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

Hanna_ Advice?
  • replies: 3

Hi, my name is Hanna, I am 12 years old. I'm pretty sure I've had depression for a while now but I don't know how to tell my parents, any ideas?

Hi, my name is Hanna, I am 12 years old. I'm pretty sure I've had depression for a while now but I don't know how to tell my parents, any ideas?

breaza new here and need advice please!!!
  • replies: 3

hi, I'm new to this, so i don't really know what to do or say?!? i just want someone to comfort me…. I have had anxiety before, but i normally know what sets it off, its never been serious enough to talk to anyone about. I recently had an reaction to... View more

hi, I'm new to this, so i don't really know what to do or say?!? i just want someone to comfort me…. I have had anxiety before, but i normally know what sets it off, its never been serious enough to talk to anyone about. I recently had an reaction to medication (maxolon) and ended up in emergency, it made me have extreme anxiety/derealization thoughts, felt like something was crawling inside my skin. Mum called an ambulance as i was going "crazy". Got to the hospital and they said i was just having an anxiety or panic attack and sent me home... 6 days on from the reaction and I've finally just gotten back into my head from the derealization and i cannot stop crying, extreme anxiety and nauseous and I'm worried I'm starting to get depressed. I also do not want to leave the sight of my mum, i get more anxious even when she leaves the room…? I went to the mental health doctor yesterday but he didn't tell me much just said i am having anxiety and gave me a breathing exercise to use, he also booked me in to a psychologist(i think) but that is 3 weeks away. i just don't know what else i can do, I'm not able to go to work as I'm too scared that I'm going to have an attack or breakdown plus mum has to go back to work tomorrow so thats scaring me??!! please someone give me something..

taraanita Dealing with rumors
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, Im 21 and this isnt really a major problem and I feel stupid for posting about it but its something thats really bothering me. Basically to give you a backstory my boyfriend (25) recently moved out of his old living situation with one of... View more

Hi everyone, Im 21 and this isnt really a major problem and I feel stupid for posting about it but its something thats really bothering me. Basically to give you a backstory my boyfriend (25) recently moved out of his old living situation with one of his friends (or so we thought) and his girlfriend because he was pretty much paying more than his fair share rent and bills and they just werent very good roommates. In january his friend began using steroids again and lying to his girlfriend who eventually found them, he lied to her, she asked me and my bf and we basically said that it was probably true (im obviously not going to lie to someone who was my friend and shes not stupid) they got into a big argument her bf yelled at me for telling her the truth blah blah blah. So my boyfriend moved out they have since broken up and apparently she has been going round saying they had found a bag of drugs (crack to be specific) in the bathroom (of the house my bf moved out of a few months ago). Shes been saying its my bfs and hes smoking it etc to pretty much any mutual friends of ours she runs into- they dont particularly like her and therefore dont believe it. Now the day he moved out his mum cleaned the whole house so im sure she wouldve found it and also my bfs roommate (steriod man) has used these substances in the past and has friends who do too so im assuming its theirs. But in a past relationship of mine there were rumors of my partner cheating etc and they turned out to be true so rumors are quite a sore spot for me and hard to deal with. I know the side affects and symptoms of this drug and he isnt exhibiting any of them apart from being stressed out but considering as he runs his own business and works basically all day id say thats a given. I have spoken to him about it, he denies it and i know shes not a very reliable source and doesnt have either of our best interests at heart (past events have proven this and seeing as shes speaking to everyone else about it and not us) but its just sitting in the back of my mind because of past relationships. We also cant really be bothered confronting her as she will likely lie and cause a lot of drama which we dont want. this was probably very poorly written and hard to follow but can someone please help with this crappy situation because im terrible at dealing with this kind of petty drama.

lil_lexi Making friends...and keeping friends...
  • replies: 2

Making friends is so hard for me...always has been really. I'm not easy to get along with sometimes. At times its because of my depression- and how I am feeling. Keeping friends is also hard. I have lost so many friends throughout the years... Being ... View more

Making friends is so hard for me...always has been really. I'm not easy to get along with sometimes. At times its because of my depression- and how I am feeling. Keeping friends is also hard. I have lost so many friends throughout the years... Being in Year 9 (I'm 15 yrs old). Its sometimes hard to make friends. Because a lot of people are quite different from me, their interested in different things, their sometimes too judgmental (I'm not saying I'm not judgmental too, but still...) and they care a lot about boys... I like boys too, but sometimes its all they talk about. It gets annoying, and boring. I sit with a group of girls at Recess and Lunch, I'm friends with about 3 girls in that group- The group has around 10 people in it- I don't actually know, Its not like I count. But there's a lot of people in this group. 1 of the girls I'm friends with (who sits with this group too) Has been my on-off friend for about 3 years, we're super close, and I love/care about her a lot. She kind of helps me become friends with more of the girls in the group. Lately, I have been hanging out with my close friend, and 2 other girls...Its really great, and I feel really happy because of them..I feel more apart of the group. I need to become more social, I am so quiet and shy, I actually hate it. I rarely speak in class, and when I do, its just when people talk to me (I have to be polite, and reply to them..) Please give me some advice to help me out with being more social, and get out of that whole shy thing... Also, tell me if you're social at school- or shy and quiet like me... I would love help, and advice, and also how you got out of being unsocial and shy... Thank you

Ginny13 I am a crazy girlfriend
  • replies: 3

Hi, I am 19 nearly 20. I have had depression for as long as I can think. I have not been diagnosed but my family, myself and my partner believe I have borderline personality disorder and anxiety as well. Every day I imagine that my partner is going t... View more

Hi, I am 19 nearly 20. I have had depression for as long as I can think. I have not been diagnosed but my family, myself and my partner believe I have borderline personality disorder and anxiety as well. Every day I imagine that my partner is going to be killed while driving or just not wake up, anything really. All I think about is him dying, cheating on me, breaking up with me and every other thing that could go wrong. He is the most loyal, loving person I have ever met and I am so incredibly lucky. So why am I thinking like this? He accepted me even after all the disgusting slutty things I have done in the past. But all I do is freak out at him and make things tough. The other day a friend of ours said that he could never really love his girlfriend because she had slept with his friend in the past. This killed me... I have basically slept with everyone we both know and it makes me feel sick and want to die. He doesnt seem bothered because it is my past but I HATE it. I want to go back in time and change it all. I only did all those disgusting things because of my ex. I basically turned crazy after him. This probably doesnt make sense, this is my first post. I just need help. How can I stop being a crazy girlfriend? I can not lose him. Hes perfect and I will never find someone like him.

lil_lexi Depression- Should I see a doctor?
  • replies: 5

My older brother (Who also suffers from depression- and is taking meds) thinks that I should see a doctor. We have planned to go to his doctor, so his doctor can help me with depression, and do a mental health plan (I think that's what its called, I ... View more

My older brother (Who also suffers from depression- and is taking meds) thinks that I should see a doctor. We have planned to go to his doctor, so his doctor can help me with depression, and do a mental health plan (I think that's what its called, I don't remember) But because he has work so much, and has been busy, he hasn't been able to take me to the doctor. I have seen my school counselor, and I'm starting to see her at least once a week. My mum doesn't want to take me to the doctor, and thinks I am being a hypochondriac. My mum didn't really care much about my brother taking meds for Depression, and she has never really listened to me when I have thought something is wrong with me. I am a hypochondriac, I will admit that. But if mum at least took me to the doctor I would feel better. I have struggled for years with depression...but my family always turn around and say "So what, everyone in this family suffer from depression, you're no different" I want to get help, I want to see a doctor. I always feel so horrible everyday. Sometimes I just don't want to get out of bed. I don't want to be around people. I feel so worthless, and ugly. I hate it. I cant help feeling horrible. I cant stop myself from thinking about horrible memories, or things that people have said to me. My counselor said that I either have to get help, or just accept that I am meant to be a depressed person- she wants me to just ACCEPT I am depressed. That's not something I want to do. I'm not going to accept it. I want help.. Should I see a doctor? I'm 15 years old, I still need a parent or caregiver to take me to a doctor I'm pretty sure...But if my brother is busy, and my sister doesnt care, and my mum doesnt care either, what am I suppose to do? Please give me suggestions...I need help. xxx

mikayuu68 Hello, I'm new here... A bit about me...
  • replies: 5

Hi everyone, At the moment I don't really understand what's happening to me. I have gone through short periods of time of what I think was mild anxiety before, mainly stemming from school work and my younger sister, who has autism. Now I am well into... View more

Hi everyone, At the moment I don't really understand what's happening to me. I have gone through short periods of time of what I think was mild anxiety before, mainly stemming from school work and my younger sister, who has autism. Now I am well into Year 11 and this last week I don't feel like I can keep going. I'm doing incredibly academic courses at school and have so far been keeping up okay, but in three weeks time I have four exams occuring which I am completely unprepared for. Next week, I also have work experience for a week at a zoo a couple of hours away, meaning I'm missing out on five days of school. I'm behind as it is, and where I am staying at, there is no internet. I need to hand these four assessments up by the weekend (less than a week) and the last two nights when I've sat down to really get stuck into it, I end up staring at the wall for the next four hours while chewing my fingernails to the stumps (I have bitten my nails since the age of two, and this year have started ripping the skin off the tips too). My parents are also pressuring me to go for my learners license, which I do want to go for but there’s something holding me back from doing so. They are also on my back about getting a job, but I don’t have the time or the energy at the moment and they can’t understand that! I already volunteer five hours each Saturday morning with kids with special needs and horses, and play in my school’s most advanced band. I doubt I’ll get the marks I need to get into the medical uni course I want to do, I can’t remember being taught half the stuff I need to know for exams. I have friends who have self-harmed before and my best friend has mild autism and severe anxiety, I have always been there for them and always seemed like the only one genuinely happy, but lately all I want to do is be left alone. My autistic sister annoys the absolute crap out of me and I can’t escape from her, I get this overwhelming feeling of anger and I want to physically hurt her to make her stop, mum is no help there. I don’t know whether to go to my friends (I can’t talk to my parents about this), or the school counsellor, or the doctor. I’m afraid of taking action, because then my parents and friends will be aware of another side of me they never thought I had, and I don’t want that to change anything. I have been going okay with bottling it up this entire time, but I don’t know how much longer I can do that before I snap and something happens.

idklol Driver Anxiety
  • replies: 4

Hey everyone, Although it hasn't been diagnosed by a doctor, I believe I have anxiety. My parents don't seem to "believe" in anxiety though and think that I am just someone who stresses to much but I know that it is something more. About 10 months ag... View more

Hey everyone, Although it hasn't been diagnosed by a doctor, I believe I have anxiety. My parents don't seem to "believe" in anxiety though and think that I am just someone who stresses to much but I know that it is something more. About 10 months ago I went and got my learners permits. It took me about 4 months to convince myself that I can capable of driving an automatic car and after some practice I feel quite confident. Recently we bought a manual car because my parents want me to get my manual licence. I have been out twice, once with mum and once with dad. Both ended in terrible anxiety attacks. My parents think that they are not the right people to teach me how to drive and want me to get a driving teacher. The thought of this terrifies me but my parents don't seem to understand this. I don't feel comfortable driving a car with a stranger in it because I feel like they will judge me and my driving or I could seriously hurt them if I crash. I really would like to get my automatic licence for now and try for my manual in a few years when I feel more confident but my parents tell me it's manual or nothing. They are always nagging me to get my Ps so that they don't have to drive me around and I feel really bad because at my age (17) I should be driving myself like my other friends. I feel like I've wasted my parents time and money in trying to teach me to drive and buying the manual car however I am just not ready. I'm not sure what to do in this situation as my parents dont seem to understand how terrible I feel about this whole situation. Any advice is greatly appreciated x P.S My parents are amazing and would do anything for me and I love them very much but they just do not understand me in this situation

JaneyP I want to get help !
  • replies: 6

Hello Everyone, I'm really wanting to better myself and I know a massive step in doing so is going to see a doctor. I am really considering doing this but I have problem. My problem is that I have absolutely no idea how I would start this off. What d... View more

Hello Everyone, I'm really wanting to better myself and I know a massive step in doing so is going to see a doctor. I am really considering doing this but I have problem. My problem is that I have absolutely no idea how I would start this off. What do I say to them? Do I just come out and diagnose myself to them..... How do I start of the conversation? Argh, I'm so confused and I have major anxiety about talking to people like this and I get super nervous. I really want to see a doctor to help but I'm also dreading it. I need help! Cheers, Janey x

NorthShoreCitizen Poor social skills
  • replies: 2

Hello again, I have written here before but I wanted to address something different or similar to my previous post. The title says it all, I find I have bad social skills and I think is comes down to these reasons: - Having any personality traits tha... View more

Hello again, I have written here before but I wanted to address something different or similar to my previous post. The title says it all, I find I have bad social skills and I think is comes down to these reasons: - Having any personality traits that don't mesh well with the norm - Not being interested in the same things as most members of your gender - My Interests - Anxiety I just can't seem to get along well with most people my age (19). I feel very lonely and isolated from everyone else. My whole life only revolves around UNI and I have nothing else going for me, which is getting really hard. Most days are like a broken record and I can't seem to break free from it. I feel like getting a Job won't even fix this problem. I do have some "friends" at uni, however the only time I ever communicate with them is when I'm at UNI. I need to branch out more than be with family (which I mentioned in my previous post), but I'm finding it hard to do this and have had very little success with friendships. I don't know what do do. I am proud of who I am and my way of thinking and interests, but its not doing very well in the social world Thank you to whoever responds and I hope it all made sense.