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Meet your community champions!

replies: 12

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 don't know where to begin...

replies: 4

Hello, For months now i have gone through these forums and found it helps me during my lows to know i am not alone. So today i took the leap and created a user account so i can submit my first thread. Whilst growing up i have had to deal with an alcoholic father, whose mother was emotionally and physically abused. By the time i was 15 my mother moved out with my two sisters, it seems there would be light at the end of the tunnel. Yet my father continued to harass my mother and emotionally abuse myself and my siblings. After the divorce my mother started dating this guy, who turns out to be similar to my father but worse. After years of sexual harassment and my younger sister suffering sexual abuse, we were able to get a 12 month intervention order to remove him from our lives. I haven'y seen him since. After all this i held a stable job which i loved for 4 years! Life was improving. Until my position was made redundant nearly 12 months ago. It wasn't until this event of losing a job i loved and being transferred to a position which i learnt i get no enjoyment out of, i realised that i need to get help. I talk to my partner of 12 years about my feelings of worthlessness , unable to cope with basic tasks and anxieties. He has known and i know that i need help, but struggle to find the courage. I think i worry the doctor won't believe me and blow me off. I thought i found a GP i wanted to tell my issues about but now feel uncomfortable around her because of her body language. I'm sorry this is a long post, but i felt like i needed to share my story a little.

Living with IT

replies: 1

I've been like this for a long as I can remember, which pretty much means I've always been like this. Most of the time it didn't have a proper name. People (including my parents) would often say that I was shy or not feeling well. Teachers called me lazy and even stupid! I hated school, and performed abissimally at it, which made me feel even worse. My mother had it too. I think it was common amongst stay-at-home mums with little kids. Back then they called it meloncholy, or bad nerves and the treatment was "a Bex and a lie down". The Bex didn't seem to do mum much good, so she supplimented it with scotch and cigarettes. Travelling through life with it hasn't been great. It stopped me from enjoying myself. It stopped me from taking risks (even small ones). It made me scared of the world. It kept trying to hurt and even kill me by making me feel bad about myself, and even worse, by making me believe what others said about me. Even as an adult it followed me, never letting me forget it was there to make me miserable, to make me fail, to make me ill. And still it didn't have a name. After I lost me job I had a lot of time alone - time to think. Things got bad. Really bad. My head ws increasingly being filled with bad thoughts. Negative thoughts that brought me to my knees. I couldn't go outside. I couldn't function. I ended up in a hospital where they treat mood disorders. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression with a side order of PTSD from being mercilessly bullied at school. At least now it had a name. That was two years ago. Since then I've seen psychiatrists and therapists, tried a number of drugs - some of which made me (a bit) beter and others that made me a lot worse. I've had uncontrollable shaking, drowniess and some unbearable headaches - all in the name of find the right meds. Things are a little better now. I am now on meds that help me to feel OK most of the time. Not great, but OK. I also regularly see a pschiatrist. Our little talks definately help. I have good days, and I have bad days. But, most importantly I am trying to look forward to a time when I can control it, instead of it controlling me. You've probably heard this all before (and possibly felt it too). I hope I didn't bore you to much

New to this......need reassurance

replies: 3

Hi nervous and dont know where to start. Having terrible feeling of dread and impending doom as my husband will soon be loosing his job and due to his age and where we live its going to be hard to get another without travelling. I work part time and due to a bit of super and a bit of savings we wont be able to access any benefits and my wage isnt enough. My husband says we will be ok but as a sufferer of depression and anxiety I cant seem to get this in my thick head. I know he is right deep down but I cant loose this feeling of doom or the tears. He is ok with me so far and nothing has happened yet but his patience will run out quick. He has been looking for other work already but to no avail. Probably need to go back on medication but if he looses job there will be no money for this. I know my mind is making things much worse than they are or will be.

When you the wheels fall off & you don't have the right tools to fix it

replies: 2

This is my first post. Four weeks ago my wheels fell off. It had been building over many months, maybe years if I am honest with myself. Back in May I was declared redundant. I knew it was coming as I had been selected to close down the company. I honestly underestimated what the impact that role would have on me emotionally, mentally and physically. I had pushed myself to breaking point, working towards this looming date and then it arrived. I had thought that I would take a break for a couple of months and then get back out there. But that didn't happen. Slowly but surely I descended into the deepest darkest rut I have ever visited. I reached a point where I just could no longer function. All the tools I had used before were no longer working. I had long used work as a way of escape, a way to justify my existence, but I was now out of work. So I turned to alcohol. I self-medicated alone at home on my own. A single woman in her 40's who lived alone in an isolating community. It wasn't until I realised I was drinking every night, just a couple of glasses, but that quickly becomes 3 bottles a week. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know where to turn. I had always had a very natural approach to my health, but I no longer had the motivation or energy to pursue these options. I was now at the point where showering and eating seemed like marathons. So I took myself to see a GP. I chose a lady about my age that was also single. Hoping she could relate to where I was at. And she did. She sat me down and we talked. I cried, I thought I was a failure. She spent an entire hour with me. Basically, I was diagnosed with depression. Her recommendation was anti-depressants as well as a referral to a psychologist. After years of pushing myself and overriding my feelings, years of the ruts becoming deeper and deeper, I knew I was on the ropes. This was the day I had to finally look myself in the mirror and acknowledge I was depressed. I needed help. I felt a sense of relief at being heard and accepting the help my GP was offering me. Four weeks later and I have slowly begun to stabilise on the anti-depressants. I feel as though I have been given some much welcome breathing space. I am also seeing my psychologist weekly. I have joined a fitness group. I am eating regular meals. I have not touched a drink of alcohol. Currently I am on pause, restoring. One day at a time. Hoping that the good days will one day outnumber the bad.

A smile, A gesture, even a word can change everything

replies: 14

Hi I'm Kate, I am new to this posting thing but have spent a lot of time reading these forums and felt like I wanted to say how aweaome beyond blue is and the people on here offer so rhoughtful kind helpful advice. Its awesome! I spent a lot of my time people watching and how people react to certain situations and it never ceases to amaze me how a simple hello or smile can change the whole situation. You can see the relief wash over nervous faces. In a crazy busy world we live in sometime we all forget the small important things. Like hello or pausing to ask how someone's day is going( and listen to the reply) But as a scan the posts and replies here I see so much kindness and even though we all are fighting our own fight we stop to help others and I think that's worth mentioning. So to all those that take time to reply to another you Rock!!

hullo

replies: 1

Hi, Im here for no other reason than because I am in need of some support and help and feel like there isn't any available out here that makes any difference.

Wow! This site is amazing!

replies: 13

I can't believe it has taken me this long to sign up to this site. I've cruised on by a couple of times now. However I always thought it was just the one general forum area and that was that. Signed up to find there are almost 20 sections, mind blown! Um. My intro.. I'm just a young guy from Brisbane who has pretty much grown up with mental health issues. Probably the same story as everyone else really. Started with separation anxiety as a bub. Went through the usual route. Social anxiety, Phobias, Panic and anxiety, and then finally at the age of 15 diagnosed with OCD. Unfortunately I'm still on the same old path at 23. Medications, physiatrists and phycologists. Keeps me afloat most of the time. This forum? Well it's just a place to know your not alone I suppose. Sometimes I feel extremely self centred "How can anyone else know what I'm going through". Well this is the place I feel. There are others, I'm not alone..

Lonely, depressed, broke, and hopeless

replies: 4

Hi, I'm Dan, and I have Asperger's Syndrome. I'm 30, and I look at my life and see a lot of failure, to get work and to find love especially, mistakes made, friendships severed, that sort of thing happens a lot to me (more from me to them, rather). I've just moved out of home for the first time, earlier this year, and while the board's cheap (minding the place for relatives) I'm still finding myself broke a few days before pay day way too often. I have trouble finding work, and trouble making new friends, and I've only ever had one girlfriend, for a month ten years ago (I won't talk about her though, too much negative there). People don't invite me to much, and very few people ever actually turn up to my events or come visit. I was bullied a lot in school, and didn't know any girls then, not really. That's carried over to adult life, and it's hard to get dates when you're unemployed and can't really afford nice clothes and the psychological care I need... with the lack of confidence, and no idea how to go about gaining it, I don't know how to overcome the fear of meeting new people. Specifically, in being the first to speak. If someone speaks to me, I'm fine, but when I have to do it, I freeze up. If it's anything more than buying something, I won't do it unless they start first. That applies to everyone, not just women. I used to be a bit better, but age and a lack of life successes has diminished my confidence in all matters. My condition means chronic depression and constant frustration, insomnia, and I've been on medication for both for years. Both of those mean I put on weight. I have dark circles under my eyes, not sure what causes them, and I hate them. Going to the gym is pretty hard when bills are more important. I'm a writer, and I'm self-publishing because I don't feel my work would get traditionally published. I have hard marginal success so far, if a lot of free copies means success...

this is me... 😚

replies: 7

Hi everyone im raych, im 29 and for the past several years iv suffered with depression... a battle im still fighting. Im a mother to two amazing boys who are aged 6 and 10... and im engaged to my childhood sweetheart.I have so many people around me but yet i feel so lonely. I came across this page and decided to take a leap of faith and hopefully connect with others in the same situation... the people i have around me dont seem to really understand (which is totally understandable). I am currently on medication but that doesnt seem to be helping anymore.. i have more bad days than i do good.

Um, hi?

replies: 9

Hi everyone. I'm new here. I mean I've been a member for a month but haven't posted anything yet. I suffer from social anxiety. So, for the last few weeks I've been worried about judgement on what I wright here. I know, silly. I've been thinking too negatively. Ok, back story. I've always managed my social anxiety myself. Not sure how as a child. When I got older, I had to implement techniques for myself. Such as reading self help books and daring myself to do something scary each day. I worked out that there was something different about me when I was in my late teens. Later in life the books were overtaken by exercise and meditation. And that worked well for my confidence. Being at the gym (social environment) and would meditate to calm my mind. I became a little bit of a gym junkie and that's a lot of where my confidence came from. Being fit and looking fit. And I was very social. Always going out with friends. I loved it. I had fun. In the mean time I went through a few boyfriends to find the right one. Over the last 5 years we've been trying to have children. But in that time I've had 4 miscarage. When the first one occurred, I stopped exercising and meditating. And didn't feel like going out very much. But still coped with going on outings. As each miscarage occurred my partner could see I was becoming more and more suclusive. There were more no's than yes's when I was asked out. Or if there was a family event I would only turn up to half of them. My partner has 5 children of his own. His son came over for holidays mid this year. And he stayed because he didn't want to live with his mother. I was a little uncomfortable at first. But he is a shy 11 year old and polite child and could I cope. Later on, his daughter requested to live with us too. A 14 year old that had been taking lots of different substances. I won't go into to much detail. This is turning into an essay already. His daughter, I could not cope with. She tipped me over the edge. Not too far but enough for me to need medical assistance from, well, everyone. Soon after she ran off again. And I said to my partner she is not welcome here anymore. I cannot be around her. After that was my 4 miscarage. During this pregnancy I was so anxious that I had time off work. My first day was yesterday. Only for 3 hrs and I was so scared. I found it difficult to calm down. And now today I'm on the verge of crying. I want to be with people, but alone at the same time. Thankyou for reading

Meet your community champions! replies: 12

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

I don't know where to begin... replies: 4

Living with IT replies: 1

New to this......need reassurance replies: 3

When you the wheels fall off & you don't have the right tools to fix it replies: 2

A smile, A gesture, even a word can change everything replies: 14

hullo replies: 1

Wow! This site is amazing! replies: 13

Lonely, depressed, broke, and hopeless replies: 4

this is me... 😚 replies: 7

Um, hi? replies: 9