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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 Be... View more

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.

Aaronsis 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 th... View more

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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rh456 Hello from Adelaide
  • replies: 1

Hi, I am Rachel. Not sure where to post so thought I would just introduce myself. My interests are: aboriginal culture (particularly history, sport and music), travel, whisky, Scotland, military veterans and animal welfare. I have recently been made ... View more

Hi, I am Rachel. Not sure where to post so thought I would just introduce myself. My interests are: aboriginal culture (particularly history, sport and music), travel, whisky, Scotland, military veterans and animal welfare. I have recently been made redundant at my job at quite suddenly and I am feeling quite lost (I thought i was doing okay there). I am lucky in that I have a casual job in north adelaide which I love but is only 2 days a week. I get periods where I feel fine, but a lot of the time (and sometimes out of the blue) I feel quite low and depressed. Sometimes I feel so low that nothing can cheer me up (even using previous methods such as watching funny videos, listening to music etc). I have sought professional help privately previously, but cannot keep this up due to the cost. I am also dealing with my mum's ongoing health issues (as well as her mental health) and am struggling to deal with that as well. I am feeling anxious particularly about getting a job = for two main reasons: my own self worth/enjoyment and of course, monetary (I have to pay some bills..haha). I am looking for a job that I can actually enjoy and feel like I am making a difference. I also don't have a car license and rely on public transport which can be at times a little restrictive (in terms of getting out and some jobs). I have rambled on too much now, so I will stop..Might go and watch a funny video or something to make me feel better even if its just for a short while. Thank you to anyone who replies to this message.

james-i Hello
  • replies: 3

Hello everyone my name is James, I'm 19 years old.My hobbies are video games, baking, coding, and listening to music.

Hello everyone my name is James, I'm 19 years old.My hobbies are video games, baking, coding, and listening to music.

DifferentMe Person in Progress 🚧
  • replies: 13

Forumites - Shoutout those that recreated themselves.Identity Loss and Self-Differentiation is what brings me to the forum. As a result of 13 years of Narcissistic Abuse, I have lost my sense of self and self-worth. But I get to recreate myself.I’m l... View more

Forumites - Shoutout those that recreated themselves.Identity Loss and Self-Differentiation is what brings me to the forum. As a result of 13 years of Narcissistic Abuse, I have lost my sense of self and self-worth. But I get to recreate myself.I’m looking forward to reading your journey of self discovery.All advice gratefully appreciated

akv123 New here
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, just joined Beyond Blue earlier this week. Looking forward to learning and sharing with you all, and helping in any way I can

Hi everyone, just joined Beyond Blue earlier this week. Looking forward to learning and sharing with you all, and helping in any way I can

Amlon Support Groups ?
  • replies: 2

Hi, I'm posting in case anyone knows of Support Groups for people who feel very lonely and have a history of mental health issues? A safe place where you Know your not the only one with these feelings and then talk about other things, socialise The g... View more

Hi, I'm posting in case anyone knows of Support Groups for people who feel very lonely and have a history of mental health issues? A safe place where you Know your not the only one with these feelings and then talk about other things, socialise The group might need some rules or supervision. I live in Sydney but on line could be a start. So any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

H-app_y Please help me. Not sure if I'm doing right. Hello everyone.
  • replies: 2

Hello everyone. Not sure if I'm doing this in right section. Not familiar with digital things. I'm interested to get some support with Anxiety/ traumatic experiences and will try to support as well if able

Hello everyone. Not sure if I'm doing this in right section. Not familiar with digital things. I'm interested to get some support with Anxiety/ traumatic experiences and will try to support as well if able

JRT2 Lonely
  • replies: 2

Hi there!I'm not to sure where to start...I suppose I could start with the first things that come to my mind. I don't feel like I have any purpose in life at the moment...I am 54. I don't want to die, however I'm constantly thinking about dying. I ha... View more

Hi there!I'm not to sure where to start...I suppose I could start with the first things that come to my mind. I don't feel like I have any purpose in life at the moment...I am 54. I don't want to die, however I'm constantly thinking about dying. I have a partner of 11 years, but I feel lonely in this relationship, he is also in the defence and is away a lot. We are in a new town (moved here 12 months ago on a new posting) - I don't have any family or friends here. I have suffered depression and PTSD for more than 25 years and find it hard to leave the house. I work fulltime, I come across happy at work, but I do know I am hiding behind a smile. Who would be the best person to go and have a chat with?

Guest_37475159 AVM
  • replies: 2

Hi my names Luke I had an AVM in the cerebellum, I’m lucky to be alive let alone how well I’m doing, does anyone have any experience with AVMs?

Hi my names Luke I had an AVM in the cerebellum, I’m lucky to be alive let alone how well I’m doing, does anyone have any experience with AVMs?

Georgiesad Help please 🙏
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, Thanks for taking the time to read my post. I don’t actually know what I need or what is wrong with me. I married a man I love so much, however I suspect that my issues with self esteem, self love started long before I got married. This ... View more

Hi everyone, Thanks for taking the time to read my post. I don’t actually know what I need or what is wrong with me. I married a man I love so much, however I suspect that my issues with self esteem, self love started long before I got married. This man and his family controlled every aspect of my life for the first 3 years of marriage. I was working 2 jobs, not allowed to see my family, never saw a pay check and if I even questioned was yelled at, called names. I was put down about how much I earned, and my weight but still I stayed. It really killed my self esteem. I fell pregnant in 2017 which was a surprise and my husband tried to convince me to have an abortion which I just could not do. My first trimester was hell. Once born forming attachment was horrible and I was constantly judged on my parenting. I believe I developed bad depression here. After this everything went numb. I don’t really remember time after this. I worked like crazy… my attachment with bubs kept dropping off and I kept trying to please. my partner and I finally had a breakthrough in 2021. In 2022 I was diagnosed with infertility and needed 3 rounds of IVF to fall pregnant with our now son. After many miscarriages a requirement to have chemo after one of them I was pregnant. My pregnancy was horribly traumatic.. I was diagnosed with complete stage 4 placenta previa and spent most of my time in and out of hospital. I delivered baby through emergency C-section at 33 weeks and spent many weeks in special care nursery. baby had issues with breastfeeding and reflux which resulted in extended use of a gastric nasal tube and full formula feeding which made me feel so inadequate as a mother. The one thing I wanted to be more than anything in the world. After this pregnant I was told no more at all. my maternity leave is now finishing and I feel like this whole chapter of my life is over, like it was stolen from me. I feel resentment, anger, irritable, sad, lonely, bitter, hate There are times I think about being gone but it’s just thoughts. the reason for the long story is that I just feel like everything is so messed up that I don’t even know where to start. I feel like I can’t change anything so how do these feelings go away? I feel like the only way I can do this is to accept what I can’t change and move on but I just can’t do it. I am so easily triggered and feel like I’m just broken. I suffer badly from panic attacks and bouts of episode where I struggle to breathe what do you do in this situation? I’m so lost.