Support
Support

Young people

A space for people aged 12-25 to discuss life. If you’re over 25, please be mindful that this is a space for younger people to connect.

Start a conversation

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

View the FAQ

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

View the guidelines
Categories
Start a conversation

Pinned discussions

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

All discussions

Start a conversation

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?

Cellfie I think my ex left me because of depression- please help...
  • replies: 3

My boyfriend of 3 years broke up with me 2 months ago, saying he hadn't loved me for 4 months and was pretending to for my benefit, sleeping with me to 'keep up appearances'. Apparently after the breakup he struggled, but we would still talk and catc... View more

My boyfriend of 3 years broke up with me 2 months ago, saying he hadn't loved me for 4 months and was pretending to for my benefit, sleeping with me to 'keep up appearances'. Apparently after the breakup he struggled, but we would still talk and catch up, but he keeps changing-we'd see each other, the next day he would block me; we would catch up for coffees, next he'd say I wasnt over him and stop talking; I found out he was dating another girl (type he once hated) and I got mad (less than a month after the breakup and she was flirting before we brokeup), he told me I was out of line, but that night unblocked me. I thought he was just confused. Now, he is dating two girls (who work together), drinking, and shut me out completely.He's become everything he once hated. We both had a medical entry exam in March- one he has been trying hard to pass for the last 3 years, whereas I passed last year. Over the summer, he was consumed with revising (the exam was his reasoning for 'pretending' to love me). I know him, and I know it wasn't 'pretend'. If we hadn't seen each other, he'd beg to see me.He said sex was just part of the act, I know that isn't true-the week of the break up he was intimate/caring. The night of the exam, he left friends to see me (he asked me over), and he kept saying how happy he was with 'us'. 6 days later he broke it off. In the weeks prior, he said I didn't trust him/had trust issues (I raised concerns over the girl), or that I thought he was dumb. During the breakup, he said that I'll appreciate his 'act' when I'M in medicine (not us). During the breakup he looked physically hurt, despite him wanting to for months. His behavior changed very quickly from the night of the exam until the split. He is very proud, he wouldn't see exam stress may be a trigger for depression. I don't know what to do now; literally he changed in a week and for 2 months he's become opposite. If it is depression, then the man I love is still there and is struggling, but there's nothing I can do Yesterday we had a fight due to my frustration that he couldn't see how much he changed; that was the worst thing I could've done, and I'm going to reach out and apologize (if he'll acknowledge me). I am going to check in every 3-4 weeks and see how things go. He thinks his behavior is completely normal (couldn't be more opposite). I'm just hoping by letting him know I still care, family might raise their own concerns Anyone have anything similar/can shed some light?

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.

As an organisation that supports people from across Australia, Beyond Blue acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay respect to Elders past and present.

First Nations Peoples are advised that this website may include reference to and images of deceased persons.

Beyond Blue is committed to safe inclusive spaces, policies and services for people of LGBTIQ+ communities and their families.

Helpful information

Stay in touch

Sign up below for regular emails from Beyond Blue, filled with information, advice and support for you or your loved ones.

Stay in touch

Talk it through with us, we'll point you in the right direction.

Call 1300 224 636

24 hours / 7 days a week

Chat Online

24 hours / 7 days a week

Email us

Get a reply in 24 hours

Copyright � 2026 Beyond Blue Ltd

All rights reserved

Contact us Terms of use Privacy policy Site map