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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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Anon_girl New to this
  • replies: 4

Hi, I've never done this before but I'm feeling completely overwhelmed, it's honestly ridiculous I am young, I am very successful with my professional life thus far, I live out of home and have what seems like a fantastic life. So why exactly am I co... View more

Hi, I've never done this before but I'm feeling completely overwhelmed, it's honestly ridiculous I am young, I am very successful with my professional life thus far, I live out of home and have what seems like a fantastic life. So why exactly am I completely and utterly overwhelmed by loneliness? Adult life is hard, it's isolating, depressing and not at all what I was expecting. Any tips to meet new people, when you have a full time job + study ?

Calm_Angry Burnt out
  • replies: 5

Sometimes I get the feeling that I've just grown up too fast despite being 22. The last few years of my life haven't been that healthy for me mentally due to a combination of the unrealistic expectations of my parents and a lack of a rigid social lif... View more

Sometimes I get the feeling that I've just grown up too fast despite being 22. The last few years of my life haven't been that healthy for me mentally due to a combination of the unrealistic expectations of my parents and a lack of a rigid social life. When I was 15, that was around when I started to lose my plot. The catalyst was that I once brought home something I cooked at school and had my dad try it. He seriously asked me if I used a machine to cut the carrots in the dish because he thought the school wouldn't let us use knives. I guess I took it very personally, because my grades started to drop, I lost any effort do my best and I started to become hypersensitive and aggressive to everyone around me. My mum kept telling me to be top of the class and kept comparing me to other people's children (even people with Aspergers). I think my drop in grades was because I wanted to spite my parents for their lack of faith. When I applied for university, she suggested I try a double degree, which I absolutely refused to do because I knew it was beyond my ability and it was only to elevate her haughtiness. She's still doing it now saying I should get a Masters or a Phd. My enthusiasm has never really recovered from all this because a lot of the things I used to willingly enjoy have been rendered tedious by my parents telling me to do it. My mum once suggested I read psychology books on holidays when I wasn't at uni. Nowadays, whenever I want to do something, the fun is always drained out of it with my parents twisting it into a life lesson. I want to learn how to do things myself, not have it constantly shoved into my face. At this point in my life, I should be looking forward to it, not actively trying to ruin it out of wanting to spite my parents. At this point in my life, should I be this bitter? I have a number of issues that stem from life experiences and I can't see the positive side of things anymore. I want to do things for myself, not to inflate the egos of my parents. Even if I do find some stability in my life, I'm not sure if I'll be able to have a sense of fulfillment then. It's just so hard to get my hopes up right now. Sorry for carrying on and if all of this feels a bit disjointed.

Lazykh The Brain Character, what made me really happy.
  • replies: 3

Hi All! I'm new here, I found the website after walking into the toilets at the uni library and seeing a poster with the Brain Character on it. Oh, boy, I thought, THAT is CUTE! I'm a psychology student and also a total sucker for animism from way ba... View more

Hi All! I'm new here, I found the website after walking into the toilets at the uni library and seeing a poster with the Brain Character on it. Oh, boy, I thought, THAT is CUTE! I'm a psychology student and also a total sucker for animism from way back so I fell in love with the Brain Character straight away. I looked on the website and found the five animated videos of what that brain is up to! I think that is a marvellous campaign. It's funny, cute, supportive and quirky. I've done the Brain Quiz and watched the videos, are there any other places where the Brain Character shows up? Will more you tube videos be made with him? (I'd love to see an eating disorder brain myself!) Does he have a name? Any promo gear with him on it that I could buy? Good work to all who created him. I've got his picture on my phone screen now, so that when I get off the phone and hang up I see him and smile instead of feeling like throwing my phone at the wall (that never happened, but now it never will!) Thanks Mr Brain! Lazykh

Caidsf It's getting too hard
  • replies: 2

Hey, My girlfriend and I have been together for more than 2 years and we are both in year 12, she (although she denies it) has depression and possibly bi-polar, she recently went through a break up with her best friend and her friendship group has sh... View more

Hey, My girlfriend and I have been together for more than 2 years and we are both in year 12, she (although she denies it) has depression and possibly bi-polar, she recently went through a break up with her best friend and her friendship group has shunned her, she doesn't want to make friends or try and fix the relationship with her friends, I try and help her every night with her problems whether it be her depression or helping make up with her friends. Recently she's been pushing me away more, this normally doesn't bother me as I've had this the whole time, but she isn't listening to me and she's getting mad at me more often for helping her, she doesn't see herself as I see her which makes me mad, making her mad and I can't talk to her because I can't think straight. We are now allowed to date and when we are together it's perfect, she's fine, she sleeps on me and we both feel safe but then I or she leaves and that night it all starts again... I love her but it sometimes it gets all too hard P.S. sorry if this didn't make much sense

Becka1 Anxiety anxiety anxiety
  • replies: 4

Is it just me or does anyone else hate the feeling of anxiety. I hate it at and even at its worst especialy when I notice different ways when my anxiety is high like loss of appetite when I seem to not or my meals are limited and I either get to the ... View more

Is it just me or does anyone else hate the feeling of anxiety. I hate it at and even at its worst especialy when I notice different ways when my anxiety is high like loss of appetite when I seem to not or my meals are limited and I either get to the thought of (I prob should eat something) or when I have a meal and eat half of it then don't feel like eating any more but know I prob should. I just like to share this thought, as this I experience know and then but haven't for awhile untill the last couple of days. And I've forgotten how much I dislike it. However I have factored in other reasions for the cause of my anxiety to happen, knowing that my depression does contribute to my anxiety and vis a versor as well as My PTSD to. Just wanted to share my thoughts of this at this time and how it's funny how depression, PTSD, anxiety and other mental health factors can all contribute in to one for reasions for each issue (aka depression, anxiety etc) to sky rocket sometimes. Any how hope your all having a lovely night

Crumpet Overcoming Selective Mutism
  • replies: 1

I was diagnosed with selective mutism which is a type of social anxiety when I was very young (around 3 or 4 years old). When I started school I wouldn't speak a word but at home I was very talkative. If I was around strangers I wouldn't say anything... View more

I was diagnosed with selective mutism which is a type of social anxiety when I was very young (around 3 or 4 years old). When I started school I wouldn't speak a word but at home I was very talkative. If I was around strangers I wouldn't say anything to them, not even hi or a wave. At school, because I didn't talk I struggled a lot. The teachers were very strict. One time I remember my sister bit me on my hand at school so I bit her back. She then told the teacher on me. The teacher told me to say sorry even though she knew I had selective mutism. I tried to say sorry but I just couldn't say it. So she made me sit in the middle of a random class to 'humiliate' me and make the whole class stare at me - she said this in her own words. I was only about 4 or 5 then but I still remember it very well to this day. One time I took a bathroom break and was thinking to myself. As silly as it sounds I was trying to persuade myself to speak one little word to myself. I tried to say a simple word such as ''hello'' but I physically couldn't. Also, because I couldn't speak or stand up for myself it made me more vulnerable to other students. The students would bully me a lot and I couldn't do anything about it. One boy kept on following me around and pushing me. I made signs by looking angry in my face to tell him I didn't like it and kept on walking away from him but he would continue to follow me. I wanted to tell the teacher but I couldn't. So instead I stood close to the teacher and that made him stop. How I recovered is my mum pulled me out of the school because she thought it was a very bad school. I was out of school for about 4 years. My parents then had arranged to migrate to Australia. After dropping out of school my parents would slowly try to help my anxiety. They would encourage me to speak every day. I did soon start speaking a little bit to other people, but I was still a bit awkward towards them. After migrating to Australia I was doing a lot better with my social skills. It was a week before I was starting school in year 7. My parents would encourage me a lot and answer my questions and worries. For some reason the encouragement was the most effective and really helped me. Up to this day I am 15 years old and have a lot of friends. I'm the loudest person in my group of friends everyone says. I got through it mainly from encouragement from my parents and I really couldn't thank them enough.

Kymeaka Kymeaka
  • replies: 3

How am I meant to feel when the only person who makes me happy is gone. He was my happiness, he made me feel warm and I was able to tell him everything. Nothing else matters but now he is gone and everything I was afraid off has come rushing back and... View more

How am I meant to feel when the only person who makes me happy is gone. He was my happiness, he made me feel warm and I was able to tell him everything. Nothing else matters but now he is gone and everything I was afraid off has come rushing back and the I broke really reall bad :(.

foxandbear Completely lost myself
  • replies: 2

Hi, I am 22 and have been suffering from depression for 4 years on and off. I have seen a psychologist for a couple of months and then I lost my job and haven't been in a state to work again yet and its been 6 months. Night times are particularly bad... View more

Hi, I am 22 and have been suffering from depression for 4 years on and off. I have seen a psychologist for a couple of months and then I lost my job and haven't been in a state to work again yet and its been 6 months. Night times are particularly bad. Every few days i break down and am in a severe state of depression until i finally cry myself to sleep. It's like someone has died. My partner tries to console me but I feel so alone in this. I just want someone to talk to so I feel like someone is there for me.

Jimmy19 Lack self confidence
  • replies: 3

Hi, been a while since I've posted, but I will start by giving some basic info of where I am at in my life, I'm 19 years old, 6"4 and I work part-time in a supermarket. I currently have no hobbies and have no commitments outside of work. I have a sma... View more

Hi, been a while since I've posted, but I will start by giving some basic info of where I am at in my life, I'm 19 years old, 6"4 and I work part-time in a supermarket. I currently have no hobbies and have no commitments outside of work. I have a small group of close friends and live at home with my mother and my older brother. I have absolutely no idea what I want to do in life, I dropped out of Uni last year as I decided the career path was not for me. The problem I am having is that I lack confidence in almost any aspect of my life besides maybe arguing. I am terrible at basically any type of physical sport and although I am not violent at all nor do I condone violence, have absolutely no ability to stand up for myself in a physical encounter. This may seem like the reasonable thing to do to for most of you, but when you are 6"4 getting pushed around by skinny people well under 6" it really kills my self image. I was always last picked in high school for physical activities and I don't really feel like I make up for it with intellectual abilities. I don't want to sound like I'm making excuses, but I have just no idea how to get my confidence as a man. My father died when I was 6 along with 3 other father figures in the next 3 years. My Mother sheltered me throughout my entire primary school well into my teens, this includes not letting me play any sports, and telling me almost everything I wanted to do was too hard for me. I finished high school as an A-B level student and now I feel like I've been thrown into the world and expected to know what to do. I know a lot of people say that you need to make your own life and work hard for it and I plan to. But I have no idea where to even start. Lately I have been trying to improve my social skills, as you can probably imagine I am not much of a people person, I like people, people just don't like me. I would like to say I mean well by everybody but I think maybe people don't see it that way. Right now my goals are to learn a self defence class, (btw I should mention that I am not looking to boost my confidence by beating other people to the ground) To attend my gym more regularly and get in better shape, and to stay off social media. I don't expect to be given everything, but I really wish I could just get a nudge in the right direction, the last couple months it has really played with my self worth. I just look forward to hearing some opinions on the matter, thanks for reading.

Countrymusicgirl Why do I think like this ?
  • replies: 3

So when people ask me why I'm depressed why I look sad why I'm tired etc . Sometimes I tell them and other times I don't. What I'm hiding is something not many people can answer , I'm 24 and me and my partner are taking care of my mother. My partner ... View more

So when people ask me why I'm depressed why I look sad why I'm tired etc . Sometimes I tell them and other times I don't. What I'm hiding is something not many people can answer , I'm 24 and me and my partner are taking care of my mother. My partner does the heavy stuff and her full time career and I work full time to provide the money. But a question always go through mind 'why do I have to look after someone who wasn't there for me when I needed them the most? And a lot of things go through my head. When can I study, when can me and my partner have a proper relationship. Why am I like this and why am I thinking this ? is it because I'm still young ? bobbie