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

micjane Work and life
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone! I'm a 21y/o female. Basically I have a hard time making myself go to work. I mostly enjoy the job (once I get there it's okay, it's just actually getting there that is the difficult part), but I make myself feel like I hate work and I ca... View more

Hi everyone! I'm a 21y/o female. Basically I have a hard time making myself go to work. I mostly enjoy the job (once I get there it's okay, it's just actually getting there that is the difficult part), but I make myself feel like I hate work and I can pretty much have panic attacks and have to get my boyfriend or mum to call in and say I can't come in. I feel like I put it all on, does anyone else ever feel that? Like they fake their anxiety? I know I'm not faking when I'm bawling my eyes out hyperventilating, scratching at my skin, or a panic attack causes me to pass out. But still, sometimes I think it's just all in my head and the reason I don't want to work is that I'm lazy. I feel like I'm weak and searching for excuses if I took time off work to make myself better. If work is the main issue, wouldn't the obvious solution be to take a break from work? Or should I suck it up and make myself keep going? Honestly, I would love to stay home everyday, thats the kind of person I am, but I'm 21 and want to own a house so I need the money. This post is a mess, my brain has too many things running through it at the same time. Any similar experiences, or suggestions, would be appreciated.

Rj_40 Coming to terms with anxiety
  • replies: 3

Evening, this is the most I have ever reached out and admitted that I may have anxiety! I am struggling to deal with some of my symptoms. I am always tired,have muscles aches,feeling scattered(the best way I can describe it) and my stomach can make u... View more

Evening, this is the most I have ever reached out and admitted that I may have anxiety! I am struggling to deal with some of my symptoms. I am always tired,have muscles aches,feeling scattered(the best way I can describe it) and my stomach can make up its mind(very irregular).. I have been to the doctors(regularly)and feel I need a medical diagnosis..whether it be chrons,IBD or something! I am probably over anxious that it could be something worse(cancer)!! And I think there in lies my problem..I obsess of worst case scenarios! I am a married with 2 kids and feel like I should be better than this! I should be the rock not the crumbling cookie! I work in healthcare and I see anxiety all the time and feel like I shouldn't have it,like I'm better than that! i want to get these problems under control! Just want to go back to normal! Hope this all makes sense! I definately some times struggle to make sense of it all! Thank you for anyone that reads this or replies!

Jgirl Too much for my sensitive self
  • replies: 2

The reason why I got this account is because I'm trying to keep this as real and anonymous as I can... recently my parents broke up and my whole world is falling apart, I have only told my friend about it but that's pretty much it. i try to stay as m... View more

The reason why I got this account is because I'm trying to keep this as real and anonymous as I can... recently my parents broke up and my whole world is falling apart, I have only told my friend about it but that's pretty much it. i try to stay as my happy self but it doesn't help much, I still feel depressed afterwards. right after my parents broke up I lived with my father, and we moved houses strait away. It was extremely overwhelming and I cried myself to sleep every night. i haven't eaten as much because I get so nauseas and sad, I can't even eat a plate of salad without feeling sick. every morning when I wake up dreading for the day to come. But for now it feels like it will never get better. i have had enough of family saying I will get used to it and if I don't it's okay. But it's not, I wish this never happened, I wish I would disappear into nothingness and stay in a long peaceful sleep with no distractions.

-headintheclouds- How Can I Help Myself?
  • replies: 1

I feel depressed and sometimes have bad anxiety attacks. My parents know this - I've told them and they've witnessed it - but they ignore it and refuse to get me help, probably thinking it's just 'a teenage phase'. I've never been good at talking to ... View more

I feel depressed and sometimes have bad anxiety attacks. My parents know this - I've told them and they've witnessed it - but they ignore it and refuse to get me help, probably thinking it's just 'a teenage phase'. I've never been good at talking to other about my feelings, and it took me over half a year to work up enough courage to tell my parents. I haven't got any really close friends that I feel confident to talk to about this, and I know I need help. I tried once to work up enough courage to tell somebody at my school, but I couldn't do it; I couldn't even knock on the door of 2-3 teachers, my year team leader or the school psychologist. It's really affecting my school marks, and my parents are getting annoyed about it. But I can't do anything about it. I really want to help myself, but I don't know who or where I can turn. How do I get my parents to understand I really need help? And if that doesn't work, where can I go to get help for myself?

xavier44 Acute anxiety experience
  • replies: 2

So for probably around 10 months, from time to time I've had these moments that come from nowhere. My heart starts really pumping from nothing, I get really sweaty and I can't think straight. I always feel like something bad is about to happen Today ... View more

So for probably around 10 months, from time to time I've had these moments that come from nowhere. My heart starts really pumping from nothing, I get really sweaty and I can't think straight. I always feel like something bad is about to happen Today I had one to the point where I had to get up and get outside for some fresh air. Does anyone else experience this? If so how often and how to you deal with it

cateanne Struggling.
  • replies: 3

Hi. I'm a 20yo turning 21 in a few months. I'd like to pretend that my life has gone the way I thought it was when I was younger, that id be happy and have friends and just enjoy living. But I don't. I'm alone and I'm scared. I haven't had any friend... View more

Hi. I'm a 20yo turning 21 in a few months. I'd like to pretend that my life has gone the way I thought it was when I was younger, that id be happy and have friends and just enjoy living. But I don't. I'm alone and I'm scared. I haven't had any friends since I was 10 years old, and I guess that's partly my fault. I had a best friend since I was 5, who suddenly was invited to sit with the popular girls so she stopped speaking to me completely, it made me feel like I wasn't good enough. That one single event shaped the rest of my life and got me here. I don't know what to do anymore. I want friends, I want someone to tell me I don't deserve to stop existing and support me. I want to support other people. I spend my days watching t.v shows filled with girls with loads of friends and it just hurts. I don't want to struggle on my own anymore and I don't know what to do...

Er12397 Anxiety help? Does it get better?
  • replies: 4

I've been living with anxiety and panic attacks for the past 3 years, but over the past 12 months I've been experiencing constant dizzy spells (I've been to a doctor and nothing is wrong with my body, so it has to be my anxiety) I can't go anywhere o... View more

I've been living with anxiety and panic attacks for the past 3 years, but over the past 12 months I've been experiencing constant dizzy spells (I've been to a doctor and nothing is wrong with my body, so it has to be my anxiety) I can't go anywhere or be alone with out the room spinning, the fear of fainting or having a bad panic attack. I'm terrified of crowds, tight places, being off the ground floor, being in a room with no windows, and being away from the comfort of my bedroom, and It's starting to ruin my life! I'm losing connection with friends, family and I'm not going to classes and I can't drive anywhere by myself because I'm terrified of what may happen. I've even ended up in an ambulance because of my dizziness, which lead to hyperventilating (my anxiety convinced me that I was dying). I'm seeing a psychologist, practice mindfulness, push myself to leave the house, and use things such as rescue remedy, but I'm running out of ideas because I just feel like I'm running around in a circle! Has anyone else experienced this? How did you over come it? Will this get any better? Please help. I don't want this to destroy any more of my life.

Paige02 Intense fear of men
  • replies: 4

I have a very weird intense fear of men and I actually don't know what to do with myself! Apparently I have been very shy around guys ever since I was little, which makes no sense as I did not go through any traumatic experience that I am aware of th... View more

I have a very weird intense fear of men and I actually don't know what to do with myself! Apparently I have been very shy around guys ever since I was little, which makes no sense as I did not go through any traumatic experience that I am aware of that would cause this fear and over the years shyness turned into plain fear. I have a healthy relationship with my dad and my younger brother and although I am awkward around my uncles I am still able to have conversations with them and not feel horrible, however the closer they are to my age the bigger my fear becomes. As a way to get over this fear I applied for a job at a factory as a receptionist and got it, I work around mostly men that are much older than me and I was painfully shy at first but I have learnt to be a little more confident around them however there is one guy there that I actually can not talk to at all and he is the youngest of the guys I think he's around 25 and I'm 18 the rest are 40 plus and married. I recently tried dating apps because my fear prevents me from meeting new people, I have also never had a good guy friend ever in my life! Anyway the dating app nearly made me throw up I was so nervous talking to the guys even online my stomach was in knots I felt like I was going to pass out, I am not confident in myself at all I hate the way I look and I don't really like myself as a person and I think that has a lot to do with it, I was teased a fair bit by guys in primary school and high school but it was nothing to out of hand, but my confidence plummeted dramatically around the age of 15 ish. my family has a long line of anxiety and depression but nothing like this, it really impacts my day to day life and I am about to start uni, I really think I'm going to screw it up bcause of this irrational fear and I really am terrified that I won't make any friends at all. On the surface I seem to be fairly easy going and fun loving so people think I exaggerate when I say that I am scared of boys, they think I'm just being dramatic but it's true and I hate myself for it because it makes no sense! Please does anyone have any advice? I feel like I am stuck in this mess of fear and anxiety and it's really impacting my happiness thanks heaps x

Gcgirl Dealing with it all
  • replies: 3

Hi all im Bree 22 I'm reaching out as I need to vent and release what has been kept inside it seems nobody else cares or understands my cancer passed away in 2012 with cancer it was horrible I have nightmares of the last few times I seen her at her w... View more

Hi all im Bree 22 I'm reaching out as I need to vent and release what has been kept inside it seems nobody else cares or understands my cancer passed away in 2012 with cancer it was horrible I have nightmares of the last few times I seen her at her wake I spoke to this man Ryan who I had known most of my life but not we'll he was my cousins best friend and he and his farther were always at our family get togethers anyway the next day we started dating. We have now been together just over 3 years things were okay, back in November my bf was diagnosed with cancer was to be a huge surgery and long radiation treatment me and his farther had planned who sees him what day in hospital so everyday he would have someone there sadly his farther passed away December as u can imagine it was gut wrenching . My parents were also kinda stressed and took it out on me but anyway we were broke and had to organise a funeral I had to do it my bf has always been abit lazy and often won't answer calls etc so I arranged the funeral and the money to pay for it I managed to see my bf 6 days out of 7 he was in hospital and I went to 32 out of 33 radiation treatments with him it was hard being poor and stressed cz of all that had and was happening but the doctors say he's okay at the moment okay fast forward my bf received a lot of money from his late farthers super and since then he has been so mean saying I only stayed with him for money I didn't even kno about super and I never once thort oh he's gunnr get a lot of money point is I'm still poor and he's not but he will be soon but he says I'm a bum and don't contribute enough he also calls me fat and ugly that really hurts my feelings I have very low self esteem I use to get bullied at school I feel I'm not good enough for him all I do is annoy him I love him so much and he was so loving and caring before I know he must be stressed but sometimes when he throws stuff in my face I think we'll I'm the only person who has been there for u through everything and sometimes I wonder would he do the same for me thanks for reading x

May22 Struggling with uni, work and pressure
  • replies: 3

I'm currently at uni and recently I've been feeling really hopeless. I work a lot and have class 5 days and the pressure of that and study and trying to worry about social expectations is weighing me down. I get really lonely a lot but I have quite a... View more

I'm currently at uni and recently I've been feeling really hopeless. I work a lot and have class 5 days and the pressure of that and study and trying to worry about social expectations is weighing me down. I get really lonely a lot but I have quite a few 'friends'. Everything is just getting a bit much lately and I have a friend I can talk to but I'm weighing them down and I can't do that. It's not fair to them. i don't know what to do... I want to help myself without getting anyone else involved but I'm struggling. m