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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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JMR0102 Centrelink for 16yo/s?
  • replies: 1

Hey guys! Hopefully I've posted this in the right spot. So, in around 2 weeks I'll finally be turning 16 and I'm going to be needing more than my $10 a week that I get for a bit of pocket money. Unfortunately I can't get a job because I'm being homes... View more

Hey guys! Hopefully I've posted this in the right spot. So, in around 2 weeks I'll finally be turning 16 and I'm going to be needing more than my $10 a week that I get for a bit of pocket money. Unfortunately I can't get a job because I'm being homeschooled and on weekends I go to a family farm to learn more hands-on work and so I can learn to drive so obviously I won't have much time left in my busy schedule. Could I get money from Centrelink? I must admit it's not exactly what I want to do but I'd rather have more of an education than a job at the moment and I need the money. My mum has said that there's something called youth allowance that I should be able to get but can't for reasons that I've forgotten. Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

ReticentSky I started noticing myself worrying a bit more, and was wondering what can i do to prepare for the on coming storm??
  • replies: 1

I like to refer to myself as a person who likes to live in a comfort zone, another way to put it "I HATE CHANGE". I like having an routine, an order in which to do things and when is gets to that time of year when the summer holidays end and school i... View more

I like to refer to myself as a person who likes to live in a comfort zone, another way to put it "I HATE CHANGE". I like having an routine, an order in which to do things and when is gets to that time of year when the summer holidays end and school is just about to begin, my anxiety evolves. It takes a new form, as i start to leave my comfort zone I've grown to love over the past two months my anxiety becomes worse, and my panic attacks start again. I have to rebuild my comfort zone that was destroyed, but its not to easy on a mountain of worries. Some of my worries are about the future, what I'm doing after school become more frequent, I start to worry about if my subjects too hard or too easy?, are they right?, will i do well?, can i do well??? I hate exams eg. I started noticing myself worrying a bit more, and was wondering what can i do to prepare for the on coming storm?? I'm in my final year and I do see a school therapist but not over summer break, and I was diagnosed at the age 17 after having symptoms for about a year previous.

Green42 Growing up With Anxiety
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, (first time posting, so I'm a lil' nervous) Does anybody have any tips for becoming an adult? I have to move out of home soon (family divorce and other complicated reasons) and I'm also starting university next month. It all feels like I... View more

Hi everyone, (first time posting, so I'm a lil' nervous) Does anybody have any tips for becoming an adult? I have to move out of home soon (family divorce and other complicated reasons) and I'm also starting university next month. It all feels like I'm growing up to fast. I only have two friends, one of which I'm going to be flatmates with, and the other friend seems to be drifting (but lets be real I'm the one who's drifting). Anyway my anxiety has gotten extremely bad, I haven't left the house in almost two weeks because work isn't giving me shifts (which is another problem I have to deal with before moving out) and anxiety is stopping every other reason to leave the house from flying. I'm really hoping that once university starts I'll make friends, but I know my social anxiety isn't going to magically cure itself. I have about a month and a bit before university starts, in that time I need to start working part time and apartment hunting, all while dealing with the stress of my parents divorce and possible selling of the house I currently live in at any moment. But I can't seem to do anything, I'm extremely stressed, but since I'm also depressed I'm just spending every day at home sleeping/stressing. So in summary; does anyone have any tips for moving out/making friends/working 25 hours in a job with people/being an adult in general- all with anxiety? Thanks! - James

Sherrie_Day Do I stay or should I go...
  • replies: 2

My boyfriend is my high school sweetheart. He knows me better & undertstands me more than my parents, (I feel). I know how much he loves me too. He's the most intimate relationship I've ever had with anyone. I plan to marry him one day. But the reaso... View more

My boyfriend is my high school sweetheart. He knows me better & undertstands me more than my parents, (I feel). I know how much he loves me too. He's the most intimate relationship I've ever had with anyone. I plan to marry him one day. But the reason I am searching for help is because I'm starting to lose track of myself and what I want that it's made my judgment so faded. I've told him about this but he says it's something I have to work on and that it's not him. I work a full time job, Mon - Fri... 9-5. My time to party is the weekend.. as I am still young! My main issue relates to this & this is where I want some help... He can not be told what to do. He can not be pressure into doing something. Even if he knows it's good for him, or not. He strikes out in rage when I tell him "You really need to renew that, because it'll expire" or "you complain you have no money, but you pay for your friends lunches". He works in the evenings and see's his friends or watches movies with his Mum during the day, when I would prefer it if he looked into studying to get a better job or be more productive with his time. In the past weeks we have been looking to move out of home. I am trying to get him to fill in his application so we can send them off to the agents. I am becoming tired and sick being the mother that I don't think he wants. If I ever mention breaking up, he goes into compete love mode and will do anything to made me hug or kiss him. As furious as I get. I know I still love him, but I want to know if I should be following the 'If you love something set it free' theory for this time in my life. If anyone has had a similar situation please respond. I would really apprechaite anyone's assistance. S - 20 years old NSW

usernameusernameusername No friends
  • replies: 2

I was sitting on my roof just a second ago, feeling my usual standard combination of lonely, depressed, and anxious (hey, the trifecta!), and really felt like talking to someone just so I wouldn't downward spiral into dark, self-hating thoughts, when... View more

I was sitting on my roof just a second ago, feeling my usual standard combination of lonely, depressed, and anxious (hey, the trifecta!), and really felt like talking to someone just so I wouldn't downward spiral into dark, self-hating thoughts, when I realised - I have no friends. Sure, I have people I talk to over the table at school, people I'll hit up if I feel like smoking a little weed, but they're not really my friends. They'll laugh at a couple of my jokes here and there, and we'll have conversations, but they don't lead to anything. I have nobody I can talk to about my mental illness. I've only tried a few times - but each time I've been shut out of the conversation, or everyone there has just stopped listening. Worse still, one of the friends who I thought was being pretty good about all this, by offering advice about my recent breakup, has started avoiding me. My "friends" can't be this outwardly cruel, right? That if a friend of theirs has a serious issue, they can't sympathise with him and offer at the very least, some companionship? I'm not asking for a cure, or even for a shoulder to cry on. All I want is someone to care about me. But maybe even that might be a bit too much to ask.

Emsquared Telling my parents about my anxiety??
  • replies: 9

Hi, so I am new to this forum and to my anxiety too. I always been anxious but recently in my late teens it started to seriously effect my life to point were I am seeking help. I started an online program with mind spot and while having my first conv... View more

Hi, so I am new to this forum and to my anxiety too. I always been anxious but recently in my late teens it started to seriously effect my life to point were I am seeking help. I started an online program with mind spot and while having my first conversation with the therapist over the phone I realised this was the first time I was discussing my problems with a human being. I realised that all my friends and family didn't know that I was struggling. This has been on my mind for a few weeks now but I have a problem. My parents are the type of people that if you fall over you get back up if you're anxious get over it and move on. Recently when first started looking into anxiety I got a couple of books about anxiety from the li ray. My mum saw these and asked why I thought I had anxiety and I explained that that I got really anxious about my schoolwork and certain events and what people think of me. And she said ' well that not really anxiety your just worrying about it too much everyone gets stressed occasionally but I wouldn't say you have anxiety'. I actually believed her but when it didn't go away and got worse I New she was wrong .This is just one of the many examples why I am scared of telling my parents about my anxiety. I am scared if I tell them they will just write it off as a bad month or tell me you just need to get out of the house or tell me just because you worry a lot doesn't mean you have an anxiety disorder. I need to tell them, I am still on their health insurance and any GP visit I make they are going to ask about. And it not just that I hate being home because I feel like they are not seeing how lost I feel and I feel like I won't improve if I am hiding it from them i need advice, am I in the right place?

lemony_snicket My friends are fighting and I don't know which side to take
  • replies: 4

So yea the title basically explains it. So my friend group has fought all last year and it's been all over social media but none in real life. Throughout the fight the group has split in two and people are constantly shifting between each sides, tell... View more

So yea the title basically explains it. So my friend group has fought all last year and it's been all over social media but none in real life. Throughout the fight the group has split in two and people are constantly shifting between each sides, telling the other group what gossip was said about them by the other group. These holidays people have said worse things as we don't have to see each other for a long time and deal with it. Let me explain the sides so you have any advice of which side I should go to or if I should just leave the group together (though if I did that then I'd have nowhere to really go) Side 1: So I've been with these people for most of the fight though I haven't said anything bad to the other people. I'm closer with them however I do know they're harsh to the other side. They're fun to be around though and they get over things quickly and don't dwell on things, unlike the other side. Side 2: So side two is really dramatic. I've become quite close with them recently and they can all trust me with secrets and stuff like that. One of them has come out as bisexual to me, except she's too nervous to tell anyone else other than this side two and me. Then there are two girls who both have anxiety attacks and one has depression (but it's ok they're getting the right care for it). They recently told the group and this took a lot of courage for them to do Both sides really hate each other and they've tried to ask me to join their side and asked what side I'm on. I say I'm not on a side and that I am friends with everyone. This is hard though because both groups gossip to me about the other and I don't know what to say when they tell me stuff. Also, when school goes back they will be sitting apart from each other and I don't know who I will sit with then. Thank you whoever has taken the time to read this

Idek i have such a boring life
  • replies: 4

I really don't know what to do and i have no one to talk to. so i figured maybe posting another thread might help. I'm currently on my long school holiday that lasts around 2 months, and I've literally done NOTHING but lay in bed and watch TV series ... View more

I really don't know what to do and i have no one to talk to. so i figured maybe posting another thread might help. I'm currently on my long school holiday that lasts around 2 months, and I've literally done NOTHING but lay in bed and watch TV series on my laptop. Or if i'm not doing that, I'm scrolling though my phone looking at all my friends go out and have fun with their lives. Firstly, my "friends" and i are drifting apart and are going through an extremely rough patch so i really have no one to talk to or hang out with. My mum isn't very social and doesn't go out AT ALL, which impacts me a lot. And even if i just want to go to the beach or just go out, my mum always ends up saying no. It's just me and my mum at home and we don't have any money to go out or do anything. Not even enough to go parties. I thought this year would be fun for once. I mean i got invited to two birthday parties that are in February. But because we have no money, i was forced to lie and decline both of them. Iv'e already searched google about what to do if you're in a situation like me. But none of the websites have helped me. I just don't know what to do. I feel like I'm just wasting my life. Throughout all my life, it's always been like this. I've already wasted these holidays and I've already wasted 14 years of my life. Like i'm so fed up with this, that it's gotten to the point that i actually cry every time i think about how sad and boring my life is and because of how helpless and miserable i am. Advice or some kind words would be nice. Thank you in advance.

Reiji Will never be able to find part-time work.
  • replies: 4

I've been searching for part-time work for my Hospitality studies for the past 1 and a half years, but have hardly any prior experience. I've sent resumes to various cafe's and restaurants but to no avail. It was just a few weeks ago when I finally f... View more

I've been searching for part-time work for my Hospitality studies for the past 1 and a half years, but have hardly any prior experience. I've sent resumes to various cafe's and restaurants but to no avail. It was just a few weeks ago when I finally found someone who was willing to offer me a job. I met up with the Manager and talked for a bit. He emphasised with me and said I just needed to be given a chance to show my potential. He then said I was going to start a 2 hour trial to see how I do. But wait, what? After weeks of waiting, I texted the manager only to find out that I got laid off because they simply "found others with prior experience". Needless to say I'm pissed off. Pissed off at the hypocrisy of what he said. Pissed off that I was still stuck in the life of an unemployed piece of trash that I am. How do people expect me to gain experience without being even OFFERED a job? I needed a place to vent... I'm done for now.

lemony_snicket I don't really know what's going on
  • replies: 1

So a lot has been going on in my life lately and I need some help. This year my friends have all been fighting and I've had friends betray me and switched my best friend around a lot. Also I have recently gone out with a guy which I didn't really lik... View more

So a lot has been going on in my life lately and I need some help. This year my friends have all been fighting and I've had friends betray me and switched my best friend around a lot. Also I have recently gone out with a guy which I didn't really like but I can't say no it refuse things to people do we dated for a moth and I finally built up the courage to slowly dump him. He is a lot more popular and friends with way more people than me at school so I'm scared a lot of people won't talk to me this year at school and my friends are fighting as well so I'm nervous for school next year. But the big thing is that my mum has depression and has been in and out of hospital all year. It's caused a lot of stress but my dad and grandparents have gotten me through it and been so sweet. Her depression is genetic, as I was told and my grandad (her dad) has it. This hasn't really come to my mind but recently all this stress has come together and I can't stop thinking about everything that's happened this year. It's just made me get upset quite a lot and tonight I've started crying but I don't know why. Sorry for telling whoever reads this everything I just needed to get it all out.