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

daisybaby888 weaning onto medication and I'm getting extreme side effects... what do I do to cope?
  • replies: 3

I hope I can get some help here because this is the worst I've felt ever. I'm weaning onto a strong does of a medication, I'm seriously struggling and was hoping for advice on how to cope with going on new medication. I haven't slept in days, am gett... View more

I hope I can get some help here because this is the worst I've felt ever. I'm weaning onto a strong does of a medication, I'm seriously struggling and was hoping for advice on how to cope with going on new medication. I haven't slept in days, am getting severe neurological headaches, can't keep food down even with nausea medication, had a panic attack for 14 hours straight, and am now convincing myself I want to break up with my boyfriend. Our relationship is rocky atm yes, but I love him and feel that breaking up with him while I'm in this state is going to do more harm than good for the both of us; but my brain won't be quite. I can barely keep my eyes open and yet I'm convinced I'm stable enough to make such large decisions and it's just an internal battle. I can tell the past week has been super exhausting having to see me this way, he understands because he's on and off different medications all the time and is patient with me. I guess it just sucks that it's impacting the people around me and making me the crawl out of my own skin. I can't even describe the level of headaches it's giving me; I do have pre-existing neurological conditions that it's actually helping to lessen, but that's also why the headaches are so extreme. In the morning before I take my medication I feel normal and like myself which is how I know I'm seriously mentally dissonant throughout the day. I've been severely depressed and anxious for 12 years now but have never felt this mentally unstable for such a extended period of time. Is there anything I can do to help myself? also would like to add that my GP is on holiday, she'll be back in a week and a half, but my social anxiety is too bad to see another doctor.

Nova28 Just need help
  • replies: 3

I don't know what to do, it feels like my entire life is in shambles, I'm practically homeless now but I suffered long before this, I was in an abusive relationship about a year ago where my partner just constantly put me down and controlled my every... View more

I don't know what to do, it feels like my entire life is in shambles, I'm practically homeless now but I suffered long before this, I was in an abusive relationship about a year ago where my partner just constantly put me down and controlled my every action, if I did something she didn't like I would get abused for it, she even coerced me and was very manipulative. When I tried to tell the police they just ignored me but listened to her when she put all the blame on me, so I quit my job and would've stopped talking to my friends if I had any, now I try to make new friends but everytime I get close to someone I get scared and stop talking, I have my own psychologist but have no idea how to tell them any of this, I'm afraid of being ridiculed and just feel safe in this manner.

AlecA I'm feeling lonely again
  • replies: 6

Hello all, Thanks for looking at my thread, I've been diagnosed with depression before but I'm safe to say I've beaten it. But over the past 10 weeks I've been feeling more lonely at school and at home, even though I've got one of the best friend gro... View more

Hello all, Thanks for looking at my thread, I've been diagnosed with depression before but I'm safe to say I've beaten it. But over the past 10 weeks I've been feeling more lonely at school and at home, even though I've got one of the best friend groups I could ever ask for. I'm starting to feel isolated, I've got zero motivation at school, I fear my grades might start to slip again and to put the cherry on the cake I've got an ex-friend starting to hassle me and insult my friends. This may not be the best post out there, I just need help. Cheers.

Cherry13 Looking for some relationship advice...
  • replies: 4

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask for this sort of advice but it would be really helpful to see what people think... I've been in a relationship with my boyfriend for nearly six months and things have not been "smooth sailing". I never f... View more

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask for this sort of advice but it would be really helpful to see what people think... I've been in a relationship with my boyfriend for nearly six months and things have not been "smooth sailing". I never feel appreciated and he takes me and my kindness for granted. We have had a few conversations about how I feel and he has expressed how he can get into moods where he doesn't want to do anything in general and would also rather not speak/text me or even hang out. He believes that he is immature and unmotivated in life but doesn't want to lose me because he knows how great I am. It's important to note that we live 40 minutes from each other and we only see each other once a week (depending on if he's feeling motivated to see me), this means that calling and texting is vital for our relationship to stay connected, however, my boyfriend frequently complains that he's more of an 'in-person' kind of person (as in with interacting with another) and so, I find that he uses that as an excuse to not message me or call. It is very difficult to get him to come over to my house, he will always make excuses from the point of inviting him to the point of him showing up on my doorstep. I'm at a stage of defeat, we have promised ourselves that we will try again but all I see is myself putting in all the effort and him continuously making excuses and not treating me any different. This relationship affects my mental health a lot and it also causes me to fall behind in my job and now that I've begun a new course, I don't need more stress on my studies too. My boyfriend has a bad mentally about himself and I want to help him but he doesn't make it easy for me, I feel like the best thing to help us both is to break up but then I also think that we will be broken-hearted, which will still hurt our mentalities. Of course, we will heal from a broken heart and grow but can we also heal and grow within our relationship... He's expressed that he wants to fix and change things and so should I just see what happens (we do have plenty of time after all) or is this relationship not worth fixing?

hm_ I got a terrible test result and I am starting to doubt myself
  • replies: 6

I am in high school currently and I work hard to achieve good grades because it is really important to me to do well in school. I haven't gotten a bad mark at school ever until today. My teacher called out everyone scores except mine in front of the ... View more

I am in high school currently and I work hard to achieve good grades because it is really important to me to do well in school. I haven't gotten a bad mark at school ever until today. My teacher called out everyone scores except mine in front of the class so I went up to him and asked him what I had gotten, and he said i got 55%. I was in denial so i just looked at him shocked and said "oh," and walked away. My friends came up to me and asked me what i got and i just said "oh i did alright." when i got home, i started crying so hard to the point I couldnt breathe properly. I started doubting if I was smart or was I just talentless. I felt like my teacher thought I was stupid and i felt extremely sad and disappointed considering everyone else in my class got A's. i didnt understand what i did wrong as i did studied. my concentration has been a bit off lately but im not really sure why. anyways, i just feel like i cant give myself a break for anything i do wrong and i feel petrified to walk into class tomorrow with a smiling face and act like everything is fine because i feel like my teacher thinks im a bad student. i feel like im being a bit dramatic but i dont want to bury the way i feel because that will just make me doubt myself more.

keyboardcookie I'm starting to resent my bestfriend
  • replies: 6

For context, we've recently graduated highschool. Recently though, I feel like I'm starting to resent her. This has been a trend through alot of my close friendships, which usually end up in me pushing the other person away after a few years, after d... View more

For context, we've recently graduated highschool. Recently though, I feel like I'm starting to resent her. This has been a trend through alot of my close friendships, which usually end up in me pushing the other person away after a few years, after developing negative feelings towards them. She's my best friend, is nothing but kind, loving, and understanding towards me so it hurts me when I feel these negative feelings towards her. I can't help but also feel some envy towards her. Her family quite well-off financially, whilst I grew up lower class, as well as this, she's absolutely gorgeous and so kind - which are qualities I don't feel I exude, but have always wanted to. I don't want to feel envious, and try not to compare myself to her, or feel any resentment towards her, because I value our friendship so much. I think oftentimes this ends up in me trying to 'prove' to myself that I'm somehow better than her, even though I know our friendship isn't a competition. She'll sometimes do things mindlessly that hurt my feelings (i.e, responding to my exes if they try to spark up conversation with her and being friendly, staying acquaintances with people who she met through me, who have really hurt me in the past - or becoming friends with them) Recently, one of my exes even hit on her, and all she did was make a joke back to him - only stopping texting him once I explicity asked her to. These things hurt me as to me, it seems like a no-brainer to not do them, as I would never do them to her, but she will only stop if I directly tell her to stop, which I don't like to do, but often have to as I feel if I don't, my resentment will only grow. I don't think they're unreasonable things to ask from her, because these people aren't necessarily close friends with her, and in every case, she's never even met them. Regardless, these things really hurt me. It's gotten to a point where everytime she posts something on social media, or acts in certain ways - things that never used to bother me - make me snarl or roll my eyes in annoyance. And everytime, I feel like such a horrible person. I love her so much, and she tries so hard to be such a good friend to me, and she really is. I don't want to resent her for the few mistakes that she makes. But, I can't help but feel my cycle of finding a great friend, then suddenly hating them is repeating.

stitch_feels_sad A girl at school is giving me a hard time!!!
  • replies: 6

This girl at school, year 11, absolutely hates me, year 8, she holds a grudge cause I went off with other friends and because she hated my sister. She tried to turn everyone against and thinks she the boss of the friend group. This week I’ve been act... View more

This girl at school, year 11, absolutely hates me, year 8, she holds a grudge cause I went off with other friends and because she hated my sister. She tried to turn everyone against and thinks she the boss of the friend group. This week I’ve been acting out at school cause she came back from having covid and it was nice and peaceful. This week she also stalked my tiktok account and talked bad about me in the comments of one of MY videos. What should I do about her?

AW-1972 Drama within my friend group makes me stressed.
  • replies: 4

Hello everyone. My friend group has heaps of drama and its making me overwhelmed and stressed. My friend group consists of about 7 people and they all are in on things without me and attack me for no reason, they make me feel like a outsider. They ge... View more

Hello everyone. My friend group has heaps of drama and its making me overwhelmed and stressed. My friend group consists of about 7 people and they all are in on things without me and attack me for no reason, they make me feel like a outsider. They get angry and start fights over me not liking a video game. They also just say some really rude things to me and my other friends. I just want to keep my relationships and don't want the fights and drama. I love my friends but I don't have the emotional capacity and time to deal with all of this. It makes me so stressed and anxious.

Trish2 I'm unfulfilled in life
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone! It's been a long time since I last posted on here but I think I've been feeling particularly lonely in an area that I think a lot of us can relate to possibly. I've been dealing with the loss of a relationship that meant a lot to me for ... View more

Hi everyone! It's been a long time since I last posted on here but I think I've been feeling particularly lonely in an area that I think a lot of us can relate to possibly. I've been dealing with the loss of a relationship that meant a lot to me for 9 months or so now and although there's been some slight progress with dealing with that pain, it still comes and goes and I can't get it out of my head. I feel this is taking way longer than it should if I'm being honest. As a result, I've been missing that connection in life that made me genuinely happy for a while, which was having someone to hug/cuddle, someone to tell your most intimate details to and all that sort of stuff. I definitely have my friends and I'm even lucky to have a friend I've known since forever, but I don't feel comfortable having that sort of relationship with them where I can talk about how I feel or just those deeper conversations as they're not the type of people that do or enjoy those things which makes me feel even worse and I feel stuck. I don't feel like meeting anyone new either as I'm not ready for it yet and I feel like it's hard to find even platonic friendships these days. Does anyone have any good tips or advice for dealing with a situation like this or feeling better about it? I feel so stuck and I have no one to share that side of me with and it makes me so sad. I also used to live with my pets that would cuddle me too so losing that as well really adds to the pain.

BeautifulHorse I'm homesick and lonely and I feel like I can't tell anyone
  • replies: 3

I've recently 'moved' in with my aunt for a little while, and I miss home. It's very organised and more strict here, I'm not allowed to eat in the lounge room for example, and everything is really... different. And I have to put up with my uncle, who... View more

I've recently 'moved' in with my aunt for a little while, and I miss home. It's very organised and more strict here, I'm not allowed to eat in the lounge room for example, and everything is really... different. And I have to put up with my uncle, who is either annoying or scary. I feel like I'm letting down my guard too much, because when I trust someone they always somehow bite me back. I don't know what to do because they try to be really nice, and it would feel nasty to say anything against that. Sometimes I want to cry, but I don't because I don't want anyone to know I'm upset. I'm not sure if anyone else feels like this and I don't know what to do. It's not healthy to let these sorts of things linger, but I don't really have anyone I feel safe talking to and I can't get out alone to call someone to just talk to.