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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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I NEED AN ADVICE :(

replies: 3

Hi, I am 27 y/o and I feel really lost. My marriage broke down last year, my family and I doesn't get along together at this stage, I am currently studying in uni, I am working 4 days a week. I feel like my life is a failure. There are times that I am feeling happy because I want to think that I can get through this, I wan to be strong , I want to do everything by myself and I want to show to people that I can. But then, at some point, I feel weak and down. I need some encouragement to keep me going.

New member

replies: 2

Hello all I have been telling myself I will join BB for years but just haven't got around to it until now. In the face of everything I went through in life I am a fun loving, considerate and caring person. I was raised in a poor environment back in the UK and suffered bullying from my peers throughout my childhood. Mostly because I was poor and secondly because I was small and lacked confidence. Despite all that, I grew into a thoughtful and caring bloke. My father wasnt the only one in the day who put his social life before his family, and I suppose my subsequent illness is a result of that and the loss of confidence due to the bullying. I've had several bouts of anxiety/depression throughout my life and lost my brother to depression in 2004. The Only Way I can describe it is in the way it affected me. The first major breakdown was in my early 30s. I just decided one day without any thought that I didn't want the life I had. I packed my bag and walked out on my wife. After a couple of months I began to wonder what the hell I was doing and why I was making these irrational decisions. Happily we are back together and all is good. I didn't know why I had become so irrational and it never occurred to me I was suffering from depression. She knew though and stood by me. My worst but was in 2004 after I loved to Oz. I woke in the night having an extreme panic attack. I thought I was going to die and just lay the in terror, not knowing what was happening. The very next day I was consumed by what I now term "The Darkness". It was like all the light had gone from my world and was squeezing the life out of me. I lost my appetite and wouldn't eat for days. I couldn't go outside, I lost all my drive and couldn't concentrate on anything. It seemed to come in waves. I would wake up in the morning feeling ok, but knowing that at some point in the day the darkness would come and envelop me again. That was the hardest part, the fear of the darkness. It was terrifying. I never sought any professional help and managed to endure it until it finally went away. The waves became ripples and then nothing. That year my brother comitted suicide. The devastation and the grief combined allowed the darkness back in, but I knew that in time it would go away. I've never been professionally diagnosed so I'm not sure if I'm bipolar or what. What I do know is that I am not afraid of the darkness returning

newbie

replies: 8

I wanted to introduce myself as im new to the site and trying to navigate around the forums. I was recently asked by management to take time off work due to the inability to cope, I am know thankful as i didnt realize how unwell i was. I dont talk to my family about what's happening except my eldest daughter. I dont have friends which is my own doing as I have a fear of being hurt when anyone begins to get close I push them away and if im going to be honest i push them away because if they know me they will reject me so i do the rejecting first. I have 3 kids and 2 grandkids and im 52 i work full time in a job that I love but is quite stressful. I am an animal lover and enjoy gardening im hoping that I can support others and hopefully receive the same. Look forward to hearing from a new set of people that I can call friends

That night my world changed forever...

replies: 7

...the night my wife called my Doc who told her to call the police which she did. She took this difficult decision to save my life.It was the middle of the night when I was woken by two police one each side of the bed...After a brief discussion I was arrested under some Mental Health Act...placed in a Paddy Wagon and carted off to the Mental Ward of a major city hospital where I was locked up...I had a few weeks earlier made the disastrous decision to stop my anti depressant meds cold turkey as they worked briefly then didn't after a few weeks...and after about four different types I fell victim to what I have always described as a black hole...There were those extraordinary brief periods when I thought, " Is this what life is like without the pain?", I was euphoric then is passed...and back to the previous misery...In this state of mind I discontinued the meds...wished I'd researched that earlier...From millions to a bankrupt Centrelink survivor with my third marriage in tatters, in just 6 years...Every day is a challenge to survive...Today I made the decision to join this forum...maybe today I saved my life yet again...Cheers,

Just another depressed person

replies: 7

I'm so tired. I really wish I could lay down and stop forever, but it's not an option as family & duty keep me here. I feel so useless. And lost and unable to cope. Five years ago my life got derailed and destroyed. Now instead of a happy life, I have crap.Debt riddled, jobless, unemployable and not able to cope with the outside world. I've lost meaningful contact with all friends, still see them superficially now and then, but there's a gulf of distance caused by my inflicted isolation. I try to concentrate on the rays of light I have, and there's times when I'm stable. Not happy, just not so depressed I'm running to the toilet to cry without being noticed. But I always end up looking what a stinking shit pile my life is now, and the lack of options depress me so much. I'll never have work like I used to enjoy and love. I'll never reach pay rate similar. I'll never connect with a new partner. I'll never be able to face the world without anxiety and fear. Each month just gets worse. Dealing with centrelink and their system seems designed to grind you down. It's been the last straw with what I can cope with to be honest. On top of everything else I just can't deal with their uncaring bureaucracy. I'm on my third set anti-depressants, (which is killing my ability to have sex), have been seeing a psychologist but run out of sessions. I'm keeping in touch with my GP with a mental health plan. But it all means nothing. It doesn't help.

Thank you Vietnam veterans

replies: 0

Today, 18 August, is Vietnam Veteran’s Day and the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan. Almost 60,000 Australians served in the Vietnam War between 1962 and 1972. This included more than 15,000 conscripts. A total 521 were killed and more 3,000 were wounded. A study of Vietnam veterans’ health a few years ago showed 30–45% of veterans reported suffering mental disorders. Mental health issues were 5 to 10 times higher than in the rest of the Australian population, and the rate of depression was increasing as veterans aged. Almost 17,500 – nearly 30% of those who experienced active service – have officially been diagnosed with PTSD. To the Vietnam vets in our beyondblue community, I hold out my hand to you. I know your motto is ‘honour the dead but fight like hell for the living’. We are in this particular fight together, and you are welcome, safe and valued here. Kaz

An introduction

replies: 1

Hey team. My name's Aaron. Thanks for the opportunity to share, and if you choose to read this, thank you even more.My experience with depression has been going for about 15 years now. I used to wonder why I cried myself to sleep most nights, trying to imagine if anyone else was doing it too. I didn't think so.I found alcohol in my teens which seemed like the answer to my prayers. It helped me forget how I was feeling, at least for short periods.By about 2011/2012, I was at my lowest ebb. Binge drinking constantly and regularly entertaining the thought of suiciding. But I had a crystallising moment. I decided I had to live. My parents had fought so hard through various illnesses and hardships to give what little they could for me. I couldn't repay them like that. I drove myself to the hospital and poured my heart and soul out to the amazing ED nurses. It was the first step.When I was diagnosed with depression, I felt such a relief - because I now had a name for what I was feeling. I could fight back.I've had highs and lows, relapsed and recovered but I'm still here to tell the story. You're all amazing people for being part of this community and I hope I can contribute. I'm approaching a decade as a police officer. Sharing my personal story has helped me reach out and break through to so many people. I acknowledge all of you who have the courage to do so too.I hope I can learn from you all and maybe help a little too.Thank you for reading.

Hi guys

replies: 5

Hi, I'm Arlette, new to the forum thing, well not for years anyway...I'm on here to feel less alone in my anxiety I guess..it's not easy for people close to me to understand, even my husband doesn't get it..I'm struggling and just need to see that ot... View more

Hello everyone (Newbie here)

replies: 9

Hello everyoneI'm new here. Little bit about myself is that i'm currently in Year 9, and an active YouTuber.that's just a little bit about me, and what people see on the outside.But on the inside though is much different. Ever since i started Primary School i have been suffering from Bullying and Cyber-Bullying just because of how people see me. And to make things a bit harder for my life, I've recently been diagnosed with Aspergers, which has lately put a lot on my plate.Sometimes during school and when i'm out and about, i tend to sometimes have mood swings dependent on how i'm feeling and because of occurrences that have happened during the day. All though i try to keep happy most of the time, that's not always going to be the case.My family and some of my friends are aware of some of the things that are occurring but i just tend to keep a lot of the issues trapped in my head in fear that things could get worse if i told them.Either way, this is all just a thing in life that we all need to try and push aside because like school, when it's over, so will be the bullying, and another thing that most of you who are reading this will understand what i'm about to say. If you're diagnosed with something like Autism, Asperger's, Diabetes and Cancer, or suffer from things like Anxiety, OCD, and depression; your not alone, because there are hundreds of people out there who are humble citizens to those around them, but on the inside are just like you.We've all been through tough times at some point in life, and at any point during our lifetime we need to just stop for a moment if something bad has happened and say to ourselves: "That's it, I've had it. I'm tired of taking crap all the time, and i'm gonna turn around and fight back, because i don't care what others think or see of me. Even if i'm the last person left on Earth, i'll be putting my hand out and saying I'M A SURVIVOR! Because i fought back against my greatest fears, and won. Today won't be a day where i thought about my past fears and what i could have done to prevent them; today will be a day where i did something to make my future better!"And i know there a plenty of you readers out there who are thinking the same thing as me, so go out there and make "your world", a greater place! Not anyone else's world; "Your World", so go change something today to make it better, for tomorrow.Thank you for reading.

I'm not alone I now see....

replies: 4

Hello to anyone who may read this. I'm new to here and not too tech savvy so bare with me. I've recently come to terms I have mental issues which only now after 10 years o have realised I've had for all this time.. I'm scared to be honest, I have a doc appt in 4 days to medicate me. It hurts as I have had the "she'll be right " attitude for as long as I remember but now I just know -she won't be right until she gets professional help. So yep, I feel like she's stuffed & needs a pill to be normal. I know it has to be done.

Cyclone Alfred - Mental Health Support replies: 1

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

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

I NEED AN ADVICE :( replies: 3

New member replies: 2

newbie replies: 8

That night my world changed forever... replies: 7

Just another depressed person replies: 7

Thank you Vietnam veterans replies: 0

An introduction replies: 1

Hi guys replies: 5

Hello everyone (Newbie here) replies: 9

I'm not alone I now see.... replies: 4