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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Slipping back

replies: 2

Hi - I didn't know who to talk too, I feel like I am slipping back into my depression. I don't know how to stop this from happening - it's all falling apart again.

Young, dumb and broken.

replies: 12

Hi all, A few years ago I was a passenger involved in a drink driving accident. I was 18 at the time, stupid/naive, and it has impacted my life quite a lot. My left femur, right hip and pelvis have been screwed back together with metal implants, which has caused me arthritis and restricted my sporting ability. I grew up being a really good runner, finishing first for my age group in high school from the age of 15 to 17. If nothing else was going for me, it was something that I could hold onto and say that I was really good at. Now I get pain in my legs whenever I try to run, leaving me unable to walk properly for days afterwards. Probably just having a bad day, but it feels like the world can be damn cruel sometimes. Ben

New to beyond blue and having a rough night

replies: 6

I just wanted to say hi, I'm new to beyond blue and decided to make my account tonight because I am having having a really rough night as far as my depression and anxiety goes, I just wanted to distract myself for a while. Seeing some of the very kind words people have said to others I am very glad I joined this sight and I just wanted to say that I'm feeling much better knowing people feel the same way as me and that I'm not alone.

3 Years anxiety free... then Bam. It's back. Help!

replies: 2

I'm booked into a psychologist for this one.. but the appointment is not for another 2 months, so reaching out to my similarly-conflicted online fellows to see if I can get some short term advice! Anyhow, here's my back story. Always felt like a bit of an alien growing up, frequently had severe bouts of depression or anxiety. The first time it got particularly bad was when I was about 11 and took a whole bunch of pills. Fortunately, nothing lethal and I snapped out of that soon after. Through my younger years, probably up until I was about 19 it was always depression.. but after that anxiety made it's way up the ladder of annoying things my brain does. 19-21(ish) was a massive battle for me, I was never particularly happy, crowds started freaking me out, I withdrew from friends and started drinking a lot more.. amongst other mild substances. Got in with the wrong crowd. Was generally an epic mess. Nothing in particular was triggering it. It got pretty dark for me sometimes, got hooked on benzodiazepines and I'm fair sure if I wasn't taking those, I would have ended up in hospital many times. After a solid year and a half of that, I saw a psychologist who specialises in Aspergers. Whilst I didn't get diagnosed with it, she said I had many personality traits that are similar and learning about the disorder may help me. And oh boy, it did. It took a year, and a lot more struggle, but through studying it and my own sheer will, I got through it. The anxiety was gone, I did it without any form of drugs, prescription or other. The next few years were incident free, only very minor bouts but I pulled myself out of them just as soon as they started. Until about a month ago. I've been single for the past few years, dated a few times but nothing that ever really got my emotions moving. 3 months ago, at 24, finally felt like I was ready to cross that bridge and let someone else in. So I did. Great guy. 2 months go by, no worries. Month #3... I'm a mess. The slightest minor slip up on his behalf, something so petty that I shouldn't have even thought about 2 seconds after it happened.. But.. it just snowballed from there. And it's bad. I don't want to screw this up, and I'm thinking a 2-month wait for the appointment might just be a bit too long for both of us to handle. If anyone has any advice or tips, just in the short term to help me keep my crap together.. You will have my biggest thanks. .. Sorry about the wall of text. I like writing.

I need help!

replies: 7

I self harmed for the first time last night. I've never done that before no matter how severe I get. I've been thinking of ways to end my life and I just need some help but I can't afford a shrink what do I do?

New and struggling

replies: 5

Hiya, So after 8 months of trying to sort out my anxiety and depression in other non medical ways, I had to admit that I not doing ok. I've been back on medication for a week now, and today is not a good day, I have no motivation, physically sick, overwhelmed and I have no interest in anything that makes/made me happy or excited. I see a counselor once a week and shes great, I saw her yesterday. Yesterday was a great day, so productive and positive. Today ... I want to go home and curl up on the couch. Me and my partner have our own business and today is a very busy day so i'm too anxious to ask him if I can go home, i'm also to anxious to drive. The anxiety along with IBS and some other illnesses has brought on some pretty gnarly depression. What does everyone else do to cope on days like today???

Its so hard

replies: 6

I feel like my heart is broken. I never thought it would hurt this much to lose a friend, and by lose I mean she just stopped talking to me. She was my absolute best friend, she meant the world to me and she knew that. Now she is ignoring my messages and wont respond to me, im trying so hard to hold on but I never thought it would be this hard. I havent stopped crying for a week, I never cry but the tears wont stop. How do you hold on when the person who means so much to you wont talk to you? Why did this happen? Im so overly confused and hurt. The depression has snuck back in so bad that I feel like my body is heavy and I can't move, like I am paralysed lying on my bed unable to move or speak. It hurts. Im seeing my psych tomorrow, and I hope she can help me understand this. Im finding it harder to hold on, and I feel selfish and inconsiderate that my other very best and close friends are trying to get me through it but I cant listen to them, or its as if I cant hear what they are saying because all I want to do is escape. I either sleep too much, or dont sleep at all. Shower twice a day or dont shower for a week and there is no inbetween. I thought I was mostly on top of these mental illnesses, but I guess its not that simple. Does anyone have any kind words?

Anxiety & Panic

replies: 3

Hey guys I'm new here.I have never had a problem with anxiety in my life until a few months ago. I was really enjoying the last 2 years of my life as i was studying what i wanted to study and just having fun in general.It started a few months ago, i was just on the computer and i had some neck pain that traveled down to my sternum and spread across my chest, then all of a sudden i began to get really hot and sweaty, heart was racing, couldn't breathe and i felt like i was passing out without actually passing out. I went to hospital that night because i really thought something wasn't right. All the tests i had came back fine.Since then i have had reoccurring symptoms, it started with not being able to breathe sometimes then it just progressed to full blown panic attacks. I went to my doctor and he said he thought it was anxiety, so he put me on medication. Well i was on it for a week and it was the worst week i have ever experienced. Severe depersonalisation/derealisation, felt like i couldn't move, strange thoughts and fear off losing control and hurting someone. I stopped it after a week and I've been off it for about 2-3 weeks. I felt great when i stopped it, didn't have any panic attacks and didn't feel very anxious at all for about 2 weeks, suddenly its slowly making its way back in.My symptoms now are only difficulties breathing, every now and again, but last night i had reoccurring thoughts that i was losing control and was going to hurt someone. Now obviously at the time it was distressing but i know i would never do something like that and its just the anxiety making me fear losing control of myself. I know i have anxiety and i know that nothing is going to happen to me, I'm not going to die or go crazy but its so hard to keep all these symptoms at bay. Nothing triggers off the symptoms, there is no pattern it just happens randomly.I just find it so stressful that all this started from that one night when i was on my computer. I don't know what happened then or what caused me to panic (because I've never done it in my life) so its really irritating that i feel like my life is now being controlled by this anxiety. Trying to go and see a psychologist but the earliest time to make an appointment was in two months (have a month left now).At the moment I'm not taking any medication because i feel like it will just mask the symptoms and not fix the root of the problem. 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.

Destructive effects of depression and dependency

replies: 2

Beyond Blue claim that the most common reasons for a person developing depression are: Loneliness (tick), Bullying (tick), Low self esteem(tick), and many more. Although many things have caused me to develop this mental illness, the effects of it have been far more destructive. Despite the constant suicidal thoughts and the constant self harm that has been going on for a large portion of my life, the most heart breaking thing to come of my life is the damage that has been done to my boyfriend's heart, mind and soul. We began our relationship in May 2012, and although I had already been experiencing the signs of depression, he made me feel liberate of the loneliness and pain, until then I began to act so free that I did not control how I acted towards him and how my actions affected him. For 2 years I constantly invaded his life with my issues, my problems, and made his life non-existent of his hobbies, his passions and his interests. Being diagnosed with Dysthmia made me have more of an excuse to allow my behaviour to be acceptable. As time went on, I developed an obsession with the attention that he gave me, that I did not experience at home with my family. I forced him to put his life on hold as he was constantly worrying about my state of mind, but most of all, my safety and wellbeing. By the time I realised my effect on him, it was too late. I had caused him to start failing his uni course subjects and not experience freedom from negativity for months on end. After one night of me calling him at midnight due to my breakdowns, we had to let each other go. We are currently on a break which will last about 3 and a half months (until his uni semester is over). We are not allowed to text and we can only meet up once a week for dinner. It has only been a week but it has been excruciating for me. This dependency that I have developed for him has taken over my life and I am feeling anxious, distraught and alone. Despite the amazing support my parents provide, I feel it is insufficient because I need the feeling of someone who is inlove with me, not just loves me. It has caused me to over think and led to me wondering: Will this time without me cause him to realise he doesn't need me? How does he expect us to just go back to normal once uni semester is over? How am I suppose to act like I'm okay when in order for me to be okay I need to be with him? How do you let someone you love go to allow them to heal and find them self again and enable yourself to heal?

Barely staying afloat

replies: 3

I have been doing great for the past few years. Then I found out that someone I knew from high school was on MH17. I was never particularly close to him, I don't know if I could even call him a friend - but we smiled at each other when passing by, and occasionally share jokes with mutual friends were around. He was so kind. The student environment in that school was awful, and when you're the social pariah you tend to greatly appreciate every kindness. But ever since I accidentally caught the graphic pictures of the scene on the news, I can't help but picture what it must have been like, over and over again, his body, maybe parts of, falling through the sky and scattering in the most horrific manner. He was so young too, younger than me, and the realisation that life can end so abruptly was shattering. I've since developed a fear of being in close proximity to speeding objects somewhat. I have to be at least 2m away from the train platform and I have to hold on to the traffic light pole at crossings, just in case I might accidentally walk into it. I just realised this today, and it made me feel so much more pathetic. My parents were open to me about financial matters at what I now think was maybe a too-young age; now that I'm studying in this country, my parents paying three times as much as the local tuition fees, I can't even think about the postgraduate they are telling me to take. My siblings don't seem as privy, and I nearly cried when one of them wasted an unthinkable amount of non-refundable money. My parents don't even know about the one person who is so selflessly and unconditionally helping me through this. Such a beautiful man, and I owe him so, so much, but he isn't the correct religion for someone they can accept my spending the rest of my life with. I wish I could introduce him to them, I wish they could see just how wonderful a human being he is, helping me through the stress-induced, extremely vivid nightmares I have often now, and through the realer ones, without a single thought. Maybe worst of all, I don't feel like my feelings are justified, and I feel guilty for being so self-centred about it. I will never consider suicide, because to me that is the most self-centred action of all. But it's horrible. And it hurts so much. I'm sinking into familiar murky waters, but now it feels much more like quicksand. In the past two times, the days never ended, but now the world is spinning too fast and I can't keep up. I feel so hopeless.

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

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

Slipping back replies: 2

Young, dumb and broken. replies: 12

New to beyond blue and having a rough night replies: 6

3 Years anxiety free... then Bam. It's back. Help! replies: 2

I need help! replies: 7

New and struggling replies: 5

Its so hard replies: 6

Anxiety & Panic replies: 3

Destructive effects of depression and dependency replies: 2

Barely staying afloat replies: 3