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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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bounique Not sure what to do
  • replies: 1

Hi, First time posting on here, so I'm a little bit nervous. I've had depression/anxiety for three years now, in those three years i lost two friends. It has been very very trying. In the past two weeks I have been struggling a lot, i've managed to p... View more

Hi, First time posting on here, so I'm a little bit nervous. I've had depression/anxiety for three years now, in those three years i lost two friends. It has been very very trying. In the past two weeks I have been struggling a lot, i've managed to push a lot of my close friends away and now they won't talk to me. My boyfriend of 1 year has copped a lot of my depression, and I feel like I've completely wrecked my relationship with him. I'm at a complete loss of what to do, i make everyone feel like i don't appreciate their support, when in reality i definitely do. Has anyone else been through all of this? how did you make things right? Thank you!

Muddy_Waters Thinking for last Resorts for my Depression & Anxiety .
  • replies: 3

I've been suffering severe Depression & Anxiety for the past 5 years, I'm a 20 year old male. I've been hospitalised twice for my condition in hospital. Now these days my depression isn't as bad as it was when I was younger but it still haunts me. My... View more

I've been suffering severe Depression & Anxiety for the past 5 years, I'm a 20 year old male. I've been hospitalised twice for my condition in hospital. Now these days my depression isn't as bad as it was when I was younger but it still haunts me. My Depression was so bad back then that I couldn't even speak, with outbursts of crying and anger moulding in with despair and shame. The pain I feel now is like, living in a prison made by my own device. Having anxiety pretty much makes it hard to help stop the depression in it's tracks. The way I feel about myself stops me from going outside to see people, or do things. There's this fear and I have that won't allow me to do certain things. I also worry about the smallest weirdest things like, how I dress myself? I feel like I'm OCD at times. I won't go out because the shoes I wear doesn't fit these jeans which will make me feel insecure about myself, stuff like that. You know, so to go outside I need to look good, so I feel good about myself. I have this fear of people looking at me and judging how I perceive myself. THIS fear is stopping me from conquering my depression. Dealing with my depression, I feel lifeless... the only things I've managed to do in the last few months was go to the gym and go for walks/jobs which has helped to a degree but I haven't seen the results I want because I know the exercise I'm doing isn't the correct or right way, and it's very hard to push just yourself. Yet I don't feel anxiety when I do these activities because I'm by myself for most of the time. The last few weeks however I've been purposely sleeping in because I want to dream and escape reality. I stay in home all day most days watching videos on youtube to escape reality. Somedays I feel hope and optimistic about the future, most days I feel very dark and gloomy inside. I've just started living with my dad for the past 6 months now, and he lives very unclean. So the household attracts lots of mice and cockroaches, which I hate. Plus the house is falling apart, the place is like a ghetto. Lucky my mums family place is up the road and I spend alot of my time here because it's more or less relaxing. I know environment can impact how you feel, but this just isn't the case, sure it's gotten harder but nothings hardly changed in the 5 years I've suffered depression. I guess I just wanted to see what tips or help I could achieve in online forums, I've got a doctors mental health plan installed on the 27th of this month.

bumbleb33 Need Advice
  • replies: 3

Hey all I've been suffering from depression for about a year. The last 6 months have been the worst. I've taken a break from uni, mostly stayed at home and just had little energy to do anything. But more importantly, I've isolated myself from a lot o... View more

Hey all I've been suffering from depression for about a year. The last 6 months have been the worst. I've taken a break from uni, mostly stayed at home and just had little energy to do anything. But more importantly, I've isolated myself from a lot of my close friends. They have tried to get in touch with me but I stupidly closed my facebook, phone and just ignored any sort of contact. They don't know about my problems and have probably just assumed I found new friends or didn't want to hang out. I've started to feel better recently and have realised how stupid I've been. But I really don't know how to approach them again and I don't want to mention my depression either......can anyone give me some tips? Thank you

adagio9 Getting help and uni struggles
  • replies: 4

Hi, so I recently posted on the youthbeyondblue forum but this one seems to be a lot more active.Basically- I'm struggling with starting uni and my mental health is pretty bad at the moment.I do want to get help but I'm scared to tell my family and a... View more

Hi, so I recently posted on the youthbeyondblue forum but this one seems to be a lot more active.Basically- I'm struggling with starting uni and my mental health is pretty bad at the moment.I do want to get help but I'm scared to tell my family and also because of how suicidal I get , I'm afraid that if I do see someone without them knowing (I'm 18) that they will be contacted anyway. My dilemma is that I'm in quite a critical position at the moment and I know that I have to do something.I don't know where to turn. I also don't have my own medicare card so logically that is the next step but then do I go to a gp, headspace or my uni's counselling service??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.

wilsonnicolet Social anxiety?
  • replies: 2

I might have social anxiety or I might just be confused. At school or places that I'm unfamiliar with, I'm quiet and get extremely nervous when people talk to me. I'm part of a sports team, and there I'm a social butterfly. My face gets red when peop... View more

I might have social anxiety or I might just be confused. At school or places that I'm unfamiliar with, I'm quiet and get extremely nervous when people talk to me. I'm part of a sports team, and there I'm a social butterfly. My face gets red when people try to talk to me or I get called out in class... I might just be shy, but it really stresses me out. I'm scared to get called on I might be depressed or I might just be confused. I don't feel emotions the way I used to feel them. I can cry, I can smile, and I can laugh, but it's not deep. I don't feel pain the way I used to. Nothing effects me or upsets me. I keep asking myself if I'd rather feel something or nothing? Because this way I don't hurt, but this way... I feel empty. I always feel empty, and I don't know how to feel whole. I try so hard to do things I love and be with people I love, but I'm constantly tired. I don't know who to talk to because my problems aren't as big... I don't want to bother anyone because I complain a lot. I want to go through a life changing experience and feel something real because I don't feel human anymore, and I'm confused.

banana_split Competitiveness, trying to do it all, uncontrollable guilt
  • replies: 3

Hi, new to the community and I really appreciate if you bothered to read as I know you all have troubles of your own. Just like to start by saying I've been well provided for all my life and I think I'm in a good place (life-circumstance wise). But w... View more

Hi, new to the community and I really appreciate if you bothered to read as I know you all have troubles of your own. Just like to start by saying I've been well provided for all my life and I think I'm in a good place (life-circumstance wise). But while I am grateful for much I also have crippling anxiety/depression up to several times a week. I am in final year of uni and am really starting to worry about maintaining my GPA. I am what many would describe as a high flier and am on track for first class honours, however I have had 1-2 bad semesters and cannot let go of them. I constantly berate myself for possibly losing this first-class because of a lazy sem in Year 1. I know of people who have done better than I and am sometimes consumed with jealousy. I have a job lined up after graduation where I am fairly certain the pay is determined by grades, and it drives me crazy to think that others entering the job might be earning hundreds more than me every month. As a child, my father screamed at me for every mark I lost on every test, no excuses. It was a tough lonely 12 years which ruined our relationship and, I believe, led me to become incredibly insecure, competitive and unforgiving of myself. I feel guilty for every minute I am not productive and I want to excel at everything from uni to dancing to socialising. I even feel guilty for having anxiety as I know I have had a good life in general. At times I'm so mentally exhausted I do nothing for hours, which then makes me feel worse about myself. To top it off I have a younger sister (visiting me at uni at the moment) who has never excelled at school. My father's expectations, though they were lowered by her time, drove her the opposite way. She seems to have given up her drive to pursue anything, squandering days away online and refusing to take action on anything or even leave the house. Even this is something I feel guilty about: I feel that as the older sister I should have done something to prevent this. There is little I say that she will listen to as she resents me for doing better in school, and while I am desperate to help her, her constant complaints, attitude and self-entitlement are superbly annoying to me.

Awesomo94 Seperation Depression
  • replies: 2

Im 21 and still live at home. i have a good relationship with my parents. when they go away or im by myself i start to get really depressed and anxious that can last for days and goes back to a more manageable form of depression. does anyone else hav... View more

Im 21 and still live at home. i have a good relationship with my parents. when they go away or im by myself i start to get really depressed and anxious that can last for days and goes back to a more manageable form of depression. does anyone else have times like this? any advice on how to manage it?

BenD Giving up drinking for a month or two
  • replies: 1

Hi everyone, I'm considering going alcohol free for a month or two to just see what it would be like. I've heard the benefits are pretty rosy for mental and physical health. My only concern is that being a 22yr old uni student that's grown up around ... View more

Hi everyone, I'm considering going alcohol free for a month or two to just see what it would be like. I've heard the benefits are pretty rosy for mental and physical health. My only concern is that being a 22yr old uni student that's grown up around a pretty consistent culture of drinking since I was 16 it might be difficult socialise, especially given that am prone to bouts of social anxiety. Has anyone tried this before and if so how did it go? Thanks, Ben

lost_helpless Lost. Haunted. Afraid
  • replies: 3

I'm a 24 year old, qualified tradesman, full time single parent and i run my own business! sounds good doesn't it the dream. the reality im 24 and my life is going down hill fast. i loved my job i was great at my job, now i avoid going back. (workpla... View more

I'm a 24 year old, qualified tradesman, full time single parent and i run my own business! sounds good doesn't it the dream. the reality im 24 and my life is going down hill fast. i loved my job i was great at my job, now i avoid going back. (workplace accident) i have a little 4yo boy he is my world, it hurts me deep inside to look at him and can not give him the things he wants (materialistic items). i had a crew of employees at one stage money was great, started a family. family split, business closed. during that time i had an addiction the drug ice which now I'm still recovering from. I've always been afraid to ask for help and always fought my own battles. this thread is the furthest I've ever gone to get some serious help. not sure if I'm looking for an excuse or just man up and fight on..

Ajay97 My anxiety story
  • replies: 6

Hi everyone. i am new here so I really don't know what to say. But I will tell you my story... For many years now I have suffered from constant nervousness and shyness, something I not long ago found out was a social phobia a form of anxiety. It has ... View more

Hi everyone. i am new here so I really don't know what to say. But I will tell you my story... For many years now I have suffered from constant nervousness and shyness, something I not long ago found out was a social phobia a form of anxiety. It has stopped me from going out with friends and even family, I don't talk much and this makes me anxious because I feel that people judge me. When people ask me to go and hang out with them at the time I always feel excitement and say yes, but as times gets closer I start feeling really nervous my stomach goes tight, I get really bad headaches, I feel as though I am going to throw up and I just get really exhausted. Because I feel like this I don't go out, which I know is bad I should push myself but I feel at the time if I do I will just puke everywhere! I have told one of my close friends about this and she has been very understanding but there are so many times that you can tell your friends no you can't go, that they will get annoyed and stop asking you to things which is what happens and then I feel left out. I don't want to be that person who says no! I want to be the person who is confident, talkative, creative and bubbly, I want to put smiles on people faces! But I can't because I let anxiety take over me. A question I have is: does anyone else have this problem or am I the only one? Because I sure feel like I'm the only one because everyone around me are so confident and bubbly. And another question for those who have the same problem with anxiety as me is have you overcome you anxiety and if so how? I have sure learnt one thing from the anxiety I have which is I rely too much on technology to talk for me rather than myself! I want to change that but writing it down is easier than doing it that's why I've joined beyond blue to see how other people are coping. thanx for reading