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

beca100 Lost & wanting to be somewhere else
  • replies: 3

Hello, I have this problem where I really, really want to be somewhere else, living a different life and with different, more interesting, creative and supportive friends. I'm really lost where I am, studying law in a city I don't really like, and I ... View more

Hello, I have this problem where I really, really want to be somewhere else, living a different life and with different, more interesting, creative and supportive friends. I'm really lost where I am, studying law in a city I don't really like, and I have this dream of moving to Melbourne and being surrounded by lovely creative people and pursuing something I love, or just enjoying life before settling down. I feel like I made choices too young (at 18) and now I can't start over and have no idea what to do. Just wish I was living that other life, where I had moved to Melbourne and been surrounding by inspiring people in a cool place, not where I am today. I wonder if anyone has similar experiences of being unable to live in their own life because you feel like you should be living your potential somewhere else. Thanks

La1aM Can't do what I love...
  • replies: 5

Hi,I'm 14 and I've always wanted to be a ballerina, and a lot of people day that it's a little kid dream and more importantly that I could never become a balleria. Ballet and dance in general make me feel amazing, when I dance it's like I get transpo... View more

Hi,I'm 14 and I've always wanted to be a ballerina, and a lot of people day that it's a little kid dream and more importantly that I could never become a balleria. Ballet and dance in general make me feel amazing, when I dance it's like I get transported into a whole nother world. I feel like I could fly when I dance, and the connection I have with it is so magical. Every ballerina starts ballet when he or she of around the age of 3 and I'm really scared to try and persue my dream because everyone will be so much more talented than me and I'm scared I'll be in the same class as a 7 year old. Another big factor is cost, ballet is so expensive and my family just can't afford to pay for everything especially since I'm so much older. It just makes me feel really upset and discouraged to know that I can't persue my dream of becoming a ballerina and doing what I love and makes me truly happy just because of money or age...

Frankl15 Don’t know why I’m feeling like this
  • replies: 6

For the last two nights I hadn’t slept properly because every time I close my eyes scary thoughts pop into my head that then keeps me up. I’m thinking hard on taking my anxiety medication but scared of the side effects that I had read. I’ve been tryi... View more

For the last two nights I hadn’t slept properly because every time I close my eyes scary thoughts pop into my head that then keeps me up. I’m thinking hard on taking my anxiety medication but scared of the side effects that I had read. I’ve been trying to tackle my anxiety with other methods - Drawing is my Passion and the only thing that I do when I’m anxious apart from sleeping. Recently this person that I liked ghosted me and social media , my depression started after that happened and whenever I think about that person these scary thoughts pop up that stop me from thinking about him. Maybe my mind associates that as being traumatic for and causes these thoughts or am I losing it ?? ! I’m pretty social I’ve never had any problems with college lifestyle - and I’m pretty happy so I don’t know why these thoughts effect me. Help Anyone ? P.S I’m looking into councilling but the system is pretty weird at University.

Anon_def21 Her pain ended, mine worsened
  • replies: 1

Hi there, I'm a newbie to this but I thought I'd give this a go a speak out. Here's a bit of context... My life was rattled, starting two years ago. I used to think I had the most amazing life until darkness started impeding on me. BOOM! Year 11, hig... View more

Hi there, I'm a newbie to this but I thought I'd give this a go a speak out. Here's a bit of context... My life was rattled, starting two years ago. I used to think I had the most amazing life until darkness started impeding on me. BOOM! Year 11, highly anxious person, constantly trying to reach others high expectations of me being the ' good child', the ' smart one', the ' happiest and nicest person there is.' I felt like I was wearing a mask all the time, I never revealed how I truly felt or what was going on at home. My mother was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma brain cancer... the day I saw her shaking , her mouth drooping, nearly falling off her face, her speech slurring and hearing her say her arms felt numb... then seeing my older sisters rush her to hospital the day with were throwing a family party is a day I WILL NEVER FORGET. Then weeks lately finding out the truth of what she had or what had caused this to happen. Painful. Time progressed to when I was in year 12 , ' The big year', I saw mum fully deteriorate to the point where she didn't even look like my mother, she was unrecognisable. But her heart of pure gold was still radiating from her crippling body, trapping her. Seeing her smile when I achieved A-grade results, pushed me to keep achieving high marks. Soon I became college captain for year 12 , everyone knew me. But did they actually truly know me... what I'm going through at home... the family conflicts, the pain, the torture, the projective anger all my family members were putting on each other as the stress and anxiety just got too much. I spiralled, saw sooo many different counsellors. When exams came, I honestly don't know how I survived, but I did and somehow got an amazing ATAR. But it as half way through year 12, my closest friend, my mother, the person who truly understood me, started to not be able to pick which person in the picture was me. Her memory started to fade. Hospitals became home. Then one night, her breathing was irregular. One point she was breathing, the next it stopped, then started again. THAT WAS THE LAST TIME I saw my mum 'alive'. She died, I saw her dead body, I can't get that picture out of my head. Now I'm truly struggling to get through university without her. She believed in me and was the only one who had the ability to lift me up from the lowest of lows. But she's not here anymore, I will never see her again. The greatest person, VANISHED. WHY? Most of all, I miss saying to her, "I love you mum"

EllieM 3 QUESTIONS
  • replies: 2

Hi there guys. There are 3 questions I would like to ask you guys, for some enlightenment and context I guess. 1. What is the worst thing you think you’ve ever done? 2. What is then best thing you’ve ever done? 3. What do you think the meaning of lif... View more

Hi there guys. There are 3 questions I would like to ask you guys, for some enlightenment and context I guess. 1. What is the worst thing you think you’ve ever done? 2. What is then best thing you’ve ever done? 3. What do you think the meaning of life is? Why are we here? How is it possible that we are here? Christians believe it’s Jesus, atheists believe it’s the Big Bang etc. what do you guys make of it? What should we be striving for as human beings? Thank you for your time, lovely people

Airbear Panic attacks in class.
  • replies: 3

I have been having panic attacks because of my anxiety. At first it was fine but now it happen regularly. The main problem is that I haven’t told anyone about my anxiety. I fear that they may make fun of me for it. I was thinking of talking to my sch... View more

I have been having panic attacks because of my anxiety. At first it was fine but now it happen regularly. The main problem is that I haven’t told anyone about my anxiety. I fear that they may make fun of me for it. I was thinking of talking to my school councillor but I have never talked to her before so it makes me rather nevous to open up to her. I am only in my first year of high school at the moment and it is starting to become overwhelming having these panic attacks. Who should I talk to? What can I do to help with the panic attacks? And should I tell my teachers so when I have one I can be quickly excused?

john_titor I can't love anythink
  • replies: 4

So yah ive got anxiety and depression and for a long time now i haven't rely felt anything for anyone since i was young. I still have friends and a girlfriend plus siblings but for some reson i dont feel anything for any of them. It's hard because i ... View more

So yah ive got anxiety and depression and for a long time now i haven't rely felt anything for anyone since i was young. I still have friends and a girlfriend plus siblings but for some reson i dont feel anything for any of them. It's hard because i want to but it's just not there

JustSomeGirl Is anyone else having this problem? (Fornite is ruining my brother)
  • replies: 6

My brother, along with millions of others, play Fortnite. I myself love to game but this new craze is worrying me so I decided to do some research. It turns out that Fortnite (much like Meth and other drugs) stimulates the brain in a way that makes i... View more

My brother, along with millions of others, play Fortnite. I myself love to game but this new craze is worrying me so I decided to do some research. It turns out that Fortnite (much like Meth and other drugs) stimulates the brain in a way that makes it addictive and is actually damaging a lot of people's well-being. When ever he has a spare moment he's on that game talking to his bad-influence friends, screaming and yelling or at the very least talking to someone else about it. When I tried to discuss this with my brother his started screaming at me. Telling me to "Shut up" and "Stop" in a very loud, aggressive voice. Even after I had stopped speaking he kept on repeating it for a bit. My brother has never been like this before and it's not like he's a bratty 2-year-old. He's nearly 13 for God's sake. I'm worried about him. He tends to hyper-focus to escape his own anxiety but for the first time ever I was actually afraid of him and what he could do. He's not abusive, and we fight sometimes like all siblings but it wasn't a usual yell-off. It was different and despite my attempts to yell over him to tell him to calm down and listen to me he somehow managed to get louder. I know this probably sounds stupid so I wanted to put it up to see if others were having the same problem. Thanks for your time. (Also I didn't know where else to put this thread so I hope here is fine.)

LlamaKnight Separation Anxiety and Trust problems
  • replies: 1

I was with my ex girlfriend for 9 months but I caught her cheating multiple times on me, I stayed with her because I was scared of losing her but every time I caught her i felt worse and worse, I've been with my current girlfriend for only 3 months n... View more

I was with my ex girlfriend for 9 months but I caught her cheating multiple times on me, I stayed with her because I was scared of losing her but every time I caught her i felt worse and worse, I've been with my current girlfriend for only 3 months now and I feel a lot happier than I have ever been with her but when we're apart from each other we both start to break down, It's a horrible feeling because work and family time, She also likes to spend time with friends but I can't stop thinking the worst because of my ex, I wish to be able to stop this bad thinking and also be able to live without her so i can do work without being on the edge of a breakdown..

SV6 Hi im new here
  • replies: 8

Hi im new here, I have been suffering with poor mental health for years. It has effected my marriage and my home life immensely, i have absolutely no friends in the world. Yesterday I finally took the plunge and saw my GP, who has referred me to a ps... View more

Hi im new here, I have been suffering with poor mental health for years. It has effected my marriage and my home life immensely, i have absolutely no friends in the world. Yesterday I finally took the plunge and saw my GP, who has referred me to a psychiatrist. Im anxious that a diagnosis could spell the end of my 10 year career. In my line of work they dont take kindly to mental health issues (its a safety/liability thing). I have only ever had one job and the thought of leaving petrifies me. I only have one hobbie and that is road cycling. But because of a workplace injury to my knee, i can no longer go for group rides. I still struggle to climb stairs and ramps. A few times I have tried to go out riding on a normal bike but i just get run off the road or abused by drivers. So i guess that is why I am here... I have no friends, no hobbies and Im scared of what the future holds for me. Thanks for reading.