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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Love you

replies: 8

Hey everyone, I stumbled across a beautiful piano instrumental tonight while listening to music. The tempo was so slow and it made me stop to focus on my own thoughts for a moment. The notes were such a perfect combination of peaceful and inspirational as though hope is around. Tears wouldn't stop flowing out of my eyes and I feel so calm for the first time in months.I thought that I'd join this forum today to spread my message to the world that I love all of you and never forget that God wouldn't have created you if you weren't perfect the way you are. Thanks for taking the time to read my message and I wish you the best with your life. Cheers.

Work burnout & anxiety

replies: 18

Hi all, I’m new here so please bear with me. The situation is that I’ve experienced extended trauma and moral injury at work. It started with a colleague making false allegations and the company being too scared to protect me. I was investigated and cleared through two mechanisms over a nine month period. Unfortunately this happened during COVID and I live alone and have felt isolated and lonely. I also work in a very hard, high pressure environment. On top of this, I had an unfortunate health diagnosis that can luckily now be managed but fell out with a close friend and a few other unfortunate events during the same period. I ended up on SSRIs and have been seeing a counsellor but my mental health plan has expired. I can get this extended but my GP has left and I’m so exhausted and don’t want to retraumatise myself explaining again. I’m off the SSRIs because they made me feel unwell and tired. For a while I was great but my work stress has flared up again. My boss is unsympathetic and previously told me in my PDR that he would like me to work on my resilience. I’m a very resilient person and found this offensive but it confirmed that I have zero support. Recently a colleague passed away suddenly and there are rumours about the cause, another colleague has confided in me that they’re struggling to cope and took some leave. I’m desperately looking for a job but am not having much luck. Unfortunately I’m feeling incredibly burnt out and have short fuse, which isn’t helping me with writing applications and presenting. Tonight I burst into tears after a bad haircut and flew into a rage. I screamed and smashed a hairbrush. This is not my usual behaviour and I feel at my wit’s end. Any suggestions for where to start? I can’t quit my job, but know it’s 99% of the problem. I’ve started feeling hopeless, sad, tired and alone.

is this depression?

replies: 5

i’m 19, female, and was diagnosed with depression at 14. started antidepressants at 16. but i’ve always felt like there’s something else going on with my brain. i can’t keep a hobby or interest for the life of me and i just feel numb all the time. i have no clue who i am. people tell me i’m a good person and that they love me and all i can think “why? how could anyone possibly like or even love me? how can they not see how horrible i am?”. sometimes i truly believe i have just manipulated everyone into thinking i’m good. i know i’m not a bad person and i treat everyone kindly, but i can never shake that thought. it’s like i just have this hatred for myself. anything that goes wrong in my life, anytime i argue with someone, anytime someone hurts me, i blame myself and punish myself for it. i often harm myself in some way over those type of things. i’ve never had a stable relationship and recently i’ve been in a really toxic relationship. he’s hurt me so many times, yet all the anger i feel ends up directed at myself. he could say something wrong and then i’d find myself not eating for days. i also think that i stayed in that relationship for so long because at least i felt something other than numb, even if it was sadness. and i convinced myself i deserved it. i remember even as a child, around 5, i would punish myself if i felt like i wasn’t good enough that day. i know now that it was just in my head, but that’s not normal right? lately i’ve been working 38 hour weeks, picking up shifts and staying late just so i don’t have to be alone with my thoughts. i’m so deeply exhausted but i’d rather be there than at home. when i am at home, i just feel so uncomfortable in my mind. like i’m irritated with how numb and uninterested i am in everything. sometimes i find myself just staring at my wall for an hour feeling nothing, thinking nothing. i do reckless things, reckless spending, unsafe sex, drinking, hurting myself, ect. i think there is something more wrong with me than the depression, but i don’t know. maybe i’m overthinking.

Introduce myself

replies: 5

Hi, I am new to these mental health forums. This is my first time my anxiety and depression got the best of me. I currently live in Adelaide. I have no one to talk to about my problem and would really like to have someone to talk to.

To post or not to post. We'll see.

replies: 19

Is this a thing? I don't know if this is a thing. What to write... How to pin down which part of my story is relevant to this intro and decide whether it's something I want to send into the void for strangers to see. I guess my right-this-very-moment struggle is over whether being a poster here is right for me. I spent a few years rather isolated and gradually built an online "home" for myself at another site (not related to depression or MI) and for the longest time it was my default go-to place for everything. Eventually I found that whilst it got me through some tough times and was providing me with a rehearsal type practice at human interaction and experience in understanding general relationship shenanigans, in some ways it was also feeding and enabling my isolation by keeping me from needing to leave the house or try to connect to face-to-face people. Since then I have made an epic effort to go in the other direction and make online relationships secondary to face-to-face ones. But I have to admit I'm reaching a point now where I am feeling very burnt out and am finding it difficult to see people as much, if at all. And finding the site I used to use less and less appropriate for me as I have had a massive turn around in core beliefs since then and no longer agree with the basic principles on which that particular category of people operates. Back when I was notoriously online and knew that it was beyond the point of doing me any good, I used to admit it freely, but still couldn't break the habit at first. I used to say that it's like medicine. If you're sick, you might need some medicine. But if you're sick for a long time and taking medicine consistently over a long period becomes habitual, you could get addicted to your medicine and keep taking it even if it's no longer doing good. And, it can be tricky to know when you are no longer sick because the medicine has been with you for such a long time. Disclaimer: NO; I'm not talking about mental health prescription medications or suggesting anyone should go off their meds. By "sick" I don't mean MI and by "medicine" I don't mean MI drugs. It's an analogy. For argument's sake let's suppose I'm talking about a cough. Like if you had a cough for a long time but kept taking cough syrup even after the cough cleared up. Which I'm using as an analogy about coping mechanisms which are useful at first but become habitual without reassessment as things change. I'm out of characters. I'll be around. Maybe.

Time to reach out

replies: 3

Hello, my name is Paul, and I'm having trouble figuring out where my life is going. I feel like I'm stuck in a cycle of the washing machine that never ends, and I can't seem to break free. I've never been fired, but I want to know what I did wrong because I have an intellectual disability and am on the autism spectrum. I'm also pursuing a bachelor's degree in justice studies at a university. Every job I've ever had has either ended up in liquidation or been eliminated due to funding. I'm so sick of this that I've all but given up looking for work. I mean, I'd like to, but I don't want to be taken advantage of. I've been married since January, and my wife has two jobs to keep money coming in. She's such a loving partner who doesn't care if I find a job and doesn't mind my disability or my Centrelink money. I just want to know what is wrong with me; I feel like I need to give up now and just disappear; I feel so lost and afraid to speak out to anyone; I'm not sure what mental health problems I may have; I really need help figuring out what I may be struggling with; I'm just losing everything around me; I'm a strong guy; everyone loves me; they say I'm such a big-hearted guy; they say I'm down to earth; they say I'm always willing to help out. I apologise for my outburst, but it was a joy to meet you all. I look forwards to hearing any advice or assistance you can provide. Palrium

Manager is harrassing/bullying me at work

replies: 11

Hi, I have been having difficulty with my immediate manager at work. She has recently been promoted to a higher role, and I have stepped into her old role. She is constantly trying to discredit me with my managers and colleagues. Gone so far to create the impression that im lazy and bad in my role. She has been doing and saying things over the past few months that I have been documenting, but this week someone put in a formal complaint because I dont wear my mask, but a few people including managers, dont wear them. She has since been watching me like a hawk and today managed to get me in trouble for recycling paper, which is akin to committing a crime in the laboratory I work for. She constantly looks for reasons to complain about me and once took something I said completely out of context to create the impression I am a deviant and dont intend to do my job properly. I dont understand why she targets me as all I want to do is work and forget about the place. She is an avid rule follower, so when I deviate from the rules, she feels the need to "punish" me, even though others do the same thing. What is wrong with this woman and what should I do about it?

Lots of support and still struggling

replies: 6

Hi all, Nice to meet you I suppose I am posting because I feel a little 'stuck' and have a feeling others might feel similar? I have quite a few mental health difficulties, for which I have LOTS of support (friends, GP, Psychologist), yet I still feel terrible and low most of the time. I have been implementing learnt strategies, and they are helpful, though if I were to imagine a mountain where mental wellness was at the top, the strategies only take me up a single step as the difficulties have been happening for so long. I feel like it would take a minimum of 6 months for me to get anywhere near my level of mental wellbeing that I had 2 years ago. Alongside mental health challenges, loss/grief and sickness have also likely impacted my mood. I know my friends are always there to listen, but it really doesn't feel like enough or like life is worthwhile. I am safe for now, I have a safety plan, but I am struggling to drag myself through the days - there are only a few things that keep me going. Thanks for reading, I look forward to talking to you all x

Overwhelmed & Lost

replies: 9

Hi Everyone, first time here for me. I left my highly stressful job just recently and started another job that I have found to be just as stressful. I plan to resign tomorrow from this new job. I guess my concern is being unemployed. I, like everyone have bills to pay but I am a mess and don't think I can continue to go to work in this headspace. Just reaching out to see whether anyone has experienced this and how they get through it?

Hello Everyone :D

replies: 6

Hello, everyone! I joined this forum because I never felt comfortable with sharing my problems with people I know, but I feel comfortable with sharing it with people I’d not know. Hi, I’m Alina, a 12 year old girl who has just started high school. I have trouble fitting in and am constantly worrying about how I look. So I’m just here to share my problems, because it manages to get most of the weight off my chest once I’ve said everything. thankyou for your support

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

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

Love you replies: 8

Work burnout & anxiety replies: 18

is this depression? replies: 5

Introduce myself replies: 5

To post or not to post. We'll see. replies: 19

Time to reach out replies: 3

Manager is harrassing/bullying me at work replies: 11

Lots of support and still struggling replies: 6

Overwhelmed & Lost replies: 9

Hello Everyone :D replies: 6