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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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demondee First help experiences?
  • replies: 14

I've struggled for a long time. Each day feels like forever and I'm tired of it. I know I'm stressed out a lot lately with uni, work and completing my honours project. But at the same time I can't voice how I feel. When I see people face to face I au... View more

I've struggled for a long time. Each day feels like forever and I'm tired of it. I know I'm stressed out a lot lately with uni, work and completing my honours project. But at the same time I can't voice how I feel. When I see people face to face I automatically put on my mask and I can never take it off. I never say how I feel. I feel trapped. There's no one at uni who I can talk to. The counselling service at uni is always full or I am unable to book a time because it'll be my first time. My GP is usually booked out 2 weeks in advance and I have this weird thing where I feel better if I have an appointment with her (I've only been twice - she's a new GP for me) and that goes for anyone. I think it's a defense mechanism. And there's a part of me that thinks that if I can't even tell my GP about what I've been feeling, then what is the point? It would be so hard to start any form of talk therapy with someone. So what was your first experience of getting help? Did you have similar difficulties? If so, how did you overcome it?

Jimmy19 Feeling really hollow and alone
  • replies: 6

Been feeling really sad and hollow lately for a number of reasons. I am currently studying at university in my first year and I have been somewhat enjoying it besides the abnormally large amount of work I have to do compared to my friends (they are i... View more

Been feeling really sad and hollow lately for a number of reasons. I am currently studying at university in my first year and I have been somewhat enjoying it besides the abnormally large amount of work I have to do compared to my friends (they are in different courses). I barely get time to do anything any more .This I believe has had a large effect on my feelings of late. An example of this is that my grandmother passed away just over a month ago and it scared me because I felt no sadness, I did not shed a single tear and felt like I could not care less. I hate to sound dramatic but at the funeral I was with my older brother and my mother and the pastor bought up the topic of my father (it was my fathers mother who passed) and the pastor mentioned his suicide when I was 6. My brother and mother broke into tears and I just sort of sat there, I didn't feel any sadness. This whole girl situation may sound silly to some but it matters to me. I constantly feel like the guy a girl will go to if she has no other options. I was recently at my friends house for a party and a girl I have known since early high school told me she has had a crush on me since we met and that she just left her boyfriend. It was nice to hear because I liked her too, but a few hours later she is hooking up with some other guy. Then one of my friends had girl talk with her. My friend then told me the girl sounded disgusted, as if she couldn't believe she said that, since then she has acted like nothing happened. It really confuses me because I have had girls compliment me on my looks but then just treat it like a joke if I try to take it further. there Isn't a single person who will talk to me first. Everyone I talk to I start the conversation. My mum sits on the computer all day, and my brother is just with his girlfriend. whenever I reach out for help they will act all sympathetic and help me, then 2 weeks later they will just go back to before, its an endless cycle. I feel like I might even be going insane. I have spoken to a doctor and have had an examination and a Counsellor but they don't help, they told me what I already know. Everyone I have told just treats it as a sob story. but it feels like it is becoming too hard to cope. and another thing I might mention is that it isn't as if I just whine and complain to my friends about this constantly, I tend to be a guy that can make people laugh and get told that I am reliable and a great friend. I guess I just want to be heard.

Avarael I can't cope at all
  • replies: 3

I just don't have the energy to deal with my life. I'm 20 and have started university this year and moved cities for it. I'd been living away from my parents for over a year while I worked and travelled abroad so I thought I could handle being alone.... View more

I just don't have the energy to deal with my life. I'm 20 and have started university this year and moved cities for it. I'd been living away from my parents for over a year while I worked and travelled abroad so I thought I could handle being alone. I thought it would be easy to make friends because I'm usually a pretty social and confident person, but so far I've made one friend who is an international student and she is going home in the next month. When she leaves I'll be basically alone. I just didn't luck out very much with the on-campus flatmate situation and where I live that basically dictates who your friends will be. I've been trying to connect with others this year, but while I'll get along with them, nothing ever stands beyond that drunk conversation. At this point I feel like it's pointless to try and that I should just focus on functioning without others completely. I've begun being more evasive with people. It's stupid but I can't stop the feeling. For some reason when it comes to school I shut down from stress. I've had problems like this since highschool but I thought I could somehow change. My grades are so borderline that there's a good chance I'll fail first semester and let down everyone. I was meant to be smart. I am already working on a now-late assignment and have resolved to just keep working at it non-stop until it's done, but I don't have access to all the information I need. It relies on volunteer experience with an organisation I have had trouble communicating with. I haven't been coping and I haven't been honest with others about it, but I don't think they'd want to help me anyway. I know I'm responsible for myself but sometimes I just can't leave my bed all day and it's so exhausting and depressing and I feel like I've failed in every way I possibly could. I just don't have a good reason for any of it. I missed a lot of classes because I was so scared of being in a room with my classmates. I'm not usually claustrophobic or nervous like that. I can't even sleep through the night when I try to because I just have really stupid nightmares like losing all my teeth and being controlled by ghosts and I wake up feeling like I didn't sleep at all. Sleep feels like my only sanctuary though. I'm really terrified of going to a counsellor. I feel like I'd just be brushed off. I just don't have much experience with doctors or support services. I don't know if they could help my self created problems. I feel so fake and stupid.

Jay95 sick of PTSD!
  • replies: 3

so over this. i feel all alone stuck in my own head reprocessing thoughts and memories over and over. nobody gets it.

so over this. i feel all alone stuck in my own head reprocessing thoughts and memories over and over. nobody gets it.

Life_intheslow_lane12 Stepping outside the box
  • replies: 2

Hey there people, Life.intheslow.lane12 here, I bet my name tells you all I need to say. Well yes my life is pretty slow, somewhat unknown and very overwhelmed. I wish I could say that my life was much happier and more fun but I'm faced with the real... View more

Hey there people, Life.intheslow.lane12 here, I bet my name tells you all I need to say. Well yes my life is pretty slow, somewhat unknown and very overwhelmed. I wish I could say that my life was much happier and more fun but I'm faced with the reality of suffering from a range of different mental health issues. You might think I'm bubbly from how i talk or how I say things, I use to be bubbly I don't have the confidence I once did.. I think my family is surprised in the changes of my mental state of mind, I have gone from been a loud, funny and ambitious person to been the girl who prefers the dark corners of a room. without this been a novel of constant talk lets just say that life has thrown me a few hurdles, hurdles that were extremely unexpected and traumatic. At a young age I have gone through things that are not fair to anyone at any age. I find it hard to explain my true self and the things I feel inside, but I know that my depression and anxiety are starting to control my life in ways I never thought it would. I know I'm not the only one out there suffering from a blur that I can't control, I wanted to say hi and let you know that my introduction and thread is a safe place for anyone who feels lost to tune in and find some guidence. I hope there are people out there who can relate and help shed some advice

adventure95 overwhelmed
  • replies: 2

Hi,I'm not really sure what I will get out of this but I just really feel like I need to talk to somebody about it. I have been really struggling with day to day life and feeling overwhelmed no matter what I'm doing. I'm exhausted and constantly tire... View more

Hi,I'm not really sure what I will get out of this but I just really feel like I need to talk to somebody about it. I have been really struggling with day to day life and feeling overwhelmed no matter what I'm doing. I'm exhausted and constantly tired and I can't seem to stop worrying about everything, it feels like a weight is pushing against my chest and I can't get rid of it. I'm constantly restless and I really find it difficult to concentrate, I've fallen behind on my uni work more than I ever thought possible. I'm normally extremely academic and a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my grades but I just can't find the energy or motivation to do it. I've strained my relationship with my boyfriend as he always cops my mood swings and irritability and I keep pushing him away and isolating myself. I haven't gone out with friends in months because the thought of socialising is just too much to deal with. I struggle to get out of bed every morning and some times I don't even care if I wake up in the morning or not, and that really scares me. I used to be an energetic and happy person all the time and I just don't know what to do. I don't want to burden my family or boyfriend with this, they'll look at me differently and won't treat me the same if I mention something. But its just getting to the point that I can't do anything anymore without feeling really stressed and down about it.Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 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;}

Thatnurse01 Obsessive anxiety- advice and tips?
  • replies: 2

So it's exam time for me, and I know that this causes stress for anyone, however this time is different for me. I have been dating someone for two months or so, and for the past few weeks he's been showing signs of not wanting to see me anymore. I ha... View more

So it's exam time for me, and I know that this causes stress for anyone, however this time is different for me. I have been dating someone for two months or so, and for the past few weeks he's been showing signs of not wanting to see me anymore. I have been obsessing over it. I believe that I deserve better but for some reason I can't stop thinking about it and I constantly think how we don't comminicate as much as we used to, to the point where Im in tears telling myself to get angry not sad, as I know he's being a Jerk for leading me on. I can't seem to let go. I even realised that he's not a catch and that I wanted the idea of a relationship with him more than I actually wanted it, but I still couldn't stop obsessing! I was wondering if people have strategies to cope with obsessive worries or anxiety that truly improves their thought process to a stronger and more positive one. I know I need to not sweat the small stuff but for some reason this particular circumstance has sent me in a state! Im having unreasonable anxiety and would like to learn strategies to get rid of the negative thoughts and not let people get to me so much

Guest_51 A bit stuck
  • replies: 1

Greetings, I'm Jay (20) Though I'm not used to venting my feelings on these sort of sites, I have to admit that my situation is in no way improving and I'm honestly at the point where I'm desperate for a solution. To cut a long story short, I'm curre... View more

Greetings, I'm Jay (20) Though I'm not used to venting my feelings on these sort of sites, I have to admit that my situation is in no way improving and I'm honestly at the point where I'm desperate for a solution. To cut a long story short, I'm currently stuck living within my mother's house against my own will due to not being able to gather the necessary identification and finances required for a license, a birth certificate and other various forms of necessary ID. Due to lacking these necessary documents, I am extremely disadvantaged, as I am unable to eat proper food, perform adequately at university or even buy bare essentials. My mother is a hoarder who sleeps until the late hours of the afternoon (5pm), staying up all night with the television blaring to 6am, which is the time I wake (I wish I was exaggerating). Worse still, her plan is to keep me within the house so I'll take care of her, as she has no retirement plan. So essentially my life's worth has been reduced to that of a carer.Though this has been an issue since I was 14, it's taken a major toll on my mental and physical health, resulting in debilitating OCD and depression. The reason I'm writing this thread is because I can't do this by myself and no matter where I go or what I say I can't achieve any progress. I've talked to Centrelink, I've gone to the BDM department and every effort has resulted in me requiring money I don't have or identification I need to acquire from somewhere else. Any suggestions?

LaurenAdele Common anxiety habits?
  • replies: 3

Hey all- new to the forums so i apologise for blabbing haha I'm 18 years old and have been suffering hereditary anxiety for about 3 years- on meds now to manage the more severe symptoms which is awesome. However i have found since being more controll... View more

Hey all- new to the forums so i apologise for blabbing haha I'm 18 years old and have been suffering hereditary anxiety for about 3 years- on meds now to manage the more severe symptoms which is awesome. However i have found since being more controlled, i think anxiety manifests in other weird ways: can't stop picking pimples or bumps in skin, loose skin, dandruff, spit ends... i don't mind my own habits but my boyfriend and i are spending more time together, hoping to move in together next year and my habits have started on him too; picking his skin and scalp and stuff. I feel so horrible doing that to him and he doesn't know how to ask me to stop; just wondering if these kinds of habits are common? Or how i can help manage them? I have been trying so hard to just stop but i always start again. Thanks for any help anyone can give me