New member who is ready to connect & help

[Claire_26]

Hi everyone,

I am new member of beyond blue! I am currently finishing my bachelor degree in psychology. I myself have previously been diagnosed with depression and anxiety. It was a difficult, confusing and very overwhelming time in my life. I found it so hard to acknowledge my anxiety and depression; I was in denial for a very long time. It was difficult sometimes for the people around me to understand because it is not a 'physical injury' that can be seen, however it does not mean it is not as serious as a physical injury. Through the help of a psychologist and medication I was able to process my emotions and was able to learn coping mechanisms that helped me work through some of my issues. This is essentially what inspired me to enroll into a psychology course. I hope to further help others as best to my ability because it definitely changed my life for the better.

I really hope to get to know some of you

[Guest_9809]

Hi Claire, and a very genuine welcome to you. Thankyou so much for coming on here and telling us your story.

You said that you hope to help others. Well .... you have already done so by posting here. You will no doubt receive a number of welcoming responses, which you richly deserve for having the courage to post and desire to help. Please also keep in mind that for every reply you get here, there a many more people out there who are benefiting from reading your story.

Its unfortunate we dont hear more good news stories such as yours, but I suppose its the nature of 'the depression beast'. When we are well we dont have a need for these types of Forums, and when we are struggling, thats when we right in. So the success stories are the ones we really want to hear about, as they inspire other people to realise that recovery and a normal happy life is definitely an achievable goal. So I thank you most sincerely.

Your decision to enter the field of psychology is a very worthy one, and given your own personal experience and desire to help others, I know you will be a highly successful one. Its interesting to note that your decision was as a result of the very positive experience you had with your own psychologist and your successful treatment.

I know there will be lots of people here who will want to get to know you too Claire. So take a good look around the various sections of the Forums. Please feel free to contribute to any thread that you have an interest in and feel you have something to offer. With your training and personal experience, I expect there will be many. (-:

If you want to connect with people in a more casual setting, I suggest you hang out in some of the BB Social Zone threads. The BB Cafe is one where there are usually plenty of people throughout the day, so just post a reply there and you will be made to feel very welcome. As you get to meet people, you may decide to track down their threads in the various MH forums.

Again, I welcome you Claire, and hope to see you around the forums over the coming weeks and months. You obviously have a lot to offer, so I hope you are able to stick around.

Taurus

[demonblaster]

Welcome & well done Claire, sounds like you've taken the beast by the horns and winning all round.

Thanks for wanting to help people

All best with your career too

Cya round no doubt 🙂

[Claire_26]

Hi Taurus,

Thanks for all your kind words 🙂 I think one of the most important lesson I learned while seeking help is that I was not alone. With any type of mental disorder it can be so isolating; to be able to talk with someone and feel that you are no longer alone was everything to me. I think that is why these forums are such a fantastic idea. I will definitely check out some of the forums you suggested!

Claire​