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Sophie_M How are you feeling about the social media restrictions in Australia for under 16s?
  • replies: 14

Hey everyone With the upcoming Australian social media restriction for under 16-year-olds coming up we want to know what this means for you and maybe even the young people in your life. This conversation is a place for all of us to share how we are f... View more

Hey everyone With the upcoming Australian social media restriction for under 16-year-olds coming up we want to know what this means for you and maybe even the young people in your life. This conversation is a place for all of us to share how we are feeling and what we think the challenges and benefits might be for you or the wonderful young people in our community. Have you thought about how to stay connected with friends you’ve met online? Are you focused mostly on the positives, or the negatives? What do your parents think, and what could they do to support you? Importantly the Beyond Blue Forums are not impacted by these restrictions, we're here for anyone under 16. In short, from December 10 Social Media companies will need to ensure that only people over 16 actively engage with their platforms. There is a lot of information out there which can make it tricky to know what to expect on when it comes into effect. To learn more we think these are a helpful place to start eSafety commissioner + Headspace FAQs. We know this change will impact some more than others, QLife provide anonymous and free LGBTIQ+ support and 13YARN are here for all Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people. We want to hear your thoughts on how this might impact the mental health of under 16s in both a positive and negative way. The Beyond Blue Forums are a place for constructive and helpful conversation and the regular moderation rules apply which means we look forward to a kind and understanding discussion. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings Sophie M

BeyondBlue New to this Forum? Please read this first!
  • replies: 0

Hey there! Welcome to the Young People section of the Beyond Blue Forums. The purpose of this section is to provide members aged 25 and under a space to discuss life issues, tricky situations and the difficult emotions and feelings that come with tho... View more

Hey there! Welcome to the Young People section of the Beyond Blue Forums. The purpose of this section is to provide members aged 25 and under a space to discuss life issues, tricky situations and the difficult emotions and feelings that come with those. If you are aged over 25, please be mindful that this is a space for younger people to connect and provide support for each other. These forums are moderated, so your posts may not appear straight away. Information on moderation on the Forums can be found here. Being familiar with our Community Guidelines can help ensure that your posts appear online as quickly as possible. If we have concerns about your wellbeing, one of our friendly moderators will check in with you privately to make sure you get the support you need. If you need more immediate support, we recommend reaching out to the following: Beyond Blue Support Service – any time, chat online to a counsellor or call 1300 22 4636 Headspace – between 9am and 1am (AEST), chat online to a mental health clinician or call 1800 650 890 Kids Helpline – any time, chat online to a counsellor or call 1800 55 1800 Thank you for being here. We’re glad you’ve found us here and hope this can be a supportive space for you Beyond Blue

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Guest_1837465 I don't know what to do
  • replies: 4

Hi, I usually don't speak up about things that I'm struggling with because I feel like they are small problems and I don't have any reason to feel sad or anxious because my life is pretty good. I don't like feeling vulnerable. I am really struggling ... View more

Hi, I usually don't speak up about things that I'm struggling with because I feel like they are small problems and I don't have any reason to feel sad or anxious because my life is pretty good. I don't like feeling vulnerable. I am really struggling with my body image and self esteem lately and I don't know what to do. I am 93kg at 16 and its really effecting my mental health, I don't eat processed foods, I eat veggies and fruits regularly but I just can't seem to loose weight. Its always "I'll start a diet tomorrow" but I never do it, I am not motivated and it scares me. I feel like I'm neglecting my body and I'm letting it go to waste, for example I'm not brushing my teeth as much because I can't be bothered, I won't shower because I can't be bothered, I wont exercise because I can't be bothered, I won't do skin care because I'm tired and can't be bothered, and I'm always on my phone at night till 12:00 because I cant sleep even though I'm always tired, I feel disgusting and like I'm rotting away and I don't know what to do. On another note I hate my personality, I'm shy and awkward and I don't feel like I'm interesting at all, I don't want to smoke or drink which most of my friends are doing at the moment, they don't invite me to things because I'm pretty sure they think I'm boring and I just hate myself for being like this, why can't I be outgoing and speak to boys, be funny, actually talk to people. I'm sorry if this is silly I just feel like I'm ranting and none of this is a reason to be anxious or depressed about, but it has just been building up. I am also struggling with things changing so fast and growing up. I'm moving schools for year 11 and 12 and so are my friends, I'm scared I will never speak to them again because that's what happened when moving from primary school to high school. I'm also nervous for the school year and ATAR and I feel like my motivation will get worse as I will be stressed out a lot more next year. I don't want to grow up. Things are moving so fast and I want them to slow down. I don't want to start thinking about what UNI's I want to go to, I don't want to start thinking about whether I have enough money to survive in my own. Reality is hitting hard and fast. I am pretty sure I'm over thinking it but I just want to know If I am alone in feeling like this? Am I stupid for thinking like this? If anyone has similar stories or tips to help me out please let me know, I just want to stop feeling like this.

ashi Wow, attachment issues
  • replies: 2

I always got attached to people before I even knew them properly, give me the slightest attention and I immediately grasp onto that like it's my lifeline. I've avoided most of my friends nowadays in fear that I'll probably get too close and just lose... View more

I always got attached to people before I even knew them properly, give me the slightest attention and I immediately grasp onto that like it's my lifeline. I've avoided most of my friends nowadays in fear that I'll probably get too close and just lose them, which actually -in my opinion- worked a bit, after I moved countries, all of my friends had started ignoring my messages, but didn't affect me much.Though, it's really hard not to meet someone new and hope they'll stay with me. My new school is full of friendly people, pretty good, but that meant they were just as friendly to everyone else, and it's hard to find someone I could really trust, or talk to. I've been telling myself to venture outside my comfort zone for years now, find new friends, don't just constantly stick to one person like a leech. But it's difficult to do that without making the new friend the victim of my persistent attachment. I've been so lonely at home (it's not even a home considering how empty it is), the only reason why I would actually go to school is just to be near people, and have at least somewhat a place I call welcoming. Still, I'm attached to my best friend (who is a 9 hour flight away and it's not as easy to talk with the time zone differences) and a new friend I met at school who is sooner or later going to another school, and I'm sure that's when that friendship will end. When I meet someone, I give them a small glance, and decide whether I like them or not, I change opinions really quickly, but eventually it's either I become friends with them or not. If they do become my friend, I'd probably try my best to keep them as my friend, or even make them into my best friend, where then chaos ensues, because I automatically pour my heart out to them. People have always kindly listened, I'm grateful for that, but then they just go and I feel like I've made a big mistake, even though nothing bad would happen, I still think I've made bad choices when talking about my problems to someone. Not saying the internet is better for talking, but it gives you the anonymous kinda thing, so you feel a little safer talking (or technically, typing and posting). Thank you if you've read this whole thing, and have a nice day!

ashi Sometimes you just gotta lay down and not do anything
  • replies: 8

The title is literally me for the past.. how many weeks? It could have even been months, no idea. I feel like a zombie, yes, I'm alive, yes, I'm still walking; but, so?I have ambitions, I've lost interest in practically everything, I have two friends... View more

The title is literally me for the past.. how many weeks? It could have even been months, no idea. I feel like a zombie, yes, I'm alive, yes, I'm still walking; but, so?I have ambitions, I've lost interest in practically everything, I have two friends and one of them is a 9 hour flight away and is constantly busy, and I'm not exactly that close with my other friend. I've already lost everyone else, my sibling is busy enough with adult life, I haven't seen my cousins for 5 years and I can't contact them, my parents are completely absent from my life other than feeding me and giving me a house to live in. Home? I got nothing. Right now, I'm not laying down, but I'm sitting in a chair listening to a playlist that's literally just pop funk beats to keep my brain occupied and not think too much, unfortunately, it's not very effective. I commonly tell myself "Hey! You! Yes you! You sluggish and absurdly contradicting idiot! Stop grouching already and make some friends!!", but then I just go "Nope, waking up already drained all my social energy" Extremely funny, I used be super social, but of course teenage years and hormones came in, smashed all my previous thoughts and cut off all my dopamine sources and my neurotransmitters are in permanent sleep mode, so I'm just "hhhhhhhhhhh" every day, no thoughts, and if I do have thoughts, the only thought that comes to mind is "I wonder how much time I have left" not in the "I'm super scared and anxious" way but just in the curious and wonderous way. Ever since I learnt people will die one day, I've been thinking about how I want to live my life, and I've been hearing a clock tick at the back of my head. UGH. The stupid little thing pesters me every day with "Uh oh! Look! You made a mistake!" or "Time is running out!! Do something! Quick!". Oh how I hate that little thing, I imagine smashing it against the wall but I can't, I'll just have to listen to my brain incoherent rambling every day for the next hundreds of years. Either ways, thank you for reading this, and I hope everyone has a wonderfully nice day even though that might not happen.

MelancholyDays Identity Crisis
  • replies: 2

I feel like a few months ago I really hit a wall with my current relationship, and now recently I’ve been suffering from anxiety and stress because of an identity crisis I’m having.Back story, I have been with this person about 7 years, I moved with ... View more

I feel like a few months ago I really hit a wall with my current relationship, and now recently I’ve been suffering from anxiety and stress because of an identity crisis I’m having.Back story, I have been with this person about 7 years, I moved with them to a new city because of their job (which involves them going away a lot for it) and we even have a young one together. Their last stint I feel we really drifted and I was convinced it was over, and it was for about a week when they returned. I told them I just felt really lost and confused because I didn’t know what I wanted and didn’t know who I was outside of a relationship, and that I’m sick of waiting for change. But it seems that didn’t last, and we thought since we’ve come this far we should work it out and work on it together. Now recently I’ve been having those feelings again but even more intense. But I don’t know who I am without this person and I feel like I’ve become so dependent on them that the thought of leaving is terrifying to me. I think I could definitely manage to a point, but the unknown just has me second guessing the decision to leave constantly. I’m not sure how to approach the situation and I feel it’s harder since there is a child involved

134-_938 School Stress
  • replies: 2

I just turned 15 and I'm in year 9. I have been missing school for around a term and a half now, and it's affecting me really badly. I get so stressed about going to school and I have panic attacks every time I think about it. I suffer from depressio... View more

I just turned 15 and I'm in year 9. I have been missing school for around a term and a half now, and it's affecting me really badly. I get so stressed about going to school and I have panic attacks every time I think about it. I suffer from depression, anxiety and an eating disorder and it's really hard for me to be in social situations. I have some really close friends at school and I don't want to loose them but I find it so difficult to be at school. I get so stressed just being around people and thinking about people judging me and my body. I have missed so much school that I am really behind now, which makes it even harder to go. I struggle a lot with Maths and I feel really hopeless right now and like I will never catch up. I am really worried that because I have missed so much school I won't ever catch up and that this is ruining my future for me. I feel so depressed constantly and I am really beginning to hate myself. I find that I am just lying in bed constantly feeling so empty and like I am worthless. My parents are really supportive and my school is trying to help me get there, and somehow that makes me hate myself more because even with all this support I can't even manage to get to school. I'm so scared that missing this much school will have a horrible impact on my future and that I will feel this way for the rest of my life. I moved schools a year ago and since doing that I have been too socially anxious to join any extra curriculars, sports or anything outside of school. I feel really alone and like everyone in the world is doing better than me, and I don't know what to do. I don't want to ruin my future but I find it so difficult to do anything.

h_jc Self-worth and friends
  • replies: 1

hey guys, I am new here but would like to talk about a couple of things. Personally I don't really want to talk to my family about anything because they will probably be all pitiful and send me to a therapist or smth. Anyway, I have noticed that afte... View more

hey guys, I am new here but would like to talk about a couple of things. Personally I don't really want to talk to my family about anything because they will probably be all pitiful and send me to a therapist or smth. Anyway, I have noticed that after a personal failure I am always really distracted and down. For example; after I lose a tennis match at school (tennis is my favourite hobby), I cannot focus on studying later. Or if I get a bad mark, I feel worthless for a day or so after and get sucked into a hole of feeling inadequate and comparing myself to others. Is this normal? How can I help it because it can be really distracting, especially when I need to study or something and I just cannot focus because I feel so down. Secondly, I have a pretty good friend group at school. They are all super nice people but most of them seem a lot closer to each other than to me, and I just feel like they are drifting away. I want to have deeper relationships with them so that I can discuss things like this but I feel like my relationships with my friends at school is kinda just stuck at the stage where we are joking around and nothing really further than that. How can I get to that next stage? I don't want all of my relationships to be so shallow that when I leave school they all just ditch me and then I'll have no friends

Erinnnnn Stress
  • replies: 1

Hiii I’m Erin. I’m an international student who is experiencing a feeling which is that I’m trying so hard to approach the person I want to be but failed very often. It affects my confidence and I’m worrying if I could really take good care of my par... View more

Hiii I’m Erin. I’m an international student who is experiencing a feeling which is that I’m trying so hard to approach the person I want to be but failed very often. It affects my confidence and I’m worrying if I could really take good care of my parents in the future…Kind of sad emotion comes along with the more stress when I heard that my grandma was very sick and maybe I need to go back to my hometown earlier as soon as I finish this semester to see her..

Guest_98126199 TAFE and disability
  • replies: 1

New here and needed some people close to my age to ask lol I have been trying out various TAFE courses and pretty much gave up after trying one unit each time. But apart from that, I have been finding their disability support to be abysmal. Zero comm... View more

New here and needed some people close to my age to ask lol I have been trying out various TAFE courses and pretty much gave up after trying one unit each time. But apart from that, I have been finding their disability support to be abysmal. Zero communication, no help outside of hours (I work a 38-hour week so only free during the night or weekends), and all my agents are constantly going on leave or quitting their jobs and no one tells me. So unprofessional! And my complaints to them only give me generic apologies in response. I am doing the Human Resources Management IV course and I really enjoy the subject but the marking criteria is just way too strict. I want the certificate so I can advance in my career but I can't even complete the first assignment without someone telling me the answers they want specifically. Just seems like all the effort I put in during my precious weekends off is wasted lolIt has now come to a point where I want to drop out again and just resign myself to working low-level jobs like every other person with Autism like me has to do.

j_x School problems and stuff.
  • replies: 1

Lowkey I'm chatting here because I don't know where else to go at this point. I started high school (private school) this year, it was fine at first but now I hate it. I have mixed feelings of being left out and being included, there are always probl... View more

Lowkey I'm chatting here because I don't know where else to go at this point. I started high school (private school) this year, it was fine at first but now I hate it. I have mixed feelings of being left out and being included, there are always problems or someone judging you for no reason. you might say this is normal for high school, but is it seriously to the point I dread even walking to the bus stop? My best friend turned on me, teachers can be really rude and it's so overwhelming and tiring. I've also had several social media issues to the point that I had to regain the trust of some close people and block off all platforms from my life (which is kind of a good/bad thing ngl) I've even broken down in tears during classes and this beyond blue k10 test thingy says I should reach out for support Music and painting are my escape from all of this, which I try to do more often but sometimes I can't do it at school, I can't even finish a book (and I love books). I want to do homeschooling but I'm afraid of what would happen to my social life, leadership skills and future appliance for unis. I'm thinking of starting counselling which my school offers but I need further advice, I've already tried finding new people to hang out with but it didn't do any benefit. I don't know what I should do and I'm probs going to stay at this school next year. Thanks, J.

Guest_10081968 I dont feel i have a reason to feel kinda depressed.
  • replies: 1

I feel like i have a good life but im being negative, but for some reason, I'm not sure what, I feel unmotivated I don't really know what I want to do in life, and I'm a bit overweight. I'm only 14 but I'm not sure why I don't even feel like hanging ... View more

I feel like i have a good life but im being negative, but for some reason, I'm not sure what, I feel unmotivated I don't really know what I want to do in life, and I'm a bit overweight. I'm only 14 but I'm not sure why I don't even feel like hanging out with my friends sometimes and just want to be alone. I am too scared to talk to my parents as my dad is a psychologist so I feel like a failure if I talk to him about it. I don't even feel motivated to do my work it feels like I'm just forcing myself to do everything. Lately I've been feeling kind of tired, I feel like if I talk to anyone about it it would just be awkward and I would be Like a burden. Idk if this makes sense its not like I have a shit life, I do have friends and family and pretty good relationship with all.