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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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Lori Opening up
  • replies: 6

How did you tell your friends and family that you have and are living with mental illnesses? What was their reaction ?

How did you tell your friends and family that you have and are living with mental illnesses? What was their reaction ?

h_bomb Support for something newish!
  • replies: 1

Hey guys I have been dealing with depression on and off for around 4 or so years, but I have lately been able to experience happiness through different activities which I am engaging in, such as footy, stand up, work and other events. Most of my depr... View more

Hey guys I have been dealing with depression on and off for around 4 or so years, but I have lately been able to experience happiness through different activities which I am engaging in, such as footy, stand up, work and other events. Most of my depression if not all of it is linked with a group of high school mates whom I am no longer friends with, and have blown all my tides with, I am doing my very best with moving on and letting go. Some people just seem to not be changing though etc. In about the last year or so though I have been experiencing severe anxiety, I had a full blown panic attack last year and a few more after, but only really one full blown one. The worst part of my anxiety though is the brain fog it gives me (depersonalisation/derealisation) I am fairly sure these are what they are called, I was concerned that smoking marijuana heavily once last year triggered the panic attack, and my anxiety, but I had a heap of other stuff going on and was drinking quite heavily that stage as well. I guess my question to the group is, how do I go about ridding myself of the anxious fog that lures over me daily and causes me to feel detached and "not all there"/"not with it", it can be very scary but I know this is only anxiety as my psych has explained etc. Hopefully this has made things clear for you guys, I just wanted to say though that I am definitely doing well in aspects of my life with playing footy, working, and completing my Uni degree, the anxiety is not controlling my life.

sunnyday i tried talking to people about my anxiety but they just think i'm over-reacting.
  • replies: 4

Hi, i'm just an average girl studying at uni. now that exams are over, my friend and i agreed to go on a holiday. so i booked a flight to go overseas for a holiday with my friend and as soon as i saw the email confirming this non-refundable ticket i ... View more

Hi, i'm just an average girl studying at uni. now that exams are over, my friend and i agreed to go on a holiday. so i booked a flight to go overseas for a holiday with my friend and as soon as i saw the email confirming this non-refundable ticket i felt really anxious all of a sudden. i couldn't sleep, i kept shaking, my heart was beating really fast like i had gone on a run and i just can't stop crying. i'm really used to routine living in the same place, meeting the same people. i tried to overcome my anxiety in the past by starting my exam study early, exercising regularly and trying to distract myself... I know that i should be really excited about a holiday but i am scared. I know its a safe, english speaking country... i tried talking to my parents and my friend but they don't think i'm serious and just its just travel nerves. i feel constantly really agitated and on the verge of tears... what should i do?

Captain_f Intrusive thoughts
  • replies: 5

Hey Guys,I'm a 21 year old male who suffers from OCD. I've had this problem since I was a young bloke and still carry this problem with me today. It all started when I was playing for my local footy club, a teammate of mine was diagnosed with leukaem... View more

Hey Guys,I'm a 21 year old male who suffers from OCD. I've had this problem since I was a young bloke and still carry this problem with me today. It all started when I was playing for my local footy club, a teammate of mine was diagnosed with leukaemia. One afternoon after school and I was having a hit of cricket with my next door neighbours and hurt my back and after hearing my teammate was diagnosed with cancer I immediately thought I had it too. I was a very healthy kid and it didn't matter what you told me 'I had cancer!'. Mum took me to the doctors and got me tested to show me that I didn't have it and even the doctor couldn't convince me that I didn't have it. Over time I grew out of it. Another time where I was controlled by my thoughts was when I thought I was gay and every now the thought still becomes obsessive to the point where I believe it. My most recent struggles however and what makes me worried sick out of the three is the thought about me being some sort of criminal. I have no attentions about being any of those things and the thoughts are so obsessive to the point where I believe I'm going to turn out like this person. I bloody love my family/friends and I want to live a happy life but having these thoughts sky rockets my anxiety and depression because I know that's not what I want to turn out to be nor have these sick thoughts ruin my life. Any help would be much appreciated!

Tmi1105 Help me
  • replies: 2

Hey guys I am opening up to all of you about my story. Remember when you were little and believed horrible scary things were coming to kill you and what not.. Well I am 16 now and still feel this way after I see something scary! I know they are not r... View more

Hey guys I am opening up to all of you about my story. Remember when you were little and believed horrible scary things were coming to kill you and what not.. Well I am 16 now and still feel this way after I see something scary! I know they are not real but at night I shake, dry throat, sweat, heart beats rapidly and shortened breaths because I can't shake this off! I have had some horrible cases were I watched a horror trailer and vomited straight after then felt this way for an entire week! I even had a panic attack and I never get those what do I do? What is wrong with me?

kjs Keeping strong
  • replies: 10

I have had a hard couple of weeks where I have felt like giving up because everything seems so hard again. Everything feels out of reach and I am just tired of trying so hard to get better and getting nowhere. I saw my psychiatrist yesterday who kept... View more

I have had a hard couple of weeks where I have felt like giving up because everything seems so hard again. Everything feels out of reach and I am just tired of trying so hard to get better and getting nowhere. I saw my psychiatrist yesterday who kept telling me that I have to stay strong especially until we find the right combination of medication to help me. I have been on what feels like a lot of different medications, dosages and combinations and I still haven't been able to feel different.My psychiatrist is also going overseas for July and August so I feel pressured to feel better before the support leaves. I'm not sure I can keep strong much longer. I just want a break from it all and to feel better I just want to feel better..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.

Sharnacles Being misunderstood and disliked by team members
  • replies: 4

Hi, This is my first time posting so I hope I do this right. I was diagnosed with depression a year ago and having undergone treatments that didn''t work I am trying to cope by keeping busy, social and active. I am a part of a sports team. It is some... View more

Hi, This is my first time posting so I hope I do this right. I was diagnosed with depression a year ago and having undergone treatments that didn''t work I am trying to cope by keeping busy, social and active. I am a part of a sports team. It is something I love/loved. But over the last year I have felt like an outsider. I am someone who likes to help others, I am often opinionated and I used to very outgoing and I am loud. But in trying to help others when playing, people are under the impression that I think I am more knowledgeable than others, that I am being bossy. This is not my intention. I have tried to tone it down but even slipping up once causes people to be angry at me. I do not know how to not feel like everyone hates me. That no one in my club wants me there. It is at the point where I don't want to play anymore. Which 2 years ago nothing made me happier. I don't want to be seen as the loud annoying person anymore. I don't want people to hate me anymore. But I don't know what to do or how to keep going when I am always angry or upset about things like this. But at this point with several people within my club disliking me it begs the question am I a really bad person? A person i also used to think of as a friend tends to yell at people and not encourage people, he singles people out to help and then is rude and demeaning to others, I am on of those people. And it makes me so angry. I am losing the love for a sport I need to keep me social and healthy. I don't know what to do anymore. If anyone has any advice, on both how to cope and how to manage the way I portray myself to others feel free to reply. Thank you.

Narniakid I can't answer phone calls due to my anxiety? Any tips?
  • replies: 6

Hi everyone! Only joined the BB community a few days ago but I am already finding it an extremely helpful and rewarding platform. I've been a sufferer of severe depression and anxiety for about 5 years now and I am well on the road to recovery. The o... View more

Hi everyone! Only joined the BB community a few days ago but I am already finding it an extremely helpful and rewarding platform. I've been a sufferer of severe depression and anxiety for about 5 years now and I am well on the road to recovery. The only thing I still struggle a little bit with is answering phone calls. I can answer them at work on their phone because the conversation is basically all the same and I just transfer the call, however with my study and volunteering commitments outside of the workplace, I get a lot of random phone calls from unknown numbers, and I just can't bring myself to answer them. Whenever I get the chance, I tell people to contact me via email or text message because I find the written word so much more comfortable and more convenient. I know this symptom is fairly common amongst us anxious people, does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can manage my fear a little better? Keep smiling! Crystal

Taash33 Anxiety & depression
  • replies: 4

I'm nearly 21 years old and I've battled severe anxiety for about 16 years now and depression for about 10. I've had a troubled up bringing and I've tried talking to people, calming methods, everything you can think of and never wanted to go on anti ... View more

I'm nearly 21 years old and I've battled severe anxiety for about 16 years now and depression for about 10. I've had a troubled up bringing and I've tried talking to people, calming methods, everything you can think of and never wanted to go on anti depressants, until now. Hopefully these will help me and let me live my life

MissPiggy I'm scared.
  • replies: 4

I wake up in the middle of the night heart pounding my cheeks wet with tears and I don't remember what I've been crying about. My safe place is my bathroom at least it used to be because now all i see in the mirror is a pig. A monstrous ugly creature... View more

I wake up in the middle of the night heart pounding my cheeks wet with tears and I don't remember what I've been crying about. My safe place is my bathroom at least it used to be because now all i see in the mirror is a pig. A monstrous ugly creature who should have never happened. i'm so scared of life. I push people away so they don't know how pathetic i really am. I lie about little things because it's so much easier to say yes I'm fine thanks, oh yes good morning when all I want to do it run and hide. Even now writing this down my heart is pounding and my head is hurting. Social workers don't help they just repeat whatever I say back to me. Psychologists don't think i'm worth their time. My mum loves me but doesn't understand how scared I am of walking out in public. Terrified of men following me home. I'm so bloody scared please, just help me.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.