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.

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romantic_thi3f Eeep! When study is overwhelming! - Tips, ideas and coping strategies
  • replies: 51

Hi! Just thought I’d make a post with some tips for study. I know this is something we can all struggle with. These are all suggestions so feel free to take them or leave them! Hope they help! If you only remember one thing, let it be this: You are i... View more

Hi! Just thought I’d make a post with some tips for study. I know this is something we can all struggle with. These are all suggestions so feel free to take them or leave them! Hope they help! If you only remember one thing, let it be this: You are important. Your grades don’t define you. (support) Studying can feel isolating but know you’re not alone! Reach out – and find or make friends that can support you along the way. If you’re having trouble finding some friends, join some local communities or clubs! They have lots at Uni’s and even stuff like open days are great ways to meet new people and find out what’s happening. Study groups can also be a great way to meet people and stay motivated. Also remind yourself why you’re doing this; inspirational wallpapers or quotes can be super inspiring. Remember the saying about the oxygen mask? If you can’t take care of yourself first studying will be harder. You are important. You know the drill - water, food, exercise, sleep. Try to stay calm. Stuff that might be able to help include mindfulness, breathing exercises, colouring in, going for walks, journaling, listening to music… If you’re struggling – reach out. See a therapist. Talk to your student counsellor. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Also lots of Universities and TAFE offer disability services – which includes conditions like Depression and Anxiety. (study) Find the right study space for you. Maybe that’s in your room, or a coffee shop, or the library. Some people find that noise helps; other people not so much. If you like particular kinds of noise, you can find ‘coffee shop’ noise or ‘rain sounds’ to help concentrate. Make a plan. It helps to do it often so it becomes a habit. Anytime you get a due date, write it down. Maybe you could use a diary, planner, bullet journal or an app. I find the 30/30 App helpful - study for a bit and then break for a bit. You can also get add-on’s for your computer to block sites like Facebook if you find them too distracting. Find out what study technique works for you. Do you like cue cards? Mind maps? Colour coding? Does highlighting stuff help you remember? Charts, maps, diagrams? Recorded lectures? Goals! These are so important – not just writing down deadlines but rewarding yourself for meeting them. Even making smaller goals like ‘read two pages from a textbook’ can help. Break it down into bite size pieces, and don’t forget to reward yourself after!

Sophie_M NEW TO THIS FORUM? Please read this first
  • replies: 0

The Young People space is a sub-forum within the wider Beyond Blue forum community. 1. Its purpose is to provide members aged 25 and under a space to discuss anxiety, depression and other related life issues. If you are aged over 25, please be mindfu... View more

The Young People space is a sub-forum within the wider Beyond Blue forum community. 1. Its purpose is to provide members aged 25 and under a space to discuss anxiety, depression and other related life issues. If you are aged over 25, please be mindful that this forum is a space for younger people to connect and provide peer support for each other. 2. Content from this sub-forum is displayed on both the beyondblue and youthbeyondblue websites. 3. Please bear in mind that some members find content relating to suicide and/or self-harm distressing or triggering. If you would like to post on these topics, please do so in our Suicidal Thoughts and Self Harm section. Please see also our guidelines for making posts on this topic. Posts made here in the Young People sub-forum containing content relating to suicide and/or self-harm will be moved. 4. These forums are moderated, so your posts may not appear straightaway. Information on how our system works can be found here. Being familiar with our community rules can help ensure that your posts appear online as quickly as possible. 5. This is a peer support community, and to get the best out of being here we recommend that you 'give support to receive support'. More on how that works here.

All discussions

Timmy101 Paranoia and guilt
  • replies: 3

I'm not usually one to ever ask for help but I thought because it is online and anonymous I would give it a shot as this has been a problem for a while now. im 22 i feel a lot of guilt and paranoia symptoms about things that have happened and continu... View more

I'm not usually one to ever ask for help but I thought because it is online and anonymous I would give it a shot as this has been a problem for a while now. im 22 i feel a lot of guilt and paranoia symptoms about things that have happened and continue to happen. i have constant worries about bad things happening and me not being able to control it. I'm starting to notice I do things like not focus on conversations with people because I have so much going through my head i feel as though I'm over my head with stress and I'm always preparing for the worst i feel like I am overthinking every situation and best /worst case scenarios i have been feeling like this constantly for at least 6 months im not currently working but don't really want to work either i think my dad might have some mental health issues with anxiety and depression as I have seen some medication before and was also wondering if it is genetic this is a link to a test I took also as it might help someone point me in the right direction DisorderResultParanoidHighSchizoidVery High

DannyBoy1 Am Depressed Or Just Seeking Attention?
  • replies: 7

Hey, For the past year or so (I can't really remember when it started) I have been feeling depressed. Previously I had just ignored the feelings of sadness, however, now it just seems to have escalated. The thing is, I don't know whether I am actuall... View more

Hey, For the past year or so (I can't really remember when it started) I have been feeling depressed. Previously I had just ignored the feelings of sadness, however, now it just seems to have escalated. The thing is, I don't know whether I am actually depressed or just seeking attention. When I am around my friends, I smile, laugh, and join in the conversation. However, when I am on my own and with family, I can't find happiness and it feels strange to be happy and laugh around them. I have very low self-esteem and confidence, so I very rarely go out with friends during the school year and after finishing HSC this year. I always seem to have thoughts about how to change my personality so that people actually like me and regularly have thoughts about how life is a waste and there is no purpose to it. I always feel hopeless and can never stick to any 'hobby' that I want to pick up (I usually give up after a few hours no matter how much I want to do it). Lately after finishing HSC I have been very bored and can't find anything to do which excited me for more than an hour (Could my 'depression' just be my boredom?). I rarely have suicidal thoughts, however they have popped up a few times (Probably just out of curiosity and boredom because I never wanted to act on them). I can't bring myself to talk to my parents about how I feel as I am to scared about how they will act and what they will say. They have previously asked if I was depressed, however, I said no because I was worried. So, do you think I am depressed or just seeking attention? Thanks for your help.

Alexandra_Kate Introducing myself
  • replies: 3

Hey, I'm Alex... I'm 22 and guess I'm looking for an outlet / people going through the same as me. I was diagnosed with social anxiety last year (after years of dealing with it)... the past two months have been having full blown panic attacks and hon... View more

Hey, I'm Alex... I'm 22 and guess I'm looking for an outlet / people going through the same as me. I was diagnosed with social anxiety last year (after years of dealing with it)... the past two months have been having full blown panic attacks and honestly they scare me so much! Please say hi! I'd love to make some new friends

brightcosmos Just not sure what's wrong, need an outside perspective please
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone, I'm not sure if posts typically get lost in the void but I'm just looking for an outside perspective if possible. My apologies in advance if this gets too lengthy. I've been through rough patches in my life before. While I was never actu... View more

Hi everyone, I'm not sure if posts typically get lost in the void but I'm just looking for an outside perspective if possible. My apologies in advance if this gets too lengthy. I've been through rough patches in my life before. While I was never actually diagnosed with depression, throughout my earlier teenage years engaged in a lot of self harm and self punishment habits due to some family issues at the time and shattered self esteem from verbal/physical bullying from a group of guys when I was younger. I made somewhat of a recovery over the following years, then relapsed again when my partner of 18 months cheated, then broke up with me for a friend of ours. I am, honestly, probably an over-emotional person. I'm prone to feeling very enthusiastic when things go right, but really slipping when things go wrong - although my external appearance may not portray this side. With that background taken into consideration, now my life is on track: I've just started a job I never even expected to get in my dream career, I've got a loving partner who I've been with for almost 3 years, the majority of my past family issues have been resolved, I no longer self harm and I'm completing a double major at a good university. What's really worrying me now, is that despite all these things that should be making me feel happy - I'm not feeling much at all. In the past I was prone to crying excessively, daily, but now I scarcely feel overly happy or overly sad. It feels like my emotions have mostly flatlined. I do get very brief peaks of joy and sadness, but just nothing on the scale of my usual emotional spectrum, not even close. Recently I find I've been needing to sleep a lot more than I used to, struggle to find motivation for things I know I want to do, and I do see my friends less. I love my partner but I don't feel excitement for him in the same way I did maybe a year ago. I almost always have something that I'm worrying about - usually my parent's disapproval of my partner and I planning a holiday away or fearing I'll fall short in my new job (I'm a support worker so while it's in my nature to care for others, sometimes I worry I won't meet their needs). I'm a psychology student and work in mental health, yet I'm finding it really hard to identify what it is that's wrong with me specifically. If this is depression I can't really understand why it's so opposite to my previous experiences, and I'm not sure what I can do because I honestly can't pinpoint what's wrong.

Overthinker7 First time posting! Social anxiety anyone?
  • replies: 5

Hi guys so I work in customer service and I am fine talking to strangers usually I don't have any anxiety, but when it comes to people I work with or making friends I have the worst anxiety and tend to avoid it even with my boss I don't know what to ... View more

Hi guys so I work in customer service and I am fine talking to strangers usually I don't have any anxiety, but when it comes to people I work with or making friends I have the worst anxiety and tend to avoid it even with my boss I don't know what to talk about I over think everything and wonder if they think I'm too quiet or timid or I talk about boring thing and start over thinking what do I talk to them about???? But if it's a stranger at work I don't have this fear at all because I'm serving them! Anyone else have this problem? Any tips on how to over come it!?

Lego2894 How to cope the first moments after admitting/seeking help?
  • replies: 4

Hi... Another new person here and sort of just looking for some sort of support to cope at the moment, I guess? I've finally come out in a spectacular moment of a horrible breakdown to admit openly to people (my uni supervisor, my parents,etc) that I... View more

Hi... Another new person here and sort of just looking for some sort of support to cope at the moment, I guess? I've finally come out in a spectacular moment of a horrible breakdown to admit openly to people (my uni supervisor, my parents,etc) that I actually might need help. Yesterday after a long week of having a common issue of just not being able to so much as leave my bed or room to go to uni to complete work for my honours project (I study Animal Science is my honours year is a spent doing a research project under the guidance of a supervisor), I had a moment yesterday where I was expected to show work (that I hadn't done) to my supervisor. Instead I had a breakdown and admitted that I needed help and seeing as my thesis is supposed to be due at the end of October, I need to find a way to get extensions. Long story short of that I have a meeting with a counsellor tomorrow and need to outline where I am to up to work wise to the honours co-ordinators to seek extensions. On top of that I explained to my mum the situation (another horrible breakdown). I'm planning to go to the doctors to get professional help - but I feel like I should point out I went to the doctors a month ago for insomnia, had some tests done, one included an evaluation of stress,anxiety and depression - from that I got told I'm deficient in iron and vitamin D given supplements and told that I had a very high level of depression and anxiety (from the scores of the test/questions she asked me) and offered to give me medication and/or the free 6 visits to a psychologist. The doctor said she could give the benefit of the doubt as vit D deficiency does lead to depression, though I think she might of been able to as much as I know that this is something that's been there for a long time. Being the person that I am I stupidly refused it all back then and denied my problem and now I have to go back and say that I pretty much lied about that. So here I am right now amongst bouts of tears trying to cope with what I've done in the last day. I feel exhausted and internally I'm both crying for someone to be there and not leave me alone as well as almost screaming and wanting to get in my car and go anywhere that would mean I'm away from everyone and everything. I guess I came here to read about how others coped or came around with getting help. What it was like in those immediate moments right after the truth came out? Did or has anyone else felt so horrible afterwards?

MargaritaRowe Physical and mental numbness
  • replies: 2

Does anyone else get numbess from GAD? In their toes perhaps, or hands? I do sometimes, and I have in my toes right now. I'm half telling myself it's just GAD, or it's gangrene or cancer and I'll never walk again it just spooks me out and I'm alone s... View more

Does anyone else get numbess from GAD? In their toes perhaps, or hands? I do sometimes, and I have in my toes right now. I'm half telling myself it's just GAD, or it's gangrene or cancer and I'll never walk again it just spooks me out and I'm alone so that makes it harder sorry if someone else has posted this I'm just in a panic and need to get this out quickly

Guest_322 Fellow psych students on the forum?
  • replies: 28

Hi everyone, I'm a 20 year old uni student in my second year of the B.Commerce/B.Psych(hon) degree. I guess I'm posting this mostly because I've really been feeling the pressure for the psych stream of my degree. It's tough and the competition for ps... View more

Hi everyone, I'm a 20 year old uni student in my second year of the B.Commerce/B.Psych(hon) degree. I guess I'm posting this mostly because I've really been feeling the pressure for the psych stream of my degree. It's tough and the competition for psych honours is FIERCE at my uni (as I'm sure it is at most, if not all, unis). At my uni, those who currently have honours embedded in their degree are extremely stressed about losing it if they don't maintain their grades (e.g. me). And many of those without the honours currently embedded in their degree are stressed about getting the grades to transfer into the honours stream. Every exam and every assignment but most of all, our final grades, I worry that I won't be able to keep the honours. I love the psych content but I don't love the psych academic environment as it's extremely toxic at my uni. It's partly because the psych faculty reminded us of the competitive nature of psych from day 1 in first year. I've seen classmates withhold notes from friends. I've seen classmates refuse to help their (academically) struggling friends. At my uni, it feels like a case of every student for him/herself. I don't know what I'm trying to say but I'm hoping someone here on this forum can empathise and knows where I'm coming from. Thanks everyone! Dottie

Arnie26 Do you ever feel like no one cares?
  • replies: 4

I have been feeling like no one cares and that everyone hates. I also just lost my friends because someone spread a rumour about me. Im new here.

I have been feeling like no one cares and that everyone hates. I also just lost my friends because someone spread a rumour about me. Im new here.

Elseweyr Body Image?
  • replies: 4

My whole life, I've been overweight/obese. I've also been diagnosed with depression, and though I'm trying to deal with it, lately my mood has been just insufferable. I have lost 20kg over two years, but now I'm not losing anything and it's really ge... View more

My whole life, I've been overweight/obese. I've also been diagnosed with depression, and though I'm trying to deal with it, lately my mood has been just insufferable. I have lost 20kg over two years, but now I'm not losing anything and it's really getting me down. I hate myself. I've tried so hard this past month but nothing has changed and the number on the scale is still the same. I feel alone, so alone... But I don't want anyone to see me because of how fat I am and I can't help but isolate myself further from everyone in my life and I don't know where to turn. My friends get crushes and guys all the time while I sit here, and I can't help but feel pain and jealousy every time I see a godammn happy couple pass me and I wish I didn't have so much hate in me, but I resent everyone who is thinner than me because feel like the world is trying to rub in my face what I can't have. I've cried for almost 48 hours straight because I don't know what to do. I'm on the verge of wanting to starve myself, even though I'm aware that its not the answer, I'm desperate. Please, someone, give me some advice. Thank you...