed to pull through quite good considering ,was doing good for another 12 months and just happy to be alive when my father passed away ,then it was like I just stopped and everything caught up in 1 go and I was floored ,my anxiety was back with a vengeance and was in full swing , I had never in my life been so scared ,I struggled with everything I did ,I had bad health anxiety thinking every time I didn't feel right that the cancer had come back ,I was an emotional wreck and still am ,I get every symptom under the sun and also suffer with gerd ,I lost so much muscle from the cancer that every time I look at myself iam a living reminder of what has happened to me ,I suffer social anxiety and depression ,I live a sedentary lifestyle now and don't have a passion for anything anymore and I feel as if iam sitting here waiting for something yet I don't know what that is , the slightest noise scare me and I carnt sleep at night without jumping or gasping as I fall to sleep ,I feel like I want to burst into tears when watching something happy or sad on the tv and I don't know why ,the doctors don't want to touch me and all they want is to shove medication down my neck ,its like they don't want to help ,I have good times still that sometimes last a week or 2 but slowly fall away so this is my last option as I don't want to medicate cause drugs don't agree with me I have a hard enough time with my gerd medication as is seems to exaggerate my anxiety and have to drop of them for a week to get back to some sort of balance again and then my gerd kicks in again and the cycle repeats , iam hoping that I can find some common ground with others on here and find out what has helped them ,I know iam stronger then this and have proved it to myself before ,I have to do this without meds but I just carnt find a jumping off point to start and iam hoping this is it ,thanks for listening

I don't know

replies: 6

Every year, as far as I can remember during my time of schooling, I would be so optimistic of how the year will be mine to conquer and achieve all that I could. I would imagine for hours the kind of person I could be growing up and what career path I would've taken. Nothing unrealistic of course, like being the first female president of USA or anything. The issue I had/still have was giving up. I didn't even realise that I was doing it until I did it. I would skip school for weeks and just did the very least that was expected of me and to me that was just to be alive. To breathe to exist. Some days I get this unexpected feeling at anytime, no matter what I'm doing or who I'm with - the feeling of being ashamed. Not the kind of shame when you fart in public thinking it'll come out quietly and it doesn't. It starts with my body warming up, to my ears getting warmer. Then this heavy feeling on my chest pushing its way down to my stomach. As it pulls down my upper body, I look down and I keep looking down because for some reason if I tilt my chin up even just by a centimeter then everyone can see me. I'm talking about really seeing me. All the bad stuff I've done and been done by. Then everyone will stand there looking at me with their judgemental eyes and whispers. Then the feeling of being ashamed consumes my body as well as my mind, I cry. I don't even know how I've overwhelmed myself feeling that way and I try to snap out of it because its just so ridiculous but I struggle. I have to force myself to think of something else - what do i need to get from the supermarket? Carrots, milk, cereal...i try my hardest to just think even the most basic things because if I don't snap out of it then I don't know...

Hello

replies: 5

Hello. This is the first time I've posted. Not sure what to write or where to begin. I'm not well. I find it hard to get up and be out in the world. I have the attitude of 'what's the use'. I despise myself and continue to abuse myself with food and laziness. I'm embarrassed and ashamed even though I'm loved by my small family. It's like I have a perpetual current of self loathing and hate running through my core. I'm tired of being me.

Hi Everyone

replies: 6

Hello to everyone, My name is Rose and I am over 45 years old. I have depression and anxiety. I work as an instrumental music teacher and do part time work at a University during the semesters. I was a bullied at school when I was a child. I was at a large public primary school and everyone in my year level seemed to hate me. It started when I was about 9 or 10. It did not go away. Not really. Since then, I have gone through a fairly tumultuous journey. I was not diagnosed properly with depression until I was in my late twenties (yes it took that long back then). By the time I was thirty, I was also suffering from severe anxiety. I was studying violin at University. My lecturer, someone that I put a great deal of personal trust in, was a bully. He set impossible and unrealistic practice tasks and then sat back and watched me fail. He put me through hoops that he did no expect of other students. He also lied to me. When I was coming up to my third year performance assessment, I began to feel the pressure building . I ended up vomiting up breakfast, lunch and dinner up for 6 weeks. I ended up quitting the course. Fifteen years later, the anxiety returned, again in relation to performance- this time for a teaching degree. I didn't finish that either. But don't feel sorry for me. It took a long time, but I am really getting my stuff together now. I have a great psychiatrist, managing my medications and I see him once a month. We do standard CBT together. He works with my psychologist. With her, I work on Schema therapy, one that deals with the deep seated problems as a result of being bullied at school. I am focused on being well. I have medications that work reliably. I work at being well every day. And should I have a relapse- they happen- I am still fine. I had the experience, last year, of going through a stretch of vomiting. I had a few days off work. Then, I couldn't stand it anymore. It was the hardest thing in the world, but I went back into work. I told my boss (and only my boss) what the problem was. She did not have a problem. I got support. Although I felt as if was going to throw up and faint, I went to work anyway. I got through it. I will if it happens again. I think one of the biggest problems that I have had to overcome, is learning to trust people once more. So, things can take a long time. They can go up and down like the sea-saw from hell. But you get better if you work at it. Thanks for reading. Rose

Hi I'm new...

replies: 2

Hi, my name's Rose. I've never posted in BB before but I'm currently having some problems and thought it might be useful to talk to someone. I have an anxiety disorder and have experienced depression and insomnia in the past. Right now I am dealing with some family issues and will post as a thread in the family forum. I enjoy reading, painting and discussing political and philosophical topics.

Hello! Not sure where to post...

replies: 2

/waves ...I'm not sure how to word this, but I have a fairly specific issue I want to ask about and no idea which subforum to post it in. The gist of it is that I have anxiety and depression, but I also have ADHD (combined type) and possibly Aspergers (it was brought up by the doctor I saw at a particularly low point of the depression but the other stuff was a more pressing concern). Naturally these all exacerbate each other in plenty of ... fun... ways, one of which I am having zero luck dealing with on my own. Without elaborating too much, I have trouble dealing with the mental fallout when I make mistakes; the RSD (rejection-sensitive dysphoria) from the ADHD makes it a) feel even worse and b)spontaneous, so I haven't been able to catch it before it starts. Specifically I can't seem to get past the notion that mistakes are things I have to punish myself for, because otherwise why would they be counted as mistakes and hkgjhkfdhhkhgrrr- So then every time that happens it drops me straight into a depressive spiral (which I can get out of with varying degrees of success) and heightens my anxiety, but that's best left for another post. Thing is I don't really know where to ask about that, or even how to search for help with it; I've been able to find general help articles for the anxiety/depression/RSD parts seperately but I just can't move past that one block. I know this probably isn't even the right website to go to but I haven't had much luck finding help, and I can't afford to physically travel to seek help in person. (And I seem to be very bad at searching.) This got really long, sorry...

Hello From WA...

replies: 1

Hi...I am a 43 year old male based in Perth WA. Great to meet you all. I don't know where to start. I've suffered from some form of depression most of my adult life. Alcohol has mostly masked the gloomy feelings and self doubt. In the last 5 years I've gone through a lot what with me and my wife emigrating to Australia and also the birth of our first child. I recently went to a doctor who prescribed me with medication - which has improved things a little. I am looking for guidance who I can go and see to talk about my problems. I've seen people in the past but I've struggled to articulate my feelings and to be honest not really found it helpful. I'm wondering if anyone knows of like minded guys groups in Perth that meetup regularly? Thanks for listening.

Feeling better

replies: 4

Hello everyone, My name is Stewart. I called the BeyondBlue help line, spoke with a very helpful professional, felt better straight away. I had a look at the website and decided to register for BlueVoices, read some threads in Forum, replied to a few, felt a little better yet again. Thanks to everyone on here who has shared there stories and situations. It has helped me to reach out, I will post more over time now I have broken the ice. Stewart

Insurance Discrimination

replies: 6

Hi I have recently bern rejected by two insurance companies for life insurance. Has anyone else had this experienced? Has anyone had any luck getting insurance recently with a particular insurance company?

Appreciating the irony of being anxious about posting a thread about anxiety.....

replies: 14

Hi all I've been reading the boards for a few months now whilst working up the courage to post myself. Reading the forums has helped to erode the sense of isolation which often accompanies mental illness. You get to read the contributions of others who are going through or have been through the same experiences as you. I've suffered from anxiety my whole life, though up until 18 months ago I'd always managed to deal with it. At this point a few issues in my life (family illness and difficulties at work mainly) caused the anxiety to spiral and after trying to manage it on my own I eventually sought counselling about this time last year. I undertook a course of CBT, made some changes in my life and now practice Mindfulness every day. I exercise regularly including a cheeky bit of yoga from time to time. I have a beautiful and supportive wife who is my rock. I still have bad days and I doubt the anxious thoughts will ever pass completely however, it does get better. The Beyondblue website gave me the confidence to seek help. It made me realize that I wasn't a freak. I'll always be thankful Beyondblue.

Cyclone Alfred - Mental Health Support replies: 1

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

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

hi there from victoria replies: 7

I don't know replies: 6

Hello replies: 5

Hi Everyone replies: 6

Hi I'm new... replies: 2

Hello! Not sure where to post... replies: 2

Hello From WA... replies: 1

Feeling better replies: 4

Insurance Discrimination replies: 6

Appreciating the irony of being anxious about posting a thread about anxiety..... replies: 14