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

CatHumphy Confused
  • replies: 2

Okay, I have never done something like this before and I am not even quite sure why I am doing this. I guess I'm just kind of looking for a safe place to express my feelings and hopefully be a able to connect with some people who are feeling similar ... View more

Okay, I have never done something like this before and I am not even quite sure why I am doing this. I guess I'm just kind of looking for a safe place to express my feelings and hopefully be a able to connect with some people who are feeling similar pressures. The kinds of pressures I am talking about are expectations of society and the people who surround me. I am currently in high school and after a long time of people telling me how to live my life, I've suddenly found myself stopping and asking, why? What on earth is the whole point of spending days at this place where I continue to feel stressed about grades and expectations from my peers and teachers to do well. Do I even enjoy being at school? And if I were to stop school, what would I do with myself? I just wish I could work out what defines me as a person, know what I want to fight for and do my little part in the world, however insignificant it may be, as long as it gives me a sense of self. I just feel like my mind is such a jumbled mess that I can't even tell who I am anymore, I just don't know what my purpose is... And I wish I could find a concrete answer, but I struggle to face the hard truth that I probably never will. I'm sorry, this was probably no help to anyone, but if you feel like you don't know what you're doing with you're life and you feel kinda stagnant, I'm here with you and we can get through this lostness(I don't even know if that's a word) together

Kcurse I feel like crying but tears never come out
  • replies: 1

Usually I am one not to cry. I feel like crying but tears never come out. Lately, my eyes have been welling up and I feel like crying for no reason. I also feel like anything not to do with school, anything that won't help me in my future is pointles... View more

Usually I am one not to cry. I feel like crying but tears never come out. Lately, my eyes have been welling up and I feel like crying for no reason. I also feel like anything not to do with school, anything that won't help me in my future is pointless and I haven't been wanting to do it. I feel like there might be something going in however every time I say oh I should ask someone or there's something wrong, my response is, I'm just imagining it, there's nothing there. Another problem is every time I talk to people I feel like I'm annoying them, I feel like they don't like me. They tell me they do but I'm not sure if it's true or not. Everything I day I feel they don't care about it at all and they want to get away from me. I find it hard to start conversations with people and keep going in a conversation, I hate social situations and would rather sit by myself but I don't like the looks people give me and I feel like people talk behind my back if I'm by myself. I wouldn't say I have any friends, I don't think anyone wants to be friends with me but I'm not sure if that's true or not, I guess I just don't have anyone to talk to about it. My mum always says if I have problems to 'not worry about them' and 'it's nothing'. I recently have been kicked out from my group for being 'racist' because I was 'defending a racist' but all I was trying to do was to stop them from saying inappropriate and rude things about a teacher who is actually a family friend. My mum has said to not worry but now I don't even have anyone to sit with. I don't know who to talk to and I don't know if I've said everything I want to say on this post but I really don't know what to do and I hate going to school. Besides the whole friend thing I just find school boring and too easy and I'm always ahead but staying at home and on the weekend I jut get bored all the time, I don't really like either. I know I'm not suicidal or anything, I don't self harm even though I thought of it once but I know I couldn't do it to myself, so that's definitely not the problem so I don't know what is. I'm just really lost and confused.

Monnay Depressed, anxious and really struggling.
  • replies: 2

I was diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Depression last year, but have suffered with anxiety since I was about five, and have been suffering with depression for the past four years, but only last year did I reach out to my dr for help. ... View more

I was diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder and Depression last year, but have suffered with anxiety since I was about five, and have been suffering with depression for the past four years, but only last year did I reach out to my dr for help. I began by seeing a psychologist, and had a few sessions with her, but she ended up making me feel worse, and pushed me deeper into my anxiety and depression. My dr then sent me to a psychiatrist and she actually listened to me and was understanding. She prescribed me medication, which I was only on for 2 months. For the first month I felt horrible, I had migraines, and nausea. But then for about 2 weeks or so I felt much better! I felt so much lighter. I didn't feel happy per say, but I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. But then after the 2 weeks, one night I noticed my eyes kept rolling into the back of my head. I tried to go to sleep but couldn't even close my eyes because my eyes were rolling so far back into my head. My mum took me to the hospital and I couldn't even walk because my eyes were so far back in my head. The doctors were absolutely confused and spent way too long trying to figure out what was wrong with me before calling down the clinical psychologist. Immediately he said I had EPS, as well as serotonin syndrome. He gave me an injection and FINALLY my eyes stopped rolling into the back of my head. Since then I've been slowly increasing on a different medication, but it hasn't started working for me yet, so I still feel as down and anxious as ever. My only friend just doesn't understand what I'm going through and is busy with her own life, so I feel quite alone. My mum is going through her own problems at the moment, and she tries to be there for me but it's hard for her. I never want to leave the house, I'm afraid of everything, I'm extremely sad, irritable, anxious and lack energy. I find it so hard to do anything, I am so tired all the time and I have no motivation, which is horrible since I'm trying to study two online courses and I NEED to get through them, but struggle so much. I feel so completely alone at the moment, and I'm angry at myself for feeling the way I do, I wish I could just snap out of it and I feel like I have no right to feel the way I do. I'm 18 and I feel like my teenage years have been completely wasted because I've hardly done anything. I'm just really struggling, and wanted to reach out to people who understand what I'm going through.

SkyWay Social Anxiety and Work Experiance
  • replies: 2

Okay, so I've never written one of these before but I'm starting work experience tomorrow at a music shop...and I'm getting slightly nervous. Okay, nervous is an understatement. I don't even know how to introduce myself when I first walk in to the sh... View more

Okay, so I've never written one of these before but I'm starting work experience tomorrow at a music shop...and I'm getting slightly nervous. Okay, nervous is an understatement. I don't even know how to introduce myself when I first walk in to the shop...do I ask for the guy I talked to on the phone?! What if someone asks me for a favour like getting them coffee?! GAH! I'm so nervous that I'll stuff up or act awkward or just be myself really... AND I HAVE TO DO THIS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK!!!!!! I talked to my parents about this but they don't understand they think I'm just shy. I'm really regretting ever doing this in the first place. And most of the people there are going to be outgoing!!! People keep asking how I feel and when I say nervous they respond "Yeah but excited right?". I'm definitely not excited. Maybe I was for the first few seconds when I found out Id be doing this, and then instant regret and anxiety took over. I don't know if I can do this. HELP

Rachel_A Someone please help me
  • replies: 2

At the beginning of the year I started medication for the first time, but a few weeks ago I just stopped taking them and cancelled all my psychology appointments. I don't know why I've done this. Im also recently been a compulsive lier to my parents.... View more

At the beginning of the year I started medication for the first time, but a few weeks ago I just stopped taking them and cancelled all my psychology appointments. I don't know why I've done this. Im also recently been a compulsive lier to my parents. I lie cause I feel it's just easier. Since lying to them, they have found out I have lied and are very disappointed in me. Now that they know they don't know whether to believe me or not, I don't even believe myself. I haven't told them about stopping my medication and cancelling my appointments. After all this I now can't talk to my parents cause I'm scared of what they are going to think of me and how they are going to feel. I don't know what to say to them anymore. I stay at my boyfriends house every night to avoid them, I sometimes don't even go home for a few days. I'm just so lost and confused I don't know what I am doing. I'm scared I have lost my parents. please someone help me! I don't think I can cope much longer. Rachel

Kaleidescopehues The power of guilt
  • replies: 5

The past 5 years of my life have been a crazy whorl wind of ups and major downs. It's rare that I go a whole week without feeling deep sadness and guilt about things that I have done. Apart from the shame and embarrassment of actions themselves, I'm ... View more

The past 5 years of my life have been a crazy whorl wind of ups and major downs. It's rare that I go a whole week without feeling deep sadness and guilt about things that I have done. Apart from the shame and embarrassment of actions themselves, I'm also dealing with the guilt of the impact these have had on others. People that I have loved, people that I ought to have respected more, and who didn't deserve to be dragged into my mess. If I had just one opportunity to collectively apologise to these people & for it to make everything better, perhaps I could move on properly. But I've learnt that saying 'sorry' sometimes isn't good enough. Sometimes you need to realise that your impact is toxic, and requires elimination. I'm constantly battling with the thought of all the friends I could have had, and all the people who tried to wake me up to my senses. Were my ears deaf? I've cried a lot. I've ignored the thoughts. But the regret is real, and I'm not sure if it will ever leave me. I want to start again. It's too much some days and it's scary

Maryjane12 Depression flare up
  • replies: 2

Hi, At the moment I am having a really rough patch. I am both depressed and anxious and I am starting to worry that this is something I am never going to overcome. I just want to stay at home in the safety of my room all day. I miss my family so much... View more

Hi, At the moment I am having a really rough patch. I am both depressed and anxious and I am starting to worry that this is something I am never going to overcome. I just want to stay at home in the safety of my room all day. I miss my family so much as I am away from them at uni. I am not sure if I can make it to the end of the uni year, and have been advised to maybe take some time off however I don't want to have to repeat what I have already done this year. I am feeling so down and sad all the time. I have no motivation and am always tired. When I'm feeling so down like this I want to just retreat and be on my own. At the moment I don't really have any friends I can talk to or hang out with so I am even more inclined to just be on my own all the time and this is making things worse. I just don't know how to cope anymore. I haven't been able to see my psychologist for a few weeks and was relying on seeing her last week but unfortunately she was unwell. I am seeing her again tomorrow but I just can't see this whole thing getting any better soon. I really don't want to be like this forever.

b121 Venting/Oversharing with friends
  • replies: 5

Hi everyone, This is my first time posting but I have experienced GAD for quite a long time. Lately I have managed to become more assertive, especially in regard to talking about my feelings. But I worry that I have done this too much. I constantly o... View more

Hi everyone, This is my first time posting but I have experienced GAD for quite a long time. Lately I have managed to become more assertive, especially in regard to talking about my feelings. But I worry that I have done this too much. I constantly over-analyse everything I've said in social situations, feeling like I've made them all about me. When I talk to my closest friends about my anxiety and concerns, I feel like I am a burden and am whining all the time. I've been through a bit of a tricky time lately with one thing on top of another, and I feel like I've been chronically whining. Unfortunately, I met my current friends during a rough patch so feel that our entire friendship has been full of my issues. No one has ever told me that this is the case, but I feel like I'm behaving like a very negative, self-centred and complaint filled person. I feel like I should talk less about myself, but I don't want to revert to my old passive ways when I've come so far. I may be overthinking it again as no one has brought it to my attention, but it seems there is no way to be sure. My worst fear is to be a bad friend and self absorbed. I'm becoming increasingly hyper-aware of this. Has anyone else experienced this? Does anyone have any useful strategies to help? Thank you!

LilyM I'm World Weary and I'm Not Even 20
  • replies: 2

Lately I've felt exhausted, not just physically, but mentally. It's not that I've been busy, it's just that I look into my future and I dread it. I don't know why. I have a good job and some friends and a steady boyfriend. I don't know what's wrong w... View more

Lately I've felt exhausted, not just physically, but mentally. It's not that I've been busy, it's just that I look into my future and I dread it. I don't know why. I have a good job and some friends and a steady boyfriend. I don't know what's wrong with me. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it my depression resurfacing? Should I be worried/telling people/seeking help?

Maryjane12 Feeling overwhelmed
  • replies: 2

Hi, This is my first time to post so a bit nervous. 5 years ago I was diagnosed with Anorexia after losing a lot of weight. After my diagnosis I forced myself to eat to the point where I overate, ignored my emotions and gained a lot of weight. After ... View more

Hi, This is my first time to post so a bit nervous. 5 years ago I was diagnosed with Anorexia after losing a lot of weight. After my diagnosis I forced myself to eat to the point where I overate, ignored my emotions and gained a lot of weight. After about 9 months everyone thought I was better and I just went on with my life. 2 years ago I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and was put on medication. Since the diagnosis I have been struggling with the depression and recurring eating disorder thoughts and after having Seretonin Sydnrome twice, I have changed medications quite a few times. Over the past month or so I have been really struggling to cope mentally. I have just last week started on a new medication, however I have been feeling really down, distressed, anxious, upset and confused. I have been feeling really alone and not sure how to cope. I keep thinking how I just want to take a leave of absence from uni, however don't want to prolong my degree or for people to find out what is going on. I feel like I'm going crazy and am embarrassed because I feel like I have so many problems. So I thought I would come to this forum to try and hear from other people who are struggling like me, so I can try to feel slightly more normal and hope that someone will understand because at the moment I feel like I really don't have anyone I can talk to.