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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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Cricketlover1 Do I have depression or something else, or am I overreacting
  • replies: 1

Hi, this is my first time doing one of these threads so I’m not sure if I did it right. I was feeling really down and sad for the last three months at school (all of Term 4), I didn’t want to socialise with my friends, I lost interest in all activiti... View more

Hi, this is my first time doing one of these threads so I’m not sure if I did it right. I was feeling really down and sad for the last three months at school (all of Term 4), I didn’t want to socialise with my friends, I lost interest in all activities and I grew very worn out and tired by the time it came to 4pm. During these holidays I have felt much better, happier, going for runs and wanting to do things. I almost forgot about how I felt and thought I was gone. But in the last few days I feel like the feelings coming back, if that makes sense. I have had a few recurring thoughts and I can’t sleep at night. which I’m not )) why? I’m not sure what to do about this, or if I’m overreacting and ??b vb)6?just need to change my or to stop working myself up??

sadyounggirl Cheated on, Kicked out and currently see now value to life.
  • replies: 1

I have dealt with my fair share of heartbreak before but never this gravity. Two weeks ago I was broken up with (later found out there was cheating on his behalf during the relationship) and consequently was kicked out out the apartment as he owned t... View more

I have dealt with my fair share of heartbreak before but never this gravity. Two weeks ago I was broken up with (later found out there was cheating on his behalf during the relationship) and consequently was kicked out out the apartment as he owned the place where I had been living for the past nine months. I really tried to be the bigger person in the break up but then I found out he had already began seeing someone else I had extremely negative thoughts but also felt so guilty for hoping that he doesn't find happiness in the new relationship. As a consequence I completely removed him from my life and do not intend to associate with him ever again which was hard as he was my best friend. Problem is while I feel so hurt, angry, guarded and sad I feel completely empty and like half of me is missing which sucks because he hurt me so much. I also feel that I have lost a part of me in the relationship. I also have utterly no self worth anymore as being cheated on completely changed my perception of myself. I will always be wondering what she had an I didn't and why I will never be good enough. It kind of makes me feel that I have nothing to live for and there is no value in life at the moment. Whilst I have support of friends, family and a good job I just feel utterly worthless and devastated that someone I loved treated me in such a way. I understand that this is probably a blessing in disguise and so many people have told me I have dodged a bullet and I agree. However it doesn't change the everlasting feeling of sadness, anger, jealousy, guilt, loneliness, rejection and emptiness. Even when I try to distract myself with exercise or work I just feel so worthless , let down and just don't know how to get back to a place of happiness and want all of this to be over with (especially these feelings). Please help a sad young girl who is heartbroken and currently sees no value in anything.

Hamburglar436 Help
  • replies: 2

I've been suffering from anxiety for eight years now, and more recently I've become severely depressed. I don't find interest or enjoyment in anything I do, days just meld into each other, I'm without many friends, if I was to be blunt I have one I t... View more

I've been suffering from anxiety for eight years now, and more recently I've become severely depressed. I don't find interest or enjoyment in anything I do, days just meld into each other, I'm without many friends, if I was to be blunt I have one I talk to and even then it's not always ideal. I have tried everything, exercise, escapism, counselling, barring medication which is a method I refuse to indulge in personally. This pit I've been stuck in isn't worsening, just never ending. I have tried to talk to my friend about it but he doesn't ... get it. I don't want to sound condescending to him but I feel he can only understand so much as a person who unlike me doesn't have anxiety or feels the exact way I do. I'm at a loss as what to do anymore, so I came here to ask for suggestions as to what could help me with enduring/pulling myself out of this constant state.

Big_J I feel like i have disappointed my family
  • replies: 6

I come here to express my hurting, it all started when my family moved at the start of 2018, up north to the country in Western Australia and i stayed in perth to stay with my grandparents and have better working opportunities. that was tough for mys... View more

I come here to express my hurting, it all started when my family moved at the start of 2018, up north to the country in Western Australia and i stayed in perth to stay with my grandparents and have better working opportunities. that was tough for myself and i miss them alot but my parents started to make me feel terrible by saying to go work up in the mines cause they reckon when i was working part time at a fast food outlet i would ask them for money and complain about not having money when that was never the case. They also thought my girlfriend of 3 years was holding me back when that wasnt the case.. i told them many times its my decision not theres and i was also in university studying teaching but stopped due to not coping well. So it come towards the end of the year i got a full time job working in an office earning good money, both my parents laughed at me and said good luck with that job would like to see you survive in a job like that. (I work with the Australian government). After that was said i spoke my mind over text and told them how they always treat me and my second brother who has autism differently my younger siblings and i basically stuck up for myself. They think just cause my sister is suffering from issues that she is the only one who suffers but i was suffering too on how they mistreated me and made me feel like a disappointment.. they didnt like how i said the stuff of over text and started saying i am the problem and disappointed the family and that made me have bad thoughts and kept lashing out at my girlfriend and close family. The point is i just want them to treat me like an adult not a child as i am 22 years old... i just wanted to write this cause theres not many close family members i can trust without my parents finding out. Please help me guys on what to do, i am suffering bad mentally and my relationship with my parents is thin ice but what i said to them was all factual information they just didnt like it. I just need someone to talk too

richo97 Hello. New Here.
  • replies: 1

Hi all, After an emotional breakdown in front of my mother, we both agreed its time i start making an effort to improve my mental health, which is why I'm new here. For about 4-5 years, I have been dealing with a combination of social anxiety, agorap... View more

Hi all, After an emotional breakdown in front of my mother, we both agreed its time i start making an effort to improve my mental health, which is why I'm new here. For about 4-5 years, I have been dealing with a combination of social anxiety, agoraphobia and depression. I am 21 now, so for the better part of my teen years, I have been introverted and unable to be a typical young adult. The worst thing I have is agoraphobia, I simply cannot leave my house no matter what I do. I have been couped up in my room for months, literally not leaving my house for 4 months. I get severe anxiety attacks when I do leave my house, with diarrhea and horrible stomach pains being constant for me. My agoraphobia is so bad that I can't go to see my GP which is 5 minutes away by car. I have taken medication for anxiety but that has been little help. I have lost friends due to not being able to go out with them, as such only having maybe 2 friends, and unfortunately they aren't the best of friends. I live alone with my mum, who works a lot and who endures financial hardship just to keep a roof over our head. The fact that I can't help out by getting a job makes me feel worthless and like an utter disappointment as a son. I am also gay, having broken up with my ex about 3 months ago. Not leaving the house played a role in the breakup. I have terrible self-esteem, which causes me to be severely depressed when nobody talks to me. The reason I have joined beyondblue is so that I can have a normal life and be able to support myself and my family. Being new here, I'm not sure what services are available to me, or how to proceed after this post. I have to admit that I have my doubts, since I am totally unable to leave my house at this stage. Thank you for reading. Any and all advice/direction would be really helpful to me. I just don't really know what to do next. All i know is that I need to get over this agoraphobia/diarrhea/depression. I owe it to myself and my mum to have a normal and happy life. Thank you

lilbuggy Possible eating disorder? don’t know what to do!
  • replies: 3

Hey there. First of all, i’d like to thank you for taking time out of your days to read this. In another thread post i’ve explained a lot about some abuse and other mentally stressing things i’ve put up with in my life, so i won’t be going on about t... View more

Hey there. First of all, i’d like to thank you for taking time out of your days to read this. In another thread post i’ve explained a lot about some abuse and other mentally stressing things i’ve put up with in my life, so i won’t be going on about that today. For the past couple years, i’ve been a bit on the chubby side. I wasn’t ever overweight, just definitely towards that end of the scale. I’ve alwysd been really self conscious of that, but haven’t ever done anything about it. Food is what i grew up with around me (my parents were both chefs so i was raised in that kind of environment), so i would just eat and eat and eat. In the past 6 months, i was getting sick of my weight and decided to do something about it. I would research ways to lose weight, and for some reason anorexia of the idea of starving myself was always something i thought about. My mother who i have a very rocky relationship with and don’t speak to, she suffered anorexia and then bullemia for about 4 years in her early twenties. Everything she told me about joe sick she was, and everything i’ve read about your health and eating disorders stopped me from following that. So i would work out and home and eat in smaller portions. That didntdo much, so i decided to take the plunge and eat very little for a week. I skipped lunch everyday, didn’t snack and had small breakfasts/dinners. About 2 months after that, i was still struggling. But this time, i feel into that stuff without realising. I downloaded fasting apps and calorie counters. I download pro-ana posts and have them in a folder, and i document my journey. My waist has got increasingly smaller and i’m dropping weight very fast. This has been going on for about a month. Im now tired all the time, experiencing my depression episodes more frequently and longer, having panic episodes when i gain weight and cutting myself off from friends and family. Everytime i get up i feel light headed and i’m tired all the time. Im starting to get scared but im so scared to reach out? My dads started to notice and i even told my best friend but it hasn’t made much difference. If anyone could help me in any way i’d appreciate it heaps<3

arealinsomniac Depressed online/friend/crush? How to help, when i am also struggling with deep depression?
  • replies: 2

About 5 months ago i met a guy online, and we began talking. we live on opposite sides of the world, i from Aus him from US. with some of the same shared interests we have & talking every single day, we became comfortable w each other, and he begun t... View more

About 5 months ago i met a guy online, and we began talking. we live on opposite sides of the world, i from Aus him from US. with some of the same shared interests we have & talking every single day, we became comfortable w each other, and he begun trusting me a lot and venting to me about his depression/how he feels/his life. we are both in our early 20's, and he hasn't had the best childhood/adolescence with drug abuse parents/family issues/no healthy support system really. and he had dropped out of highschool at age 17 due to not being able to concentrate, he hasn't gotten his diploma and can only work at a family business, and he tells me he is just very depressed a lot, and lonely, and feels lost like he has no will to live/nor motivation. i'm a kind and caring person so i do the best i can by always being there for him despite timezones, whether him and i talk on the phone/or text. I try my hardest to make him feel like he matters, and i know i'm doing an ok job because he told me 'you make me feel like i have a purpose on this earth and nobody has made me feel like that'' i think everyone in his life has hurt him. parents/family/ all of his ex irl- girlfriends have cheated on him so many times and he feels really worthless and suicidal even though he doesn't tell me he wants to kill himself he hides it. i know i cant do much since i live so far away from him but i also struggle with depression and i sort of hide it from him i try to be strong, because i dont want him to know how i'm feeling as it'll make him feel worse. him and i like each other, and care about each other a lot. but sometimes i feel like he is distant towards me, and talks to other people online as i'm seeing.. .but then i'm ignored when all i do is try my hardest to lift him up and be there emotionally, when he's sad/or having a good day. We are also talking romantically most times, which gives me hope that maybe things will be better he just needs a change- somebody to show him that he actually does matter and cares about him for who he is as a whole person. But i don't know what to do, i feel anxious and scared that i'm a lost cause, and i'm nervous that he is going to shut me out. in november he blocked me for a month because he began dating some girl who lives near him but she cheated on him and he ran back to texting me realising it was karma? he said. i'm always there for him but i'm scared he might take advantage, and i will be left with nothing. What can i do?

lclaire01 In a rut
  • replies: 1

Hi, I was diagnosed with major depression with suicidal tendencies and anxiety when I was 14 years old (now 22). I've been on and off medication over the last 8 years. The last time I was on medication was a year ago. I have been studying at universi... View more

Hi, I was diagnosed with major depression with suicidal tendencies and anxiety when I was 14 years old (now 22). I've been on and off medication over the last 8 years. The last time I was on medication was a year ago. I have been studying at university interstate for the past 5 years, I grew to love the town and I made the best friends I've ever had. I recently graduated university and we all went our separate ways with most of my friends starting work soon. I've moved home as I haven't found work yet. Since moving home I've just felt hopeless, I have so much grief and worry, dreading starting a new life somewhere else and loosing the friendships I made. I'm not ready to say goodbye to the old life I had because it feels like the last time I was truly happy. Since being home I'm constantly tired, my self esteem has plummeted, I feel worthless, disgusting and not good enough. I have this overbearing weight of sadness on me. I am constantly putting myself down telling myself I'm not good enough to get a job and picking apart my body, questioning why I'm not good looking or skinny enough for any guy to be interested in me. I have one genuine friend left in my hometown, but I'm feeling this crushing loneliness, I feel like I have no one. Part of my anxiety is social anxiety and the thought of moving to a new town and making new friends is so stressful because I feel like I'm not good enough or interesting enough for people to want to hang out with me. I'm just constantly depressed and I don't know how to get out of it, I just want to feel like I did before I moved back home but it feels like there isn't and end in sight.

LittleFox30 Feeling Depressed
  • replies: 4

Hi all, I have been feeling very down lately. In the past 10 years, it has been an on and off feeling since my mum passed away of cancer, but recently it has been more of a constant feeling of depression. I have been diagnosed with depression in the ... View more

Hi all, I have been feeling very down lately. In the past 10 years, it has been an on and off feeling since my mum passed away of cancer, but recently it has been more of a constant feeling of depression. I have been diagnosed with depression in the past, but refused to believe it as the feelings of depression only came once a week or so. Lately however, I have been trying to improve myself and be more outgoing, as I am a very quiet person and my boyfriend is very talkative with everyone he meets. However, I have found over the past week that I am losing an interest in talking, I just want to be on my own and not talk to anyone. I just don't have any energy. I am not sure what has happened to change my attitude about this, but I just feel sluggish and want to relax on uni holidays, however have 1000 things to do everyday so am unable to do that. I would like to find a new psychologist as I have been in and out of psychologists and as soon as I talk to someone, I start to feel healthier after a few sessions and then stop going. I feel that I may have some issues regarding my mums death that I have not addressed that are affecting my moods and attitudes to this day. Any advice you have for me would be good. Even writing this I feel like this probably isn't a big deal and that I should just stop feeling sorry for myself, but I really do just want to become a better person and happy again.

Sky_O OCD Sucks
  • replies: 3

Basically, I've been having a lot of disrespectful thoughts about my religion lately, and it's hard to tell what's OCD and what's not. I'm a spiritual person and my beliefs mean a lot to me - so I'm really worried that, even if these thoughts are OCD... View more

Basically, I've been having a lot of disrespectful thoughts about my religion lately, and it's hard to tell what's OCD and what's not. I'm a spiritual person and my beliefs mean a lot to me - so I'm really worried that, even if these thoughts are OCD, they'll slowly become real the more they're repeated in my head. I've been told to just 'let them go' but sometimes, it's difficult