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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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purpleskyy distracted
  • replies: 2

i can never concentrate in school anymore, i just can't stop thinking about depressing and bad stuff, and get really off topic and never get anything done, ironically i'm sitting in Maths as i'm typing this haha i wish i still cared about school and ... View more

i can never concentrate in school anymore, i just can't stop thinking about depressing and bad stuff, and get really off topic and never get anything done, ironically i'm sitting in Maths as i'm typing this haha i wish i still cared about school and work and stuff, but i dont. i'm kinda finding it hard to believe i'll ever care about anything again haha Well this a bit of a depressing post, but wondering whether anyone gets that too, like being really distracted? Jessie

reeg01 confused :/ guitly? :| worried
  • replies: 2

so i am new to this site, so hi everyone i guess i don't really know what to do about my thoughts, phobias and anxiety triggers. and i just don't understand how this all happened really and i just feel guilty, guilty that i have everything so good an... View more

so i am new to this site, so hi everyone i guess i don't really know what to do about my thoughts, phobias and anxiety triggers. and i just don't understand how this all happened really and i just feel guilty, guilty that i have everything so good and yet can't seem to have it together. It hurts me and i feel like i can't escape it sometimes. i don't understand and i don't know what to do. i know i can't do anything. but i don't know how to push through the bad days.

lp1379-3906dx Way to cope with an unhappy life and not let depression hinder work?
  • replies: 2

Please read my previous thread for background info: “Would talking to a psychologist help me feel better” in the Young People forum I am so anxious about immigration, because I need to do a lot of to prepare and policies are so volatile. I really do ... View more

Please read my previous thread for background info: “Would talking to a psychologist help me feel better” in the Young People forum I am so anxious about immigration, because I need to do a lot of to prepare and policies are so volatile. I really do not want to go back to my country. My mum makes the anxiety worse as she calls frequently to verbally abuse me, stress on how I have always failed, and generally say very horrible things. She would later attempt to make up with me by conversing casually and just not mentioning what happened. She has repeated this behaviour as far as I can remember, whether I live with her or not. When I tried to ignore her before, the backlashes were terrible and it traumatised me. I get terrible anxiety if I don't answer the calls. A few other things she has done: pull and tear the clothes I'm wearing if she is unhappy with them, tear my letters (I tried to communicate with her through other means as talking was futile), beating me and then telling me I'm selfish and ridiculous when I said I wanted to kill myself. She pressured me into quitting my job to pursue postgrad education and as such I am not fully independent, again. Even though she made me do it, she always says that I'm selfish, blaming me for literally everything -big or small - that happens to her, and continues to project her hatred for my father and his family onto me. 25 years ago, she couldn't file a divorce because she was pregnant with me in the first place. My mother has been a victim of the systematic misogyny in our backwards country, I know, but I hate her, I hate her so much, I constantly get sad because I know she won't die. I can't get rid of my love for her either, I still worry about her a lot. Contradicting, I know. A phone call from her would make me depressed for days, unable to do anything, and these days I am so anxious about migration, I can't focus on study, I can't read, can't write papers - I can't think. I have been so unhappy my entire life. As it stands now I have virtually no chance to pursue happiness - which would involve never having to associate with my mum again, never having to live in that terrible home country again, becoming stable and starting to invest in things that interest me. Consultation wouldn't help when the problem is with my life and not with my head. Alright, I am actually supposed to be writing a paper right now, but I cannot...for the life of me...I don't know.

demetrious_alien New
  • replies: 3

New here, diagnosed with high-level depression and anxiety since I was 11, I'm now almost 16. Having a really hard time at the moment and finding it very difficult to talk to anyone.

New here, diagnosed with high-level depression and anxiety since I was 11, I'm now almost 16. Having a really hard time at the moment and finding it very difficult to talk to anyone.

doggo101 ha
  • replies: 3

I have severe depression, anxiety and have been diagnosed with a eating disorder. My parents made me break up with my girlfriend, they thought a relationship was too stressful. I am not allowed to see her, she is the only thing that made me happy. My... View more

I have severe depression, anxiety and have been diagnosed with a eating disorder. My parents made me break up with my girlfriend, they thought a relationship was too stressful. I am not allowed to see her, she is the only thing that made me happy. My parents wont listen and I am getting worse. I miss her. So yah help

Scollie I don't know what to feel
  • replies: 2

I tend to hold things in a lot, will reframe myself from posting on social media but will always have an urge to because I want to cry for help without feeling like an attention seeker. I feel like nothing is going right, and I always will compare my... View more

I tend to hold things in a lot, will reframe myself from posting on social media but will always have an urge to because I want to cry for help without feeling like an attention seeker. I feel like nothing is going right, and I always will compare my lives to others and dwell on how misshapen mine is compared to theres. I know I'm so young but why do I feel so much, why am I so dissatisfied with my life. I mean as cliche as this sounds, the only thing I look forwards to is my dreams at night. The only person I want to talk to won't talk to me and even if they did I don't even know how I would start this conversation. Everything is slowly digesting me, my heart aches non stop and I can't help but blame myself because I made these decisions that make me feel like shit. I feel like I have no one.

Magic_bunny Should I seek help or overthinking?
  • replies: 2

Hi I am an international student who been away from home for 5 years so I don't have anyone on the sidelines to help identify if I have a problem or not as I'm pretty much on my own most of the times, only back for holidays. Hope you don't mind this ... View more

Hi I am an international student who been away from home for 5 years so I don't have anyone on the sidelines to help identify if I have a problem or not as I'm pretty much on my own most of the times, only back for holidays. Hope you don't mind this long explanation as I want to be thorough. So it's my first semester of uni and I haven't really make any friends, together with other stuff happening it lead to a bit of an self evaluation. I honestly don't think I am depressed cause I don't feel sad but here goes. It's been 4 years since I have had any close friends or tbh any friend's at all. Combined with the fact that I was bullied when I was in my country back in secondary school, I had only 1 close friend pretty much since I was 13 but whom I have not talked much to due to distance now that I'm overseas. I don't know why but I am not able to form any relationship at all, friendship and romantic which I'm really struggling with. In fact, its literally been 6 years since I made a friend and maintain that friendship or even a guy at all. But 1 thing I have been happy about is recently reconnecting with 4 of my childhood friends back home. Other than that, I don't feel the motivation to make friends or even step out of my room even though I do feel a little sad about the lack of friends.

Sarallita Confused about severe mood swings
  • replies: 2

So I am generally a very happy and cheerful person, however for the last few months I've been getting into these very down moods. It started off as just feeling quite low when I was home and being extremely irritable and snappy, then feeling alright ... View more

So I am generally a very happy and cheerful person, however for the last few months I've been getting into these very down moods. It started off as just feeling quite low when I was home and being extremely irritable and snappy, then feeling alright the next day. Then it got to feeling very sad and lacking interest in most things I'd usually enjoy and crying quite a bit, and then suddenly one day I'd be fine (the sad period lasted a few days). Recently, I was feeling extremely sad to the point where I would sleep half the day and not want to get out of bed, I felt so low that my parents and a few friends noticed and would ask me what was wrong. I felt bored of life, had no interest in anything, I cried myself to sleep 3 nights in a row and I really did think I was depressed because I was absolutely miserable and nothing could cheer me up. This lasted about 5 days continuously and then I woke up one day and I felt back to normal. There's been about 1.5 month gap between the 2 noticeable sad periods. But now I'm just so confused because sure there's one thing being a moody teenager but I don't understand how my mood can get so severe to the point where I was about to go see my GP cause I was so sad. Also to note, I'm a 19 year old girl, have had past experience with mild mental health issues about 5/6 years ago however did not feel as bad as I have recently. Thanks in advance

Kittenx Why can't I love anyone else?
  • replies: 3

When I was young use to be incredibly emotionally dependent on some body else to feel happy, I was always in and out of relationships and they all ended in heartache, I felt puppy love but the novelty always rubbed off until I met someone at the age ... View more

When I was young use to be incredibly emotionally dependent on some body else to feel happy, I was always in and out of relationships and they all ended in heartache, I felt puppy love but the novelty always rubbed off until I met someone at the age of 17, he was 23 and I was absolutely head over heels inlove, it lasted about a year and he was my best friend, we never had a fight or disagreement, he had a baby before we were together and our relationship ended when the mother of his child moved into state and he had to move to stay connected to his baby, I told him I completely understood and even though it broke my heart it meant more to me for him to be happy, I was trying to come to terms with the situation and move on when a short period after (I don't remember how long but it was a week or two) I found out he was in a relationship with a new girl which caused a falling out in our friendship so we stopped communicating. I was in two relationships after that but I never felt anything more for them then friendship, at the beginning I told them both I didn't want to be in a relationship with them but I was pressured into both relationships I guess due to my low self esteem I didn't know how to say just say no because I didn't want to hurt their feelings, after my last relationship ended I decided not to settle for anyone or commit until I learned how to be emotionally independent, it's now been 5 years since my last relationship and although I've had absolutely gorgeous guys try to peruse me in this time and I am so happy and confident with myself I just feel numb when it comes to boys and it makes me feel really sad, I'm now 25 and once in a blue moon he still pops into my head and I'll look at his facebook page, shortly after my last relationship I sent him a message asking to be friends and it went well for a week until he asked me to come over to his house and specified that I couldn't stay the night because he had to be up early for work, I took this as a "booty call with no strings" proposition and it made me realise if I saw him the feelings would still be there and I would get hurt and I'm not stupid enough to do that to myself so I decided to stop talking to him, I've really tried to move on but 8 years later and I still feel that pull toward him, will I ever be able to move on and be normal? It feels like I'll never care about anyone again, I really miss having that special thing with someone, I'm so sick of it and at this point I want help

Tired Emotionless
  • replies: 4

It's kind of strange. I have this overwrought feeling of sadness and yet I don't really feel anything at all. I can't stop procrastinating doing my work. I don't want to fail, in fact I'm fairly sure I have an unhealthy fear of failure but whenever I... View more

It's kind of strange. I have this overwrought feeling of sadness and yet I don't really feel anything at all. I can't stop procrastinating doing my work. I don't want to fail, in fact I'm fairly sure I have an unhealthy fear of failure but whenever I go to do work I feel as though it's not worth it, yet when I see the minutes tick by submission time I cry and feel like my heart is being wrenched out of me. I've thought of suicide a few times but overall I know I won't as I have two things stopping me, my family and my cowardice. I love my family so much and I know they love me but I honestly don't think I'm worth their love. I'm nothing special and I never have been. I always get ok grades, I'm not some hidden genius nor a bimbo with no brain, I'm just as boring as everyone else really, I don't have anything I am really interested in, though I can spend hours online not doing anything. It sort of feels like a cloud over my eyes. I know my old self is pulling at me and I know I would have felt angry or happy at certain things so I can fake it easily, but really it just all seems like this fog has dulled down all my senses except sadness and that is only overall not to little things like it used to be. I have 'friends'. Their nice people really but I've learned through life experience that no one really cares about anyone other than themselves. They haven't noticed a change in me and I'm pretty sure if I just never contacted them again they wouldn't really be bothered. Actually that's how I feel about everything, as if my existence may as well just slip away. I'm pretty sure I'll never do anything great for the world and looking at how overpopulated the world is I know it really doesn't need me here acting like a sorry arse consuming consuming consuming. People like to tell you to be grateful for what you have as there are a lot of people with much bigger problems than you and perhaps you should be thinking about them. Well I do actually. I think that it's not fair that I, little miss unhappy and worthless, shouldn't be here, I would love to swap with someone who's having a hard life because they would deserve this life much more than I do. Anyway this is just a very long rant about a few things that I've been thinking , I doubt anyone will bother reading it as it is so long, and I don't blame them, I don't really blame anyone, I get people have their own life problems and I'm just acting like a bit of a twat but oh well. There you go.