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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Goodness me, i did not introduce myself.

replies: 4

Goodness me, i did not introduce myself. sorry, my name is lee. im 36 years old, and have high functioning autism (asperger). i would like to help those who have assisted me. so i can return the favour. i hope i can be of assistance here. thanks for ... View more

Get Involved! Help shape the future of the Online Forums

replies: 7

We have an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of the Forums experience. For a long time we know you have been waiting for an improved platform to allow you to continue the incredible support along your Mental Health and Social and Emotional Wellbeing. The time has finally come to enable this – but we want your input first! To ensure we are meeting your needs, we want you to help guide us and test our new technology before we make it live to everyone. To do this, we are setting up an Online Peer Advisory Group. If this sounds like something you would like to be involved in, or you are unsure but interested in learning more - please head to the expression of interest by clicking here. The closing date for submitting an expression of interest is by 11.59PM (AEST) Friday July 2, 2021. This is the first of many exciting updates for the Forum Community, we will be keeping you up to date before we make any changes and appreciate your involvement along the way. Thanks for your support of the Forums and we look forward to working with you to make this safe and supportive space even better!

Newbie

replies: 1

Hi folks, Just wanted to say hi, seeking some sort of comfort and conversation from people like me as I am feeling like a burden on my loved ones. I am 35 yr old cis woman that is studying web development and not working. I have come of workers comp after an incident at my old workplace as a recovery support worker where I got diagnosed with PTSD. I am much better than I was with the PTSD but my depression is at an all time high (or is it low I should say?) and my anxiety (particularly social anxiety) is not much better. I love animals (I have 2 cats), quality music, tattoos and the colour pink. Hope to speak to someone soon!

Cannot sleep

replies: 10

Hi first post bit nervous anxiety about intrusive thoughts and effects on sleep I think I’m ok and handle the thoughts but night time I cannot sleep bad night tonight meds don’t seem to do the trick just a bit desperate tonight

Just feeling completely lost...

replies: 9

Hi, everyone, This is my first time posting. I have been thinking about doing it for a few months but keep trying to convince myself I am okay when I'm not. I have hit a point in my life where I feel this immense pressure. I started a Masters of Teaching full-time this year and have really struggled with it. I would usually consider myself a strong person, but my mental health has severely deteriorated. I worked really hard this semester despite having two kids, family members with severe mental health issues, and a death in the family last year. I have done quite well in most of my units (a mixture of HDs, Ds, and a credit), except the most recent one, which I failed. It was a major assignment (worth 50%), so now I am unsure whether I will pass the unit overall. This one failure makes me think I have failed the remaining assignment I am yet to get back, and as a consequence, I feel like the last few months have been worthless. I am really doubting continuing with this degree as I just don't know if I can take the mental stress it is causing, or if it's really what I want to do. I also feel pressure from my family to become a teacher and see it through, which adds fuel to this bottomless-seeming depression I currently feel. I thought I was stronger than this, yet it's like my whole world is crumbling down. I have always had an overwhelming fear of failure, so right now, I feel like I have failed, and now it defines me. Thus, I won't ever succeed in life or accomplish my dreams. My primary passion is writing (it has been since I was a kid), but being an author doesn't pay the bills (or at least it's very hard to succeed in it financially). If I could choose right now, I would happily be a writer for the rest of my life, but that just isn't an option right now. It seems dramatic even writing all of this as I am usually a very private person, but this has been building up for a while, and failing this one uni assignment appears to be the straw that broke the camel's back. I don't want to feel like this, but it's hard to shake, so I'm just reaching out to see if there is anyone here to chat with or if someone else needs support, too, as I am happy to listen...

Newby here

replies: 11

Hello all, i have lived with anxiety for quiet some time now. Most painfull is hypocondria as it makes it all too real. I am 38 years old, wife and a mum to two little girls

Anxious about abnormal Pap test

replies: 4

Hi all, another nervous Nellie here. I suffer from anxiety as it is - but I have just come for a Pap test and the doctor said he noted bleeding easily of the cervix during the test, a lump on one side and a black mark in the other side of my cervix I have had a callback previously that apparently resolved itself years ago at the next test. Are there any forums for HPV or cervical cancer? I hope I don’t have cancer

Dealing with a partner who has depression

replies: 2

Hi, im struggling to deal with my partner who suffers from anxiety & depression. I want to be there for him but he doesn't like to talk about it much. It's affecting his life and now our relationship. Im open to talking to him about how he feels and why but he just deals with it in other ways. He doesn't want to be on anti-depressants anymore either. If you have a loved one in a similar situation, id love to chat. Its hard because I have no one I can really talk to about this. Thanks.

First time poster here

replies: 3

Hello everyone- not good at these sort of things but I hope to find help and like minded people on this forum. I suffer from anxiety, most of the time it is irrational and it is starting to impact my life a lot. My wife doesn’t know how to deal with it and I try so hard to hide it from my kids but it is so hard, I would just like to talk with people who know what I’m going through. Thank you for reading

Info & support needed

replies: 8

Our 23 yr old son was sentenced to prison y/day. It has been going thru courts since he was arrested on 13/02/2019. We are scared, confused, worried. Waiting to hear from lawyer as to which prison they are sending him. He has been diagnosed with high... View more

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

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

Goodness me, i did not introduce myself. replies: 4

Get Involved! Help shape the future of the Online Forums replies: 7

Newbie replies: 1

Cannot sleep replies: 10

Just feeling completely lost... replies: 9

Newby here replies: 11

Anxious about abnormal Pap test replies: 4

Dealing with a partner who has depression replies: 2

First time poster here replies: 3

Info & support needed replies: 8