Support
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 conversation

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 conversation

Pinned discussions

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 conversation

pandacoot I think I have depression.
  • replies: 5

I am not sure if I do have depression or not. My close friends think I do, they think I should go and see a doctor, the thing is, I don't want to tell my parents that I think I might have depression, and I can't go to the doctors or a GP without them... View more

I am not sure if I do have depression or not. My close friends think I do, they think I should go and see a doctor, the thing is, I don't want to tell my parents that I think I might have depression, and I can't go to the doctors or a GP without them. ​I am not entirely sure of the reason/s I have been down, other than the usual stories, didn't achieve well at school, I had a falling out with a good friend, and I always look down on myself and don't go to people for help, as I am worried I will get annoying. My parents have made it quite hard on me as of late, and most of my mates are saying 'all parents make it hard,' and 'you'll get over it soon enough.' I have been feeling this way for over 3 months, and I am worried of the outcome my behavior will have on my friends. Please help me, I need all the help I can get at this moment in time. Extra info: I am a 15yo girl with no job (no way of paying for any doctors appointment myself) ​

teenidllle how do I get help
  • replies: 3

Hello, For the last year I've been feeling constantly sad and irritable, but I've always blamed my feelings and anxiety on school (tests, exams etc). However in the last two months it has become clear that that is not the case, I have no motivation t... View more

Hello, For the last year I've been feeling constantly sad and irritable, but I've always blamed my feelings and anxiety on school (tests, exams etc). However in the last two months it has become clear that that is not the case, I have no motivation to do anything and I've lost interest interest in things I use to enjoy. I'm constantly tired and have a lot of trouble managing my anxiety (I've missed school and work because of it). I'm constantly feeling empty and I don't know what to do. I know the obvious answer is to talk to my parents but I have no idea how to open up about how I'm feeling, they will either not take me seriously or over react. I've never had that kind of relationship with them where I feel like I can talk about anything, so any advice on how to do so would be much appreciated.

LZinsight I find it hard to cope.
  • replies: 3

Well here we go, my third post on Beyond blue. I've told a present situation, the story that got me here, guess it's time for how depression affects me daily.You know, as I'm writing this, it feels harder to write about than the abuse, but here we go... View more

Well here we go, my third post on Beyond blue. I've told a present situation, the story that got me here, guess it's time for how depression affects me daily.You know, as I'm writing this, it feels harder to write about than the abuse, but here we go. I don't really know a life without depression, a day where I hide behind a video game or a story, to get away from my own feelings, a day where I don't think about everything bad. I don't remember the last time I was able to sleep without a good hour or two just thinking to myself about how bad everything is. To me, there is no such thing as a good day, just bad days, and neutral days. Day by day throwing a fake smile so as not to attract more attention than I can handle. It's so hard to understand, how three hours of social activity, or family event, can be more exhausting than a full days physical labor. How sometimes getting the motivation to do simple things like eat, or bathe, or go shopping, seems like a simply impossible task. How sometimes you want to talk about everything, yet not talk to anyone at the same time. Wanting someone to understand yet lying and saying I'm okay when they ask. I'm sure all of this is familiar to some people, but I felt I needed to talk about it anyway, putting words to this feeling was difficult. My original posts for those interested were titled I never knew christmas cykd be so rough, and i guess this is my life story.

Reaperbird Is it manipulation, or just my anxiety?
  • replies: 3

So I have a friend online who I like talking to, and to be honest, they're pretty much my only friend, but at times I have this feeling they are trying to control, or manipulate, me. They seem to get a bit possessive too. Our conversation starts off ... View more

So I have a friend online who I like talking to, and to be honest, they're pretty much my only friend, but at times I have this feeling they are trying to control, or manipulate, me. They seem to get a bit possessive too. Our conversation starts off okay, but after a while they seem to get passive-aggressive and make me feel uncomfortable. I don't really know if I'm taking things the wrong way, or if there's something going on. But after our talks, I'm often left feeling intimidated and anxious. To be honest, I've been suspicious that they have been trying to 'mould' me in to someone they want me to be. I feel like I'm punished by silent treatment, or passive-aggression, every time I say something they don't like. And in the meantime, they try to convince me to try certain things that they like, even after I say I'm not interested. And most conversations leads to that point. It starts off calm, and enjoyable, but then gets really stressful. It's at the point now that I'm scared to talk to them, I won't even log in to my social network account anymore. Every time we talk, I feel like my head is being messed with. The thing is though, is that I have Avoidant Personality Disorder, so being paranoid of other people is a problem with me. So I'm not sure if I should trust my own instincts that something is wrong, or ignore it because it could be my anxiety playing tricks on me. The worst part is they aren't exactly saying anything bad, so I can't be assertive with them. It's their actions that are upsetting me, and I don't really know how to explain it. All I know is I don't like it. It sucks too because as I said before, they are basically my only friend. I do know other people online, but we're more acquaintances then friends, so we don't really talk much. So I don't know, I'm scared I'm just going to end up pushing away the last person I have left.

LiamG Losing friendships
  • replies: 2

Recently, i have just moved in with a good friend of mine Peter (not his real name) and his girlfriend Jess (not her real name either). Me and Peter have been great friends for the past few years, we would talk on the phone all the time, we would han... View more

Recently, i have just moved in with a good friend of mine Peter (not his real name) and his girlfriend Jess (not her real name either). Me and Peter have been great friends for the past few years, we would talk on the phone all the time, we would hang out all the time, we would help each other out with advise etc. I also have another great friend called Fred (not his real name) and me and Fred almost do the same things. However Fred hasn't met Peter and Jess. In the past few weeks since i've been living with Peter and Jess, they have been wanting me to help them out with money like help pay for Peter's fuel since he drives me around or for groceries or even some rent for them since Peter goes broke everytime he gets paid because he has to pay for Jess's rent. I have even had to pay for Jess. They say they hate asking me for money, they do owe me some money but they say it won't be for a while. They even said for me not to ask them for money and i haven't!! It was annoying me inside so i was texting Fred how much it was annoying me that i had to pay for them, like alot. I tried to tell Peter and Jess that i can't pay for this or i can't pay for that, but they don't want to seem to listen. I also was telling Fred that Peter and Jess were saying me and Fred were gay (as a joke) since we always text each other. So Fred got really angry and sent a harrassing facebook message to Peter. He said that they need to stop asking me for money, that they need to start paying for their own things, that they need to stop calling us gay, if they keep asking me for money, he will call the police. When Peter read it, he fired up really bad. He wanted me to leave the property i am living in them with. He eventually calmed down. He said that him and Jess have now lost respect for me and don't trust me anymore until i change big time. One of Jess's friends has just moved in with us to make rent cheaper and just because i talked behind Jess and Peter's backs, she's talking to me like a smart ass, so overall she doesn't like me. I was given two ultimatiums by Peter, he said either be friends with him and Jess, gain their respect and trust back and stop being friends with Fred or stop being friends with Peter and Jess, never contact them again and leave the house i'm at. I chose the first one, i had to tell Fred that i can't be friends with him anymore and i hated hated that i had to do that. I'm feeling so down, i don't feel like doing anything....

bia_blue Confused about some symptoms...anyone know?
  • replies: 5

Hey everyone, hope you're all coping. To those reading; thank you dearly. I just had a quick question about a feeling I keep getting. Is chest pressure an anxiety feeling? I keep feeling somewhat shot of breath and as if somethings lightly pressing o... View more

Hey everyone, hope you're all coping. To those reading; thank you dearly. I just had a quick question about a feeling I keep getting. Is chest pressure an anxiety feeling? I keep feeling somewhat shot of breath and as if somethings lightly pressing on my chest; sometimes worse than other times, and on my diaphragm too. I've been told it's a symptom of anxiety, which I do have, but it's only come about in the last few months. I figured it's safest to check. The bit that confuses me is that it comes out of no where, and when I'm not feeling anxious. However then I DO feel slightly worried because of the feeling, and I overthink what's happening to me (I immediately think the worst; heart problems etc, even though I'm sure it's not). I just really want some light shed on this! I don't know what to think of it, does anyone else feel this? Does anyone know what ways of dealing with this are? Thanks so much guys!

Aspirant Today is the first day I have ever talked my anxiety. I need help.
  • replies: 9

Hello, I hope this is appropriate. Saying this is scary. I have struggled with social anxiety for as long as I can remember. It has felt crippling. Nobody knows because I have never dared to tell anyone. Feeling better now but earlier today I had a b... View more

Hello, I hope this is appropriate. Saying this is scary. I have struggled with social anxiety for as long as I can remember. It has felt crippling. Nobody knows because I have never dared to tell anyone. Feeling better now but earlier today I had a breakdown/breakthrough and for the first time voiced my problems. In writing at least. I entered the following stream of consciousness into a word document: It is 7:18PM as I type this I am crying. I hate myself. I hate my mother. I hate my life. Nothing is going right at all. My mum just blamed me for her health problems, her unhappiness, everything. It is all my fault she says. She has said she hates herself and it is my fault for being a failure. She gets mad at me for doing nothing with my life. But how do I tell her about anxiety when I have heard her mock the idea of mental health. She thinks both anxiety and depression are fake. I cannot talk to her. I cannot talk to my friends, they’d laugh at me. When the headnoise becomes dominant I feel so alone. I know other people have these problems but I still feel so alone. The only thing that has ever worked is alcohol but I know that is only a short term fix and I go months without touching it because both my parents are alcoholics and that problem is the last thing I need I am 25. I am a uni dropout, I have never had a job. I so desperately want to get a job, any kind of job, and get out of here. But I cannot. Partly because I fear my moms functional alcoholism will get out of control and she will drink herself to death. And partly because of the crippling social anxiety that is ruining my life. I quit uni because the fear of failure in my exams felt like the worst torture. And the thought of a job interview makes my hands shake. I know it is irrational, but it feels so real. So frightening. So debilitating. 7 years have passed since high school and I have done nothing with my life in that time. I want more from life, but I fear before long my youth will be gone and I will have nothing to show for what is meant to be the best time of your life. I am controlled by my fears and anxieties. I want to be happier. I want to be less anxious and scared. But I don’t know how to fix it. ________ This is a big day for me. The first time I share my deepest secret and ask for help. I want to get better but I don't know how. I have heard about BeyondBlue before and was hoping I could find some advice here. I hope the above was not TMI. Thank you for your time.

bia_blue A start
  • replies: 4

Hi! Not sure how many people are seeing this at all, so here it goes I've struggled with severe depression in the past following on from an abusive relationship, and now that I'm through that, I struggle with anxiety. It was worst when I was battling... View more

Hi! Not sure how many people are seeing this at all, so here it goes I've struggled with severe depression in the past following on from an abusive relationship, and now that I'm through that, I struggle with anxiety. It was worst when I was battling depression as well, but still plays up a lot today, and I don't know much about it. My family are amazing but don't understand what's happening to me very well, and sometimes even I find it scary and confusing, which I'm sure is normal. I have many questions to ask while I'm here, and I'm so hopeful that someone out there will read and respond to even one of my threads Still figuring out how to use the site, but figured I'd start it off with this. Thank you so much for reading! Best wishes and love to you all

Gem0 Who, what, when, where and why?
  • replies: 2

Hi, Wow my first time posting, somehow I was lead here and let's see if this is the place for me. I'm a 25yr old female from Sydney. Over the past few years somehow my life has spiralled into a mess. Don't get me wrong after loosing a young cousin to... View more

Hi, Wow my first time posting, somehow I was lead here and let's see if this is the place for me. I'm a 25yr old female from Sydney. Over the past few years somehow my life has spiralled into a mess. Don't get me wrong after loosing a young cousin to a horrible disease I know I should be very grateful for my life and how healthy I am. Yet I cant shake the feeing of being so alone and not being enough. I've lost myself trying to conform to be what my family and society find acceptable. And now that I'm so lost, I don't know who to turn to and what exactly to say. I'm so good at smiling and caring for others, yet deep down I'm slowly dying. I'm not sure what I want out of this post, maybe it's so see if anyone feels the same? Or if you have suggestions as to how to over come this? I want to run away from it all. I would never commit suicide as I know it would crush my family, sometimes I do feel that low. I look forward to hearing from you.

kaitlinx Anxiety at school.
  • replies: 2

lately my Anxiety has been getting worse, I'm getting so worried that i don't want to go to school anymore. I'm to scared to and i don't know why? but lately a lot of things have been happening in my life at the moment with a lot of family issues and... View more

lately my Anxiety has been getting worse, I'm getting so worried that i don't want to go to school anymore. I'm to scared to and i don't know why? but lately a lot of things have been happening in my life at the moment with a lot of family issues and some at school, and i feel like it is starting to effect my school work. i used to get straight A's and B's but now I'm getting C's and D's, because i can't seem to concentrate anymore, i just sit there a worry about everything. I really try not to worry but in the end i just end up failing. what do i do?

As an organisation that supports people from across Australia, Beyond Blue acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay respect to Elders past and present.

First Nations Peoples are advised that this website may include reference to and images of deceased persons.

Beyond Blue is committed to safe inclusive spaces, policies and services for people of LGBTIQ+ communities and their families.

Helpful information

Stay in touch

Sign up below for regular emails from Beyond Blue, filled with information, advice and support for you or your loved ones.

Stay in touch

Talk it through with us, we'll point you in the right direction.

Call 1300 224 636

24 hours / 7 days a week

Chat Online

24 hours / 7 days a week

Email us

Get a reply in 24 hours

Copyright � 2026 Beyond Blue Ltd

All rights reserved

Contact us Terms of use Privacy policy Site map