Immediate support
Immediate 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 discussion

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 discussion

Pinned discussions

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

All discussions

Start a discussion

Sharon_S I feel intimidated by meeting new people
  • replies: 3

Hello everyone! It is 2am and my brain won't switch off. I'm sure we all know that feeling! I am new to the Forums and am unsure what to write here but I'll give it a go. I'm an introvert. Always have been. Like a lot of people when I am comfortable ... View more

Hello everyone! It is 2am and my brain won't switch off. I'm sure we all know that feeling! I am new to the Forums and am unsure what to write here but I'll give it a go. I'm an introvert. Always have been. Like a lot of people when I am comfortable around people I will be my happy, easy going self that likes to have a laugh and have fun. I have a fun side...well I think I can be fun anyway. I have always found it difficult to make new friends and meet new people because of my anxiety ( I was diagnosed with Depression & Anxiety back in 2012), I get intimidated quite easily and feel judged by the people I am meeting- it could be by a facial expression or tone of voice, this is when I go into my shell or seem to say something ridiculous (not be myself) it just never seems natural to meet new people unless they are on the same level as me socially. If they are loud and outgoing, it is easy for me to become intimidated and quiet - sometimes I feel THAT intimidated that I go off to cry because I just do not know what to say or how to react to fit in with them. I feel like I am disliked by a lot of people, just judging by the way I get spoken to sometimes or looked at. I am very sensitive so I am aware it could just be my mind being silly, however it feels like people don't really want to push past that 1st impression to get to know the real me. I was bullied/put down in school for what seemed like absolutely NO reason whatsoever, I hadn't even spoken to these people before. I was ignored, tormented and called names however, these people would speak to my friends right in front of me. To this day I still ask the question: "why?" and I will never know the answer...not unless I ask these people directly, but even then they probably wouldn't speak to me. All I know is, my mind can't turn this off, I relive these experiences over and over. I don't think I can turn it off until I get an answer as to WHY these people wanted to put me down and make me feel worthless. It's not just the school experiences, it's from all kinds of things. Past and present. I am almost 25 years old, don't have too many friends or much in common with people these days. I just want to be happy and not give a crap about what people think, I envy people who can do that. Does anyone else go through similar stuff? Is there a way you can switch off to not think of the things that make you upset or anxious? Would love to hear about others' experiences and help each other out Thanks guys.

McarP Homesick whilst Backpacking
  • replies: 1

Hi all! I'm 19 and have been backpacking Asia for just over 2 months. I've always had a good home life and I love my family and where I live, so I was prepared to feel a little bit homesick during my travels. What I wasn't prepared for was feeling ho... View more

Hi all! I'm 19 and have been backpacking Asia for just over 2 months. I've always had a good home life and I love my family and where I live, so I was prepared to feel a little bit homesick during my travels. What I wasn't prepared for was feeling homesick for 2 months straight. Other travellers I've met told me that it would pass, but it hasn't and I think now I've resigned to the fact that it will probably stick with me throughout the rest of my travels (I have two months left). Usually I feel less homesick when I keep busy, and it helps not to have contact with home (but I can only keep this up for a few days, I love talking to my family and keeping them updated!). It's very frustrating - I'm enjoying myself but always sad at the same time, constantly feel on the verge of tears and it's not only affecting my happiness but that of my travel buddy as well, who doesn't feel homesick at all. The annoying thing is I don't WANT to be at home, I like travelling and it's not that long till I'll be home anyway. It's just a frustrating feeling that won't go away. I'm interested to know of other people's experiences with homesickness and any coping methods you may have. Thanks!

drwsy i feel like i've lost my only friends due to anxiety/depression. any advice is appreciated.
  • replies: 3

my first post here o . O i'll just get to the point. late 2014 is when my mental illnesses became prominent, 2015 was living hell for me, i was still in school (year 9) and i barely passed the year. in 2016 i flat out refused to go back to school (i'... View more

my first post here o . O i'll just get to the point. late 2014 is when my mental illnesses became prominent, 2015 was living hell for me, i was still in school (year 9) and i barely passed the year. in 2016 i flat out refused to go back to school (i've always been scared of school, and hate it with a burning passion) and eventually i got enrolled in distance education. about more than halfway into the year. my anxiety is absolute garbage, especially since i basically spent most of the year in my house. i also have severe depression, i was taking medication for that, but stopped around halfway thru the year. and i also have brain fog so i feel like crap all the time. but oh i'm getting off of track i''ve been in the house for a long time as i said, my only two friends who rly clicked w me (i'm not trusting of friends anymore...i used to have a bunch of friends in primary school, i loved them but they never contacted me. ever. after getting out of school. so these two friends, i in a nutshell feel they don't care baout me anymore, like they've moved on. i don't blame them..i'll say about when i met them irl this year first time my best friend (not anymore..) sammy visited my house for a sleepover. around 11pm my anxiety swept me, i needed to be alone. i asked if she could go home, she was alright with that. (also she suffers from severe depression and anxiety as well. she's gotten way better now.) other time tht was fairly recent, i saw my friend sammy and th eother one bynesha. it was alright. a few days ago i went to sammys bday party, a sleepover. i felt so alone. i knew everyone there from school but...idk. sammy was barely payign attention to me. i was on the outside of the group. a person at the party was trying to make conversation bc she was alone too but it was just so uncomfortable. anytime i spoke i felt so f-----g embarrased. just like in school, whenever i used to talk in front of classes...i felt so stupid...my emotions were killing me, i needed to get out of there so i called my mmum askign if she could pick me up. bynesha didnt come bc she was seeing her relatives or smth. after this experience i just want to push whateevr i have left of these two friendships away...and then i'll have no friends. no one else to judge me, or for me to freak out about, but i'm already too lonely it;s so painful,, i'm tearing up thinking about it now. i dont know what to do. i'm too anxious to find new friends, to anxious to function infornt of people, im 16.

MsCroft I thought I was better..
  • replies: 5

I was on this blog a couple of months back, one day I abruptly stopped posting, because I had gotten to a point of no return and I didn't feel the need anymore. I was taking my medication and regularly seeing a psychologist, and I WAS getting better,... View more

I was on this blog a couple of months back, one day I abruptly stopped posting, because I had gotten to a point of no return and I didn't feel the need anymore. I was taking my medication and regularly seeing a psychologist, and I WAS getting better, I was finally able to enjoy the little things. Even though I woke up everyday upset and hating myself, I still managed to name one positive thing that happened in my day. I no longer went to the bathroom in complete darkness, I no longer avoided mirrors, I brushed my teeth, I showered, I was finally me again. I decided I no longer needed the help I was being provided with and someone else needed it more than I did. So I just stopped everything, and for a while I was okay and happy and I was young. Until I started going to the bathroom in complete darkness, Started locking myself in my room, I stopped showering and mornings became and endless struggle to get out of bed and go to school. I lost all the friends I made, My family were them old selves. I've selfishly ruined everything, again. I will never get better.

Trippyflippy Caring too much and then not enough
  • replies: 2

Some days I care too much about everything and worry about everything, yet other days I don't care and I do stupid things. I hate having no control over anything. I snap at everyone, I burst into tears for no reason other than I feel sad and I have n... View more

Some days I care too much about everything and worry about everything, yet other days I don't care and I do stupid things. I hate having no control over anything. I snap at everyone, I burst into tears for no reason other than I feel sad and I have no desire to be around people. I'm really tired and I can't tell anyone or they will think I'm not grateful. Does anyone else feel like this or am I the only one? If you do, does anything help.

PLUMJUICE Functioning in university and work with anxiety
  • replies: 3

Hello! I'm currently enrolled at university full time and I'm wondering how to deal with anxiety during tutorials and lectures? Certain settings will trigger off my anxiety and especially certain classes. Sometimes, my head get's so blurry that I can... View more

Hello! I'm currently enrolled at university full time and I'm wondering how to deal with anxiety during tutorials and lectures? Certain settings will trigger off my anxiety and especially certain classes. Sometimes, my head get's so blurry that I can't concentrate which is pretty troublesome especially since I have come there to learn. I also see how it effects how I interact with students. Because I feel so anxious I can't relax and I become brash and off-standish in my responses. I feel like this isolates myself further from people, and I moved recently so I don't have any friends so it sucks. I also tend to twitch, which is kind of embarrassing. I don't know how to deal with this.. Is it just something I have to suffer through and carry on with long term treatment?.. Also what treatments work best for anxiety? Sometimes I'm scared that I'll never reach my potential due to my anxiety. Thanks..

Lax Feeling lonely and sad
  • replies: 3

Feeling sad because I feel like I dont have friends. I asked a few people to come to an event and got all no's. Made me feel so bad about myself. I dont know how to make new friends and feel like everybody already has their groups. I'm questioning wh... View more

Feeling sad because I feel like I dont have friends. I asked a few people to come to an event and got all no's. Made me feel so bad about myself. I dont know how to make new friends and feel like everybody already has their groups. I'm questioning what the problem is with me. I left the country for a while and I guess everybody just formed new groups. I feel bad for my husband because we had so many of his friends and now he's alone too. When I felt down about being in a new country we always had his friends to go out with and feel better. I feel horrible that I cant do the same thing.I am questioning why I dont have friends. I find it hard to meet people or to make the time. It makes me feel like a loser not having any friends and dont want to admit it to anybody. I feel embarassed. My mum was emotinally and physically abusive growing up and whenever I did something wrong she would say 'that's why nobody likes you'. Those words play back in my mind and make me feel even more isolated. I dont want to burden anybody with being friends with me if there is nothing good about me. I have a friend that lives an hour away but our lives are busy at the moment so I dont get to see her much. I also made a friend but she is much older than me. I dont know why it just doesnt feel like enough. I guess I want a girlfriend that is the same age as me. Someone to meet up with and talk to. I've had these feelings for a while but recently alot has been going wrong which makes me think everything is against me. My birthday is coming up, which makes me feel anxious. Im avoiding celebrating it because it'll only make me realise that I dont have many friends. The closer it gets, the more isolated and embarrassed I feel.

Stephjacobs GAD/Social
  • replies: 4

(I have GAD and social anxiety.) i feel like no one understands how hard it is to deal with the thoughts that go on in my head. I am considered 'well-known' at school so everyone automatically assumes that I'm confident. I'm not. I already see a coun... View more

(I have GAD and social anxiety.) i feel like no one understands how hard it is to deal with the thoughts that go on in my head. I am considered 'well-known' at school so everyone automatically assumes that I'm confident. I'm not. I already see a counsellor but what are some other coping mechanisms for GAD and social xx

jes345 A professional opinion would be appreciated
  • replies: 1

I wanted to use the online chat but this is fine. Hope someone can help me! I've always had low self-confidence and never really believed I could do anything/have a happy future because of it. I always think about what would happen if I were to fail ... View more

I wanted to use the online chat but this is fine. Hope someone can help me! I've always had low self-confidence and never really believed I could do anything/have a happy future because of it. I always think about what would happen if I were to fail rather than succeed. Because of it I'm scared to put myself out there and do new things because I'm most comfortable with familiarity. My confidence is so low I quit a fast food job last year because of it; I didn't tell anyone how I felt being thrown in the deep end. Instead I left after the first shift. I couldn't stop thinking about the job, about going back and it lead to a restless night full of unsettling nightmares. Now when it comes to applying for jobs, I see fast food job advertisements that make me think back to last year. They make me feel nervous and uneasy so I scroll on and look for a job that's easier and less stress-induced. Because such jobs don't exist, I never end up finding anything, and my Dad's always patronizing me about getting any sort of work, oblivious to my "dilemma". Knowing that my low level of confidence is an issue, I came across a list of warning signs for depression and anxiety. Some of them I can relate to: Getting up later: I tend to go to bed late and wake up late on a regular basis. I think I have an unhealthy sleeping pattern that involves waking up at random times everyday (e.g 9am one day and 11am the next) Finding it hard to concentrate: I may zone out of a program on the tv or a conversation. Sometimes I daydream when I've stopped at traffic lights. It's also hard for me to find motivation. Eating unhealthily: YEP. I barely eat veggies and fruit and find more comfort in rubbish foods. I've been trying to eat healthy by eating the odd apple or smoothie. Having disturbed sleep: Occurs 9 times out of 10. I always dream about whatever's bothering me/on my mind 24/7 Feeling irritable, stressed or teary: Depends. I'm irritated that I can't tell anyone I'm unhappy, stressed when put in an uncomfortable position/don't know how to do something and teary when I'm uncomfortable, misunderstood or being put down and can't handle it Withdrawing socially/ wanting to spend lots of time alone: I hate socializing with people I don't relate to or know very well. Good friends aren't a problem. I'd rather stay at home and binge on Netflix than go out with my brother and his girlfriend. I've been unhappy with myself for a while, but I'm not sure if this (^) means anything serious.

frances1 New to here :)
  • replies: 1

Hi, Im FrancesThis is my first post so I thought I would introduce myself.I am 17 years old and my current diagnoses is BPD (borderline personality disorder). I have been on medication and going through treatment on and off since I was 11 when they f... View more

Hi, Im FrancesThis is my first post so I thought I would introduce myself.I am 17 years old and my current diagnoses is BPD (borderline personality disorder). I have been on medication and going through treatment on and off since I was 11 when they first diagnosed me with deppression and anxiety.When I was 14 I was sexually assaulted at a friends brothers house by the brothers friend. I was confused on how I felt about it at first because of my age, I didnt fully understand what had happened. A couple of months later I told my sister what happened and she told me that it was rape as I did not consent. Coming to grips with what happened I went into a downward spiral as we started an investigation that went absolutly no where! I became very deppressed and pushed everyone away, I ruined my year of school and all my friendships. No one ever tells you that the hardest part comes afterwards, you never forget how someone violated you against your will, especially when they are nearly double your age.I heard nothing from police for months until I got a phone call one day. It was a different detective. She explained to me they had given the case to her (mind you, no one had notified me about anything) and they had found that he was in another state and couldnt do anything about it. There was no case and no charges, he gets to walk around free and i get flashbacks and disgust with myself.To this day im still recovering and I get a little better everytime I put the effort into my mental health but it is and always will be a struggle to cope and get through each day. Frances