Young people

A space for people aged 12-25 to discuss life. If you’re over 25, please be mindful that this is a space for younger people to connect.

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romantic_thi3f Eeep! When study is overwhelming! - Tips, ideas and coping strategies
  • replies: 51

Hi! Just thought I’d make a post with some tips for study. I know this is something we can all struggle with. These are all suggestions so feel free to take them or leave them! Hope they help! If you only remember one thing, let it be this: You are i... View more

Hi! Just thought I’d make a post with some tips for study. I know this is something we can all struggle with. These are all suggestions so feel free to take them or leave them! Hope they help! If you only remember one thing, let it be this: You are important. Your grades don’t define you. (support) Studying can feel isolating but know you’re not alone! Reach out – and find or make friends that can support you along the way. If you’re having trouble finding some friends, join some local communities or clubs! They have lots at Uni’s and even stuff like open days are great ways to meet new people and find out what’s happening. Study groups can also be a great way to meet people and stay motivated. Also remind yourself why you’re doing this; inspirational wallpapers or quotes can be super inspiring. Remember the saying about the oxygen mask? If you can’t take care of yourself first studying will be harder. You are important. You know the drill - water, food, exercise, sleep. Try to stay calm. Stuff that might be able to help include mindfulness, breathing exercises, colouring in, going for walks, journaling, listening to music… If you’re struggling – reach out. See a therapist. Talk to your student counsellor. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Also lots of Universities and TAFE offer disability services – which includes conditions like Depression and Anxiety. (study) Find the right study space for you. Maybe that’s in your room, or a coffee shop, or the library. Some people find that noise helps; other people not so much. If you like particular kinds of noise, you can find ‘coffee shop’ noise or ‘rain sounds’ to help concentrate. Make a plan. It helps to do it often so it becomes a habit. Anytime you get a due date, write it down. Maybe you could use a diary, planner, bullet journal or an app. I find the 30/30 App helpful - study for a bit and then break for a bit. You can also get add-on’s for your computer to block sites like Facebook if you find them too distracting. Find out what study technique works for you. Do you like cue cards? Mind maps? Colour coding? Does highlighting stuff help you remember? Charts, maps, diagrams? Recorded lectures? Goals! These are so important – not just writing down deadlines but rewarding yourself for meeting them. Even making smaller goals like ‘read two pages from a textbook’ can help. Break it down into bite size pieces, and don’t forget to reward yourself after!

Sophie_M NEW TO THIS FORUM? Please read this first
  • replies: 0

The Young People space is a sub-forum within the wider Beyond Blue forum community. 1. Its purpose is to provide members aged 25 and under a space to discuss anxiety, depression and other related life issues. If you are aged over 25, please be mindfu... View more

The Young People space is a sub-forum within the wider Beyond Blue forum community. 1. Its purpose is to provide members aged 25 and under a space to discuss anxiety, depression and other related life issues. If you are aged over 25, please be mindful that this forum is a space for younger people to connect and provide peer support for each other. 2. Content from this sub-forum is displayed on both the beyondblue and youthbeyondblue websites. 3. Please bear in mind that some members find content relating to suicide and/or self-harm distressing or triggering. If you would like to post on these topics, please do so in our Suicidal Thoughts and Self Harm section. Please see also our guidelines for making posts on this topic. Posts made here in the Young People sub-forum containing content relating to suicide and/or self-harm will be moved. 4. These forums are moderated, so your posts may not appear straightaway. Information on how our system works can be found here. Being familiar with our community rules can help ensure that your posts appear online as quickly as possible. 5. This is a peer support community, and to get the best out of being here we recommend that you 'give support to receive support'. More on how that works here.

All discussions

GekYume my gf says she loves me, but she doesn't..
  • replies: 3

Me and my girlfriend have been together now for over a year and I think she's losing interest in me, that hurts me and makes me depressed a lot she started by ignoring me in texts and doesn't respond when I tell her that I love her, she instead says ... View more

Me and my girlfriend have been together now for over a year and I think she's losing interest in me, that hurts me and makes me depressed a lot she started by ignoring me in texts and doesn't respond when I tell her that I love her, she instead says ( thank you ) which it brings me down.. I feel like she's talking to a friend, not her boyfriend.. what do I do to make her love me again?

Mama1994 Relationship OCD ?
  • replies: 1

Hi, I am 24 years old and i have been with my boyfriend for 10 months now. He is my first serious relationship. He lives in Australia and I come from France. My visa to stay here is expiring in a week. We were planning on leaving the country together... View more

Hi, I am 24 years old and i have been with my boyfriend for 10 months now. He is my first serious relationship. He lives in Australia and I come from France. My visa to stay here is expiring in a week. We were planning on leaving the country together and then coming back to start the process for a partnership visa. We’ve had 10 months of pure happiness. He is the best person I have ever met. Our relationship was so simple and sincere. Since about a week ago, I started to be very anxious and emotional. I cried every time i looked at him. I was feeling very down. And now I question everything. I have so many doubts about my love for him, even if I was sure he was the one. I wonder if he is the right one, if I really love him, I look at him and ask myself why am I with him. And then I think that if I ever leave him, it will hurt him so much, and I don’t want that. I am just so scared to heart him. I am even scared to make love with him, in case I would think that during this time. I feel like I am avoiding contact, physical contact with him, because I am so scared of what I think. I feel anxious every time I look at him. I have moments of clarity when i know I love him, but then my thoughts just catch up and bring me down again. I also don’t have any more joy in life now. Every new day is a struggle. I can’t see my future and it freaks me out a bit. I feel like my thoughts are irrational. Nothing makes sense as I was so sure about everything before. My boyfriend is very understanding with my issues and tries his best but I heart him when I tell him I want to leave and leave him behind. Now I have thoughts that I will stay with him so I don’t heart him. It is a vicious circle.

Zu What else can I do to help?
  • replies: 2

For as long as I’ve known my friends quite a few of them have struggled a bit with their mental health. I tended to help them get help but since then I’ve moved far away and it’s a lot harder to support them. One of my my closest friends isn’t going ... View more

For as long as I’ve known my friends quite a few of them have struggled a bit with their mental health. I tended to help them get help but since then I’ve moved far away and it’s a lot harder to support them. One of my my closest friends isn’t going very well again and I was hoping I could get advice on how to help her out. She says she’s been breaking down, feels sad all the time and sometimes just starts crying for no reason. She also mentioned that the world feels fake. Like everything looks slightly blurry and strange, like she’s watching from a strangers eyes. I know I can’t know for sure but that last part sounds an awful lot like derealisation/depersonalisation. I felt a similar way a couple years back, I know how awful it feels and it really upsets me to know that she’s going through it too. Her mum was trying organise for her to see someone, but that was a couple weeks ago and my friend knows that its likely to not actually end up happening. I’ve told her to talk to someone at school or use one of the online services but she finds it difficult to ask others for help. I contacted her school and asked if they could help her, now I’m just waiting for a response. Is there anything else I can be doing to support her?

gen_the_friend Intrusive thoughts
  • replies: 6

I get intrusive thoughts very frequently and as anyone else who experiences this knows, it can be very stressful. I have schizophrenia (diagnosed), and i often believe people are reading my mind, so its a mad panic when i have these thoughts. I'm con... View more

I get intrusive thoughts very frequently and as anyone else who experiences this knows, it can be very stressful. I have schizophrenia (diagnosed), and i often believe people are reading my mind, so its a mad panic when i have these thoughts. I'm constantly trying to spam my thoughts to cover up the bad ones with repeated words like "stop" or "no" and other things. this also happens with mental images. These unwanted thoughts can range from me thinking bad things that i don't believe about people, like calling them ugly, to homicidal intrusive thoughts to even unwanted sexual ones. It's like my thoughts are sabotaging me. So yeah, i just wanted to vent about this frustration since i'm not fully comfortable talking about my intrusive thoughts with my psychologist or psychiatrist or family members. Does anyone else have something similar going on?

Joe_L Bipolar 2 and drinking
  • replies: 3

So im 18 in a small town and the majority of people my age as well as my friends drink for fun on the weekends as well as drugs (i'm not one to do drugs) but i drink still and it seems to make feel super anxious most probably due the bipolar. Would i... View more

So im 18 in a small town and the majority of people my age as well as my friends drink for fun on the weekends as well as drugs (i'm not one to do drugs) but i drink still and it seems to make feel super anxious most probably due the bipolar. Would it be better for me to go sober or would i lose friends? I feel its the best thing to do however i just would like some insights. Thanks in advance.

Anxietyisthemonsterhiding Anxiety/Health Anxiety
  • replies: 4

Hey everyone, I’m new to beyond blue! I guess I’m here seeking others that may experience what I do on a daily basis. I guess I’ve had anxiety my whole life but over the years it’s gotten worse. I’m 22 years old and I am so over feeling this way. Lat... View more

Hey everyone, I’m new to beyond blue! I guess I’m here seeking others that may experience what I do on a daily basis. I guess I’ve had anxiety my whole life but over the years it’s gotten worse. I’m 22 years old and I am so over feeling this way. Lately my annixety has been very health based. I will get so many symptoms, I get chest pain, acid reflux, aches and pains, my eyes sight has been effected I get visual floaters, after images, my eyes suck coming in from dark to light more so then I ever remember before this bad bad anxiety, I get headaches, I get sweating, I get heart racing, sometimes it even wakes me up in the middle of the night straight from sleep, I get panicking for no reason, I get the real flight or fight where I will run. I will be fine and start thinking about how this isn’t normal to be okay and that I’d usually have a problem and I almost talk myself into it. Lately thought it’s truly the health based stuff that gets to me. I have chest pain, I think heart attack. I have a head ache I think brain tumour, I feel like I can’t breath and I assume a allergic reaction to something or mostly any symptom I get I assume death is coming. It is so draining and I am over it. I’m even starting to not want to take any medicine or eat new foods and stuff due to thinking I might have a reaction to them and die. It’s like my anxiety has gone into over drive and it effects my life to no end. When I was on antidepressants I was fine. I didn’t worry about this stuff and if I got a head ache it was just a headache! Does anyone else have these issues/hyperchondria. If so how do you cope, what have you done to help yourself. Would be licensed to have someone to talk too. Sorry if this is in the wrong bit.

Jess_H1 Love someone who doesnt love me
  • replies: 2

Im 19 and I’ve loved this kid for 3 years in August its going to be 4 years. There might some of you saying youre only 19 how do you know what love is.. But im so sick of being hurt , we were close friends really close friends but I ended up falling ... View more

Im 19 and I’ve loved this kid for 3 years in August its going to be 4 years. There might some of you saying youre only 19 how do you know what love is.. But im so sick of being hurt , we were close friends really close friends but I ended up falling in love , couldnt tell him for 2 years, and when I told I knew the reply I was going to get wasn’t what I wanted to hear. We were doing a course this year together, he would always laugh with me, play around with me, have play fights and we were close then I thought we might have a chance so I opened up to him but again no, he says his really sorry that he can’t love me like I love him, I’ve dedicated my 4 years for this kid. Whenever his in pain I feel it, whenever he needs something I’m always the first one to help him. I know for a fact that no one is ever going to love him as much as I do. Im sick of crying myself to sleep every single day. For 3 years ive been smoking and lately I’ve gone worse by smoking 1 packet a day. Someone help me please

Bonabie Hi I’m new and I need help
  • replies: 2

Hi, I’m a 22 y/o enrolled nurse currently studying to be a registered nurse. Whilst studying I work for a nursing agency giving me the freedom to work when I choose. All my life I’ve been living with anxiety disorder which has then stemmed depression... View more

Hi, I’m a 22 y/o enrolled nurse currently studying to be a registered nurse. Whilst studying I work for a nursing agency giving me the freedom to work when I choose. All my life I’ve been living with anxiety disorder which has then stemmed depression, panic attacks, OCD, insomnia and many phobias. My problem is that I’ve only recently been diagnosed. I always new I was different, I was just never really educated on mental health disorders until I studied it through nursing but the main thing that made me realise what I had was an add on tv for anxiety. It was one of those adds that are like “If you suffer from the following you may have anxiety”and I realised that yes I suffer those things everyday but I thought everyone did? When I finally realised straight away I went to my GP which then referred me to a psychologist. My problem at the moment is that I’m finding it really hard to cope. I just feel like I’m not getting any better and that I will never get better and it’s making me very very sad to the point where I don’t sleep at night, I find it difficult to get out of bed and shower and pretty much do anything and I just don’t know what to do. My psychologist doesn’t seem to be helping very much, she talks about herself a lot but because I’m new to it I’m just not sure how it is supposed to work. I live with my parents and they really don’t understand me at all even after all this time. During a panic attack they yell at me to stop and then start to laugh at me which obviously makes its much worse. Sorry for rambling I just find it very hard to talk about these things in person so this is a lot easier for me to let it out. The depression is definitely affecting me a lot at the moment and I really am not liking it but I don’t know how to make it stop. I need help.

littlemissabernathy struggling with 'depression labels'
  • replies: 2

Hi, I'm new to the world of beyond blue and was hoping someone could possibly help. I'm don't know if I've got depression or not, no one in my family has a history, but I've done some research and I'm beginning to think maybe I do? It all started whe... View more

Hi, I'm new to the world of beyond blue and was hoping someone could possibly help. I'm don't know if I've got depression or not, no one in my family has a history, but I've done some research and I'm beginning to think maybe I do? It all started when I was 12 and contracted meningitis and encephalitis, (I'm now 21) and am still dealing with chronic daily pain for the last 7 years, I thought I was handling it, but recently I've noticed a lot of behavioural, mood and physical changes in myself. I don't see my friends as much as I used to, I find that I don't have the patience for people anymore, sometimes I even snap at my mum and sister which makes me feel awful afterwards but I just can't control my feelings at the time. I'm can't even tell you what I was mad about I just suddenly get irritated or emotional and everything feels too much and I just sleep for days. I know that having the same pain for most of my adolescent life probably has had an impact on my health, but I feel as if its more now. I don't find pleasure in doing my usual hobbies/activities. I can't even hold my focus on a book for half an hour, and I used to read all day everyday and it made me so happy. I don't think I could tell you what makes me happy anymore. But even as I write this, I can feel myself beginning to feel guilty for having these thoughts, I don't even know why... maybe i'm embarrassed...ashamed? Maybe it's all of the above. I've tried talking myself into going to see a doctor and talking about this, but again i start to feel guilty, like my problems aren't important enough to go and see a GP about. Anyway, if there's anyone else out there with some of the same feelings or maybe you've gone through something similar, I'd like to hear your story.

Guesy_839 Life sucks eternally
  • replies: 4

So the school holidays are finishing up, and since it's the start of the year, it's the start of a new grade and all of that. I'm going into Yr 9, and now it's sort of dawning on me that soon I have to think about getting a licence, and tricky school... View more

So the school holidays are finishing up, and since it's the start of the year, it's the start of a new grade and all of that. I'm going into Yr 9, and now it's sort of dawning on me that soon I have to think about getting a licence, and tricky school stuff and growing up... The thought of growing up was never really something I fantisized about as a kid, like I just never thought It'd happen. Like something would happen, and I would never really get past "Now". It's a bit tricky to explain. But year 1 turned to 2, and 2 turned to 3 and so on, and now I'm in year 6 after a horrible incident just after graduation just feeling eteranlly sick (Anxiety sucks) and wow I finally think year 7's over and oh boy year 8's gone and now I'm here. And I don't like it. I've always felt behind kids my age when it came to maturity in a way. Kids in my grade are currently posting stupid picture of themselves on the internet and beaning each other with apples, and I don't feel I can reach that yet. I have a learning disability as well, so that might explain stuff. The actual thought of growing up, getting a job, having to drive and just do everything just makes me sick. The whole "Something will happen and you won't get past now" thing is only starting to really wear off, and I can't calm myself down much. I also don't really feel hungry as much as I used to, and I've been told I look a bit pale (To be fair, I'm pretty white though). Like I just can't handle things like I used to. Middle school already sucks, and it's completly drained me, I don't have the energy for much anymore, and I now have weird habits, like I rub my hands together a lot, and my foot just can't stay still while I'm sitting. And I massivly pace. That, too. I think the only things that have kept me sane for the past two years are a few friends, my favorite movie, and my imagination (I used to get paranoid it would go with age when I was like 12). I'm running out of characters, and time, so yeah. I'll leave it at that. I spewed my words a bit, so sorry it's long. Sierra