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

Marilyn-Monroe Ocd thoughts and obsessions as a child
  • replies: 1

Hi, I'm new here, I'm 17, female, and have general anxiety, OCD and Depression. My OCD has been really bad lately. I mostly suffer from obsessions and intrusive thoughts. The thoughts have caused a LOT of anxiety as they are violent or sexual and abo... View more

Hi, I'm new here, I'm 17, female, and have general anxiety, OCD and Depression. My OCD has been really bad lately. I mostly suffer from obsessions and intrusive thoughts. The thoughts have caused a LOT of anxiety as they are violent or sexual and about my pets and young family members. It really hurts me because i absolutely adore animals and children, especially those in my family. My main concern though is some things in my childhood that i don't know how to figure out. From when i was about 9 to about 14 was a highly disturbed time for me, i don't like to think about it let alone tali about it. From the age of 9 to about 12 i used to have disturbing thoughts in my head and i don't think they were necessarily intrusive. I made up certain violent scenarios and played them in my head and drew them. I knew they were wrong and certainly didn't want them to happen in real life but i don't know what else i was thinking? My parents let me watch horror movies when i was young, and I'd had a pretty unsettled time but i don't know? Also I've been very paranoid since my counselor mentioned psychosis to me after i told him about my intrusive thoughts, which are really textbook ocd, but i still can't stop thinking about it. My speech patterns have changed over this year (which is a symptom) and i do get paranoid about people talking about me, i have developed bad memory and attention span. Sometimes i even get distracted in the middle of a sentence like i was talking to my friend and then i saw a book about James Dean, i was like "oh yeah and the homework was - oh my god its James Dean i love James Dean" i know that's not a good example but I've done it other times and it's making me paranoid. Can anyone help or relate?

loouuiiee new member ?
  • replies: 25

Hi there im unsure if I'd class myself as a 'new' member but I'm defiantly inexperienced.. I've visited the site a few times, I read quite a few threads, but I'm a little shy so quite often I don't post. I'm a 23year old female with anxiety & depress... View more

Hi there im unsure if I'd class myself as a 'new' member but I'm defiantly inexperienced.. I've visited the site a few times, I read quite a few threads, but I'm a little shy so quite often I don't post. I'm a 23year old female with anxiety & depression. my psychologist believes I also have borderline personality disorder & is planning on testing me for this. Despite being only young I have had my fair share of tough experiences & been in many harmful situations and relationships. I live alone & have been feeling really down because I get so lonely & just want kind, honest people to talk to & to offer me their advice. i have never had a problem with making friends but because I've had such an unstable past I have so much trouble keeping friends. im a very generous, sweet natured person. i work with kids and I love my job. I also love animals & being outdoors. Anyone who has similar interests or experiences to myself I would love to hear from you please Thankyou xx

Emshygurl Out of ideas
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, im 25, married and live in my mother in laws house, with my sister in law, her boyfriend and their grandmother. I dont really get along with my sister in law that much so i tend to just keep to myself with my husband in our room. At the ... View more

Hi everyone, im 25, married and live in my mother in laws house, with my sister in law, her boyfriend and their grandmother. I dont really get along with my sister in law that much so i tend to just keep to myself with my husband in our room. At the moment i work 7 days a week. Mon-fri at childcare centre and sat/sun at a supermarket. I want a better job but my depression and anxiety get the better of me and i have no idea what i want to do. I work two jobs as i need to pay off my 20k debt that i borrowed for my wedding and my husband is an apprentice plumber who works for his dad who pays him under minimum wage. Ive told my husband to find another company to work for but he wont. So ive got to pay for this debt alone as he has other bills that he needs to pay. I dont think i want to pursue either of these jobs I only do them to earn money. Id love to quit one to go and study but ive tried studying twice before and both times ive suffered from my anxiety and Depression telling me i can't do this and then running away. I dont know what to do. Earn less money working one job and try study again or keep working both jobs to earn money. But working 2 jobs is really taking its toll on me as i never have much time to myself to just relax.

meowcat self medicating
  • replies: 1

i googled what chemicals and medicine did what and i bought some pills (that usually require prescription) online (i think i read somewhere were not allowed to say what, so i wont). it was a lot easier then i thought it would be. im kind of scared to... View more

i googled what chemicals and medicine did what and i bought some pills (that usually require prescription) online (i think i read somewhere were not allowed to say what, so i wont). it was a lot easier then i thought it would be. im kind of scared to take them, which feels a bit pathetic, but to be honest i dont really care what happens i just want to stop feeling things. that sounds so cliched. i just want to not feel scared or sad or anything, just being completely numb would be nice, alcohol didnt really do that. anyway i have no one else to talk to and im not really sure if were supposed to pose these as questions, or if rantings ok but i just want to know if anyone else has done the same or is thinking about it

smith176 Depression/eating disorder is back again
  • replies: 6

I've had depression and anxiety since the age of 13. At that point, I was diagnosed with anorexia which lasted for 18 months. This very quickly developed into bulimia, which lasted between the ages of 15 - 21. I'm now 23 and have relapsed into my eat... View more

I've had depression and anxiety since the age of 13. At that point, I was diagnosed with anorexia which lasted for 18 months. This very quickly developed into bulimia, which lasted between the ages of 15 - 21. I'm now 23 and have relapsed into my eating disorder badly. It always seems to be at a time when I am most depressed, I don't know if the depression causes the issues with eating or the other way around. I've lost a grip on my life, and my eating and self harm are the only things I can control. I'm so lost. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Redrose94 Starting exercise with an unsupportive family
  • replies: 7

Hey Guys, I hope everyone is well! exercise has always been such a problem for me. Don't get me wrong, i LOVE exercise (im not a fitness junkie), but i do love walking! however, my problem has always been trying to maintain it. They say you need real... View more

Hey Guys, I hope everyone is well! exercise has always been such a problem for me. Don't get me wrong, i LOVE exercise (im not a fitness junkie), but i do love walking! however, my problem has always been trying to maintain it. They say you need really strong external factors to maintain an exercise routine such as a supportive family. that's just not a solution for me. My family have no self control when it comes to eating and they do literally 0 hours of exercise. I really want to change my life. How do i make these changes and also stick to them, while my family eats KFC in front of me the day i start the gym? My eating is not in control either, so KFC and takeaway food is extremely tempting. Every time i start gym, i always end up "not going" after 1 month or 2. Im aware of the benefits of exercise, but i just can't seem to change the behavioural patterns in my brain to make these changes. Does anyone have any advice to exercise even when my family is extremely unsupportive. (by the way, getting them involved in exercise isn't an option, because they just aren't interested and they actually demotivate me.) Any advice would be highly appreciated.

blue_fairy Anxiety/depression affecting my relationship
  • replies: 1

Hi there, This is my first post on the forums; I read through a few of them a couple of years ago but haven't been back since. I'm 18 and am halfway through my first semester at uni. I first struggled with anxiety/depression when I was in Year 11, bu... View more

Hi there, This is my first post on the forums; I read through a few of them a couple of years ago but haven't been back since. I'm 18 and am halfway through my first semester at uni. I first struggled with anxiety/depression when I was in Year 11, but I only began seeing a psychologist towards the end of Year 12 (last year). I stopped seeing that psychologist because I wasn't getting anywhere with treatment, unfortunately. My boyfriend was the one who really helped me get through Year 12. We started dating in April last year, and he soon realised that something wasn't quite right in terms of my mental health. He was the one who finally convinced me to see a psychologist, and to even talk to my mum about how I was feeling. I had my first appointment with a Headspace doctor recently, after I decided I needed to start seeing a specialist again to get some help. Things haven't been going too well recently, what with uni starting and the added pressures that brings. My relationship is also rocky at the moment, with my anxiety and depression taking their toll on not only me, but my boyfriend as well. We've had sex, but I've become too anxious to do any of that now. I'm always worrying that he's going to leave me, because it's too hard to deal with. He's been nothing but amazing this past year, and it's not fair on him that he has to put up with me like this. When I told him the doctor had mentioned medication, he started crying and said that he doesn't care about the sex, he doesn't care about anything except seeing me get better. I'm torn between being incredibly thankful for him, and feeling so guilty for what I've done to him and our relationship. I'm really struggling right now. If anyone has any suggestions, or even if they've been in a similar position before, your words would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

EzmanCe I've been living a lie and I don't know how to be honest
  • replies: 2

Everything I have ever done is on the surface. All my hobbies and interests in music and career path were all to impress others. but now I don't know where to start to find out what I truly enjoy

Everything I have ever done is on the surface. All my hobbies and interests in music and career path were all to impress others. but now I don't know where to start to find out what I truly enjoy

Ashiiepoo Anger
  • replies: 1

Why am I angry all the time? I grew up in a domestic violence household and lately I have been angry a lot an taking it out on my partner and I am unsure why

Why am I angry all the time? I grew up in a domestic violence household and lately I have been angry a lot an taking it out on my partner and I am unsure why

Gerson Not sure if Ive really got bipolar?
  • replies: 1

Hey my names James I'm 22.My dad left the country when I was 3 and my mum became depressed and still is. as a kid I was kind of anxious all the time. always had belly aches and trouble falling asleep as well as nightmares every night. I was diagnosed... View more

Hey my names James I'm 22.My dad left the country when I was 3 and my mum became depressed and still is. as a kid I was kind of anxious all the time. always had belly aches and trouble falling asleep as well as nightmares every night. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression about 5 years ago after a close friend died.i was quite depressed for a few months after he died but at some point I started to feel better than I ever had in my life. I finally felt like I could be my self and I was full of confidence. I was making everyone laugh. My social anxiety was a lot lower I felt like I could hold a conversation with anybody.That lasted about 3 months and I slowly started getting depressed again. I began losing all confidence in myself and was so ashamed of what was happening to me (not being able to interact with any of my family or friends) that I decided it was best to isolate myself until I got better.i ended up spending about 2 years lying in my bed watching movies and playing video games going days or weeks at a time with no human interaction at all and avoiding leaving the house at all costs. during this time me concentration and memory were pretty much gone.i moved houses and started to make an effort to see friends and get outside even though it felt uncomfortable.I tried drugs and it was the first time if felt normal and happy in years if not in my life and I started to abuse it a long with other drugs for a couple of years.i ended up seeing a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with bipolar and psychosis Because of my constant racing/repeating thoughts that usually make little to no sense or end up just like static in my head. I was on medication for a couple of years and apart from helping me sleep i couldn't notice a difference in the way I was thinkingBut I never had the mood swings. Apart from 3 months 5 years ago where I was happier and more confident. I never have mania or even feel happy I'm always depressed.How can it be bipolar if you're never high?