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
Jump to
Start a discussion

Pinned discussions

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

Start a discussion

iz_b19 Depression Impacting My Life
  • replies: 2

Hi, Im a 17 year old in year 12 and im struggling with depression. I've been struggling with depression for about 2 years and I'm seeing a psychologist to help and I'm finding a psychiatrist to get medication to help. But recently, the depression and... View more

Hi, Im a 17 year old in year 12 and im struggling with depression. I've been struggling with depression for about 2 years and I'm seeing a psychologist to help and I'm finding a psychiatrist to get medication to help. But recently, the depression and having to deal with (supposed) fibromyalgia at a young age has made my life really difficult and I feel really alone. I have had 23 days off school this semester so far and i have missed out on so much work I cant even begin to explain it. My biggest problem is not how much ive missed, but the fact that i cant find the motivation to do any school work whatsover and when i actually want to do work, my brain wont let me. Concentration has gone completely out of the window and sometimes i cant even speak or write sentences properly its super frustrating. It's like the parts of my brain that I need to function have been taped off with 'restricted area' tape and i cant get passed it. I feel like a pen (you know when the ink gets dry or stuck and it wont come out?) and no matter how hard i scribble or draw nothing, comes out. Ive had to apply for so many extensions on assignments i feel embarrassed and that my teachers think i am lazy. They know about my physical health issues and my mental health ones but they still ask a million questions, and give useless advice. I never hand in a completed draft for any of my assignments anymore. I find it overwhelming to respond or write emails to my teachers because i have to re-explain my mental and physical health situations over and over again because of the policies that the school has with having excuses for not doing work. Ive tried to explain to my parents how i feel and that nothing is working but they only tell me to keep going and 'just do it' but that doesn't work for me. Ive tried the 'do it for 5 mins' trick, and the reward trick, i get rid of as many distractions as i can but somehow even my own reflection distracts me. I know that lack of interest and motivation in things is a common symptom of depression but i feel like it's so severe at the moment to the point where i feel like my life is spiraling out of control and im a ghost who physically cant grasp the wheel. I recently told my parents some difficult things i have been thinking and feeling about life and we talked about maybe going to the hospital which I feel like i do need but I have no idea what it's like there, nor do i have anyone i can talk to about what its like for a young person like me there.

Tsqrdflxkrat Weird stuff has been going on and I dont think I'm ok I need help please whats going on
  • replies: 4

2 weeks ago i started hearing voices in my head. Sometimes they sound different in terms of tone and pitch, sometimes they're the same or very similar to mine. I keep feeling like everything is imaginary and fake, and I'm having trouble on concentrat... View more

2 weeks ago i started hearing voices in my head. Sometimes they sound different in terms of tone and pitch, sometimes they're the same or very similar to mine. I keep feeling like everything is imaginary and fake, and I'm having trouble on concentrating on lots of things. I keep zoning out way more than I usually do. I have been diagnosed with AD/HD so it feels weird, I zone out and see things happening and hear them, but it all seems unclear and far away and unimportant. The voices I keep hearing seem to come and go, but whenever I zone out, they're always there and they seem more noticeably different then than other times. I keep getting dizzy randomly, and I keep forgetting things, even if they've just happened, like I listen to somebody say something and then realise that I don't know any of what they said, or (This is something that happened to me this morning) Waking up, and immediately finding a stickynote on my bedroom door with a message on it (I don't want to say it here). The door was locked (from the inside) and It wasn't locked when I went to sleep, so I'm nervous because I don't sleepwalk or anything. At school earlier today, somebody came up to me and greeted me, saying we had talked before. I do have really bad memory, but I don't think it was memory this time because he greeted me with a different name and got confused when I said that it wasn't my name. This sort of thing has been happening to me alot for the past 2 weeks. Also, a few times I've felt like I'm moving without trying, and at those times when I do try to move voluntarily then I can't, or only very slightly, like twitching my fingers and that's it. I don't even feel like me sometimes, and when I look in the mirror I have trouble recognizing myself as myself. Does anybody know what this is?? Please Helppp

ElieAC Am I running out of time?
  • replies: 6

I’m very nearly 20 and feel as though I haven’t accomplished as much as I should. I used to be the kid that did absolutely everything and did it well. Now I sit around without friends or hobbies wondering if I’ll ever make anything of myself. My grad... View more

I’m very nearly 20 and feel as though I haven’t accomplished as much as I should. I used to be the kid that did absolutely everything and did it well. Now I sit around without friends or hobbies wondering if I’ll ever make anything of myself. My grades at uni are no longer the A’s they once were. My jobs (I have two) pay less than enough to be financially stable. I live alone and know bringing in a roommate would be more financially responsible but I’m an introvert who needs space and would panic having someone else in my home. My problem is I feel that I don’t really have much direction. I’m not extraordinary at anything and I’m just sort of decent at most things so I have no idea what to do with myself. I feel like I’ve not accomplished anything and that I’m running out of time to find a skill or passion that’s worth investing in. If you have advice or have felt like this, I’d love to listen. Sincerely, A very stuck young human.

hm_ Feeling anxious lately
  • replies: 5

Hi Just to be clear, I have never been diagnosed with anxiety and I don't think I have it. Recently, I have been experiencing a lot of feelings of anxiety. It happens mostly when I am going to sleep, because at this time I have nothing to occupy my m... View more

Hi Just to be clear, I have never been diagnosed with anxiety and I don't think I have it. Recently, I have been experiencing a lot of feelings of anxiety. It happens mostly when I am going to sleep, because at this time I have nothing to occupy my mind with. I often rethink my day and obsess over little mistakes I made such as saying the wrong thing in a conversation or making a mistake in my school work or exam etc. I try to control it but it gets uncontrollable and it feels like my life is over resulting in having a lot of trouble sleeping. I have tried meditating and other techniques but it doesnt stop. I have never gotten a panic attack, but my mind starts racing and I get really emotional. Does anyone know how to help? I know it sounds small but I feel like I am being attacked for every small error I make.

Nadia_R How do I tell my mum I think I'm depressed?
  • replies: 7

Hi, I'm 13, and generally throughout life I've been just a happy average kid. There have been many things that could have made things really bad, like a mixture of always being the 'fat girl' throughout primary school and all of the boys teasing me a... View more

Hi, I'm 13, and generally throughout life I've been just a happy average kid. There have been many things that could have made things really bad, like a mixture of always being the 'fat girl' throughout primary school and all of the boys teasing me and just being told nobody will ever like me, but it didn't really have much of an impact on me when I was younger. Since leaving primary school, I have become a lot more comfortable and confident in my body, and I think I have shed a few kilograms, and I'm proud of myself - however it's always a thought in my head "is this shirt clinging in the wrong places" "do they think I'm fat" and every time I walk past a mirror I can't stop checking to see if I'm fatter than last night and stuff. I've also been having some friendship issues. My best friend all throughout primary school goes to a different highschool because I moved, and we don't see each other as much as we used to. I miss her terribly, and sometimes I just cry thinking of all the memories we shared through about 10 years of knowing each other. I miss her so bad. My highschool friends are great, but my highschool bestfriend is weird sometimes. Sometimes, I love our friendship so much, for about a month, it'll be pure joy. It'll just be fun, and laughing and all that good stuff, but then other times, it's so dark, and depressing, and dry, and just plain sad. Sometimes I cry myself to sleep thinking about how we have never held hands or hugged or had a proper heart to heart, and I just wish we could be closer. My highschool bestfriend just doesn't open up to me. Her grandmother recently passed away, and she didn't tell me till about a week before it happened. Of course, I was heartbroken for her, but I also felt this sudden hurt, like she'd just punched me in the face. I know I have no right and it's not really my place to say this, but I was so upset she didn't tell me this. I feel like that's something I would tell her, and so I was really hurt. I also just feel so lonely sometimes. It could just be becoming a teenager and things like that, but I'm starting to wonder. Do i have depression? Do I have anxiety? It's a common thought to me, but I'm not sure how to ask my parents to see a doctor, coz they might just brush it off or think im overreacting. I just want to be happy.

jinnie3 I need advice pls (TW: Eating Disorder)
  • replies: 2

Hi, I am currently a year 10. Ever since the year 7 I had the "perfect" life. I had good grades, and had many skills. I also participated in many extracurricular school sports and I had got selected into the gifted and talented program for the high s... View more

Hi, I am currently a year 10. Ever since the year 7 I had the "perfect" life. I had good grades, and had many skills. I also participated in many extracurricular school sports and I had got selected into the gifted and talented program for the high school I am currently in. However, ever since the end of pandemic I think my life had started to go down. I first quite the sport I did for 6 years, I was very promising first however I slowly couldn't carry on anymore. After that I think I went through of a phase of social anxiety and embarrassment of my own culture as I was a migrant. I think I felt embarrassed a lot of the times when my family and I went out in the public. So my mum decided t seek me a psychologist, however I think after 6 months of it I couldn't bring myself to say most of what I had felt and so they thought I had no more problems left. I think after that I got into a phase of depression, which may have been caused due to puberty. However I didn't seek help from my parents or anyone. Then everything became worse last year. Due to my background as a migrant who went to school that was mostly all "white", I had often been discriminated as well feeling different. I think a sort of image stuck to me. I had bad body image issues, which I think was quite common in kids these days. However, the end of last year I was diagnosed with Eating Disorder. Everything went down hill, because of my worsening relationship with my parents and me being unable to focus in school. During the past 2 years my parents' relationship and I became bad. I also slowly started to find school work draining, ever since the start of year 9. Now it's getting worse. I am often stuck feeling helpless, all the school work seems like an effort, I don't have any goals for what I want to do in the future and I am constantly struggling to accept my body after gaining fat due to re-feeding. I also currently have a psychologist but I still can't tell them how I really feel. My parents, recently, had given up their high expectations of me. My mum said she feel quite disappointed and has given up on me. I am currently thinking of quitting guitar that I have been learning for years. I've been getting into a lot of arguments with my parents and I hate my current self. I'm always trying to seeking change. I don't know what to do. I don't know why I am making my own life difficult. I don't want to ruin my own life.

anonymouszebra Parents fighting. Again.
  • replies: 4

My parents have gotten into another argument, I feel no one is right, both are wrong. This has gone on all my life, but I feel like I've had enough. It will never ever stop. All I want is a family that functions well and sorts out disagreements in a ... View more

My parents have gotten into another argument, I feel no one is right, both are wrong. This has gone on all my life, but I feel like I've had enough. It will never ever stop. All I want is a family that functions well and sorts out disagreements in a civil way. Nope, I have two parents who think they're doing better than the other, and that they're more important. Im stuck with for my entire life, and I feel like whenever these two are in a spat or are not talking to each other, I can't be productive at all. I simply feel helpless. Neither of them are thinking of me at all in this. Im just stuck. I feel my life could be perfect if only these two got along with each other without these insane arguments in which they yell at the top of their lungs and doing give a single stuff about their children.

sunderland Uni, Friends & Poverty.
  • replies: 6

My friends are all 18-25, university age and all of them are in uni or planning to be. I am happy that they have this opportunity but all they ever talk about is school as if it's the most normal thing in the world-- I can't afford university, I coul... View more

My friends are all 18-25, university age and all of them are in uni or planning to be. I am happy that they have this opportunity but all they ever talk about is school as if it's the most normal thing in the world-- I can't afford university, I couldn't even finish year 12 because of my home life falling apart. I can't add anything to the conversation because if I do, I'll just bring down the mood and make it sad. But it makes me feel like shit that I can't pursue I what I want, that I'm always denied work even when I have experience because I don't have a bloody level 2 certificate or I wasn't able to finish year 12. Then to see my friends who are privileged enough to get into good schools skipping classes all the time and doing nothing but complaining...it makes me really upset. But again, I can't say shit.

GrayDee Best friend
  • replies: 3

Hey everyone, I'm not sure if I'm overreacting to these situations but I just wanted to know what I should do. When I started high school last year I was always stressed and my friends all suddenly dropped me so I started hiding out in the bathrooms ... View more

Hey everyone, I'm not sure if I'm overreacting to these situations but I just wanted to know what I should do. When I started high school last year I was always stressed and my friends all suddenly dropped me so I started hiding out in the bathrooms just to avoid people and cry. Its been a year since I stopped doing that and my best friend just transferred to my school this year. I thought things would be easier to manage now that I had my best friend as well as a few other friends I made. She was normal the first few weeks but then she started telling me I was ignoring her. I knew how bad that feels so I started hanging out more with her, but as soon as I do this she starts hanging out with my other friends and ignoring me. I thought it was probably fine even though I was getting left out by everyone again, atleast I had my best friend. I also vent to my best friend to help me get things off my chest, and she used to be quite understanding, but now if I vent about something like my insecurities she counteracts them by saying she never had any such issues and I need to just "deal with it." She also doesn't respect my personal boundaries as much as she used to. I have told her that I'm not comfortable with too much physical contact (hugs or holding hands) and she used to respect that but now she doesn't. It makes me very uncomfortable and I don't know how to tell her. Despite her ignoring me a lot and leaving me randomly to go to her other friends, she gets mad at me for "leaving her out." I know the things my best friend has gone through and they are quite similar to mine, but she keeps using the way her family raised her as an excuse to get mad at me. She even ignored me for a complete week and then said she felt left out even though I tried to talk to her multiple times. She also is very social and pretty so she uses those things against me when I am venting to her. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel about this honestly. She always makes me feel like I'm a toxic friend, and lately I've been starting to think I am. I'm scared I'm going to suddenly lose all those friends I made because its only been a year since I stopped hiding to avoid people, and I dont want that to happen again.

Pityparty Uni and just life in general
  • replies: 3

So im currently in my final year of uni, ive never had good grades and more recently have been only just passing my assignments. I know that passing is the main thing but it has really been getting me down recently and has been making me feel like im... View more

So im currently in my final year of uni, ive never had good grades and more recently have been only just passing my assignments. I know that passing is the main thing but it has really been getting me down recently and has been making me feel like im not even understanding any of the content, and leading me to procrastinate my assignments, which then leads me to being more stressed and not wanting to even bother doing any of them and just dropping out. I really cant afford to fail and at the same time i cant really drop out since ill be a failure to everyone around me, considering this is the second degree ive started (dropped out of the first one) and stuck for options. My job also requires me to be studying this degree so i cant really defer for a semester either. It also doesnt help that my friend is studying the same degree with me and always talks about getting high distinctions for all her assignments which leads me to have even more doubt in myself and feel like a dumb ass. Im really at the point of just being like stuff this, and wanting to just run away. Speaking of friends, i literally only have 1 friend and my partner. I feel like having so little friends also effects me and my mental health. Ive also moved regionally, away from my 1 friend and my family therefore feeling even more isolated. Im not a super outgoing person so making new friends can be really difficult for me. I just dont know what to do, i have no motivation or care to do any uni assignments and i have like 4 due in the next two weeks. Just feeling really overwhelmed and lost.