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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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Lonely_girl I’m just mot happy at home
  • replies: 3

Ive never been close woth either of my parents but i can talk to my father. My mother is the problem and around her i just dont feel happy at home. She calls me names and jist makes me feel horrible in general. Ive put up with it for a while and blam... View more

Ive never been close woth either of my parents but i can talk to my father. My mother is the problem and around her i just dont feel happy at home. She calls me names and jist makes me feel horrible in general. Ive put up with it for a while and blames me for everythig. I just want to leave the house but im too young. She calls me fat daily and purposely makes fun of me. I was admitted to hospital with sever panic attacks ans not being able to breathe twice this year and after i leave and get in the car she get physical with me and tells me that shes so embarrassed. She tells me to get over it and laughs. It gets worse when my Aunty is over as they both feed off each others nastiness. My mother has been the cause of two panic attacks. One of which she walked away laughing with her sister and the other were she told me to get out of her house and when I didn’t (because I was in my pyjamas) she cornered me near the front door and started hitting me. In the last few weeks I haven’t been able to have a single conversation with her without it ending in her screaming at me and I just don’t know what to do because I constantly feel trapped

miklos122 I don't know anymore
  • replies: 1

Lately I have been feeling really bad. Constant feelings of unreasonable guilt, unworthiness, paranoia. I have feelings that I wake up everyday not feeling any happiness and that I want to go back to bed, yet even staying in bed doesn’t make me feel ... View more

Lately I have been feeling really bad. Constant feelings of unreasonable guilt, unworthiness, paranoia. I have feelings that I wake up everyday not feeling any happiness and that I want to go back to bed, yet even staying in bed doesn’t make me feel any better. There is a sense in me and knowing for a fact that once you have something wrong with you mentally no one can actually cure it for you but yourself, no matter if you talk to GP’s, Psychologists or Psychiatrists, nothing can actually make you feel better inside, because of how subjective everyones experiences with these “Mental” issues are. I have tried to explain as best as I could how I was feeling inside to the GP and my parents: “It feels like a constant battle. I get no excitement from anything, even the things that normally would get me exited/happy/motivated don’t do anything. I feel emotionally empty inside, with constant feelings of apathy, it makes my current day to day life seem like i’m on an autopilot mode - Waking up going to do some “fun” activities (that I normally would get happy by) And school, just more Autopilot - doing the work, trying to avoid all the negative voices in my head (“Look at everyone so happy, not you, you don’t feel any enjoyment to do anything”) Putting on fake smiles and forcing myself to laugh - to jokes that people would normally find funny. GP just says "it's a chemical imbalance" - Well is it? Or is it a way of covering up the fact that Depression isn't actually biologically treatable. Besides the use of SSRI's and talk therapy, there isn't any other way of getting rid of this debilitating "Mental illness". "It's up to you to think positive and get better" This feeling is very unrealistic to those who haven’t felt them. It makes you want to always contemplate your existence and life - Because it hinders with your memory (STM/LTM), your communication (feeling forced to speak, can’t laugh naturally), waking up in the morning everyday not feeling genuinely happy and interested in anything anymore - Making me more unmotivated to do school work and participate in the activities that would normally make me feel good.You loose feelings of genuine happiness and love/attraction to others. It is debilitating - Your mind is in a spiral that you can't get out of. - You can only put on the fake smile and pretend to be happy. (But realistically you feel dead inside)

gracezephyr Any tips for bouncing back after relapse?
  • replies: 3

Hey guys, this is my first forum post, I think it will be useful to talk to people that have an understanding of what mental health struggles feel like. I have struggled with anxiety and depression for about 10 years, and had periods of doing really ... View more

Hey guys, this is my first forum post, I think it will be useful to talk to people that have an understanding of what mental health struggles feel like. I have struggled with anxiety and depression for about 10 years, and had periods of doing really well and then sliding back into it. At the moment I have fallen back down hard. Aside from getting myself to work Mon-Fri, and attending uni classes when I have to, I have stopped exercising, socialising, doing yoga, and pretty much spend all my free time in bed watching Netflix these last few weeks. I am now behind in Uni, feeling really isolated and lonely, really tired, and I know that if I don't pick myself back up again soon it will just get even worse. What do others use as strategies to start getting themselves back on track to feeling better? And what do you do when you feel total despair, when everything seems really bleak, not your run of the mill stuff but the real crippling, choking, loneliness and sadness? It's overwhelming, and sometimes feels like it is too much to keep going. I know that I have to, but it's hard to think that the battle has to continue, and I don't feel like I have the energy to fight.

Chloe_M Hallucinations- I don't know what's real anymore- How do I deal with them?
  • replies: 15

Hi all, so you probably have seen me around on the forums, just a bit of background if you don't know me: My names Chloe, I'm in high school i have undiagnosed anxiety and depression (probably) i self harm when I am anxious i am obsessed with checkin... View more

Hi all, so you probably have seen me around on the forums, just a bit of background if you don't know me: My names Chloe, I'm in high school i have undiagnosed anxiety and depression (probably) i self harm when I am anxious i am obsessed with checking my school diary and washing my hair my best friend who is also my ex dumped me which is why I'm dealing with so much atm he now has a new gf over the past 2 weeks or so, I have started hallucinating When the hallucinations arrive, I am usually vulnerable. Whether that be that I am depressed, or anxious, just had a panic attack etc. they aren't there for long, but they hurt me. I usually see my ex, walking towards me as though he is going to hug me. I reach out for him and then *poof* the visions gone and I'm left alone. Does anyone know how to deal with hallucinations? They don't happen often, but the rarity of them is lessening and they are appearing for longer and more often I don't know what to do. Any help would be appreciated. Chloe

swimmingshark Does Love feed my Depression?
  • replies: 2

Hi All. I'm a teenager in highschool and have never, ever been one to be involved in romantic relationships. I'm not the most attractive person out there and haven't even had my first kiss (which you may feel be reasonably normal, but at my age peopl... View more

Hi All. I'm a teenager in highschool and have never, ever been one to be involved in romantic relationships. I'm not the most attractive person out there and haven't even had my first kiss (which you may feel be reasonably normal, but at my age people engage in relationships and sex like it's nothing). I also have depression, and so am quite aware of the previous facts as I not even I like myself. There's a boy that lives up my street that I recently became close to. Everyone has always known we had been friends but recently, even I can see we have been spending a lot more time together. I know what you're all expecting but one thing: this boy likes one of my closest friends. This boy, lets call him Jason, left a relationship with a girl (he is also not one you'd think of being involved in a relationship but I guess he's gotten luckier than me) and so it was a surprise when he and one of my closest friends, lets call her Betty, admitted they like eachother. This never bothered me, It was strange but I've been accepting of the fact as long as it started. But then Jason started showing depressive symptoms and so I would help him considering I have faced everything he is currently going through. He'd message me at night, we'd empathise, he had a horrible birthday so I invited him over at night to eat food. Even my mum would tell me to be careful because Betty could be jealous but I knew I didn't like Jason. I even messaged Betty to confirm I had no interest in Jason. But the more I did this, the more I felt upset whenever I wasn't around Jason. Recently Jason's family invited me to sleepover and I spent the whole night with him. We talked about music, played games, discussed our depression and then talked about relationships. I'd ask Jason how far he'd gone with his relationships, realising how much I loved Jason (sorry for the cringe. I'm gagging reading this). I told him that I feel I need someone to love me because my depression is telling me I can never be loved. I told him my brother who has severe depression can't be in a relationship because if it ends badly he will self destruct, but I feel like I need the opposite. His responses of 'you're still young' highlighted that he doesn't love me, even though we have so much more connected. And so now I ask, do you think I am hurting myself? I'm not trying to sabotage Betty- I just feel loved when I'm with him. what if I'm doing the same thing my brother is kept away from. What do you suggest I do?Thank you

Jack1999 19, struggling with weight, derpression and anxiety.
  • replies: 4

Ever since I was born I've been a big kid to say the least, and as years went by all the way up until I'm 19 now it's only gotten worse. People don't understand what I'm going through and why I'm the way I am, and it bothers me. I feel people's eyes ... View more

Ever since I was born I've been a big kid to say the least, and as years went by all the way up until I'm 19 now it's only gotten worse. People don't understand what I'm going through and why I'm the way I am, and it bothers me. I feel people's eyes staring at me when I'm out, and that only plays on my mind about what their thinking to themselves. As of right now I have sleep apnea, purely hereditary and extremely rare to have at my age. Having sleep apnea at my age severely cripples my metabolism to the point of it being almost non existent and hence why I'm big, I can practically smell food and put on weight. I use to be pretty confident in myself and tried to deal with my demons straight on but since turning 18 and recently turning 19 I've realised how much I want to be in a relationship. And I've tried and I've tried and I've tried, too many times to count, I've had crushes, my first big crush was in year 7 and she blew me off pretty badly to say the least. So I've been pretty quiet about who I've liked from then on. Having this burning desire to be with someone has been really messing with me lately, I've tried tinder and all that and going out to social events, it usually always ends up the same with me going home and thats it. I'm not even in it for the sex, you could completely eliminate that from the relationship and I would still be in it, since I've been dealing with a lot of depression and anxiety lately I just want someone who I can completely and unbearingly be open to and for them to be the same (not like a psychologist like an actual relationship openness) , but for me, it feels like that's never going to happen because people don't want to look past the outside, and that really pisses me off. I know I can be a great boyfriend and I know that I'm definitely ready for a relationship, but finding someone that looks passed the outside is like a needle in a haystack, and right now that haystack looks ginormous. I feel like I'm rambling now but I needed to get this off my chest because it's eating me from the inside out, hopefully you guys can give me some pointers and things to deal with it all.

mg24 Alone and feeling trapped
  • replies: 21

Hi who ever is reading this. I’m fourteen. Last year I went to England to visit family. (I’m not rich) Going made me really sad. I really miss being there and I miss my family. I would kill to be able to do super small things like go to certain coffe... View more

Hi who ever is reading this. I’m fourteen. Last year I went to England to visit family. (I’m not rich) Going made me really sad. I really miss being there and I miss my family. I would kill to be able to do super small things like go to certain coffee shops with my auntie or go to their house for dinner, or be able to wear a jumper during Christmas or see my family on my birthday but instead I’m stuck here and I probably won’t see them for at least another four years I don’t want them to miss seeing me grow up which sounds kind of stupid. I want t be able to share things with them like that new hair cut or a piercing or an achievement. I feel like we r both going to miss so much and there are so many relationships I could be having. I wish I could move permantly but my dad doesn’t want to, my mum does so it’s not going to happen. It’s not like I’d have anything to actually miss if we moved though. For a start, I hate Australia I don’t want to offend anyone but I don’t like the weather or the culture I don’t even like the beach. My family here sucks. They never remeber my brother and I’s Birthdays and favour our cousins because they’re babies they’re not good at being family and I can’t be myself around them. At school I don’t have any real friends. I sit with people at lunch but I’m never invited to birthday parties, this one girl is always putting me down and I don’t fit in, I’m always someone’s fourth or fifth choice. I feel like I’m a loser. No one follows me back on instagram, likes my photos or wants to talk or text me. I won’t have a boyfriend until I’m 20, they NEVER talk ir text me, I don’t have any guy friends. I know it’s not going to change either I know the groups of people at my school and there’s no where I can go I’m just stuck here, I don’t want to change schools, there’s ano point they’re all the same. I don’t have anything to look forward too until I can maybe leave for England. I think I’m getting a school laptop for Christmas, I obviously don’t have any parties coming up amy mum won’t let me have any piercings, to be honest I just need small things like that to get me through, although I wish I could get it with family members from England and sharing that experience. Just hearing accents and remembering things like eating dinner or smells makes me want to cry. I’m sick of always feeling like this. I wanted to do an exchange there for 3 months but of course I can’t afford it I don’t know how to make it through th next four/ five years.

alibrandayy17 How to deal with losing friends and being left alone
  • replies: 3

hiii yeh basically right now i have no friends that genuinely like me. I had a group that i thought i really could spend the rest of high school with. little did i know someones opinion of me could change the way the whole group thought of me, let al... View more

hiii yeh basically right now i have no friends that genuinely like me. I had a group that i thought i really could spend the rest of high school with. little did i know someones opinion of me could change the way the whole group thought of me, let alone most of the year level. ive been feeling very depressed even before i moved schools and only recently have i been getting anxious during school. yeh. i just dont know what to do right now. im currently trying to spend my time at lunch in the library and the other day i spent it in the sick bay, and ended up spending the rest of the day talking to the school psychologist and spending time in the office space where there are activities to practice mindfulness. just been an overall s**t year so far and not enjoying anything. family is bad as well. ughh

HappyP Confused about how to grow up
  • replies: 7

Hi everyone, I know this might sound really confusing. But basically I have been really really lucky. I have the best family and have always been supported. Yet, I have been sufferring from depression and anxiety for a really long time. I am in first... View more

Hi everyone, I know this might sound really confusing. But basically I have been really really lucky. I have the best family and have always been supported. Yet, I have been sufferring from depression and anxiety for a really long time. I am in first year uni, and I got into the degree I wanted. But I am so unmotivated, and I have also been rejected jobs. I am so unmotivated./lazy about everything. I worked really hard at school, so i don't really understand why this is happening. I just want to grow up and live like a normal person, but here I am in my house, by myself (while everyone is doing things they are supposed to) crying because I don't have a job, and because I just don't want to study, even though I really enjoy my degree. I don't even really know how to study either, like I just don't know if I'm doing the studying correctly. I am fine with assignments, it's just general studying. Like I rewrite out my notes, and I just don't know how i got through high school, because i have no idea how i studied. i don't know if this makes sense

Chiggy I'm at a loss, any thoughts on why this is happening?
  • replies: 6

It's a little silly to come here but I've been feeling quite out of it lately. I can't sleep even though I'm deadly tired, I can't wake up from bed even though I'm wide awake, I can't force myself to eat - I don't really feel hungry and I often find ... View more

It's a little silly to come here but I've been feeling quite out of it lately. I can't sleep even though I'm deadly tired, I can't wake up from bed even though I'm wide awake, I can't force myself to eat - I don't really feel hungry and I often find myself spacing out, unable to focus on anything. I personally think it's just stress, but my friend told me it's not normal to be stressed during the holidays or school breaks. It would have been more convincing if I knew what I was stressed about. I just feel extremely bad and nasty all the time. On one spectrum, I sometimes don't have the energy to bother with anything. I just drift in and out of my daydreaming and I can't concentrate. And this worries me because then in the other end of the spectrum I'm unable to stop myself from feeling and everything around me is like on overdrive and it feels like I'm oversensitive to everything around me. I'm always worrying about everything, but on some Extremely Nasty Days my whole mind seems to go on shut down and I feel my anxiety manifest its own anxiety. It feels so disorienting because while on some days I feel like I'm fine, other days feel like a struggle to get through and a burden that I don't want to participate in (and they tally up to most of my days). I'm most likely just whinging - whining and wailing about nothing - but just to be sure... if perhaps I could get some answers or some remedies on how to get rid of my Nasty Days? Tea doesn't work.