Young people

Pinned discussions

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 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!

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 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

Sorted by:

Start a discussion

please help

replies: 3

I've been told that I have bipolar and now people know, I feel like I'm being judged. I feel like everybody hates me and I hate going in places with lots of people I get nervous and I don't know why

I'm lost and I'm nearly giving up.

replies: 5

Hey Everyone, I just wanted to share on whats happening on my life right now and I hope anyone can give me their opinions on how I can cope with things :(( I recently had a blew up with my parents coz we really don't get along as much. Its been almost 1 and a half year since things has been going on and it never really stopped. I felt that they were always on my back and I couldn't do and make my own decisions and if whenever I did all I could hear them say was "you're so immature and u can't even be an adult" and whenever I hear those words it makes me soo angry and I shut off really quickly (that I don't take in whataver they say after that). I went to a school counselor and told them how I felt and everything. and when my parents found out that I was going their, they got really angry and called the counselor and asked what "lies" I've been telling. I then got told by my parents that I am an "irresponsible person, immature and babyish" coz I can't take responsibility of my own mistakes and have to go to the school counselor. They even said that I am"mentally disabled". My dad called my boyfriend. My parents thought that I loved him more than anyone, I don't know what they have talked about but he then broke up with me coz of my family issues and he said he is willing to stick it out there after it all gets fixed. And I'm scared that its just a lie or he's just giving me hopes so that I don't feel down. I really don't know how to fix all these problems and I'm trying to figure it all out but the angles are confusing me, I'm getting lost on what position do I start and where do I stand to everyone of these people. I have to boost my marks up, I have to get closer to my parents and I want to gain him back. and Its all killing me coz I think its very impossible to gets this fixed :(( and I'm ready to just lay back and surrender. Help anyone?? :((

depression or am i just a silly teenager?

replies: 7

I've done so much research on depression and if thats what I'm going through and everything is saying that i do and i think i am experiencing depression. I so badly want to work out whats happening with me but i can't bring it up to parents or anyone because I'm scared they'll think low of me and think that I'm just an over dramatic teenager, normally I'm an 'energetic and happy person in front of people and it was just when i was alone but for the past few months its been really strong and I'm almost always feeling depressed. Can anyone help me? i don't know what to do.

Feeling alone and not coping

replies: 6

I'm 16 and I have been diagnosed with clinical depression. I've had it for about 5 months but recently it's got even worse. My mother also suffers from the same thing plus other problems, my friends don't include me in the group or talk to me anymore. The only person it feels like I can rely on is my ex boyfriends (who is still very supportive) but I often feel like I bring him down and he doesn't need me as much as I need him. I recently attempted suicide and see a therapist now. I find that it doesn't seem to work and often feel really alone and like I have no body to talk to. I don't see any hope of getting better and I don't know what else to do. Are there any coping strategies I could try? Or somebody else I could talk to? beyondblue's clinically-trained moderators often work offline (invisible to you) on issues relating to suicide or self-harm. At the same time, general supportive comments from the community areencouraged. If you have concerns around suicide or self-harm, please phone our support service on 1300 22 4636.

Feeling lost and emotional after a traumatic event

replies: 1

Hi, Im new here and I wasn't sure where else to go and talk to someone about this. I was involved in a car accident a few weeks ago where the brakes on my car malfunctioned causing me to lose control and go over the median strip into oncoming traffic. I hit a 4WD head on as they were going 70km/hr, I rebounded off them and ended back on the median strip facing the way I had came. Police, ambulance and fire departments attended. Everyone involved, including myself were taken to hospital, here the woman that I had hit was two beds down from me and came up to me to talk. She let me know that herself and friend were all fine, slight whiplash and some soreness but okay. She talked to me for around half hour and told me that it wasn't my fault and everyone was okay. I stayed in the trauma department for 2 days with severe whiplash, cuts and bruises and an injured pelvis. Following the accident was was severely depressed, I didn't eat, sleep, talk or anything for at least a week. I couldn't, every time I tried I had nightmares, flashbacks and a constant feeling of guilt and anxiety. I ended up going to see a psychologist where I was diagnosed with PTSD and began exposure therapy. I am a uni student and my end of semester exams were a few days after the accident, I didn't end up doing these until next week. I have been trying to study but I have no concentration and I end up getting frustrated and angry at myself because if it wasn't for me none of this would have happened. I now have constant anxiety and can nearly get into a car without having a panic attack, I feel guilty and depressed most of the day, I get at least 3 nightmares a night and constant flashbacks so I barely sleep and I have noticed now that I have an anger problem, little things set me off to the point where I yell and get frustrated for no reason. I have emotional breakdowns constantly where I will cry for hours not knowing what to do. I feel like I'm letting my family and people around me down and that I'm not good enough for them. Im at that point where I don't know what to do anymore. I don't know if there is any other ways to deal with his, medications for what? Sorry for the long story but I really needed to get that off my chest. Thank you

Lonely, Anxious, Bitter and Tired

replies: 3

If I could just knock one of those words off the title, I would be over the moon, but I'm just too mentally exhausted to make much of an effort on any of them. I'm 24, smart, attractive I guess, wobbly but not overweight. Funny. Loving. Have a good, stable job. Independent. Great family who help me whenever I need it. Yet, despite all these things going for me, I just can't form relationships. Friends or romantically. Yay anxiety. I've always been someone who keeps fewer friends. I used to have this awesome foursome group happening for years, until one moved overseas, one got his first girlfriend ever, and the other got married. There are no group hangs any more, I don't have any one to go camping with, I spend the week leading up to long weekends having panic attacks because I know I'm going to spend the weekend seeing everyone with their friends and I'll be sitting at home. My birthday terrifies me and I spent the last two overseas partying with strangers because I was terrified no one would turn up to mine. I don't have the money to go overseas this year and it's my birthday in 7 weeks, uh oh. I have met so many people in this time, but I automatically think they hate me. I get invited to things, but I get too anxious and bail. I actually do have a group of friends, but I think they hate me, so I don't know how that works. As for relationships.. I was great... Up until my relationship when I was 19 with a douchecanoe. It left me anxiety-ridden, and unable to get close to anyone for a solid 3 years after. There were a few people I dated which was okay, but I didn't really let my feelings kick in. Last year though.. met a guy. Went well for 6 weeks, then bam. Horrible anxiety. To his credit, he dealt with it for several months after but we called it quits because he already had a kid and a divorce and I didn't want him to deal with my crap as well. Happened again with the next dude. Now I'm too bitter about both relationships that I can't get over them. And one of them is in the same friendship group. So now my relationship and friendship anxieties are in the one place. I have no idea why I'm doing this to myself. It's completely irrational. I'm anxious about pushing people away so I push people away so I don't get anxious. How does one even get themselves into that stupid cycle? I feel worthless, underrated, bitter and lots of angry, and tonight I just want a damn hug and it looks like it'll be my dog because I have no one to call up and cry to.

Feeling a bit down.

replies: 7

Hi Guys, Lately I feel really down. When I am alone I feel so lonely, not in a way where I crave people but more in a way that I feel so disconnected from the world and myself. Its so hard to find meaning. I was wondering if anyone else has experienc... View more

Sudden anxiety around long term friends

replies: 5

So my therapist said i should consider going out and meeting up with friends at least once a week over the holidays. I thought yeah, sure, sounds pretty straightforward. I usually do go and meet up with them once every couple of weeks anyways. Been good friends with them for several years so I didn't anticipate many problems. But now suddenly I find myself getting real stressed out and anxious over any interaction I have with them. It feels like the same kind of social phobia I get around strangers, which is insane because normally i would be perfectly comfortable around them. Was wondering if anyone else had any similar experiences; I am really weirded out here. I feel like someone has spiked my tap water with crazy juice or something. I actually ended up giving up on planning a trip out of town to visit another, also long term group of friends because of this.

How to not compare yourself to others??

replies: 3

Hi there, For the entirety of my schooling years and including university, I have been having significant issues with my self worth and comparing myself to others. I am never happy with my results and always believe that I am a failure because I'm not getting high results like my friends at uni. This makes me feel incredibly useless and frustrated because I put in so much effort, and in return I gain little in return. I have even stopped submitting the last pieces of work as I feel there is no point in doing so as I am going to fail anyway, which is heartbreaking for me. I just don't feel satisfied with my results no matter which way I look at it! Can somebody please help me? thanks, Immy.

Perfectionism help needed

replies: 3

Hi there!My story with anxiety would fit a good novel and I am not sure where to start exactly. I am an architecture student, currently in 4th year, an immigrant (and Aus citizen for 3 years), homosexual and extremely perfectionist person. I am suffering from uncontrollable crying at anywhere, anytime, burning sensation in my neck and in the place where my brain should be, accompanied by the most horrific self-critical, sometimes suicidal thoughts and self-humiliating behaviour. I have tried to reach out for help from professionals but certain limitations are preventing me from getting substantial help. I can clearly define a few failures that I’m unable to overcome mentally and drag me into a cycle of self-torture. After our immigration from eastern Europe with my family, I lived in deep outback until my 20th birthday and rushed into a relationship with a guy as soon as I arrived into the city starting a 1.6 years long relationship which ended up with a breakup –sort of catastrophic- after the following events: Last year, almost lost my sibling to anorexia, lost a relative through suicide (with similar mental mindset) and got two close relatives living overseas diagnosed with aggressive cancer types requiring an emergency travel during the semester. My course in the meantime has proceeded further and became more difficult and demanding (always studied overnight, having very little sleep and received high amount of stress from strict time constraints) These triggers were enough to make me do mistakes at the workplace which resulted in being fired. I became more aggressive in my relationship which resulted in having to live with my ex in a small unit for three quarters of the lease of our student residence (no other arrangement was possible). I felt humiliation, guilt, anger, all sorts of negative emotions towards myself for inability to cope, until we moved apart. Despite I wanted to proceed and move on. I have continued my studies, however I have phobia of applying to workplaces (I am financially dependent – STRUGGLING), opening to new relationships (as well as hating my sexuality), I am battling with insomnia and the type of anxiety attacks that I described earlier. I technically tried to compress 2 years in 2500 characters which might look superficial, but I really need advice in how to go on as my future seems to be taking me towards leaving my course, mental breakdown and some serious self-torture as a result.Thank you!Greg (23) beyondblue's clinically-trained moderators often work offline (invisible to you) on issues relating to suicide or self-harm. At the same time, general supportive comments from the community are encouraged. If you have concerns around suicide or self-harm, please phone our support service on 1300 22 4636. Normal 0 false false false EN-AU X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}

Eeep! When study is overwhelming! - Tips, ideas and coping strategies replies: 51

NEW TO THIS FORUM? Please read this first replies: 0

please help replies: 3

I'm lost and I'm nearly giving up. replies: 5

depression or am i just a silly teenager? replies: 7

Feeling alone and not coping replies: 6

Feeling lost and emotional after a traumatic event replies: 1

Lonely, Anxious, Bitter and Tired replies: 3

Feeling a bit down. replies: 7

Sudden anxiety around long term friends replies: 5

How to not compare yourself to others?? replies: 3

Perfectionism help needed replies: 3