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Young people

A space for people aged 12-25 to discuss life. If you’re over 25, please be mindful that this is a space for younger people to connect.

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romantic_thi3f 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 i... View more

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!

Sophie_M 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 mindfu... View more

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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mbomb 15 year old daughter help
  • replies: 6

Hi, my heart is broken writing this. My 15 year old beautiful daughter has always struggled with friendships. She is smart, funny, confident and has a huge heart. Girls and friendships seem to destroy her and her confidence is low. She has severe anx... View more

Hi, my heart is broken writing this. My 15 year old beautiful daughter has always struggled with friendships. She is smart, funny, confident and has a huge heart. Girls and friendships seem to destroy her and her confidence is low. She has severe anxiety and panics about not performing well in exams. She has been with the same friendship group for 2 years. I thought they were supportive but yesterday they wouldnt tell her where they were and when she found them the 3 girls told her that they didnt want her in their group any more and they have felt this way for months. They said they are sick of her blaming her mental health on them, which she never has apart from saying to them recently that all the fighting wasnt helping her mental health. They have blocked her, deleted all pictures etc etc, telling people etc. The school are very supportive and I have managed to get a diagnosis of anxiety at the drs and she is on the list for counselling. She cried for 2 hours last night asking what was wrong with her. Luckily I sensed some problems a while a go and suggestd she widened her group which she did so thankfully she has some good support of others for school. I have explained her accountability in it all as I believe she can be very instense and obviously with her anxieties maybe it was all too much for them but I dont understand how girls can be so cruel. She adored one girl in particular and this girl came with her own issues and didnt like my daughter having other friends or being picked for things at school. I have been hugging her, telling her that counselling will help and that she is an amazing person but I am just broken.

strawb3rry_milk I don't know how to deal with School
  • replies: 2

Hi, this is my first time posting on something like this so excuse me if I come off a bit nervous. I don't know how to deal with school anymore. I've always been a good student, gotten good grades, but I feel like I'm being dragged along and forcing ... View more

Hi, this is my first time posting on something like this so excuse me if I come off a bit nervous. I don't know how to deal with school anymore. I've always been a good student, gotten good grades, but I feel like I'm being dragged along and forcing myself to try is getting harder and harder. I have no motivation for school. I love learning, but what we study in school is a complete waste of my time. I'm 15, and my entire adolescence has been filled with academic and musical pressure. I feel like I'm wasting my life, like there is more that I could be doing outside of learning logarithms or how coasts erode. No motivation and no direction, only forcing myself forward. I don't know why I do it anymore. It's like living for the sake of it. Every minute I ask myself, what am I doing? Who am I living for? It's the constant weight that's getting difficult to deal with, and I'm sick of talking about it. I just want to do something. Sorry for the long rant. I hope you guys are doing well.

ppaige Can't seem to keep a job!
  • replies: 5

So i'm only 23 and I have worked in (i feel like) every industry. I have never stayed at a workplace for longer than a year, or I tend to juggle two jobs at one time. I have spent heaps of money on different courses and training in fields that i THIN... View more

So i'm only 23 and I have worked in (i feel like) every industry. I have never stayed at a workplace for longer than a year, or I tend to juggle two jobs at one time. I have spent heaps of money on different courses and training in fields that i THINK I'd like to work in, however, after a short period of time, I end up unable to cope with it all and leave. A part of me hates working; it's not that I am lazy, as I am a very hard worker. But my issue is that I don't seem to enjoy working at jobs. I have tried, retail, office/admin, hospitality, and even support work. I just started a new job recently, to which after only three and a half weeks, I've asked for a few weeks off. I dread going to work, I cry for hours after a shift, and I am left unable to eat. I just figure, why work in a job when it makes me feel this physically and mentally ill. It's just not fair. I want to love this job, and just any job in general, but I never feel satisfied, and I count down the hours until home time every single shift. At this stage I feel like I'd be better off doing some sort of work from home, as thats where i want to be. But knowing me, I'll work from home for a few weeks, and then complain that I wish I could leave the house. Everything is escalated right now because my depression and anxiety is bad, but the fact that I still feel this way when I am feeling mentally okay is really bothering me. I want to be a woman who earns her own money, but at the same time, I would rather never work a day in my life because for some ridiculous reason, keeping a job seems like the hardest task in the world. What do I do from here????

entartung School said i'm getting 0 if i don't complete HSC trials
  • replies: 10

Hi everyone, I'm a year 12 student from NSW whose in the middle of her HSC trials. I'm not sure how much background information i should add (this is my first post) but here's a brief rundown: - Struggling with depression + anxiety since year 8. Also... View more

Hi everyone, I'm a year 12 student from NSW whose in the middle of her HSC trials. I'm not sure how much background information i should add (this is my first post) but here's a brief rundown: - Struggling with depression + anxiety since year 8. Also diagnosed with ADHD - My school has been aware of it since year 9/10 as i regularly see the school counsellor - Currently seeing a psychiatrist and am on medication for ADHD. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be helping, however she wants me to try it for a little longer. Not on anything else right now as she said it would be difficult to gauge the effectiveness of the medication if i don't take it in isolation - Have started seeing a new psychologist. Only one session so far so i can't really comment on effectiveness. My last psychologist was with CMHS but she just wasn't a right fit, both agreed i wasn't making any progress. Unfortunately this is a tricky period to star afresh with a new psychologist who doesn't know me well. - Was on additional medication last year. It didn't seem to help - Took an overdose last year near Christmas time (hence CMHS) - Currently not suicidal, not self (although i struggle with dermatillomania) Okay, so here's my issue. I have missed 5 of my trial HSC exams, these exams are worth 30%-40% of my school mark. My school is aware of my mental health history and has helped me reschedule and space out exams to lessen the stress. However i'm finding in really overwhelming and difficult to cope and consequently missed my rescheduled dates. 2 days ago they brought in my parents and told me that i would have to either do HSC over 2 years of i would have to complete all 5 exams as well as my major work by the end of next week. I decided against pathways (2 years) for several reasons, including the fact that the HSC syllabus is changing next year, i want to just get HSC over with rather than stretching it out, not keen on going to TAFE and finishing my HSC there and the fact that up until now, my grades have been quite good. I'm almost certain i won't change my mind regarding pathways, but it leaves me in a difficult position, with 5 consecutive exams and my history ex major work due all my next friday. This is an absolutely insane amount of work. My school says i must have it all complete by the end of next week or else i will be getting 0. I don't know what to do, it doesn't seem negotiable as my school was quite firm even knowing my situation. It honestly seems incredibly unfair to me.

Angst19 Feel empty, struggling with purpose/goals
  • replies: 4

Hello, I just finished my third degree last year and have been looking for work for a while. Other than that I am trying to do things I am interested in, but I find myself questioning the point of doing things I enjoyed doing before and often can't f... View more

Hello, I just finished my third degree last year and have been looking for work for a while. Other than that I am trying to do things I am interested in, but I find myself questioning the point of doing things I enjoyed doing before and often can't find the motivation. When I think of the reasons to do something (e.g. earn money, help others, make others happy, impress others or for enjoyment) none of them interest me and I don't know what will make me happy in the long term. As a result, nothing interests me and I spend a lot of time playing games and watching movies to escape the mundanity and I feel guilty that I'm wasting time. I have been looking for work for a while but I don't know what I want to do and have never really known. When recruitment agencies ask me that question (and annoy the hell out of me), I reply with "Anything I can do" or "anything that matches my resume skills." My mother sometimes yells at me frustrated that I don't know what I want. I did a bit of paid and volunteer work last year at a school but have been unable to do that this year due to new COVID restrictions, but I am currently doing a bit of volunteer work on weekends as an accompanist. I studied an Arts degree and an education certificate mostly because I felt pressured by my parents and didn't know anything else I wanted to study. Before that I studied Music because I enjoyed performing and composing, but now I often don't enjoy it and ask myself what's the point. I guess I worked really hard to finish my degrees and feel it has been a waste of time and effort because I can't find work that uses them, and I am afraid of making another fruitless investment of my time and energy. I also had a very stressful experience during work experience in 2019 that a counsellor I saw described as "traumatic" and that I might still be recovering from. One night a week I have dinner with friends from school and once a week I do a morning walk with a local group but usually I can't have meaningful conversations with them because I can't think of things to say and end up just listening and feeling left out. I talk to friends on Facebook but mostly small talk and the conversations don't last long because I don't know what to say to keep them going. These friends are either interstate/overseas or are busy. I have tried joining Meetup groups but feel I can't connect with anyone because I rarely have anything to say, so often lonely. Can anyone relate or give any advice? Thanks.

Tmac22 Got no idea anymore
  • replies: 1

Hey guys haven’t been back in a long time but currently 22 years old finished first degree had a job all be it an internship ready to go then covid hit, graduated 3 months later without much to show for it and due to the fact that the economic ramifi... View more

Hey guys haven’t been back in a long time but currently 22 years old finished first degree had a job all be it an internship ready to go then covid hit, graduated 3 months later without much to show for it and due to the fact that the economic ramifications are still affecting my industry I’ve decided to be proactive and get another degree in accounting whilst gaining a few credits from previous study. in saying that I am so lost, I basically did the degrees because that’s what was expected of me and my family who is in the industry have really been unhelpful whilst me attempting to find work experience is not a position I can be put in due to my job being financially secure and having to split my wage to give to struggling family members. this has put me in a rut as I am very far off financially where I could be and have missed out on heck of a lot of opportunities because family is so reliant on me to pay for daily grocery expenses etc which hard for me to deal with right now. not even sure what I want to do with life either I know I have a very analytical mind and I do enjoy studying however my thoughts have drifted to mute physical jobs ie trades but even then at my age is almost impossible to start and be successful even if I do pre app subjects. any guidance would be heavily heavily appreciated in what I should be doing

Guest_0784 Autism and the Internet never mix
  • replies: 11

I have no problem with having Autism, I always say If there was ever a cure for Autism, I would not even consider it! It would change me too much, I am happy who I am. I am happy having Autism. Expect, when you are on the Internet. It all started on ... View more

I have no problem with having Autism, I always say If there was ever a cure for Autism, I would not even consider it! It would change me too much, I am happy who I am. I am happy having Autism. Expect, when you are on the Internet. It all started on September 14th, 2016 when I was only 10. That was when the cyber bullying started. It has never stopped since, It is one of my biggest regrets joining ROBLOX. It started with the occasional troll that would say some mean stuff, but as I was 10, I could not handle it! But I made it. But that changed when I joined a communist military group on ROBLOX called the Imperial Robloxian Federation. I joined so I could play other roles in another game I played called Papers Please. There was some who we will call Doctor Henry, who was abnormal of bullying, and would abuse his power on me. It made me loss lots of confidence, and I joined and left multiple times within 2017. It became more serious when I joined Discord in December 2017. Where there was more severe cyber bullying to the point that I have never seen! Then it ended on the first week of March 2018 when I had my own fan club. With immense pressure I was forced to create a NSFW section. No big deal, they just put in some non christian stuff there like swearing, no big deal. That is what I thought. I did know it was for over 18's, so I tried for other people to take care of it, which they did not. I also had to test it. I thought that Hentai was just for swearing, not for porn with animation! I did not know that it was porn. I was shocked for life what I saw. I had to deal with that for a week, and my parents kicked me out. This same thing happened every few months on British Zulu Army, Stepford County Railway, Australia by Tony, and more! This just kept repeating itself, and it has never stopped. Now they know my last name, my old school, and almost everything except my address. Now for people who say Why did you not do anything about it?. At the beginning, I did not know how to report on Discord, nor take photo's of the bullying. Why did you not report it to the Police?, I did. I ran away from home to go to my local police station, but they told me to leave. It was good for only a little while. WHY ARE YOU STILL NOT DOING ANYTHING? I did report it to Discord and ROBLOX multiple times. ROBLOX ignored me and told me to report it again. Discord told me to do it the proper way, but that would make me too upset. I am also banned from talking about it. HELP ME

MacaroniNoodles I need a diagnosis but im scared to ask for one
  • replies: 4

Hey there, I am a 16 (almost 17) year old who needs some advice. Within the past probably 2 or so years as i have gone through puberty, I have started to notice that it has become increasingly hard to concentrate among other things. I have done a bun... View more

Hey there, I am a 16 (almost 17) year old who needs some advice. Within the past probably 2 or so years as i have gone through puberty, I have started to notice that it has become increasingly hard to concentrate among other things. I have done a bunch of research around ADHD and really dont want to self diagnose but i fit the bill pretty closely. I dont quite know if these symptoms are due to my anxiety (which i know can coincide with adhd) or if it seriously is something to look into getting tested for. Now heres the problem, my parents. They both are very much your "stop being dramatic, its just your mind finding excuses" type of people and also dont realise that not everyone with adhd presents the same way. What is a good way for me to possibly bring up the idea of going for testing? I just need to know what's going on in my mind. Thanks Macaroninoodles

Him High School and Not-Getting-Along-with-People-in-My-Grade Syndrome
  • replies: 4

I'm struggling to get my head around it. TLDR; There's either a problem with my year group or that I'm the problem standing in their way. I'm currently in my final year in High School and fall under the autism spectrum. I have a mixed reputation, had... View more

I'm struggling to get my head around it. TLDR; There's either a problem with my year group or that I'm the problem standing in their way. I'm currently in my final year in High School and fall under the autism spectrum. I have a mixed reputation, had nasty rumors circulate (they don't even know me either) my first three years. After diagnosis and regular sessions, I have no clue whether I'm respected in my year group or downright shamed. I started my journey of mental health four years ago, I’ve made many buddies along the way. I do well in my classes, had as many as 4 drama/music/art extracurriculars when I was in Year 9-10, have kept in touch with most of my friends and acquaintances up to now, and most importantly, I'm doing fine. I know I'm loved, worthy, and respected; That I have people around me who I can talk to and hang out with when I have the time. But unfortunately, I can't do any of these extracurriculars anymore. It's tough meeting up with my extracurricular mates now. My friends are diverse. From all walks of life, some started high school, some have a job, some dropped for TAFE, some go to UNI. And we mainly interact online until time allows us otherwise. I've always felt iffy with people my age. At first, it was me being judgmental, but afterwards I told myself; "What's the worst that could happen?" and dove right in. I opened up to the kids in my year group. Some kids were nice, some were straight up dismissive. I tried to reach out. I smile. I ask groups if I could eat with them, I ask if I could sit and talk with them, I join in conversations where applicable. I'm always the one having to start the conversation. And all I get? One worded answers. Strange glances. When I sit with people they eventually move away from me to sit with a friend. When I greet them they give menacing glances. They make strange faces at me. I’ve caught them pointing and laughing at me. When they have questions about a subject I do my best to help them out. When I struggle with a problem, I ask for help from kids too. But in the end, nothing. It's so isolating. Fyi, I DO have friends the same grade as me. But 80% of the people in my grade say otherwise. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. As much as I want to ignore them I NEED them. My friends take different career paths than me, I'm stuck with these kids in my subjects. If we want to succeed in the HSC we have to work together. But they aren't giving me a chance. What am I supposed to do? Is it me?

Fiaaa Finding it hard to make friends at school..
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone I’m new to this forum & don’t usually spend much of my time on forums, but I thought I’d give it a try and see what happens. I’ve been having a lot of difficulty feeling secure and confident in myself when it comes to making new friends. ... View more

Hi everyone I’m new to this forum & don’t usually spend much of my time on forums, but I thought I’d give it a try and see what happens. I’ve been having a lot of difficulty feeling secure and confident in myself when it comes to making new friends. I’m in year 11 and have been lucky enough to have the same friend group all through high school. But I really want to make some new friends. Everyone in my small circle has their own close friends as well, outside our circle, but I don’t. At the start of this year I promised myself to make new friends this year. But I’m finding it really hard. It’s mainly the feeling of rejection that scares me, and feeling unwanted / like someone I approach won’t like me. I feel like it shouldn’t be this hard to make new friends. This has made it really hard for me to feel comfortable in class. It’s become so bad that I’ll skip class because it scares me so much. Has anybody else felt like this? Is there anything I can do to help myself? Thank you in advance! PS. I don’t do any sports or other hobbies outside of school, and part of me wants to pick something up but the other part of me wants to keep my schedule clear for studying. I’m not apart of any clubs or groups, but if I were to join I wouldn’t know where to look!