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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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LizC6 Living with sufferers of Borderline Personality Disorder
  • replies: 2

Hi, My adolescent has just been diagnosed with BPD. She has also just attempted suicide. I've been having trouble finding a support community and feel very much at a loss to cope with everything. Any tips? Thanks in advance, LisC.

Hi, My adolescent has just been diagnosed with BPD. She has also just attempted suicide. I've been having trouble finding a support community and feel very much at a loss to cope with everything. Any tips? Thanks in advance, LisC.

HeatherN Just joined
  • replies: 3

Hi all, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Heather and I am writing this from my hospital bed, waiting to go to surgery for the insertion of a Peritoneal Catheter for Kidney Failure. I will have this for the rest of my life. I am not coping... View more

Hi all, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Heather and I am writing this from my hospital bed, waiting to go to surgery for the insertion of a Peritoneal Catheter for Kidney Failure. I will have this for the rest of my life. I am not coping with this massive change, even though I've known for years it was coming. I have a wonderful Social Worker who suggested this forum as a way of connecting with people who will understand. I am keen to talk to anyone who has been through this and can answer questions about the procedure, ongoing care, how long the anxiety and depression lasts and what you did to cope. Thank you

Jazminaa New member
  • replies: 4

Hey everyone, My name is Jasmin and I am a new member of this online community! I hope everyone is doing well or the best they can during these times of uncertainty. I'm currently in South West Sydney so we are currently in a strict lockdown. I work ... View more

Hey everyone, My name is Jasmin and I am a new member of this online community! I hope everyone is doing well or the best they can during these times of uncertainty. I'm currently in South West Sydney so we are currently in a strict lockdown. I work with vulnerable youth so I am considered an essential worker and I'm currently studying psychology, which can be quite intense so I am missing face-to-face classes with my uni friends. I am excited to engage with people in the forums and hopefully we can all support each other.

Ariarne Feeling depressed knowing that my non-communicative husband will never change
  • replies: 4

I am nearly 60 and after 30+ years of marriage I know that my non-communicative husband will never change and I will have spent most of my adult life with someone who is a good person in so many ways but a terrible communicator. He doesn’t deal with ... View more

I am nearly 60 and after 30+ years of marriage I know that my non-communicative husband will never change and I will have spent most of my adult life with someone who is a good person in so many ways but a terrible communicator. He doesn’t deal with anything to do with emotions at all well and never says anything warm or encouraging or loving or even vaguely complimentary to me. He is happy for me to be warm and loving but never initiates any affection ever. He is extremely passive and then passive-aggressive if challenged. I am feeling so depressed that I might spend the rest of my life without my partner ever saying anything nice to me in a personal sense. I have tried to explain several times over the years how I feel but nothing changes. He can’t even explain to me why, knowing how desperate I am for some warm words, he never says anything. He said he didn’t know. I am feeling sucked dry of all my energy and joy in life at the prospect of a future like this. I don’t know how to deal with this.

Sophie_M Unexpected Outage Yesterday - 28/7
  • replies: 1

Dear Beyond Blue Forums Community, Yesterday afternoon we experienced a technical issue leading to an unexpected outage of our online forums. We apologise to any of you that were distressed or concerned that you were unable to connect with others dur... View more

Dear Beyond Blue Forums Community, Yesterday afternoon we experienced a technical issue leading to an unexpected outage of our online forums. We apologise to any of you that were distressed or concerned that you were unable to connect with others during that time. We know that this is an important space to talk about our mental health with others who understand what it feels like. Our priority at all times is to ensure that the community is safe when posting and sharing on this site and the issue was resolved as quickly as possible. If this caused you to feel distressed or anxious you can always give our support line a call to talk it through on 1300 22 4636. Thank you all for your patience and understanding. Kind regards , Sophie M

Mandalee85 New here
  • replies: 3

So recently over the last 12- 18 months I have had feelings of being overwhelmed, stressed and have lost motivation and passion for my job and studies, sometimes out of nowhere I start to cry and don’t no why if I think about it and try to reasons wh... View more

So recently over the last 12- 18 months I have had feelings of being overwhelmed, stressed and have lost motivation and passion for my job and studies, sometimes out of nowhere I start to cry and don’t no why if I think about it and try to reasons why I’m crying it makes me more upset . I recently stopped my studies because of these emotions and feelings and have made the decision to step away from my chosen career. This year has been hard on everyone with what’s been going on, on top of that I’ve had a parent been diagnose with Alzheimers, 2 beloved pets passed away from bone cancer. Haven’t been diagnosed with anxiety or depression and am not sure of what to do or who to talk to

Tinkerbelll Can't step out of your triangle due to anxiety.
  • replies: 2

Does anyone else have trouble stepping out of the triangle. Your Triangle maybe like this: home,where you work and visting parents. But once u try and step out of that triangle your anxiety goes thought the roof. That is me

Does anyone else have trouble stepping out of the triangle. Your Triangle maybe like this: home,where you work and visting parents. But once u try and step out of that triangle your anxiety goes thought the roof. That is me

wildorchid Depression, Anxiety & BPD...any other methods?
  • replies: 2

Hi, i've been struggling with depression for quite some time. I was originally diagnosed with major depressive disorder but have recently been diagnosed with BPD. It's a relief in some ways and have been working hard to learn to live with it but stil... View more

Hi, i've been struggling with depression for quite some time. I was originally diagnosed with major depressive disorder but have recently been diagnosed with BPD. It's a relief in some ways and have been working hard to learn to live with it but still find my depression takes over. How do others cope when coping strategies don't seem to have effect and finding it hard to reach out to others?

jenms 60 years of living with depression
  • replies: 6

I have been living with depression for 60 years to varying degrees, much much worse lately, have had less than understanding workplace which is making it much worse

I have been living with depression for 60 years to varying degrees, much much worse lately, have had less than understanding workplace which is making it much worse

Chuck_Duck Hi All
  • replies: 1

Hi Im Ash, I'm 23 and I'm feeling very alone and in my head all the time. I recently experienced my first time grieving and have been struggling a lot. I've suffered with Anxiety and depression since I was 12. I don't have much of a support network a... View more

Hi Im Ash, I'm 23 and I'm feeling very alone and in my head all the time. I recently experienced my first time grieving and have been struggling a lot. I've suffered with Anxiety and depression since I was 12. I don't have much of a support network and what I do have I find I just can't be around them at all. I'm looking for people to connect with and really help me get as bit of myself back! So if you have any book, film, or music suggestions I welcome them or anyone who just wants to chat would be great!