Young people

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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 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!

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 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.

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"Its finally time to talk"

replies: 12

Hi, I'm still only a teenager, currently receiving help for my anxiety & depression. I absolutely hate talking about personal things, or talking in general, I feel violated when I do. My Psychiatrist and Mother have suggested going on this site, beyondblue and signing up. Except i'm not use to talking to others with similar problems, I really do want to get help, I feel like an alien and abnormal with these mental "issues", I feel like I belongs in a mental institution. I honestly don't know how to start, except for asking if anyone else is in the same boat as me? I'm struggling to just press the "post" button because I hate sympathy and attention, I prefer being in the shadows if that makes any sense haha? I guess deep down there is a quite lingering voice telling me to talk to someone? Sincerely, megsii.

Anyone wanna chat? Forget about our problems for a little

replies: 19

Hiya! I'm new to BB and this is my first post! My name is Lauren I've been going through pretty bad anxiety at the monent, but I want to put that aside for now and meet some new people. A little about myself: I live in SE QLD I'm shy, but like meeting new people! I love listening to music, stuff on Triple J I'm a gamer I'm interested in psychology/philosophy I'm eager to meet some new people Thanks for reading (I don't know how to turn off double spacing, sorry haha)

Struggling

replies: 7

I am finding it really hard to cope right now I feel like I don't even exist to anyone.

I don't know if I have depression

replies: 6

Hi there, I came on here for some guidance, as I don't know if I have depression or not. I took the checklist on this website and it told me I do, but I'm not sure if I do or just was making more exaggerated answer so it would tell me I do and I would know what it going on. I'm in year 12 at the moment, and the last term I have just been really down and out and not motivated to do anything, but I didn't think of depression at first as I thought maybe it was just because I knew I was so close to finishing that I was turning my attentions to other things and it was harder to focus on my school work. I first noticed something was up last holidays, when I just began getting upset for no reason. Nearly every night for the past term I have gotten upset to the point of tears, and it has worsened the past few weeks that I want to cut just to release some of the pain. I used to play music in order to distract myself from this but lately I don't even feel like practicing any more. My boyfriend is the only thing or person that is making me happy at the moment, and I am a Christian but I am even struggling to talk to God, because my thoughts and my actions have become so unChristianlike I feel guilty in talking to him. I have always been a good student at school, but lately I have been getting so distracted, and unable to focus on anything that I have found myself pulling all nighters just to complete an assignment, and I wake up on a weekend knowing that there are things I should be doing, but just rolling over and going back to sleep, even if I am awake and don't feel like sleeping anymore. I have been getting into lots of arguments with my mum over this, which hurts because we have always had a really close relationship, and whenever she asks I just tell her that I am okay and I am just stressed. But it's gotten to the point where I don't feel like I can talk to her anymore, and lately I have also started pushing my boyfriend away. My thoughts generally consist of me never being good enough, that everything I do is wrong. Because I am year 12 they have also consisted of it not being worth going to uni, because everyone else is brighter and smarter than I am, and since it's a competitive world I just shouldn't bother. Even as I am writing this I don't know why I am because there are other people who need taking care of who actually have depression. But I'll keep it here because that seems like a depressing thought to me. Please help, I'm really lost.

Anxiety Attack?

replies: 4

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone had the same sort of experience with anxiety. sometimes I get issues that last for hours like breathing issues, tight chest, constant worry and lack of concentration. sometimes all I can think about is this breathing issue and it gets me really worked up. for a little while is super overwhelming then its overwhelming but I can get on. is this a form of anxiety attack? it is similar to this most days but sometimes it is wayyyy worse than others and I get so overwhelmed and I don't know what to call it? I have mild forms of this most days, does that mean I have little attacks each day?

I have depression... for no reason???

replies: 5

So I have had depression for 3-4 months now. It's really weird because nothing really happened. It came out of no where. I have been seeing a psychologist and she said that it is a chemical imbalance. I feel like I shouldn't be sad in the first place and that my life is fine. There's people out there with real problems. I have good grades. I have a lot of friends, I have both my parents. I don't understand. Why am I sad? I don't understand how a chemical imbalance can make me so depressed. I sort of feel like I am overreacting, and that what I'm feeling isn't important enough. Everyday I feel hopeless, worthless, useless and worst of all empty. My heart feels empty and I literally can't cry. And I guess crying is the only way to get all my emotions out. I feel like I'm drowning in my own thoughts. Please help. Why am I depressed??

How to get others to support you?

replies: 12

Hey people, I have anxiety disorder and I really need some help. my mum just found out and while I have given her resources and talked to her she pushes me away and wont meet me half way it research to overcome it. she doesn't understand how serious ... View more

Anxiety and Depression

replies: 2

Hi I'm really new to this but I've been reading all these stories and feel the need to share mine. Okay so I'm 15 years old and just over two years ago I had my first panic attack. For the longest time I didn't know what triggered it it was at a bus party and then before I knew it I got some weird feeling and then had a panic attack. I now know that it was depersonalisation/derealisation that triggered it. Anyway after my first panic attack I would get them almost all the time and my anxiety grew bigger. I became paranoid about everything. I went into hospital at one point. I got EEG scans to see if It had anything to do with the brain. I was always trying to figure it out and deal with it on my own. And I did for about 7-8 months even though the anxiety wasn't entirely gone I was still managing, I got my first job I was finding happiness until my 5th day on my new job I almost had a panic attack I was able to calm my self down for the moment but I ended up quitting and avoiding it. I felt some relief that I didn't have to deal with being scared to go work. It's been a few weeks since then. A couple nights ago I went out with my sister we then got home and watched a show. During that moment I got a thought that I was going crazy and I wasn't going to be able to control myself when it came to harming myself and others I remember getting so anxious and panicking and going to my room, all I wanted to do was die and kill myself and the thought was so scary because I've never thought of suicide. I called my sister and told her to just hold me. As I write this I am feeling anxious, anyway ever since that day I've been so depressed. Not eating, having weird thoughts like "is life real" or "I feel trapped in life and this world" I've been so scared I'm going to harm my self, at one point I even felt like really giving up because I see no future for myself, Im not excited for anything anymore I don't even remember happiness. Almost like I don't even want the help because I just give up but my family is keeping me is so important. I'm trying to stay so strong for them. I'm trying so hard and it's over whelming. I'm seeing the school psychologist and starting to seek help outside of school. But everyday I've been having weird changes in my mood for example once second I'll have hope in myself and then one second later I just feel so low and like I want to die and I don't want to deal with it. I need a way out of this anxiety, I need to be happy again. 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.

At the bottom again.....

replies: 3

So I saw a doctor about these negative emotions, thankfully I was not diagnosed with anything, but I still feel like rubbish. For those whose read my previous posts, you would have heard that I love acting and was part of a community play, I want to quit it. I'm constantly making mistakes and getting either yelled at or getting blame put on me that makes feel bad. The play is a lot of work and I find that I'm stressed the entire time I'm there. I can't take it. The situation at school is even worse, I refuse to be me. The old me would love contributing to class discussions and trying to make the best impression. The new me just sits in the corner, writes or types the work on his laptop and says nothing. I just want to hide myself from everyone, I just don't feel accepted. I just have no idea where I belong, what I was meant to do or anything. I find myself shaking waiting for the day to be over. I feel like I could stop going to school and no one would even noticed I went away. I really don't like myself at the moment, no self-respect and no love for myself. I feel like I'm doing something wrong all the time. My mistakes anger people to where I feel like they hate me for them. I'm just lost all over again, I felt like I was finally gathering the pieces of the puzzle only to scatter them all over the floor....again. I just don't know when I'll accept myself. I'm just sad and confused.

Asking for special consideration for honours

replies: 1

Hi there everyone, I was looking for some advice on whether/ how to ask for special consideration due to mental health issues for my honours year. I'm finishing up my thesis right now, but I've ended up having to turn it in a week over the due date. My story is that I moved from Perth to Sydney a year ago, because I didn't like Perth (no offense WA people, but I'm a big city person), and wanted to transfer uni's for honours. I ended up doing that but had a rough time with it. I transfered from a non-Go8 to a Go8 uni and found that people, including my supervisor, turned their noses up to where I had gone before. Dealing with that, and not having many friends because I was in a new city was really hard. I ended up getting really depressed in the middle of this year. As in I couldn't get out of bed and was feeling suicidal. I managed to get myself together halfway through the year, but some of my grades to a bit of dip, and it's set me behind on writing my thesis, because you know, you can't get fieldwork done if you can't get out of bed. On top of that I've felt incredibly tired the whole year, and I think honestly feeling pretty burnt out because, of all the hard work I did throughout undergrad (got great grades, and worked a few jobs to pay my way through it). I brought it up with my supervisor as soon as I realised I probably wouldn't finish on time, and asked whether I should have been looking at getting an extension. He thought I would finish on time and said I didn't need an extension, but obviously I haven't finished on time. I didn't bring up mental health stuff with him basically, because I don't like drawing attention to myself, and am a little bit worried about discrimination against mental health problems, or people waving me off because I'm a transfer student from a 'second rate uni', or that I got my self into this to begin with by deciding to move and transfer. Or just a general lack of sympathy because I often think people don't who don't have problems with depression realize just how bad, and physically debilitating it can be. I'll probably only receive a 3-3.5% penalty off of my thesis mark for turning it in late, but considering how bad I was during the middle of this year, I don't feel any marks off for lateness are fair. I was trying my best, but I'm not sure standing up for myself is worth it. Does anyone have advice?

Eeep! When study is overwhelming! - Tips, ideas and coping strategies replies: 51

NEW TO THIS FORUM? Please read this first replies: 0

"Its finally time to talk" replies: 12

Anyone wanna chat? Forget about our problems for a little replies: 19

Struggling replies: 7

I don't know if I have depression replies: 6

Anxiety Attack? replies: 4

I have depression... for no reason??? replies: 5

How to get others to support you? replies: 12

Anxiety and Depression replies: 2

At the bottom again..... replies: 3

Asking for special consideration for honours replies: 1