Young people

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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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Leyley29 Struggling to cope with a culmination of physical and mental health issues
  • replies: 4

Hi there, a bit about my self. I am 22 years old and have a beautiful parter and a perfect 8 month old baby boy who light up my world like nothing else. I would quite literally be nothing without either of them. I have struggled with mental health is... View more

Hi there, a bit about my self. I am 22 years old and have a beautiful parter and a perfect 8 month old baby boy who light up my world like nothing else. I would quite literally be nothing without either of them. I have struggled with mental health issues for nearly half my life now with the earliest bout of depression starting at only 12 years old. For a couple of months I could not even get in the car to go to school and felt crippled emotionally to the point of uncontrollable crying with absolutely no idea why. Life was getting better again until I started high school. Long story short I found it very hard to fit in to the groups of friends that had all separated when primary school ended. I ended up trying incredibly hard to fit in with people who physically and mentally tormented me almost every day. From the start of the day being refused handshakes from my so called mates, continuously making jokes about me to having my bag stolen and ransacked and thrown onto school buildings and getting physically tormented all in the name of fun and banter. I have been through all the bullying. I then experimented with marijuana in an attempt to fit in with the crowd which resulted in a massive flip out of which I suffered with DP/DR for quite a number of years from a bad reaction to smoking bud. My senior years of high school got better, a lot of the people contributing to the bullying had now left and I had a pretty tight circle of mates who would all do anything for each other and we all shared some pretty fun times. Leaving school I persued an apprenticeship FIFO which I followed through to the end and this pushed me both mentally and physically to the point of break down many times. I am currently struggling with my current role as a tradesman taking on an incredibly high workload for not a lot of money since I have decided to come back home and work to support the family. This has pushed me to the point of resignation. I am in an incredibly bad state of mind at the moment and cannot cope with even basic tasks and feel sleep deprived with little to no energy every single day. This has been like this since leaving high school and starting full time work feeling completely burnt out 24/7. I am as far from suicidal as it gets quite the opposite I have an extreme fear of death and leaving my loved ones behind with a stressful financial situation that they could not possibly bear alone. TIA

sbella02 What has been most surprising about becoming an adult?
  • replies: 23

I'm only recently into adulthood, and I've already learnt so much. It's quite enjoyable getting to experience a greater level of independence, and even watching all my friends from school/childhood adapt to adulthood as well. I have to say, I wasn't ... View more

I'm only recently into adulthood, and I've already learnt so much. It's quite enjoyable getting to experience a greater level of independence, and even watching all my friends from school/childhood adapt to adulthood as well. I have to say, I wasn't at all prepared to see such a change in my social life. Some of my friends are already making steps towards forming their careers - they're doing really well in university, or forming small businesses, or taking external courses to help them build their resumes. Some of my friends are exploring their identities - they're experimenting with their style, dedicating lots of time to their fitness, or have come out as LGBTQIA+ and are working on their self-expression. Some of my friends are working full-time, making money to invest in things like housing or other lifestyle purchases. Some have chosen to take some time off to enjoy life - partying, socialising, making the most of their youth in a sense. It's really interesting seeing how different people are reacting to adulthood. And there's no right or wrong way to do it, either. People will experience different things at different times, and it's up to individual interpretation how we respond to these experiences. So I'm asking all the young adults on this forum, what's been the most surprising or shocking thing you've experienced coming into adulthood? What was something that you didn't expect, or weren't necessarily prepared for? I also extend that question to people who have been an adult for quite some time, what's something you wish you had known about adulthood before coming into it? And for all the people who aren't quite 18 yet, what's something that you're nervous or excited for once you become an adult? Any concerns, questions, or reservations? I'm interested to see people's responses.

a13xx problems with mum
  • replies: 4

this may have to be a few parts because it’s a long story. my parents had a pretty rough divorce. It ended with my mum in the hospital with an eyepatch for a few weeks. I don’t know the full story of what exactly happened. Ive listened to both sides ... View more

this may have to be a few parts because it’s a long story. my parents had a pretty rough divorce. It ended with my mum in the hospital with an eyepatch for a few weeks. I don’t know the full story of what exactly happened. Ive listened to both sides of the story which are very different and ive never really known who to believe. My mum was a huge drunk my entire life. Although she suffers from major anxiety and depression, i’m not sure if it’s an excuse for what she’s done. After the divorce, my brother and i stayed mainly with my mum while i would see my dad every second weekend. I was around 10/11 at the time and she would drink until she passed out on the couch a like 2pm. She’d hide wine bottles in cupboards and in my brothers and i’s drink bottles. She’d drink drive me to basketball being so pissed with wine bottles clanking under the car seat while she would swerve and get road rage. it would be so scary. I hated going to my dads place at this time. It was scary and it made me sick to my stomach. Me, being the oldest, mum would frequntly vent to me about her traumas as a kid and with my dad. She’d talk about how evil my dad was and say he never paid child support or ever cared about us. She also told us mixed up stories about what happened to her face. one night it would be dads fault and the next it would be an accident. The routine of giving my mum advice and taking care of my little brother while she was passed out drunk was a daily thing. She never acknowledged her problem and when i mentioned it, she chased me around the house and i had to hide against my door while she would scream and bang on the door. I was scared of her. One night i remember my brother was watching a movie and didn’t want to go to bed yet. My mum yelled and screamed and ended up leaving saying she would kill herself and it would be my brothers fault. She didnt and i knew she didn’t because she would lie and manipulate us all the time. My brother didn’t know that though and he wouldn’t stop crying. She was gone for hours. Later i got diagnosed with depression and anxiety. She would get mad at me when i was in a depressive episode and say i was an attention seeker. She would say that i’m making her and everyone else feel worse and that i was being “dramatic” and lazy. She’d critique my weight, put me on weight loss meal plans i didn’t want, judge me when i would eat and hide food from me in a SAFE that only my brother was allowed. i have to write another part in a reply

a13xx wanting to drop out
  • replies: 2

Im a year 11 student at the moment doing all VCE subjects. High school or even primary school had been hard for me. Ive had multiple long breaks due to mental illness and long stays in psych wards and paediatric wards. my grades aren’t all that good,... View more

Im a year 11 student at the moment doing all VCE subjects. High school or even primary school had been hard for me. Ive had multiple long breaks due to mental illness and long stays in psych wards and paediatric wards. my grades aren’t all that good, so far with all the SACs ive done the highest ive gotten is 64%. Don’t get me wrong though, i do think i’m quite smart. I’m good at maths and art, i’m a fast learner and at past jobs my bosses have loved me. I’m considering dropping out because I dont plan on going to university. I have no interest in becoming a lawyer, doctor, or working in some office job. I don’t see any point in continuing on going to school since it’s causing me alot of stress. My potential plan going forward is to drop out, find a job and work as much as i can to get experience and a good resume. Hopefully during that i will go to tafe instead of school and do a course in whatever I end up deciding would be my career. However i’m worried about what my parents would think. I live with my dad and i think he expects me to go to school, get good grades, etc. and i’m scared to talk to him about it. The last thing i want is for him to be disappointed in me. I don’t want to be seen as a loser and not do i want to “ruin” my life but it just feels like the right thing at the moment. Any advice? should i really drop out or am i being a bit dramatic. Tough love would be good to hear

Richardb3 i don't want to keep going
  • replies: 12

I have too many problems and some of them feel impossible to solve. I feel stuck and hopeless. I pray to God everyday and get no help. I now know there is nothing out there that wants to help me - I am alone and I am limited.

I have too many problems and some of them feel impossible to solve. I feel stuck and hopeless. I pray to God everyday and get no help. I now know there is nothing out there that wants to help me - I am alone and I am limited.

rescu3me im so done with life.
  • replies: 6

Hi, I just joined. I don't know where to begin. My parents have put me through so much hell, I question why I'm living with them. I don't know how to treat them. Right now I'm sort of silent. I have tried getting jobs as an attempt to moving out and ... View more

Hi, I just joined. I don't know where to begin. My parents have put me through so much hell, I question why I'm living with them. I don't know how to treat them. Right now I'm sort of silent. I have tried getting jobs as an attempt to moving out and being independent but I usually quit in the days job because I just experience another trauma, trauma layered on top of trauma. I get triggered, or I leave with no plan of the coming future. I'm so done. I want to make the most of my 20's and not suffer. It's hard though, because I normally feel like me vs the world. I feel seperate to the world, seeing everyone mingle and create happy moments with their friends and family. Automatic alienation, I feel like a criminal or just like a rubbish bag. I never had a happy kind of life...if I could explain everything I would.. I've experienced chronic loneliness a lot, to the highest degree one could experience. I haven't been diagnosed with this but I am aware I have extreme anxiety and social anxiety. I have been diagnosed w BPD too. I even get paralysed by so many options I create, so that's no fun either. I feel like I'm just drifting, dragging. Powerless, helpless etc. I don't know where I'm going in life. I think of career but at the same time I just want to focus on moving because they make me feel so alone. And that's like through every way possible. When they adore the dog, when they laugh, when they snore (that's the worst, I can't sleep every night.. so that makes things worse.. how can I work? I don't know how I can thrive at home, but how can I thrive when I feel so seperate from the world? I wish I had a perfect family, family that went on outings, people in my life that celebrated me, never ever recognising or experiencing loneliness, etc. I get triggered hearing people mention their friends, or even just walking outside seeing people, seeing what normalcy is like. people on their snapchats, people texting each other. im done.

Baileyjoyce Are the feelings im feeling normal?
  • replies: 8

My name is Bailey im 15yr and I don't know if what I am feeling is normal? Just about a month ago I've started to realise that what I have been feeling may not be normal. I've been feeling emotionless for about 2 years and about a year ago I have als... View more

My name is Bailey im 15yr and I don't know if what I am feeling is normal? Just about a month ago I've started to realise that what I have been feeling may not be normal. I've been feeling emotionless for about 2 years and about a year ago I have also started to lose a lot of interests I had, about 6 months ago I've also realised all of the feelings of being emotionless, overwhelmed, stressed, losing interests and my sleep schedule not being as good as it use to be has started effecting my school work. I have had an unstable younger childhood for my whole life up to a year ago so that may be a reason for these feelings. Are these feeling normal? And if the aren't what should I do?

jademk I need some help
  • replies: 11

I had been struggling with a girl I used to be friends with in the past year, and now she has left the friend group. However some of her close friends are still in my friend group and they are attention-seekers, gossipers, bullies and spread rumours ... View more

I had been struggling with a girl I used to be friends with in the past year, and now she has left the friend group. However some of her close friends are still in my friend group and they are attention-seekers, gossipers, bullies and spread rumours about me and my best friends. We want to leave the group- but we are worried that they will ruin our lives even more. At home, my dad as super high expectations that I can never live up to and puts me down if I don't do as well as expected. I am struggling and I have confided in friends to help me but I'm not sure if its working.... please help someone

MinaLou My friend has an eating disorder and I don’t know how to help
  • replies: 3

They can’t afford the psychologist and hasn’t told their parents, they’ve only recently told me about 3 months ago, even though it’s been happening for several. We’d recently had a solid 3 months of eating 3 meals which I knew was really hard for the... View more

They can’t afford the psychologist and hasn’t told their parents, they’ve only recently told me about 3 months ago, even though it’s been happening for several. We’d recently had a solid 3 months of eating 3 meals which I knew was really hard for them. They lapsed yesterday though. I don’t see it getting better without speaking to a professional but I don’t think they can. What do people with an eating disorder need most from a friend? I don’t know if it’s wrong of me to try change their habits ?