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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Hi Just got out of the hospital, and trying to deal with being locked in with a Narcissist

replies: 11

Being trapped with my mother is what landed me in the hospital. I cannot stand the way she devalues people. No one has any value unless they are "pretty." She never can laugh with me about things unless it is to put someone else down. I don't find that fun; I find it really depressing because she does that and did that to me my whole life. I don't think I am going to survive another lockdown. I have to go to school and my friends' houses and get away from her. So, I guess what I am asking people is to give me some ideas on how to have fun by myself in my room. I love to write. I like to create characters who are funny& nice. I VALUE them and they aren't pretty. It makes me feel good to read my stories so I guess I can do that but sometimes my body dysmorphia literally gets in the way of that. WHat it is, is obsessing , having intrusive negative thoughts that you can't seem to get away from about how you look. They loop around and around in my head-and i am not vain at all-it is just the opposite. People who have this are attractive but we think we look like monsters. It would be funny if it weren't so painful because i look back on what I thought when I was six and it was so far from reality it actually is funny but the disorder isn't. It falls on the OCD spectrum and it is Very distressing. I have to be honest with everyone here-I am not okay with the fights going on about Covid-19 and i know how psychopathic people can be because of my mother and I know that people in power are just like her and this is extremely stressful. ignorance is bliss I suppose if I did not have a sociopath for a mother i wouldn't know what those in power in the world are capable of. People like my mother have no conscience. She cannot FEEL anything for me. She does not FEEL anything for the people she laughs at and mocks. It is a terrifying time with these mask mandates, social distancing etc. I'd prefer to get the virus seriously. This was the first time I ever did anything bad and ended up in ICU. I need to find a way to make my world happy even though she is outside. So here is what I have done so far. I asked my father if i could sign up for a yoga teacher training-I thought this would force me to exercise and help me relax. he said he would think about it so in the meantime i have signed up for a free 7 day trial what do you think? I am going to write a new character after I complete this post to cheer me up too. any ideas are welcome. Thanks.

Hello everyone.

replies: 3

Hey everyone, new user here. Still currently in school and dealing with anxiety and autism. I'm currently sort of OK right now, but i'm probably going to post a few times on here. Thanks for taking the time to read this, i don't really know what else... View more

Hi. New here. Thank you 🥰

replies: 4

Hi everyone how are you? I was just searching on Google about psych wards and I found this beyondblue forum. So thought I would introduce myself and get to reading. I've been admitt into hospital in my entire life around about 12 times. I have schitzophrenia. I'm on the psych ward now I had to get a negative covid test and isolate in one side of the ward for a day then they moved me to the other side. I've been suicidal before and I have attempted it once. But my life isn't as bad as I think it is. I think very negatively and put myself down a lot. I'm in a relationship with a family friend of my mum's sister. And she is in Morocco. I need to get over there to get married to her and get her a visa application. All the best I would appreciate any advice on how to be happier these days. Thanks.

too much nervous energy

replies: 5

I'm currently 6 days into 14-day mandatory quarantine. I'm fully vaxxed and have tested negative three times already. I'm so full of nervous energy I can't sleep. My current way of sleeping is staying up until my body crashes and I just sleep whenever that happens. My hands are constantly shaking and nothing works. Not baths, not tea, not meditation, not deep breathing. I've run in circles around my house, I've worked out with resistance bands, I've even done yoga daily. I've used everything my psych has told me for anxiety. They worked in the past, but not now. I don't know what to do. I have this constant pressure and energy in my chest. I feel like I'm going crazy. I'm looking for literally any help right now.

Hi All Sea Eagle here

replies: 2

Hi just joined the Website. I suffer from depression and it seems to be cyclic , as in i am on top of the world on week and then won't leave my bedroom the next week, i was on medication and seriously thinking about getting back on to it. I am anxious when i hear my phone ding with a text message . I am fearing a text from my Ex wife who has given me hell over the years. or fearing that something has happen to my rental property , where previous tennants have treated my house like a dump . Little things set me off to depression. I have a loving partner but i find difficulties in making friends and feel very anxious around potential friends . And also i get this feeling of being small and invisible when my partner is talking to one of her friends . its a hatered feeling toward my partner that i am getting ignored , when i understand that is is not her fault at all.

Introduction Andy99

replies: 3

So I am the dad of 2 young adult sons 18 and 20 and things were going ok until the last few months and particularly the last few days. In June at 7am I had a paramedic knock on my door with my dishevelled 18 year old telling me he had been in a serious car accident - 16 year old girlfriend of one week had to be cut out of the car with serious injuries. No drugs or alcohol involved but reckless driving. This shook up my son and his mother badly with both losing sleep, my son waking up with nightmares every day at the time of the accident and police charges pending. Things had normalised a bit since after he saw a psychologist and taking some prescriptions antidepressants, but my son had become in his words ‘not happy being at home’ - he was staying over with friends, etc pretty regularly. Then last weekend my nearby neighbour shows up with his 17 year old son saying my son has been selling non-nicotine vapes in bulk to his son who has then been on selling to his schoolmates. Said he wanted it to stop and wouldn’t take it to the police. I found about 100 vapes in my sons car and took them, he wasn’t happy and left home and hasn’t returned since Saturday. He is now at an Airbnb with a friend and we are talking by phone but he is unsure what he will do next and talking about moving out to rent a place with his friend. My wife is very stressed about the whole situation. Today the police knock on the door axing for my other 20 yo son, he has always been very responsible and practical and has always been motivated to work and save. Anyway the police have traced a fraudulent iPhone sale on Facebook marketplace back to him and he may be charged. I am a bit staggered at this point, my wife has gotten even more stressed about things, understandably, and is returning to the psychologist this week. She is wondering what we did wrong as parents for this to happen and self-blaming. The boys are both ‘adults’ now and aware of what they were doing but this behaviour is so far out of normal for them I don’t know how we will recover as a family.

Introduction

replies: 2

Hi everyone, my name is Claudia and I am 21 years old. I’ve been experiencing clinical anxiety and depression since my parents separated in 2015. I spoke to psychologists for 4 continuous years and haven’t felt the need to see psychologists anymore. However, now I’m being exposed to new family and relationship problems that are triggering me- I feel like I am relapsing in a sense. My depression isn’t something that effects me all the time and more when something has happened. I’m more effected my anxiety. I’ve joined today to find people who have experienced similar family and relationship problems to me. I am really happy that there is a forum, I’m excited to explore this avenue. Until, I gain the courage to call and speak with someone from Beyond Blue. For now what I am feeling is very fresh and I have been a crying mess for a couple of days. So I can’t speak about it yet without crying. I’ll gain the courage to soon but I also feel like connecting with people who may be experiencing similar things will be beneficial in the mean time

Brief Introduction

replies: 5

Hi Everyone, Just joined Beyond Blue and the forum. Not too sure what to expect. Just in brief: Living in Brisbane and having difficulty sleeping due to anxiety. I like to exercise (finding it hard to lose weight), garden (when motivated) and spend time with my family (missing them due to them living in NSW). Moved to QLD a few years ago and since then been through a second divorce and still going through court proceedings to be able to spend time with my third son. Good things have happened as well but the scales to feel rather imbalanced at the moment. Friends are hard to some by. I have always made friends easy no matter where I moved and lived but it seems as though as soon as I turned 40 it has been really difficult. Again, not sure what to expect but just putting myself out there. Maybe just opening up about a few things and getting some feedback is enough. Thank you

New introduction

replies: 7

Hi everyone, I am new and just want to introduce myself and tell a little about me. I am married with 4 children. I was diagnosed with MS 16 years ago, ITP 2 years ago, 10 months ago vertigo and 9 months ago Anxiety. I have had my ups and downs finally started doing well with anxiety on medication I made decision with dr to change medication as I wasn’t to happy with weight gain over 9months started at 56kgs and now 90kg. My medication has been tapering down weekly and I stopped coping to the point I have no motivation to do anything or even eat. Am having to make the decision it is better to be overweight and be in a better mental state than feel the way I feel now. I am constantly in an anxious state and hoping by increasing medication back up I will get a back to a sort of normal. Has anyone else had bad experiences tapering off medication in order to start a new one. Please no judgement I have tried my best but being a Mum I can’t be feeling useless either.

New

replies: 3

Hi I just joined up

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

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

Hi Just got out of the hospital, and trying to deal with being locked in with a Narcissist replies: 11

Hello everyone. replies: 3

Hi. New here. Thank you 🥰 replies: 4

too much nervous energy replies: 5

Hi All Sea Eagle here replies: 2

Introduction Andy99 replies: 3

Introduction replies: 2

Brief Introduction replies: 5

New introduction replies: 7

New replies: 3