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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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angel01 Giving up when life doesn’t get better
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone! I’m not sure what compelled me to start writing this post. Maybe I’m hoping someone would validate my feelings or relate to my situation. For context, I am 22 years old. I am in the final year of my university studies. I used to have mor... View more

Hi everyone! I’m not sure what compelled me to start writing this post. Maybe I’m hoping someone would validate my feelings or relate to my situation. For context, I am 22 years old. I am in the final year of my university studies. I used to have more friends and went out more. Now I only have a few close friends, whom I try to see at least once a week. The same goes for my boyfriend. He lives an hour away by car (or an hour and a half commute), and we try to see each other at least once a week. I live with my strict parents and still have a curfew despite my age. Sleepovers are forbidden. I am often made to feel guilty when I go out at night or past dinner time. I was recently unemployed and my parents don’t want me to work while I finish my studies. I know I am blessed that they want to support me, but I continue to struggle with feelings of uncertainty about my job prospects. I spoke to them about wanting to work casual hours waitressing or doing odd jobs like I used to, but they said no. Since I lost my full-time job, I don’t know if I even want to continue in the same field as my degree. I am diagnosed with CPTSD and often think about how it affects my ability to cope. I'm not sure where my depression and anxiety stem from or if it’s from a singular event. I get support from my mental health nurse, GP, counsellor, psychologist, and headspace worker. Until recently, I even had a social worker and a financial advisor. Despite utilising all this free support, my mental health does not seem to be improving. I find myself struggling more with self-doubt, anxiety, depression and I’m more prone to feeling extreme emotional distress. Recently, I have slept a lot to run away from my problems. As soon as I wake up, I go back to sleep. I slept twice trying to finish this post. I hate mornings. I want to study and do my assessments, but I never do. I want to be active and eat well, but I can’t. I hate being stuck at home. I want to make new friends and have fun. But I feel awkward and lonely even when I'm around others. I want to leave my partner because it's so hard to see him, especially because my family is moving farther away. I have too much baggage and I feel scared he will leave me. I hate how my life has turned out. I’m not sure I will ever be able to be financially stable enough to move out. I want to give up on everything and sleep forever. I apologise if anyone feels triggered reading this rant. I hope life gets better for you.

Guest_80304080 Lonliness is the worst and so are people
  • replies: 1

I really need to get this off my chest. I'm in yr 11 and I feel so alone and have been for a few years. I have struggled with friendships groups through the years which is how I ended up feeling this way, I have been exculeded on multiple accounts. I... View more

I really need to get this off my chest. I'm in yr 11 and I feel so alone and have been for a few years. I have struggled with friendships groups through the years which is how I ended up feeling this way, I have been exculeded on multiple accounts. I have been bullied by my best friend and I have encounter many awful people at my school who treat others like garbage as well as myself and it's really hard because it's been stopping me from make close connections with the people I hang out with now. This group is probrobly the nicest i have met in the school, they support each out and care about how others feel, best of all they include me in conversations. You would think it was the bare minimum. The only problem is I now over think everything and I have been feeling the most insecure ever in my life. I'm scared to speak, I feel like I'm being judge by them even when I'm proven wrong. I'm constantly thinking weather or not I'm wanted or if it's a pity thing. It's so exhausting. I feel so lonley as I've tried to hang out with some of them but at least from my end they don't seem intersested. All I do is sit at home and do nothing, and I hate it I wanna go out with people but it feels useless. I so desperately crave a friend I can just talk to about stupid stuff, but the past friendship made me rethink everything, I can't text somebody to hang out like I used to because I jump to conclusion. The extra school workload doesn't either. I don't really have anyone to talk to as I don't have a close or best friend. I've talked to my parents about it but they tell me the same thing over that doesn't help. How do I get over this hump and stop feeling like I'm wasting my life.

emmy moving out as a teen
  • replies: 4

hi, i want to move interstate alone when i turn 18, and im currently 16 going on 17. any tips (how much to save, best way to move interstate, etc.)

hi, i want to move interstate alone when i turn 18, and im currently 16 going on 17. any tips (how much to save, best way to move interstate, etc.)

eva i feel like giving into pressure from teachers has ruined my chances of uni
  • replies: 1

hi my name is eva and im currently in year 12. currently all i can feel is stress regret and anxiety when it comes to school. im doing all atar classes mainly because all ive ever been told is that i have to go to uni nothing else has ever been an op... View more

hi my name is eva and im currently in year 12. currently all i can feel is stress regret and anxiety when it comes to school. im doing all atar classes mainly because all ive ever been told is that i have to go to uni nothing else has ever been an option for me, but currently im scard i wont get in and its not due to not passing but instead because in year 11 i was pushed to do headstart courses being told they were easy and a good way to get started but they werent. everyone told me i should do it so i did but by the end of it the stress of regular school work made it hard and i failed my course i have only recently been told that a girl the year before me failed to get into uni not because of her atar but instead because failing her course lowered her university GPA and im terrified ive done the same to myself. im hoping that maybe i can apply to a different uni than the one i did my course through and it might not have an effect but im not sure. all i know is i feel like my life is over. i wasnt given enough information about it and now im so stressed the thought make me want to cry. can someone please give me any kind of idea as to waht to do im terrified.

Bea where do you start ?
  • replies: 1

I have never been cool or fun - I struggled through school even though my friends were schol captians popular cool people - I am the odd one out now after finishing school i am at uni but have seemed to still carry the expectations. In the last month... View more

I have never been cool or fun - I struggled through school even though my friends were schol captians popular cool people - I am the odd one out now after finishing school i am at uni but have seemed to still carry the expectations. In the last months of year 12 i found myself been criticised for not having a job, for not having a social life for been dumb and stupid. Basically I was branded the friend who always said no. Now I have 2 jobs, uni. But im failing at both. there are somedays where i sit on the bus in tears. I recently went to get a ADHD diagnoses and am midway through (the cost is just astronomical) i was put on a stimulate but they haven't really helped - i got headaches , but even when i'm not taking the medication i now seem to be experiencing headaches. Recently i get irritable, the only reason why i seem to get up is for work. it has now become my life. i don't read anymore, i don't even want to go outside to my pets. I cant do uni work i just sit there. I don't know what to do i feel so stuck . Financially Emotionally. I forget to do basic tasks - forget where i put things. I know i have to change but where does one start - every time i do something there's like this pattern of destruction i begin something, goes really well then it starts to break down. It's like i am asking for help but i'm asking for the wrong help.

Tara_ Dating
  • replies: 2

Hi there, I was dating someone for the last few months, things didn’t end very well. I guess I made mistakes pushing him away. I have felt guilty ever since then.I know he has already moved on with someone else which is a horrible feeling. I’m findin... View more

Hi there, I was dating someone for the last few months, things didn’t end very well. I guess I made mistakes pushing him away. I have felt guilty ever since then.I know he has already moved on with someone else which is a horrible feeling. I’m finding it all overwhelming at the moment. It’s really hard moving on even though it was only at the dating stage.The whole relationship thing all seemed new to me. Any dating advise/ moving on tips/feeling less guilty about it all would be appreciated.

Guest_07564765 Out of place
  • replies: 3

Life outta school sucks. My troubles are nothing compared to some people, and people would say I have no troubles. But I honestly am just so lost. Why did no one tell me one day I’d have all these amazing friends to the next all I have it my partner.... View more

Life outta school sucks. My troubles are nothing compared to some people, and people would say I have no troubles. But I honestly am just so lost. Why did no one tell me one day I’d have all these amazing friends to the next all I have it my partner. I love him but I feel like I have no one. Sometimes I feel useless. I wonder why I spent years making friends and sharing secrets to not even saying hello to them for over a year. What’s the point in trying if life has no meaning. I have no motivation. I hate myself. I’ve gained weight and I’m ugly. And the safest part is I can recognise that I truly can’t stand myself and need to change, yet I can’t be bothered. I’m lazy. I will amount to nothing. And one day everyone will forget me and what was the point. I’m just lost. I guess I just needed to write this down, knowing at least someone will see it.

MatthewAdl How to make new friends/integrate myself into friend groups/circles?
  • replies: 2

I've been really struggling to make friends for a while now. Its made me feel extremely lonely and I struggle to motivate myself to do basic things like shopping for clothes by myself without feeling sad. I also struggle with social anxiety so I find... View more

I've been really struggling to make friends for a while now. Its made me feel extremely lonely and I struggle to motivate myself to do basic things like shopping for clothes by myself without feeling sad. I also struggle with social anxiety so I find it almost impossible to go up to people and start a conversation with them. Everyone I study with is much older than me so we have completely different lifestyles so I haven't been able to make any friends while studying. I'm thinking of joining a badminton club but im worried I wont be able to join in with a random group of people - even if I do im pretty amateur at badminton so im worried I wouldn't be good enough to play alongside them. If I do start to make connections with people, how can I ensure that I can befriend them? for example, how can I ensure that they wont just be someone I see once and never again but someone I could chat with and hangout with outside of the club. I'm just really lost and starting to get really lonely and I just really need help.

Avocadooo Substance abuse.
  • replies: 4

Whenever I go out I feel like I need to under the influence off a substance to have fun.. Alcohol or drugs.. I'm disappointed in myself that I feel the need for it because I really wish I was as confident & felt like things were as fun without the su... View more

Whenever I go out I feel like I need to under the influence off a substance to have fun.. Alcohol or drugs.. I'm disappointed in myself that I feel the need for it because I really wish I was as confident & felt like things were as fun without the substances...

Guest_68860762 Struggling to get through life
  • replies: 2

hi im 16 and im in year 11 this year and I hate it, I hate my school so much. It’s so draining. The students and teaches are all just so draining. The student hate each other but all pretend to be friends, there’s so much drama and fights and people ... View more

hi im 16 and im in year 11 this year and I hate it, I hate my school so much. It’s so draining. The students and teaches are all just so draining. The student hate each other but all pretend to be friends, there’s so much drama and fights and people just like to start stuff for no reason. A lot of the good teachers in my school have left and the teachers we have now don’t even know how to teach or just don’t bother, ie my math teacher hadn’t taught us all the content so when we went into our first assessment task most of us didn’t understand or know how to answer the questions (mind you he’s not even a proper math teacher, he’s a science teacher). It’s just gotten to the point where I just don’t like coming to school anymore, I don’t bother to do the work sometimes because I just mentally can’t I don’t even learn anything anymore (I walks out of lessons not knowing anything) and I just hate it so much where I would rather consider online learning. Some days I can’t even get up out of bed and I would just wish I would just die. But as coming from an immigrant family my mum won’t accept that, I’ve only came this far just for her. I’m not even here for my dreams I’m here for hers. I’m so stressed and overwhelmed where I don’t even want to finish high school and go to uni or complete my hsc, they put all of this stress and pressure on me to figure out what I want to do in life, that I’ve just given up. I just want to disappear, start a new name, new identity and a new life away from everything and everyone. No more school I just can’t anymore