Support
Support

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.

Start a conversation

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Categories
Start a conversation

Pinned discussions

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

All discussions

Start a conversation

two-dee Giving up on finding work.
  • replies: 4

Hey guys, it's been way too long since I've posted here (5-6 months give or take) While my schooling problems have subsided (I did very well in conquering them if anyone was wondering!), a new problem has arisen. Ever since I graduated in November 20... View more

Hey guys, it's been way too long since I've posted here (5-6 months give or take) While my schooling problems have subsided (I did very well in conquering them if anyone was wondering!), a new problem has arisen. Ever since I graduated in November 2018, I have been struggling to find part-time/casual work. Given how long the holidays have been, I thought it would give me something to do and will also serve as a stepping stone for finding a job after University. Unfortunately, I have never had a job up until this point and because I live in Adelaide; a city known for its inadequate job opportunities, things are looking even worse on my end. I have checked Seek and Indeed daily for the last few months and, whenever I apply for a job, I will more than likely get an email saying that I have not progressed to an interview (It would probably be 100+ times now that I've received these emails). The only type of work that I feel is best for me is retail as I have a multitude of reasons why working in fast food is terrible. I got some help from one of my teachers on how to write an effective resume but even then, it probably doesn't look as good as say, someone who has worked in a casual position for a few years. I could go on about how much of a joke it is to find a job these days, but frankly I don't want to bore any of you with my sob story. I think really all I have to ask is, what am I doing wrong?

Georgia797 Anxiety about Relationship
  • replies: 2

I have been with my boyfriend for almost nine months now. The first seven months were completely blissful, we fell very deeply in love and we still are deeply in love. However, just before the new year I had a panic attack while talking to him. Since... View more

I have been with my boyfriend for almost nine months now. The first seven months were completely blissful, we fell very deeply in love and we still are deeply in love. However, just before the new year I had a panic attack while talking to him. Since then, I’ve been filled with fear about the future of our relationship. he was the first guy I’ve ever been with, and was my first for everything from holding hands to kissing to sex. He is completely wonderful and amazing, and although our opinions differ somewhat, it’s nothing major and doesn’t put a strain on our relationship at all. These thoughts started as ‘do I really love him’. that lasted for about three weeks. I realised I did love him, so very very very much. He is an incredible man and he is incredible to me. He does have flaws, but so do I and we communicate through the minor frustrations very easily. Now my thoughts have turned to ‘it’s either we stay together forever or we break up’. I see a future with him very clearly, but I’m still scared. Mostly of myself. I know how strong his love and commitment and loyalty is. I think it’s me I’m concerned about; do I love him enough, will I ever fall out of love, am I falling out of love by worrying about this all the time? Is this worrying a sign it’s not meant to be? Will I waste my time? Am I wasting his time? when we are together everything is fine and normal and wonderful and loving 99% of the time. The other 1% is when I’m reminded briefly of my thoughts and feel incredibly guilty about ever having them. It makes me feel like I don’t deserve him, he deserves much more than me and it must not be meant to be if I had them at all at the same time I am very aware love is both a feeling and a choice. I choose to love him, and I will choose him over and over and over despite the anxiety telling me to break up with him to rid him of me or rid me of this turmoil. My gut feeling is that despite anything we will end up back with each other. My intuition tells me this is something to hold on to and never let go of. When I’m not constantly overthinking or ruminating I feel very content and at peace with him and I love him very intensely. I just want what’s best for him, I want to make him the happiest guy in the world because he makes me so incredibly happy and feel so loved and cherished. these constant thoughts of ‘what if he isn’t the one’ constantly plague me and make me feel guilty. I want to choose love over fear, I believe he’s my happy ending

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.

As an organisation that supports people from across Australia, Beyond Blue acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay respect to Elders past and present.

First Nations Peoples are advised that this website may include reference to and images of deceased persons.

Beyond Blue is committed to safe inclusive spaces, policies and services for people of LGBTIQ+ communities and their families.

Helpful information

Stay in touch

Sign up below for regular emails from Beyond Blue, filled with information, advice and support for you or your loved ones.

Stay in touch

Talk it through with us, we'll point you in the right direction.

Call 1300 224 636

24 hours / 7 days a week

Chat Online

24 hours / 7 days a week

Email us

Get a reply in 24 hours

Copyright � 2026 Beyond Blue Ltd

All rights reserved

Contact us Terms of use Privacy policy Site map