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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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My-life-is-a-constant-Mess Am I too anxious? Is it even anxiety?
  • replies: 6

Hi, I have always been a fairly anxious person but i never considered it that bad or a problem but people in my life say i'm extremely anxious. I cant actually tell when i'm anxious anymore its so normal but lately it has escalated and my family and ... View more

Hi, I have always been a fairly anxious person but i never considered it that bad or a problem but people in my life say i'm extremely anxious. I cant actually tell when i'm anxious anymore its so normal but lately it has escalated and my family and my school councillor and my teachers are concerned. I don't know where to start so i'll list all my problems 1. I have an intense fear of dying most of my anxiety is related to health and dying iv always been a hypochondriac but its getting ridiculous ie. chest pain = Heart attack, Wont go in water since I found out about a rare bacteria that lives in water and eats your brain and only 4 people in the world have survived, cant drive because im to scared to get in the car in case I crash and die, plane going over the house at night = Bomb or danger, scared of the beach because I dont know whats in the water, If death is mentioned I automatically start thinking about how I will die and I cant stop it happening eventually and will start feel teary and panicky I have to get rid of the thought etc. I could go on forever. 2. I have a problem with spiders, I have a process I do every night regardless of consequences or circumstances that I do to ease anxiety and stop spiders getting into my room. I check the whole room with a torch, floor behind bed under bed behind photos i even check the celling, the window frame and behind the blind. I remove the mattress to check the bed frame for spiders then I shake out all my bedding and put it on the bed then I spray all entrances and exits to room with bug spray then i build a barrier under my door with multiple hoddies folded to make my door almost air tight so the spiders cant get in, every time I leave the room at night I will repeat this process, sometimes I do it just to check before I actually sleep. Some people think this is a bit ritualistic and becoming OCDish but I don't do it in a particular order and I only do it at mums house (at dadsI room check but dont put up the barrier. I sleep with a can of bug spray and a shoe to kill spiders 3. Not sure if its anxiety. I am academically inclined but I ask all my teacher for reassurance and will check and re check all aspects of the assignment with the teacher so I know iv done it correct and if i'm over the word count I cant cut it in case I cut something good and make it worse. I cant do the assignments by myself for fear of sucking or ruining my grade or getting it wrong Am I too anxious whats going on? Help?

jords22 Did getting diagnosed help or did it make it worse?
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, I have this friend who feels she is suffering from depression. From research we have done she does tick most of the boxes which would label her depressed. I have suggested many times that she goes to a doctor to get checked out but I thi... View more

Hi everyone, I have this friend who feels she is suffering from depression. From research we have done she does tick most of the boxes which would label her depressed. I have suggested many times that she goes to a doctor to get checked out but I think she is scared. I was just wondering if you guys found that once you were clinically diagnosed as depressed did that help you or make it worse?

azarrah Well...I guess it's official
  • replies: 4

So, depression, anxiety, and I, are pretty officially married into an unhappy love triangle, worthy of any good teen romance. Some of you may have seen my thread a month or two ago, where I talked about physical symptoms I was experiencing and gave a... View more

So, depression, anxiety, and I, are pretty officially married into an unhappy love triangle, worthy of any good teen romance. Some of you may have seen my thread a month or two ago, where I talked about physical symptoms I was experiencing and gave a little backstory. The update on that is that I finally plucked up the courage (and motivation) to go visit a GP. We talked for a bit, she gave me a questionnaire, which I thought was a weird method, but just glancing down the sheet I could tell the result wasn't going to be good. It was honestly amazing to see everything I was experiencing listed there in one place. Part of me still doesn't believe it. Throughout school, I was the person who laughed at PDHPE lessons about mental health. I'll never have those problems, I thought, wilfully ignoring my family history of depression. I'm way too mentally strong and capable. I know that mindset is dumb, but I still clung to it, because all throughout my life I've been the strong, sharp, brutally honest person who says it like it is. I remember a friend telling me "I feel like all the rest of us are struggling, and you're just fine. How do you do it?" Oh well, I guess karma had a role in all this...I was still too stubborn to accept a referral to a psychologist, but I feel like I've taken the first steps, at least. The poor GP had to explain several times that yes, depression/anxiety can cause xyz effects all by themselves, and that yes, it can come on suddenly for no apparent reason. My symptoms have been 80% physical, which is why nobody diagnosed it before. Whether that's because I didn't know what I was feeling, or whether I just blocked out my emotions entirely, I only experienced the physical side and it was rather horrible. Now I feel somewhat calmer. Still disappointed, because it's 'official', and I can't hide from it anymore...but at the same time, relieved because now I know what's wrong, I can work out how to face it. Thanks for sticking with this post. I needed to pour out today's experiences somewhere before I went to bed, and perhaps someone else reading this can relate. What were your thoughts when you were diagnosed?

Braddles17 First heart break in the gay world
  • replies: 2

Hey there guys , I'm only 19 and I'm dealing with a heart break no other ... my first love since coming out of the closet I had serious relationship with someone who was 27, 3 months into the relationship he asked me to move into his house, of course... View more

Hey there guys , I'm only 19 and I'm dealing with a heart break no other ... my first love since coming out of the closet I had serious relationship with someone who was 27, 3 months into the relationship he asked me to move into his house, of course me being new to all of this dating world and living 2 hours away from him I did .. things were going great we worked out buts off , I managed to hold 2 jobs and paying him half my way towards his house loan, we have Thailand booked in 12 days for a holiday .. we planned that this year we'd move into a family memebers house save money and plan to buy another house in a few years ..; fash forward 8 months and he wants nothing to do with me .. he dumped me the morning after a night out clubbing .. he woke up and told me I wasn't what he needed anymore and he drove me to a train station and left me I took a 2 hour train ride home and I was devestated .. with only the back pack on ny back from the night before he blocked my numbers, social media and everything .. he has left me broken and numb ; I am dead set so empty inside... we went from a three bedroom home to now me sleeping on a mattress on the floor at my parents house ; even now he refuses to contact me and tells me he needs to get himself help. Me snd him were not perfect you guys but what we had was amazing when it was good .. he tells me i need to grow up , our age difference plays a big part .. he's not coping mentally with what ever he's going trough and that he needs time to work on himself ... my heart is destroyed because what happened to everything me and him had planned ? What happened to the promises he made about never giving up on us .. he promised to never just walk away from me and he did .. it's been nearly a week and I can't pull myself together ; I just want him back so badly and he has no idea how much he has destroyed me ... I worked 2 jobs for him , I changed my lifestyle for him and my friends .. I did everything he asked me to do in order to make him want this and he just threw me away like I'm a piece of rubbish ... I legit don't know how I'm gonna manage without him but I guess I have no choice ., he was my first love and my first everything ; I can't get the little things about him out of my head , like certain smells , certain memories of laughter and silliness or just our little cuddles I don't think I'll ever be happy again or find myself a true love .. and it's killing me holding this in .. please help me

JellicoeGirl99 Is this a normal symptom of panic disorder?
  • replies: 4

Hi all, I'm quite nervous to be posting for the first time but maybe others out there will know what I'm going through. I'm 18 and have had anxiety since I was very young with the occasional panic attack, but recently I've began to fear panicking its... View more

Hi all, I'm quite nervous to be posting for the first time but maybe others out there will know what I'm going through. I'm 18 and have had anxiety since I was very young with the occasional panic attack, but recently I've began to fear panicking itself and feel I've developed panic disorder. I know its not good to self-diagnose and I have already planned to get help, however in the meantime I'm finding it difficult to remind myself that I am not the only one experiencing this and it seems the more people i tell- though they are close friends and don't get told all the details- the worse I feel. Recently its taken less to set off a panic attack- for example, knowing I'm about to go on a date and that my date could arrive at any second- and lately I've made myself anxious to the point I've thrown up. Needless to say I cancelled the date and really want to avoid the next one at all costs. I know this isn't a good coping mechanism but right now it would feel so good to not leave the house for a while. I hate that I am letting my anxiety get to me when I should be so used to coping but I'm feeling very embarrassed about my new symptom and can't make plans without considering that it may happen again and perhaps this time in front of someone. My fears right now are that I will never get over this and eventually won't be able to leave the house, or that I'm going to embarrass myself. It's been very difficult for me to post this, but I'm sure everyone has felt the same. Your replies mean a lot to me, so thank you

6anna Unsure if depressed
  • replies: 1

I've recently started full time work, and over the last year and a bit have felt almost continuously stressed, upset and thinking I'm a failure. When I picture the future, it's hard to see past my current stresses and the idea that this career just i... View more

I've recently started full time work, and over the last year and a bit have felt almost continuously stressed, upset and thinking I'm a failure. When I picture the future, it's hard to see past my current stresses and the idea that this career just isn't for me (either because it's not fulfilling or I'm just plain not good enough). I have definitely felt happy in this time. I have also slowly lost interest in doing things. To some extent, despite it stressing me out, I wanted to fill my evenings with work because I wouldn't know what else to do. I'll get home, have a nap because of exhaustion, and spend the rest of my nights waiting to go to bed, often spending time in between wasting time because books, tv and other tasks don't interest me. This has bothered me, but aside from increased stress, those are things I've experienced for periods of time before. I think with the new stresses, it's more noticeable. In the past month, I've also been plagued with frequent headaches and feel constantly irritated, which gets me down, and I find it hard to get up in the morning. The day feels like a write off from the get go. I'm also forgetful and can't concentrate (technology is a far easier occupier than conversations or tv etc) In addition, I feel acutely aware of relationship issues I have with my family (we are quite distant). I feel extremely guilty that I'm just not a good enough family member, and that this is my doing. I want to enjoy life, and I feel as if I'm trying very hard, but keep having a door closed on me. I worry about going to the GP and being suggested to that I am just being lazy, or making a big deal out of nothing. I've had people who have had depression say much to the same effect.

Lili01 I can't deal with my depression
  • replies: 6

My entire self is consumed by depression. Every thought I have makes me want to cry, I'm so stuck and I desperately need a distraction. I don't know what to do.

My entire self is consumed by depression. Every thought I have makes me want to cry, I'm so stuck and I desperately need a distraction. I don't know what to do.

Thunderdog My social life is almost dead
  • replies: 7

Hi, So I've been out of uni for 18 months with a great job but I feel like my job is the only worthwhile thing in my life. My friends are dwindling and I seem to have to work so much harder to make new friends in a new town. Like I have to pretend to... View more

Hi, So I've been out of uni for 18 months with a great job but I feel like my job is the only worthwhile thing in my life. My friends are dwindling and I seem to have to work so much harder to make new friends in a new town. Like I have to pretend to be someone else. I have always been a shy sort of person who gets anxious talking to people but in the last maybe 3 years I had gained a lot more confidence and starting going out and doing things I wanted to like parties and the local horse racing days or just to the pub on a weekend with friends. I stopped being so self conscious and really worked hard on being more confident. Fake it till you make it does work! But now I have moved away and only made 1 friend in 18 months. I have no one to go out with anymore. I'm too scared to go out on a weekend on my own without friends. There are people I have tried to get to know but I feel like they are not interested in me because I am not interesting enough because I have no life because I have no friends. I see photos on facebook or snapchat of people I know going to events or night outs and I just can't help but burst out crying... I feel so excluded. I now feel really unattractive because I am really skinny, always have been, and I have lost my confidence because I feel like my life sucks. I keep completely giving up on finding a girl because even I don't like me, how could I ever find someone else who finds me attractive, inside or out? I'm a genuine, nice and caring person but I think no one can see it because I just don't have the energy anymore to care This has taken me ages to come out, I'm just so embarrassed but I feel so lost. I just physically can't tell anyone close to me in person and I'm sick of putting on the brave face. Thanks

Nervybella Employment and mental illness
  • replies: 6

Hi everyone, Just something I've been thinking about a lot lately and thought I would make a post- I'm sure I'm not the only one who wonders this... I am in my early 20s, not long out of school. I have no real passions or hobbies. At the moment I'm w... View more

Hi everyone, Just something I've been thinking about a lot lately and thought I would make a post- I'm sure I'm not the only one who wonders this... I am in my early 20s, not long out of school. I have no real passions or hobbies. At the moment I'm working full time in an office. I have anxiety relating to working (after a bad work environment) and what I'm wondering is...from experience what sort of jobs/professions are the best for people struggling with mental illness? The job I'm in now has me travelling an hour each way to/from work, working 9-5 five days a week, with the occasional Saturday. It can get quite busy in the office and I find it very stressful at times. I'm constantly tired and wondering if I'm doing the right thing with my life. I don't really have any qualifications to live jobs just yet- and I don't hate my job, but can't see myself doing it forever. Would really like to hear from people who have worked in different industries. This has been playing on my mind a lot lately because I just don't know what I can do with my life while anxiety is niggling at the back of my brain Thanks for reading, Bella

Ruby2 Online School is Incredibly Isolating
  • replies: 2

If anyone is ready this, Hi! My name is Ruby and I've been struggling with depression for many years now. (I've been diagnosed and a currently seeing a psychologist/psychiatrist yay!) Personally, my depression was brought on by an illness if been suf... View more

If anyone is ready this, Hi! My name is Ruby and I've been struggling with depression for many years now. (I've been diagnosed and a currently seeing a psychologist/psychiatrist yay!) Personally, my depression was brought on by an illness if been suffering from for 4 years of my life. It's is incredibly aggravating and despite numorous treatments nothing has improved my condition. As a result of this sickness I've finally dropped out of mainstream schooling and have started online schooling. But I'm losing all of my real/life friends along the way. Honeschooling is incredibly isolating. I think it would be nice to hear some opinions from people in a similar position to me, and maybe I won't feel so alone. thanks, Ruby x

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