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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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confusedteen Help Please
  • replies: 7

Hi, i'm very new to the forums and it took me forever to even work out how to use this. i was wondering if anyone could help me out with some advice?For a while now, i've been left out. i didn't hang out with anyone for a while but when i was allowed... View more

Hi, i'm very new to the forums and it took me forever to even work out how to use this. i was wondering if anyone could help me out with some advice?For a while now, i've been left out. i didn't hang out with anyone for a while but when i was allowed to again, my "friends" begged me to come and sit with them. i did and have been ignored all the time. They never speak to me unless i speak, they just hate me. i don't really have any other people to go to either because everyone hates me. I also recently lost my best friend...she walked out on our friendship. That broke me. I've been really lost without her ad even more so now with no friends. 2 days ago, some guys in my class we calling me ugly and fat and made me cry. I do get very upset over all of this so some help would really be appreciated x

W_ Friend Has Problem With Anxiety
  • replies: 2

I met a girl online about 8 or 9 months ago and we ended up really good friends almost immediately.She didn't want to Skype with me at first and I was wondering if she had just been a stalker the whole time,but eventually we did end up talking.Recent... View more

I met a girl online about 8 or 9 months ago and we ended up really good friends almost immediately.She didn't want to Skype with me at first and I was wondering if she had just been a stalker the whole time,but eventually we did end up talking.Recently,she opened up to me about something which explains a lot.She told me that she has a Social Anxiety Disorder. So over a year ago when she realized what it was and what was causing her depression she went to her mother for help (she was 14). Her mother told her she was "just a little shy".She kept asking for help but stopped when her mother (along with the rest of the family) made fun of her for it.Long story short that was her last year in that school, so she left everyone she knew and went to her new school.She only ever ate lunch with her sister and if that wasn't an option she would throw out her food so it looked like she ate and spend lunch in a bathroom stall. Anyways, that's about the time she finally said she would Skype with me.After a couple months she started getting better and tried really hard to be happy again. And now she says she is happier than she used to be, but although she didn't directly state it I gathered that I'm the only one she can really talk to.I told her to text me and just completely vent whenever she feels alone, anxious, or depressed and she has been. And that's when I started to get just how bad her anxiety is. For example, she had to work in a group and what she texted me was mildly alarming, but also really scared sounding, she said her stomach started cramping up and she couldn't breathe and she couldn't reason with her brain and it just sounded like absolute hell. I asked her if she tried self-help and she said she did, but she's only fifteen and couldn't find anything of real use for free online. Although I didn't ask her I'm pretty sure she didn't look into a blog like this because she is so scared of her family finding out and making fun of her again. I've tried giving her tips like chewing gum, listening to music anything I can find but most of it she's already tried and it doesn't help enough. I feel really guilty about this, because I feel like I am not doing a much better job of helping her then her family did, but my hands are tied and I need to know if there is someway I can help her get over her depression, but especially her anxiety because that seems like the root of her problems. So, if anyone knows anything, please tell me. Thanks

Stevey1 Depression? Faking it? Confused?
  • replies: 3

I'm very unsure about my mental situation. On one hand my therapist thinks that I am exhibit symptoms of Depression but on the other, I ponder whether or not the majority of my negative emotions are being subconsciously perpetuated for some unknown r... View more

I'm very unsure about my mental situation. On one hand my therapist thinks that I am exhibit symptoms of Depression but on the other, I ponder whether or not the majority of my negative emotions are being subconsciously perpetuated for some unknown reason. As someone who never feels like they fit in with the people around them, I'm very worried that I am subconsciously forcing myself to be sad because I will then be able to relate with the depressed community, as messed up as that is. However, I recently started talking to an old friend on the other side of the country about my problems and intern, theirs. But surely I would be taking advantage of these conversations to "Feel Connected" with my friend whom I may also add, is clinically depressed. However, I very much dislike our conversations, even as someone who doesn't mind opening up. So what's wrong with me? Is this whole thing just a way to rationalize the way I have been feeling? Or perhaps I don't like talking to my friend because It would disprove my theory. I understand that this seems rather abstract and over thought but I am just utterly confused. If anyone could offer any clarity into my very confused 14 year old brain I would be incredibly grateful. Thank you

nish 13 but no time to celarbrate
  • replies: 3

it was my 13th birthday and mum had just got off the phone. I thought mum would be happy hearing from nan but tears were streaming down her face, I soon found out pop had died in his sleep and everyone was upset. I went to school and when I came home... View more

it was my 13th birthday and mum had just got off the phone. I thought mum would be happy hearing from nan but tears were streaming down her face, I soon found out pop had died in his sleep and everyone was upset. I went to school and when I came home there was my dog that I had since birth howling and crying, I didn't think my birthday could get any worse. mum and me went to the vets and found out she had got cancer and in her leg and it had spreading more than last time and that they would have to put her down. a week before my mum and dad split up to instead of being happy for my birthday I was faced with family splitting up, my only pop dying and my best friend Jessi having to be put down. the following day's after went as a blur all I remember was everyone sad and depressed. my dad never came around for my birthday or the birthdays following. I'm now 18 and every birthday I'm reminded of my pop and my dog but also the sadness that come from it. I've learnt to deal with it and to always know that there up there watching me. as for my dad I believe that one day I'll see him I just hope he doesn't leave it to late. I struggle with depression but have learnt to live with it and that it's ok to cry. I wish I could go back to having a birthday without sadness but that's life, so instead on my birthday I don't go all sad I visit my pop's grave with a letter every year I changed the old one to the new one telling him about my life and my goals and tell him how much I love and miss him. it helps knowing that some how me doing that he is apart of my birthday.

Guest_44 Sick and tired of being sick and tired [triggerwarning: sexual abuse]
  • replies: 3

Hi, I'm 19 years old. I've been battling with an autoammune disease for 5 years now. I lost my virginity to rape at 15, I've been physically abused by multiple men and now to top it off my most recent partner has just slept with another girl. I left ... View more

Hi, I'm 19 years old. I've been battling with an autoammune disease for 5 years now. I lost my virginity to rape at 15, I've been physically abused by multiple men and now to top it off my most recent partner has just slept with another girl. I left him. And it was so hard. I keep asking myself: "is this all my life is ever going to be?", "is my life just going to be a constant mental and physical battle?". I guess my question really is: how do you look at the positive side of life when everything seems to be going against you and you're bed ridden all the time?! thanks ❤

PJ_Otto Depression affecting my sporting performance - how to tell my coach what is really going on?
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, This is my first post so I'm not too sure what to expect but hopefully someone will be able to help me out. My younger brother passed away earlier this year from cancer and my mum died 3 years ago from cancer also. Prior to their diagnos... View more

Hi everyone, This is my first post so I'm not too sure what to expect but hopefully someone will be able to help me out. My younger brother passed away earlier this year from cancer and my mum died 3 years ago from cancer also. Prior to their diagnosis I was suffering depression and anxiety however now because of the grief and trauma of losing 2 family members it has become so severe it is affecting my everyday life and I can not hide it from others like I used to. I play a semi-elite team sport (which has saved me as it has always been my release and safe space) but now I find I can't train or play as hard and I am experiencing much higher levels of anxiety than I can cope with. I have never talked about my mental health with my team or coach in past (as it has never really affected this aspect of my life) however I know they know about my family and are a bit more lenient with with me missing training etc. but I have recently missed a few games and now have to have a meeting with the coach next session. I am unsure how to explain to them what I am going through with telling them my life story and the ins and outs of my health? I am a very private person and have only ever really spoken to my psychologist about my family and I don't want them to think I am incapable of playing at that level. I don't really like attention on me and I don't want it to be spread around the club so I would like a positive way of phrasing it all? To be honest I'm not really sure what I should say so any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks in advance

viexon Depression, again and again and again
  • replies: 1

I was diagnosed with depression around 6 years ago now, and I feel like it comes and goes for months on end. I haven't been able to identify what keeps causing it to come back but it does. I haven't been longer than 6 months without falling back into... View more

I was diagnosed with depression around 6 years ago now, and I feel like it comes and goes for months on end. I haven't been able to identify what keeps causing it to come back but it does. I haven't been longer than 6 months without falling back into it. I still haven't been able to understand what makes it go away. Sometimes I just wake up happy and full of life and energy, and sometimes I just begin to feel emotions again but either way the depression goes away for a while. For the past month I have been feeling incredibly numb, started during the mid semseter break at uni. Nothing brings me joy or pleasure anymore, I have no energy or motivation to work towards my goals or continue my hobbies, but remembering my psychologists advice I keep at it anyway. She said that action leads to motivation which leads to action but regardless of how much I do or even what result I get from uni, I feel incredible numb. I haven't been able to get appointments with my regular GP or psychologist until the end of June and I'm begining to wear myself out. I don't have enough energy to do everything I need to do; exercise, eat right, do university work, work on hobbies, and be with those who care about me. I'm starting to feel frustrated and wonder how much longer will I be like this. Could be months before I return to normal and I'm tired of not knowing what to do to help. I'm looking for any advice to take, and maybe even advice to prevent this from happening again and again.

HamSolo01 So i came to hospital today...
  • replies: 2

Sitting and waiting to see a doctor/mental health professional. Been here before too. Last August. Hate it but it helps i guess. Sick of being passed around the systempsychologist canned my last appointment which gaves me the sh*ts. Anyway. Just thou... View more

Sitting and waiting to see a doctor/mental health professional. Been here before too. Last August. Hate it but it helps i guess. Sick of being passed around the systempsychologist canned my last appointment which gaves me the sh*ts. Anyway. Just thought i would drop this here. Peace out

SyzygyE Am I a weakling for not being able to overcome depression?
  • replies: 9

I've been fighting depression for 4 years. 4 long, dark years, seemingly longer than the entirety of the 16 years I've been alive. How happy times fly and gloomy times lingers for virtually an eternity almost borders on a cruel form of humour—a relen... View more

I've been fighting depression for 4 years. 4 long, dark years, seemingly longer than the entirety of the 16 years I've been alive. How happy times fly and gloomy times lingers for virtually an eternity almost borders on a cruel form of humour—a relentless torture cast by fate itself, toying with me and chipping away slowly. And I am close, so very close to giving up this battle. It has driven me from the most cheerful child to an empty, fragmented shell of my former self. It chokes me, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, its grip slowly tightening over the months. Even a single gasp of relief from its grasp is the greatest blessing anyone can reward me right now. It hurts. Why can't I be like everyone else? Raised by a busy, single parent I've never understood how a parent was to treat their child. What is love? What is family? These are questions I still do not know the answer to because of the neglect I received. I ended up attending high school in a different city than primary school, and left everything behind. My friends moved on with their lives and gradually forgot about me. I miss them; I miss how everything used to be. Memories are hard to forget. I became withdrawn, isolated myself and never overcame my past: because I had no one who would care. I began to think it was my friends who had abandoned me. And that has caused me to suspect people having malicious intent and I found that I can never trust anyone. I made the decision to fight depression by myself. This illness has caused some eccentricities in my personality. Perhaps it was some sort of attachment to the belief that being able to defeat my inner demons through my own will was an achievement—a kind of glory? It's also because other people have gone through much worse than me and yet still recovered, sometimes without outside help. So why can't I? I felt as if I would been seen as a weakling if I went to seek help. And so I fought. I fought as a lonely warrior in the lonely confines of his own mind. And now, after 4 years of struggle, I've had enough. I'm just . . . tired; tired of everything. This must be what true exhaustion feels like. Perhaps submitting and giving a acceptance is comfort. Perhaps my depression is just the norm now. Perhaps just embracing it and letting it become a part of me is how I am to "recover." Why should I keep fighting? There's nothing left for me to fight for. Am I a weakling for not being able to overcome depression?

SyzygyE Afraid and at a bit of a loss about the approaching adulthood.
  • replies: 2

I am turning 17 and in year 11, with just a year and a few months until I sit the HSC. It's almost amusing to think I used to be in a hurry to grow up into an adult as a child, and now wishing for the opposite. I guess it has never really occurred to... View more

I am turning 17 and in year 11, with just a year and a few months until I sit the HSC. It's almost amusing to think I used to be in a hurry to grow up into an adult as a child, and now wishing for the opposite. I guess it has never really occurred to me until recently just how short these 16 or so years have been. It won't be very long, then, until I'll have to enter the life of an adult. But I don't feel as if I'm ready to accept that. I don't have any goals or targets set in mind. I don't know what I want to do or who I want to become. I really don't hold any significant interest towards any uni courses. These few years I've pretty much sat idle and waited for time to pass. Then, I could make a decision once the time was right and such a moment for the decision to be made had reached me, not the other way around. This feels wrong. I'm studying and putting in a lot of effort, but to be honest, I don't even know who or what I'm studying for. Every time I get a good grading on my report or perhaps one of the better marks in the grade, these supposed successes feel so hollow. My school is competitive, and receiving an excellent mark will allow you to be liked and included. Perhaps I study because I just want to belong, or I'm just looking for something—anything—to do while I wait for the future. It certainly takes my mind off worrying. Underlying this sensation of worry is a layer of frustration. I've been thinking about what it is other students have and I don't, but I still don't know. They understand what kind of future path they wish to tread upon. They all seem so confident and free of doubt. A part of me admires it, but the other part can't bear to look because it always ends with me reminiscing over those worry-free childhood days I cannot return to. It feels bitter to compare then to now, but I cannot help remembering because I want to be reminded of that kind of halcyon. It's almost a sanctum to escape to . . . I wouldn't say I am so much sad or depressed that this is my predicament, but more along the lines of "at a loss." I don't really think I need to see a counsellor, because despite all that's said and done I am motivated to try and change things. I simply don't know how and that's why I am looking for advice. I wanted to seek help here because I'm sure plenty of people have made this journey and transition. How have you coped with the responsibilities and stresses of an adult? Did you encounter any obstacles or experiences like mine?

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