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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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Claremary My Life is a Mess..
  • replies: 4

My life is a mess right now.. I was born a generally anxious person, and then when I moved to a small town who didn't approve of pale skin, I began getting bullied physically, emotionally, verbally, and sometimes sexually every day. I've moved past i... View more

My life is a mess right now.. I was born a generally anxious person, and then when I moved to a small town who didn't approve of pale skin, I began getting bullied physically, emotionally, verbally, and sometimes sexually every day. I've moved past it because everyone tells me too so I don't think about it much anymore. But from the years of isolation, of no friends, I think it really scarred me. I've suffered from anxiety my whole life but it just got so much worse and was then paired with depression when I reached 13. I moved to a new town when I was 15 and found the love of my life the day I moved there. But I still didn't have the whole making friends and socialising thing down so it took me years to make good friends.. Anyway without telling my entire life story,I' ve basically been suffering from depression and anxiety since I was very young, and now that I'm 18, 19 on Wednesday, I just recently dropped out of uni, I can't stand on my own two feet. I came to live back with my father and that helped. But I can't find work, mainly because I get too anxious to leave the house, and I can't do normal day to day things like wake up, feed myself properly, exercise etc. My life is a mess, I'm always over emotional, I have no money, I keep disappointing the people I love, and i just don' t know what to do anymore. I don't like hanging with friends, except my partner, and I am so lost now.. I try so hard to pick myself up but I just don't know where to go from here.. This isn't all of it, just bits a pieces.. But if I were to explain everything I'd be here for days.. beyondblue's clinically-trained moderators often work offline (invisible to you) on issues relating to safety. At the same time, general supportive comments from the community are encouraged. If you have concerns around safety, suicide or self-harm, please phone our support service on 1300 22 4636.

Blue_Velvet_skies University, panic and agoraphobia
  • replies: 3

Hi BB, Thought I'd start a new thread about anxiety and panic for students. I'm hoping that others can empathise and that I'm not alone! In the past I have had traumas and severe mental health issues but through intensive therapy was finally feeling ... View more

Hi BB, Thought I'd start a new thread about anxiety and panic for students. I'm hoping that others can empathise and that I'm not alone! In the past I have had traumas and severe mental health issues but through intensive therapy was finally feeling better. Last year my brother was in an accident which has thrown me back into my struggles with anxiety and panic as it has brought up a lot of past trauma for me. I am currently a full time uni student and cannot get to my tutorials or appointments as I avoid leaving the house. My panic often sets in for no reason at all and it is severely affecting my well being and study. I have already missed many tutorials and every day feels like a battle against my own mind and my own thoughts. I know it has to pass at some point but when?! I am increasingly frustrated by the avoidance cycle I have fallen into. Today it was even a struggle to go to the shops. I feel like my university experience has not been as it should be... It's a constant battle with my mental health. If I'm not studying I get bored, I need the intellectual stimulation and the routine and sense of achievement. I want to and need to finish this degree to prove to myself that I can do it and that I am better but at times I wonder if I can handle it? I know I have the intelligence to do it, but my anxiety just seems to be consuming. Has anyone else had experience with this? I do not want to drop a unit for fear of feeling like a failure, but I may have to, which in itself makes me feel on the verge of panic. I am waiting to see the uni doctors to apparently get medicated for my panic and agoraphobia so I am hoping with all of my heart that this, along with seeing the unicouncillor will turn my semester around.. But is it too late?! Ahhh kind words would be greatly appreciated. Thanks xx

Crystal96 Offering help when you can barely help yourself?
  • replies: 7

I'd like to start off by saying I'm new to Beyond Blue- I felt completely lost and unable to talk to anyone who would understand, so I thought I'd try turning here. I'm currently eighteen years old, and I've suffered from both severe major depression... View more

I'd like to start off by saying I'm new to Beyond Blue- I felt completely lost and unable to talk to anyone who would understand, so I thought I'd try turning here. I'm currently eighteen years old, and I've suffered from both severe major depression and generalised anxiety disorder since I was fifteen. Over the past two years I've learnt to deal with my disorders, without allowing them to overcome my daily life- and yet, recently I've felt as though I'm going backwards in my recovery, rather than forwards. Once more, I feel lost in life, and move as though I don't really exist. No one seems to acknowledge me, and only seem to want me around when it is of some benefit to them. I feel hopeless, and worthless, as well as emotionless- besides the times where I want to scream and hit something to allow myself to let go of this build up of emotions. Though I haven't self-harmed in 2 years now, the urge is becoming overwhelming and I'm looking for advice on how to avoid succumbing to these urges. Despite this, many people at school know about my journey, and often come to me looking for advice, or for someone to listen to their own troubles, which I am able to relate to. At times, I feel lost, just wanting to have one of them offer me that support, because whilst I sit there and reassure them that eventually everything will be okay, I am losing faith myself. How do I pull myself back up? How to I avoid succumbing to urges of self-harm? And how do I help others when I feel as though I can barely help myself?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.

moviesul I'm back at the start
  • replies: 4

Hello, I'm new here. I'm not really sure if I'm doing the right thing so if I'm not, I apologise. I just wanted to talk about my anxiety and all that. Anxiety has always been with me since I entered adolescence. But this past year I've improved so mu... View more

Hello, I'm new here. I'm not really sure if I'm doing the right thing so if I'm not, I apologise. I just wanted to talk about my anxiety and all that. Anxiety has always been with me since I entered adolescence. But this past year I've improved so much better. That was until I had to do a presentation for my History class and I found myself stuttering and mispronouncing words. My teacher kept correcting me and saying that she didn't understand me. After I finished, she asked me "What grade do you think you'll get?" and I responded with a C. She then replied with "Hm. Maybe not even that." This was a fortnight ago and ever since then when I've been told to read stuff out in class and such, I found it really hard. I feel that although her words weren't that harsh, it still affected me. When she criticises, she does it in such a monotone voice. I think that is what made it worse. How long do you think it'll take me to return back to having only minor anxiety? Or do you think I'm taking it all to heart? Thank you.

little_butterfly holding it all in
  • replies: 1

I have been holding in a lot of emotion mainly at school coz then no one sees me but my best friend is moving im starting to not fit in and people are hating me for absolutely no reason and I feel really upset coz I used to self harm now I stopped bu... View more

I have been holding in a lot of emotion mainly at school coz then no one sees me but my best friend is moving im starting to not fit in and people are hating me for absolutely no reason and I feel really upset coz I used to self harm now I stopped but I cant take all the drama and emotions that are going on and I have no Idea what to do or how to deal with it.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.

Gopal want to know depression and want to find myself
  • replies: 20

Hi, everyone, I am 24 and I know that I am depressed, I have read a lot of material regarding depression and its symptoms, and I am experiencing those since a long time back. I need help, I need help to fight it, I need help to get back to my life, a... View more

Hi, everyone, I am 24 and I know that I am depressed, I have read a lot of material regarding depression and its symptoms, and I am experiencing those since a long time back. I need help, I need help to fight it, I need help to get back to my life, and I need help to be in control of my life. For a long time back now, I am feeling that i am not in control of my life. I want my life back. I lost my family, friends, spirit, pleasures, love everything......living life like an empty darkness and can't tell a soul about it.

Fae 5 Months of Struggle
  • replies: 7

I'm only 14 and new here. Quite a while back in March, i experienced a messy, hot and heavy break up which left me very, very upset. It resulted in almost changing me completely in what seemed like a few weeks. I had become like a recluse, uninterest... View more

I'm only 14 and new here. Quite a while back in March, i experienced a messy, hot and heavy break up which left me very, very upset. It resulted in almost changing me completely in what seemed like a few weeks. I had become like a recluse, uninterested, and i was very different to my usual bubbly self. It's now September, and in August the symptoms of my depression-like heartbreak started fading, but they've suddenly come back now that my ex had started to treat me very poorly. He makes a joke out of me and does anything to hurt my feelings, just to get a laugh from anybody else. The way he treats me brings down my self esteem, and this combined with school troubles is starting to make me feel more depressed. The way my best friend is the complete opposite of me right now, and it jumping for joy 24/7 makes me feel lonelier, and i feel she is taking less interest in me and i'm almost losing interest in being around her. I feel so incredibly sad all the time, i always want to cry at school and i feel so helpless. I feel lonely but i feel like my problems are so small, but they make me feel so horrible. I am always trying my best to move on from my ex and forget but he has hurt me so bad, and the relationship we had is so hard to forget... I hate myself right now, and i need help. i need guidance... i don't know what to do? How do i feel better? This is taking over my life, and i'm not myself and i just want to be able to REALLY smile, and make the people around me feel good. I really, really need help.

Pebbles3 Seeking some support
  • replies: 3

Hi, I am pretty new to all this, so it feels a bit strange. I don't know for sure that I have depression, however I suspect I do. I know I should probably find out for sure, but I really just want someone to talk to who understands what it is like to... View more

Hi, I am pretty new to all this, so it feels a bit strange. I don't know for sure that I have depression, however I suspect I do. I know I should probably find out for sure, but I really just want someone to talk to who understands what it is like to feel completely engulfed with sadness without escape. I have a loving family and partner, but they just don't know what it is like to feel sad all the time over the most trivial things, sometimes for no reason at all. And, quite frankly I don't want to burden them with such heavy stuff or for them to realise how bad it is in my head. I have serious self image and self confidence issues. I feel like I can't do anything right and I am so scared of screwing up and letting people down that I can't breathe. I look around at people who are so happy and wish I could be like them. I wish I could not stress about every little thing or put myself down about pretty much everything. I guess it would just be nice to feel less alone and less sad everyday.

just_let_go Alcohol and It's effect on Anxiety and Depression
  • replies: 4

Hi Everyone, I'm hoping to get some of your thoughts on alcohol intake when you're suffering with anxiety/depression. I have read quite a bit about it, but you don't even need to do that to know that it obviously wouldn't help. But is there an amount... View more

Hi Everyone, I'm hoping to get some of your thoughts on alcohol intake when you're suffering with anxiety/depression. I have read quite a bit about it, but you don't even need to do that to know that it obviously wouldn't help. But is there an amount that is ok? I'm still in my early 20's, and I often get invited to birthdays and outings which more often than not involve some social drinking, which I usually part take in. I've always try to limit myself since my first major panic attack, before that I must admit I did engage in large amount of binge drinking pretty much every weekend. Now days I have cut down to well under half the amount I was drinking on weekends. Probably more. An average weekend for me my consist of 4 - 5 drinks on Friday and Saturday, where as before it would have been around 10 - 12 per night. During the week I don't touch the stuff. Unless a friend drops over and we might have a single beer together. On a side note, for marijuana I do not believe any amount is ok if you suffer from anxiety. I used to smoke it occasionally, I'll admit. I was never what you might call a "stoner" but my close friends were, so I would just part take in some social smoking occasionally. When I was younger it was more frequent. Maybe once a week. More recently it was more like once or twice a year. But alas, guess what caused my first major panic attack... i can tell you, you DO NOT want to suffer a panic attack while high. It amplifies the feeling x10. It was the worst 2 hours of my life. Safe to say I've never touched the stuff since, and never will. I suppose the reason I've seen it as okay, is that I've never turned to drinking with the intension of making myself feel better. I've never seen it as an antidepressant. If anything I'm the opposite, when I'm feeling really down or my anxiety is peeking, I tend to avoid drinking and going out. I know it definitely effects people differently, so it may be ok for some and not for others. What do you guys think? Is a few drinks on the weekend ok? Is 1 - 2 drinks a day acceptable and harmless to our well being? Look after yourselves.

aidjm What do you do on seriously flat days?
  • replies: 8

I'm sure I'm not the only one that has days where you feel completely apathetic, like you could not be bothered doing anything significant. I spent most of yesterday sleeping and browsing Youtube, and I've had a couple of days like that over the last... View more

I'm sure I'm not the only one that has days where you feel completely apathetic, like you could not be bothered doing anything significant. I spent most of yesterday sleeping and browsing Youtube, and I've had a couple of days like that over the last week. Like you just say dammit to the world and stay in bed.What do you guys do when you feel like this? Do you find it's better to force yourself to do something or just ride out the feeling?

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