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

Touni Fear of Depression
  • replies: 2

Hi I'm new. I've been in recovery from depression for two years but the fear of it coming back is consuming me. I try to control everything, so I don't relapse but I'm still paralysed by the fear. I do everything :I eat healthy, I take my medication,... View more

Hi I'm new. I've been in recovery from depression for two years but the fear of it coming back is consuming me. I try to control everything, so I don't relapse but I'm still paralysed by the fear. I do everything :I eat healthy, I take my medication, I do yoga but last month or so I haven't exercised and the guilt is eating away at me. What if I relapse because i haven't been exercising?

lilybee Obsessive food related anxiety?
  • replies: 2

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I don't know where else to go and I'm getting really worked up about it. I have generalised anxiety disorder and it seems to "latch onto" something every few months. Since about christmas of l... View more

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I don't know where else to go and I'm getting really worked up about it. I have generalised anxiety disorder and it seems to "latch onto" something every few months. Since about christmas of last year, I've felt chubby and gross. I've been obsessing over looking at my stomach in the mirror, or the flab on my arms, or the fat on my thighs. I tried a calorie counting app for about two weeks, but I got too obsessed so I deleted it before it got any worse. I'm a healthy weight supposedly, my doctor confirmed what everyone tells me, but I hate seeing my stomach grow through the day, even though it's perfectly natural. I keep seeing all these girls with flat stomachs and toned arms, and I know that they live in the gym and watch what they eat because that's what they like, but I can't help but chew myself out for not being like them. I feel gross and I'm just not sure how to get over this thought habit? I've tried telling myself over and over that I'm fine, but I feel like I'm lying to myself. Sorry for the word vomit, I can't find an eloquent way to say it. Any advice would be so good, I just want to feel normal-ish again.

lucagabriella Not sure how this works?
  • replies: 36

Hi, I am kind of new to this site, or any kind of mental health forum. I no longer feel like I have any words to say how I feel exactly, and that everything I do feel is kind of just a big blur of different points in my life that have all led to this... View more

Hi, I am kind of new to this site, or any kind of mental health forum. I no longer feel like I have any words to say how I feel exactly, and that everything I do feel is kind of just a big blur of different points in my life that have all led to this moment. I feel the need to share everything I feel but also keep it to myself, and nights like these it becomes very difficult to contain my emotions. I very much hate the person I am and can see that it influences my relationships with others, and obviously eats away at my own self-esteem. I don't wish I was dead, but I often wish that I was someone else, or that I could be someone else and have traits I feel would make me a better person. I don't want someone to tell me to not feel this way because I don't particularly remember a point in my life where I was completely at peace with who I am as a person, and so simply telling me to stop thinking like this I feel is kind of just dismissive. I no longer feel like I can talk to my friends about these feelings because not only do they go through their own dramas, but they tell me often that I am the only person who can help myself. I don't feel like I can talk to a stranger because they do not know me at all; not my past or the way I deal with things or the way I think... how could they help me if I cannot help myself? I am afraid of so many things in my life. I am afraid to see people and catch up with them, I am afraid of parties and I am afraid of simply walking my dog past the main road. I am afraid to get intimate with people I care about. Sometimes situations make me so excited that it becomes so overwhelming I get scared, and so I avoid it. I am afraid of so many situations and possibilities and the future and the past and I hate myself so much because I feel it ruining my relationships with others. I want to be confident and I want to feel good in social situations - not disgusting and awkward and nervous. I want someone to give me the answers, or 'fix' it, but I know that is not how it works. I am here to ask what I should do, because I don't want to be like this anymore, I honestly cannot.

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