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.

FAQ

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

Forums guidelines

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

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

idkwhy Crying non-stop
  • replies: 2

I am a 14 year-old girl who lives in Melbourne. I recently went on a trip with my family and family friends up to Mt. Hotham. There was no wi-fi and I don't have mobile data, we are going to be staying there for a week. Before I went I thought I woul... View more

I am a 14 year-old girl who lives in Melbourne. I recently went on a trip with my family and family friends up to Mt. Hotham. There was no wi-fi and I don't have mobile data, we are going to be staying there for a week. Before I went I thought I would've died because there were no wi-fi and I'd be disconnected from all my friends and games, but when I got there I realised how happy I was without all that stuff. I didn't need to care about my school friends' complicated love lives or worry about what I should do to get in the popular group. I was genuinely stress-free and relaxed. When I woke up every morning I would see my friends who DOESN'T just talk about boys and gossip and were easy to hang out with, we would go out skiing and come back at dawn to play childish games like hide-and-seek that I thought I was too old for. I have forgotten how fun the world was without all that stress from my normal life. I also fell in love, I loved the feeling of waking up and seeing him, leaning on him on the couch in the house we rented, playing games and laughing. It was like a dream. But on the day we came home it all fell apart. We discussed on meeting for lunch before everyone goes home, in a town on the way back to Melbourne. But our car broke down and had to stop, everyone else left, driving past us. We had to call RACV and stuff. The moment I realised we wouldn't make it to lunch, and I wouldn't see my friends (who I have bonded with deeply more than ever) or my crush (who I miss like crazy already) for months and would have to go back to my normal life, not living in the dream anymore (that cozy little house), I started sobbing. I tried to hold in my tears as they fell out, turning and facing away from my family. I tried to calm myself down every time, but the tears just kept on coming. I had to go to the bathroom several times during the day and cry my heart out. Last night I thought if I've slept, then I would've felt better. But I woke up sobbing and dreaming about my friends and life on the Mountain (which felt like stress-less heaven). And I still keep on bursting into tears several times in a day. My heart felt ever so empty. Someone please help me, I have tried to distract myself with several things but none has worked, not even my hobbies. Thank you for reading this.

Estelle5200 My Thoughts.
  • replies: 2

Hi all. Throughout my high school years I've always felt like I was never enough in my mothers eyes. If I did well in a test I was told it was luck, a one off incident. Not only that, but she has always compared to my older cousins who are smarter an... View more

Hi all. Throughout my high school years I've always felt like I was never enough in my mothers eyes. If I did well in a test I was told it was luck, a one off incident. Not only that, but she has always compared to my older cousins who are smarter and more successful in life, never letting me forget my short-comings. Now that I've started my dream degree in college, it hasn't gotten any better. Everytime i fufill her academic expectations there is always another one lying in wait. I feel suffocated and lost, and theres so much I want to say but I don't know where to even begin. I try to avoid her and lock myself in my room because everytime we do communicate, I'm told I'm of no help, selfish, my degree won't get me anywhere etc. and I always end up crying and feeling drained. I'm prone to stress and over thinking situations, and I take everything she says to heart and it hurts everytime. I just want to quiet the voices in my head because sometimes I feel as though I'm going crazy. thankyou for listening.

Hazel97 Abandoned and alone
  • replies: 1

Since graduating high school a couple years ago i've found myself sinking. I've always had anxiety and learned to deal with it, but so many things keep happening to me and I just feel completely alone. I've got amazing friends, boyfriend and mum and ... View more

Since graduating high school a couple years ago i've found myself sinking. I've always had anxiety and learned to deal with it, but so many things keep happening to me and I just feel completely alone. I've got amazing friends, boyfriend and mum and they try but they just don't understand how i'm feeling. I try a put myself out there but I just have no motivation. My father abandoned me a couple years ago and it has just brought on so many feelings. I started putting enormous effort into my life, trying to be successful everywhere and it was working for a while, but when I still hadn't heard from him for over 2 years I started falling. I was feeling like why aren't I good enough, worthlessness, loneliness, why doesn't he love me as much and why doesn't her care and now I find it difficult to trust people. It's affected all areas of my life. I just want to do nothing all the time, but i'm fine with it because it makes me feel better. I cry almost everyday. I've started not handing uni assignments in on time, cancelling events, not putting any effort into anything. I'm trying to speak to someone, i've been a few times but I leave feeling worse. I just feel like nothing and no one can help me, I have a broken heart and now a fractured mind. I just feel like a lost cause and I don't want to burden anyone, it's just easier if everyone leaves me alone. Just want to know if anyone has been through this or has any advice because I feel like this cloud is just going to hang around forever.

Catcute1240 Lonely
  • replies: 4

I am 18 and moved to Melbourne 1 year ago. Previously I was living in Tasmania but had to move. In grade 10 while still in tazzy, my long term friends and I started to become distant. It probaly would have been worse if it wasn't for my old friends w... View more

I am 18 and moved to Melbourne 1 year ago. Previously I was living in Tasmania but had to move. In grade 10 while still in tazzy, my long term friends and I started to become distant. It probaly would have been worse if it wasn't for my old friends who I had not spoken to in ages. Here they were welcoming me back into their friendship group.Thanks to them my final year of high school was bearable. Sadly for college I went to a different college. They really wanted me to attend their college, so did I. However, I was afriad I wasn't smart enough for their private school. So I lied and told them my parents wouldn't let me. Year 11 was the first time I felt alone/lonley. I had no friends even though my old classmates tried to include me into their friendship group, I was always the odd one out. I didn't want people's pity so I use to pretend I was talking to my friend on the phone during break. We were even allowed to leave the college grounds at recess and lunch. So I would walk down to the library and stay their till break was over, I did this for the whole year. I even lied to my sister that I had friends and would make up stories about my day at school. Then I moved to Melbourne and did my year 12 here. It was difficult to get used to a new school system and the teachers did not help. At first I had no friends until these girls in my film studies class started to chat with me. They were kind and included me in everything, though I didn't say much. After a few moths though I couldn't handel it. I feard coming to school, I would spend hours on the toilet since I was so nervous. The subjects were difficult and everyone else seemed so smart. My friends were great but I felt awkward around them. It was more like I was using them so I don't appear alone at school. Near the end I just broke down and left. I decided to do VCAL senior instead to complete my year 12. VCAL senior had its ups and downs but I got through it. I felt much happier and acutely looked forward to school. The girls from my film studies class even kept in contact with me. We even meet up twice. Though I have been avoiding them out of guilt. What's wrong with me? Why can't I make friends? My only friend is my sister. I push away the people who try to be my friend. I try to fake the friendship but know we have nothing in common. These days I've even turned to online penpals and friendship making apps. I'm not sure if i'm really looking for a solution. Just needed to get it out their?

Dice How to help my friend?
  • replies: 1

Really dude, I'm not lying. Yeah I have my grandparents and I have a few people who are supposed to be friends. But I hate this place, you don't understand what I'm going through right now, I've been trying to tell you. I'm in pain right now, physica... View more

Really dude, I'm not lying. Yeah I have my grandparents and I have a few people who are supposed to be friends. But I hate this place, you don't understand what I'm going through right now, I've been trying to tell you. I'm in pain right now, physical agonizing pain, and I dont want to leave my room because I havent stopped crying for two days straight. My depression is back dude. And I'll I've been wanting is for someone to reach out and see me, for someone to respond to my plea for help. If you could see every internal conflict, hear every knicker of my dad's tension to incite anger and pain and misery. I can't go on. This is why I said I cant come back, this is why I'm always looking to be somewhere else, this is why I'm always paranoid that my friends hate me, why I have so much trouble seeing where I belong. It's because I don't have a place in this world. I'm sick. Tension has made me sick and I've lived with it all my life. And I can't do it anymore. I need to escape. Just please, please I need someone to see me. I'm sorry

123anonymus Moods.
  • replies: 2

Hi, I'm a 16 year old female who has been depressed since I was 13, clinically diagnosed. I'm confused on what this is but whenever I am getting into a relationship with someone I like them then get into moods where I don't. I'm trying to be happy so... View more

Hi, I'm a 16 year old female who has been depressed since I was 13, clinically diagnosed. I'm confused on what this is but whenever I am getting into a relationship with someone I like them then get into moods where I don't. I'm trying to be happy so that the relationship will work but I dont know what's wrong with me. The happiness is going and my depression is coming back. I get into moods where I dont like people or want to talk to them and I dont know how to stop it. Will I be like this forever? Will I never love someone because of my illness I dont know what's wrong with me, if anyone could know please comment or something.

Cerise547 A bit of stress about people at school
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, I'm just having a bit of stress about going back to school soon. So, when I say stress about people at school, it's not as though they're bullying me or anything like that, but I just don't really want to have to interact with them very ... View more

Hi everyone, I'm just having a bit of stress about going back to school soon. So, when I say stress about people at school, it's not as though they're bullying me or anything like that, but I just don't really want to have to interact with them very much. I know that that may sound a bit weird or even stuck up, but it seems that there's so much much drama and consequences that come with having friends at school that I would rather just disconnect from it all. I've felt as though recently I've forced myself into relationships (by that I mean both friendships and actual relationships) with other people to try and feel apart of the class, but now I'm scared of the pressure to be super close to these people and be super invested in the relationship. Now I kind of regret forming these relationships, and I wish that I could just go back to school, focus really hard on my school work, not be super close to anyone (and be alone when I want to) and not be judged for it! Because I know that if I just disconnect from others next term, I'm going to be judged really hard and I would probably end up in more drama than in the first place. I feel as though I'm better off not being close to anyone in my class than forcing myself into relationships that end up just causing me more anxiety and pain than just avoiding them entirely; It feels as though these relationships are more bother than they're worth. I've been talking to my family about it, and they just seem to think that I'm exaggerating and that I'm just sooking, and that it'll be fine once I actually go. I worry whether that's true and that I'm just being a drama queen and causing unnecessary stress, but I also worry that I'm not exaggerating and it really will be as bad as I think it will be. I'm sorry that this post is so messy and rant-y, but I just needed to let all of that out. If anyone has any advice, that'd be great. Thank you for reading. -Cerise

PacketOChips Social anxiety at a peak/ kinda taking over.
  • replies: 3

So, I’ve always had anxiety/social anxiety and it’s never been a real issue (never really interfered with my life or social situations too much). I learnt how to deal with it (in way I thought was healthy which looking back doesn’t seem to be the cas... View more

So, I’ve always had anxiety/social anxiety and it’s never been a real issue (never really interfered with my life or social situations too much). I learnt how to deal with it (in way I thought was healthy which looking back doesn’t seem to be the case) and mask it, creating the illusion that I’m was this confident guy. However, now that I’m 23 and in my last year of university, I’ve started to realise that I’ve lost my grasp on keeping it under control. It’s been gradual but I’ve come to realisation that I’ve begun to feel more and more uncomfortable in social situation, to the point where I go into this strange fight or flight mode when directly spoken to (by someone I don’t really know/aqauaintence) and thus become tounge tied/ stumble on my words/ say incoherent sentences when I reply and just overal feel stupid or dumb. I’ve also realised that due to this I’ve slowly been isolating myself from my friends and even family. Like, for example if I have a day off and someone asks to hang, I’d make up some excuse as to why I can’t hang and just stay at home in my own world playing videos games, reading or gardening. I haven’t completely cut off, I still socialise and have a large group of friends, and I’m active in uni clubs and a performing arts group but my first thought when someone asks to hang on a day off or after work or whatever is “no I can’t” and just head back home into my safe zone andI’m starting to realise a pattern of me neglecting some of my friends needs. I want to get on top of this before it gets out of control, so if anyone has some helpful tips of changing ones mindset or even dealing with social anxiety in a healthier way than ‘masking it’ that would be dandy sorry this is so long xxxx

chai_tea Career Anxiety
  • replies: 1

I am fourteen years old and stricken with fear about my future. I do not understand how I could ever get job; whenever my mind wanders to this topic I want to break down in tears. I do quite well in school, but I wish I did better. I also have anxiet... View more

I am fourteen years old and stricken with fear about my future. I do not understand how I could ever get job; whenever my mind wanders to this topic I want to break down in tears. I do quite well in school, but I wish I did better. I also have anxiety and mild depression. I simply do not comprehend how I could possibly be the best out of hundreds of people to acquire a job. Even in non-competitive industries, it seems like getting a job will never be an option for me. Everyone I meet ssend to be better than me at everything. Currently, I want to be a botanist or a Latin teacher, but that just does not seem to be an option for me, particularly because I am a poor science student. Any advice would be appreciated, whether it pertains to how to get a job or refiguring my perception of careers. Thank you in advance, and I apologise for the negativity.

Cam.ryn Hi, I've been told my entire life I'm worthless, and now I feel like it...
  • replies: 5

My entire life my mum has been telling me I'm not good enough. It's not always those exact words, but there is definitely a reoccurring theme of my uselessness as a daughter and person in general. And for a long time I was able to brush it off, but r... View more

My entire life my mum has been telling me I'm not good enough. It's not always those exact words, but there is definitely a reoccurring theme of my uselessness as a daughter and person in general. And for a long time I was able to brush it off, but recently a lot of other people, my grandma and a few friends have told me similar things, and I don't want to believe it. I guess the logical part of my brain doesn't believe it, I get straight A's, I'm learning 3 instruments and 4 different languages; But I still can't help but feel like there's something wrong with me. No matter what I do, or how hard I try, there's always something. Something I didn't do, or something I should have done better. I think it has really started to effect me; I have panic attacks when I have to complete assignments and schoolwork, because I never feel like it's good enough, and I really don't like going out with my friends anymore, because I'm so scared I'll do or say the wrong thing. It might not be the most mature response but I have basically decided to avoid my mother as much as I can (she works night shift so its not too difficult). The problem is now, whenever we have to talk, she ends up yelling at me, and because we are both very similar, I generally end up snapping at my older brother, and she fights with my dad. So it has really become this whole family brawl, I guess. My dad keeps telling me I have to build bridges and fix it with her, but she won't talk or listen to me, and she doesn't really care when I put the effort in and clean the house, and cook dinner, etc. So I guess I'm hoping for some help trying to fix a relationship, where one person doesn't really want to listen or fix it. And also how to get my lazy, irrational, overthinking self out of my house (which I haven't left in 2 weeks except to walk my dogs) and to see my friends, and complete some work without my hyper-ventilating, on the floor freak-outs. Thanks all you fellow humans out there in the abyss of the interweb