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Sophie_M How are you feeling about the social media restrictions in Australia for under 16s?
  • replies: 14

Hey everyone With the upcoming Australian social media restriction for under 16-year-olds coming up we want to know what this means for you and maybe even the young people in your life. This conversation is a place for all of us to share how we are f... View more

Hey everyone With the upcoming Australian social media restriction for under 16-year-olds coming up we want to know what this means for you and maybe even the young people in your life. This conversation is a place for all of us to share how we are feeling and what we think the challenges and benefits might be for you or the wonderful young people in our community. Have you thought about how to stay connected with friends you’ve met online? Are you focused mostly on the positives, or the negatives? What do your parents think, and what could they do to support you? Importantly the Beyond Blue Forums are not impacted by these restrictions, we're here for anyone under 16. In short, from December 10 Social Media companies will need to ensure that only people over 16 actively engage with their platforms. There is a lot of information out there which can make it tricky to know what to expect on when it comes into effect. To learn more we think these are a helpful place to start eSafety commissioner + Headspace FAQs. We know this change will impact some more than others, QLife provide anonymous and free LGBTIQ+ support and 13YARN are here for all Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people. We want to hear your thoughts on how this might impact the mental health of under 16s in both a positive and negative way. The Beyond Blue Forums are a place for constructive and helpful conversation and the regular moderation rules apply which means we look forward to a kind and understanding discussion. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings Sophie M

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

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Char_93 New to the forums
  • replies: 2

Hi everybody, I'm just new to the forums but I'm interested in other peoples approaches to coping with their anxiety. I was diagnosed with generalised anxiety when I was 17. My parents, younger sister and I emigrated from the UK to Australia when I w... View more

Hi everybody, I'm just new to the forums but I'm interested in other peoples approaches to coping with their anxiety. I was diagnosed with generalised anxiety when I was 17. My parents, younger sister and I emigrated from the UK to Australia when I was 15 which was seen to be the main cause of my anxiety. Leaving behind my older sister and the rest of my family and friends to move half way across the world out of my comfort zone was extremely overwhelming for me. When I was 17 in my final year of school the stress just got the better of me then mixed with my homesickness seemed to be the onset of my anxiety. I experienced a very dark 6 months at the beginning of my diagnosis. I didn't leave the house, I stopped driving, stopped socialising, stopped eating. I was having panic attacks daily and found it very difficult to talk to people about my anxiety. Despite doctors wanting me to go on medication I refused. With the help of psychologists and my incredibly supporting family I managed to pull myself through the hardest time. Im now 22, and of course like most people with anxiety I still have relapses every now and again. I am half way through my nursing degree and have since understood the importance of talking and sharing my stories of my anxiety journey. I realised that excercising and changing my diet has improved my anxiety. Although I still get anxiety symptoms, especially when I get stressed with uni, I no longer have panic attacks which was a major breakthrough for me. I would be interested to here other people's stories on non-medicinal approaches to helping with anxiety?

Missing What can GP's do, if you do have Depression?
  • replies: 1

I don't know if I have depression for sure, I am almost 100% sure, but I don't want to 'self-medicate' based on information on websites. What treatment options are there if I do have depression?

I don't know if I have depression for sure, I am almost 100% sure, but I don't want to 'self-medicate' based on information on websites. What treatment options are there if I do have depression?

Vegankiitty Four years of disordered eating
  • replies: 2

Hello everyone this is my first post. My names beth and im 20 years of age. Ive been struggling with disordered eating for 4 years or more. But I have been in denial until now. I met my 21 y.o boyfriend when I was 15, I moved in with him the first we... View more

Hello everyone this is my first post. My names beth and im 20 years of age. Ive been struggling with disordered eating for 4 years or more. But I have been in denial until now. I met my 21 y.o boyfriend when I was 15, I moved in with him the first week of meeting him because I didnt want to be at home as things were tense. He began being physically and emotionally abusive towards me and I.remember feeling helpless and worthless but I didnt want to go home. He took me to queensland and things got tense with his mum, him.and I and I remember power walking multiple times per fdayto get away from them and check my body shapr in the mirror. I wasnt allowed to eat his mothers food and had no choice of what food my boyfriend bought for us. It wasnt much and wasnt nourishing. Thats when I started to stress over my food intake. I got pregnant and we moved home. I had a misscarriage. Two weeks later I got pregnant again. I started to watch what I ate feeling slightly more free but didnt start to get out of hand until I had my daughter. I was doing step ups in the hospital room and.choosing low calorie options on.the hospital menu. when I got out of hospital I started wii fit and restricting my kilojoule intake consuming as little as possible. About two months later I had gone from 60kg to 46kg and my milk ducts dried up to breastfeed. My boyfriend started to control my eating habits calling me crazy and our relationship got worse. After he threw my food out one day I left him. I finally felt free, moved back with mum for two weeks. Within that time I saved enough money to get in a house and buy my own furnithre. I was 17. I joined the local gym that let me bring my daughter in her pram and continued with my rituals but was eating a healthier amount. Eventually my exercise began to get excessive, especially when my daughter was too big to be in the gym while I was working out. I began to panic about being able to.exercise. thats when I started trying to constantlt change

tashi need someone to tell me its ok
  • replies: 7

i hate coming to these sorts of places just fr reassurance but thats really all i need right now. is for someone to tell me everything will be ok. my dad is about to start chemo, my grandfather is dying, my partner and i were about to buy a house and... View more

i hate coming to these sorts of places just fr reassurance but thats really all i need right now. is for someone to tell me everything will be ok. my dad is about to start chemo, my grandfather is dying, my partner and i were about to buy a house and start a family when he broke his back so we had to move back home we now live sepratley and he is so down and feeling so broken that i just feel so dragged down by all of it and i go to a job everyday that i hate. im only 22 years old i cant handle all of this weight on my shoulders everytime i get in the car i cry. life shouldnt feel like this

MooRich94 Stuck in a deep trench, not just a rut
  • replies: 3

Today was the first time I have deliberately brought harm upon myself in years (nothing serious) which is why I am here writing a new thread seeking some advice. I should have seen it coming, since I stopped going to counselling (as I thought I had m... View more

Today was the first time I have deliberately brought harm upon myself in years (nothing serious) which is why I am here writing a new thread seeking some advice. I should have seen it coming, since I stopped going to counselling (as I thought I had my life back on track and so did my counsellor, who is wonderful by the way) my life has been continuously up and down, mostly down lately. I tried to overcome everything myself but it has gotten the better of me, which I hate to admit as it makes me feel weak and pathetic, another reason I avoid telling my friends and family about my struggles. My stupid "problems" are nothing in comparison to what other people face every day, I shouldn't be feeling like this when the issues seem like such an easy fix. To sum it up; I'm in my last term of uni and all of a sudden I have lost all interest and motivation in what I am studying and I couldn't be bothered to finish my degree, I started a new job a few months ago and the people I work for have sucked the fun out of everything I used to love about my degree (I'm not actually sure if it is the new job which I don't enjoy or if it's just my mindset at the moment), for the 3 years I've lived in the town I moved to, to start uni I have never felt more alone in my life even though I've made some good friends here, i feel so alone and I hate it, my grandma has recently had 2 strokes and it is extremely painful to see, especially because she has no idea who anyone is, I live a long way away from my family and some friends and I always miss them, I try to tell my best friend my feelings but she just has no idea and changes the subjects which leaves me always alone with my own thoughts which is never any fun, I don't bring it up much because I know I sound whingy and probably annoying, and this is going to sound really stupid but all of my friends are in loving relationships and I have nobody, I know I don't need anybody to live or be myself but I've had enough of being alone, I feel sad and down all the time and it hurts because I used to be so fun-loving and happy and I would give anything to go back to being that. I really want to move towns and start over but I have another 9 weeks of uni, and no guaranteed job. I really don't know how I am going to make it through the rest of the year going like this, I really want to pass uni, failing would destroy me even more, but with no motivation and all of these other thoughts and feelings I just don't know what to do. 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

intervine Not sure if depression or anxiety
  • replies: 6

Hi all, This is the first time I've posted online about this... so please bear with me. For a few months now I've been feeling... different. I have definitely lost motivation in almost all aspects of life: I used to be able to study very efficiently ... View more

Hi all, This is the first time I've posted online about this... so please bear with me. For a few months now I've been feeling... different. I have definitely lost motivation in almost all aspects of life: I used to be able to study very efficiently but ever since this started I've never been able to concentrate for more than 20 minutes. I used to absolutely LOVE gaming, but now when I play games I don't get as much of a thrill. Also I used to be a huge fitness junkie, exercising and playing sports at least 5-6 times a week. But now, I don't even have the motivation to do as much exercise. I feel tired all the time and before this week (which is why I'm posting now), I would sleep all the time. However this week, something else changed. Now I can't sleep. I still feel tired and I really want to rest, but my brain just won't turn off. Furthermore, I lost motivation to go out an socialize as well, and when I do I feel nervous and utterly self-conscious, and I always end up feeling even more exhausted after a day of socializing. I still have some close friends thankfully, and being with them does not sap me of my energy. I never used to be this introverted. I used to be the life of the group and I'd always be keen for going out. But now I just feel anxious and self-conscious when I'm in big groups. And it's gotten so bad to the point where I can't even go out for a run because I feel too self-conscious. So basically, is this depression or anxiety? I kind of want to figure this out before I start seeking professional help... Sorry for the lengthy post. Thanks in advance for anyone's time

Jodie_S Just seeking some advice
  • replies: 2

Hello, I'm a 20 year old female, i started speaking to a guy in 2013 and we moved pretty fast, after a month I was living with him and his family working in s family business. It was great. We had our ups and downs but overall it was great, until I f... View more

Hello, I'm a 20 year old female, i started speaking to a guy in 2013 and we moved pretty fast, after a month I was living with him and his family working in s family business. It was great. We had our ups and downs but overall it was great, until I found pictures on his phone of other girls and messages from other girls, he was also on a dating sight... He come clean, apologised and swore it would never happen again. I dealt with it, he then started having mild anger issues getting frustrated at work and shouting at me, manipulation was huge but again I just took it with a pinch of salt. I came back in 2014 to visit my family and much to my disgust I cheated on him... When he questioned me I lied because I was so ashamed. Just like I did though he dealt with it and we got past it. His anger problems got worse and then I found he was speaking to other girls again but I kept it to myself and didn't tell him I knew, until 4 months ago when I confronted him and he denied it all, although I knew it was true as I had seen it all with my own eyes.. He got severely angry and pushed me,I left that night and I hadn't spoke to him in around 3 months. We then started talking again 1 month ago and he swears he has changed etc he has taken anger management classes. Everything was going great until today when I didn't reply to him in over an hour he automatically accused me of cheating, lying to him and everything again.. I don't know what to do because I truly do love him but I feel as if I know deep down I shouldn't have to deal with his split personality. I physically feel as if I need him, I want him but I don't know how long I can take these accusations for

SadnLonelyeh What's wrong with me
  • replies: 3

I'll give a brief summary of my situation. I'm 15, I have been abused and abondoned all my life from early childhood. currently I live with my mum and her boyfriend who is very not nice to me but she says it's my fault and I provoked it no matter wha... View more

I'll give a brief summary of my situation. I'm 15, I have been abused and abondoned all my life from early childhood. currently I live with my mum and her boyfriend who is very not nice to me but she says it's my fault and I provoked it no matter what I say I WILL cop it from him, I am really depressed, anxious and angry on the inside, I can go from being distant and nothing can make me upset, happy or anything its just nothing basically. Too being very sensitive and crying which I actually like because I feel somewhat human but anyway I go to an alternative school which I don't like much and I would prefer to be alone. I feel very stuck, Their is no such thing as a good day for me anymore, Happiness doesn't exist anymore, I'm scared to do simple things like going outside, going to the shops, Socializing etc. I go to therapy which I have been for a couple of years but I don't even talk about things there and I often fake my mood like I do a lot of the time, I feel very guilty and I just don't see an end to this, I won't say anymore but I want some advice, I go to therapy because I can talk for a bit but If I don't even say anything worth talking about It seems pointless but letting someone know the things I really think and feel and things Ive seen is just unimaginable and I'm scared because when I was in grade 8 my therapist took what I said completely out of context and thought I was in danger which was stressful to me because I wasn't, I have been admitted before but I don't want to be admitted again it wasnt fun to put it nicely. Anyway this is getting too long so I just want to know what I should do or some advice. 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;}

Darcis_Prime My past still haunts me.
  • replies: 6

Hey guys, im Darcee. This is my first post on this thing so here goes:I was brought up on pain. Constantly beaten and abused. I was made the 'slave of the house' after my father had married my stepmom. She is a cruel, mind-bending woman who controls ... View more

Hey guys, im Darcee. This is my first post on this thing so here goes:I was brought up on pain. Constantly beaten and abused. I was made the 'slave of the house' after my father had married my stepmom. She is a cruel, mind-bending woman who controls people to her will. She's like Morgana. Cruel and wicked. My father wasnt always so abusive. He used to be kind, smart and loving. But when she came it all went to hell. I would be threatened in my own home, told that i was nothing but a filthy rat... at least that is what it felt like. My hatred for them grew bigger by the day and soon, after moving i had had enough. Instead of trying to 'impress them' i shamed them. Gave them a taste of their own medicine. I devoted to listening to demons instead of these 'angesls' they so often sopke of. They tried to force me to be christian, i became the opposite. A girl who hates the things they did and killed her own family in her dreans. Everyday i feared getting out of bed, not even game enough to plant my feet on the carpet. But now that i have gotten away from them i feel safer. But my past still comes for me. I may be 15 but i still need a teddy bear to get to sleep in fear of waking up in that ghastly place. I needed out of there before i exploded. 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;}

BlueMoon123 How to get my partner on my side
  • replies: 2

I'm 23, female, suffering depression, I have previously been through lows when I was younger but this is the first time I have properly approached it and perhaps identified it properly. Just finished 3 months of weekly therapy which was an amazing ex... View more

I'm 23, female, suffering depression, I have previously been through lows when I was younger but this is the first time I have properly approached it and perhaps identified it properly. Just finished 3 months of weekly therapy which was an amazing experience. I learnt a huge amount about myself, likes, dislikes, wants & needs, strategies to control myself and to lift myself out of the black hole. i feel well equipped to be taking steps forward but my partner is not on board. since the start of my low moods he has been getting frustrated. He tells me to get over it, stop moping, stop focusing on it, go for a run. He was not supportive at all through my sessions - I was using up time I could spend with him, I was saying all nasty things about him etc he is quite needy, always needing reassurance, knows that he has done wrong to me in the past and gets super anxious about it. i feel like through all of this I have come out liking myself more and him less. I want to support him with his anxiety but am getting nil support from him in return. he says he has had a friend and mum go through depression and that I am not like that. No I haven't tried to commit suicide or leant on drugs/alcohol but that doesn't mean that I don't need his help. I am rambling a bit, I just feel lost at how to get him on board to be there for me and to not be so frustrated all the time i don't want to feel like this I wish he could see that does anyone have a similar situation or any ideas to get him to understand?