Young people

Pinned discussions

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.

All discussions

Sorted by:

Start a discussion

Leaving My Former Homophobic Religion and Re-analysing Their Scriptures

replies: 1

Hi everyone! Today I want to discuss the internalised homophobia that I have, likely because of my religious upbringing in a faith called Falun Gong (FLG for short). Before we get started, please notify me if you are a former follower of FLG, or if you are familiar with or heard of it. Basically, FLG teaches that when you perform good deeds, you gain white matter called ''virtue'' in your body; and when you perform bad deeds, you gain black matter called ''karma''. ''Karma'' is gained when you hurt others, which gives them ''virtue'' and transfers their ''karma'' to you. Both as far as I recall act in another parallel dimension, since they believe that other you's connected to you in this universe manifest in other dimensions. They also assert that being gay, not just having gay relations, create ''karma'', since they believe that even your thoughts can create ''karma''. Needless to say that this concept does still cause me to fret out quite a bit, especially since I don't immediately remember enough of the whole FLG theology to be able to logically ascertain how it all works. In addition, the founder of FLG also asserts that if he wasn't preaching his faith, that the ''gods'' first target for elimination would be LGBT people in a 1998 lecture he gave in Switzerland. Given the fact that most people associate deities with benevolence and justice, and that my religious upbringing, as is with most, codifies this association, it is still hard for me to see the injustice and tyranny belying this claim. What isn't helpful is the copious usage of loaded language and thought-terminating cliches throughout the founder's texts, which serve to control and shut down my reasoning and critical thinking abilities. This isn't helped by the fact that such beliefs return whenever I'm in my ''normal state'', where my sleep cycle is in accordance with the day/night cycle, where I can properly pass bowel movements, where I feel like I want to pursue my passions and ambitions etc... I honestly hope that you guys can help me out of this mess. Tips on combating internalised homophobia would be helpful (though I'm straight). If you people are curious about the lecutre, you can Google 'Falun Dafa lecture Switzerland 1998'

Mudcakes’s personal thread. (My story)

replies: 2

I have chosen this sub forum as my personal thread. If I need support on a very specific issue I’ll refer to the other sub forums. (from my intro post) I’m a 16 year old female and live with a single Mum. I love writing and reading. I write for film and television (scripts etc) using final draft software. I just finished a pilot spec! I have major social anxiety and have NVLD which I’m going to assume none of you know of. I struggle with social cues. Time management. Hand eye coordination. Self care. Spacial awareness and have depression. I’ve experienced DV. I start year 11 soon. I recently figured out I’m bisexual and only my mum, a close friend and a few fellow lgbt friends of mine know. I have a almost ten year old dog and live in a box in a suburb my Mum and I hate. We moved here from the country and didn't see the place in person. My dog injured herself very badly and had surgery due to the unit being tiny and she runs around a lot excited. I have been having friendship problems, just a toxic horrible ex friend of mine blindsiding my best friend etc and will post that another time or maybe just in the friendship sub forum. That’s stressing me out as I have been badly bullied many times in the past and a few years ago it got really bad that I did heavening Therapy and was so distressed re living it. I just don’t want to be isolated again and alone at school. I’ve been feeling down and depressed. Anxious and tired. Plus even more stressful things re my father with police things etc needing to be done. I’m sorry if I have mistaken the rules again with the personal thread thing, I can easily get confused. Mudcakes

Joining the Army with a History of Depression

replies: 5

Hi all, this is my first time on BeyondBlue - would appreciate if anyone could try and give me a hand. I've had a history of depression, anxiety, and a few other more nuanced disorders. They have lasted for almost two years, I am medicated and I was hospitalised a few times with several severe situations now behind me. I'm now almost clear and would like to join the army in a year or so. The ADF is surprisingly quite ambiguous about careers there with allowance of depressive history. This is all they have to say - "https://www.defencejobs.gov.au/help-centre/faqs?faqCategory=b80b22f6-ab13-4c33-b366-06b660b267b4&faqTag=eligibility&faqQuestion=2e2326f8-1dd9-49c8-9d39-ce5f5785d431". It would be an absolute dream to join and unfortunately, the helpline for the ADF seems to not be allowed to answer me on the issue, possibly on a professional basis. This makes it very tricky - do I go down all the steps of applying for a YOU session and the rest, or should I just chuck it all aside. I have worked really hard to get myself back on track with my diet, education, exercise, rigour, etc., to account for my difficult history which might otherwise reflect badly on my applicability. I appreciate that it is probably hard for anyone in my shoes to be accepted, but my main questions are; 1. Should I bother applying? 2. Has anyone got in like me before? 3. Is there any nuance to my application that increases my chances? Thanks for your time. Alex

all of my efforts are in vain

replies: 6

title sums things up, i'd say. just seems like nothing i do matters in the slightest. every step i take in life is overlooked and ignored for one reason or another. academically, socially, et cetera. i don't make an impact on anything and i'm not sure why i even bother with trying. i try studying more than i've ever done for a big test coming up. end up getting a C- anyway. i give a compliment to someone, trying to be nice. they stare at me like i'm a freak and walk away. i try helping around the house in any way i can. get called lazy anyway. i genuinely see no reason why i shouldn't just isolate myself completely because it's obvious i'm not making any sort of impact on the people i meet in any way. i'd even go so far as to say i wouldn't be missed if i wound up dead tomorrow. that's how worthless i feel. i like to think i'm doing my best, but clearly i'm not because then i'd be able to turn some heads with my actions. instead i get brushed over and walked past like a background object. like i always do. TL;DR - feeling worthless because nothing i do has an effect in any way.

I promise, things get better :)

replies: 4

Hello all, It has been four years since I have posted on this website, first when I was 14 and I am now almost 19. I struggled a lot with depression and anxiety and having low self worth. Back when I was younger I honestly thought that I would feel terrible forever, I didn't see any way out of the feelings I felt. I was morbidly obese, had very few friends, had no luck in love and always felt like the outcast in most settings. Now that I am back here after four years I'm proud to say that I genuinely value and love life. I saw a psychologist for 3 years, and as daunting as it was when I first started I cannot express how valuable that was. Personally it took me a few psychologists until I found the one that I clicked with, but when I did and I started to work through my mental health issues it made all the difference. I still suffer from my mental health issues but now I have the tools I need to deal with my emotions and it feels great to be in control. I have also since lost 37 kilograms in the four years and have a genuine passion for achieving the best version of myself I possibly can. I always thought I would be alone forever, but now I am in a serious relationship of almost 2 years. To any young people that feel as though life sucks and things won't get better, please know that if you take the right steps your life can and will become something that is genuinely worth living and embracing. Im not sure if it is possible but if anyone, and I mean anyone needs someone to talk to, I am always open to hear you out. Stay strong, you are loved. Jack

I have OCD and depression and my family dont care/understand.

replies: 10

Im 19 years old and from the age of 13 ive had severe depression, anxiety. This was because of the things I've gone through since a small child, specifically, having an abusive and manipulative father who still on occasion will harass and scare us. I've been dealing with these things for most of my life, alone with the help of my religion, with no help or understanding from any of my family (my non immediate family are not in australia) and recently i found I have OCD, more specifically I wash my hands compulsively, and cannot sleep till my bed and body is clean, if i touch something by accident, i need to wash it again, and if i dont or cant i will freak out, pace back and forth and breathe heavy. I realize this is something i need to work on, but I am a student and cannot afford therapy so I'm trying to deal with it myself. However my family (mother and sister) make it so much worse. We share a small house, and because of how small it is everyone can hear everything and if one light is one everyone knows. Ontop of this the bathroom is right next to my mother's room. We have daily fights about this, and they will talk badly behind my back and my sister will insult, roll her eyes and bump into me "accidently" after a night of me handwashing. I've tried to explain to them i cant help it and I don't mean to keep them awake but i literally cannot help. But they just tell me im selfish and incosiderate and i should just "stop". Its gotten to the point where when I AM washing my hands and trying to focus on not going on and on, the level of anxiety in me makes me feel as if I cant breathe and I often cry and tell myself I want to die. My family also dont respect when I ask them not to touch things or put things on my bed, they just roll their eyes, ignore me, tell me it isnt a big deal or more specifically my mom will say its too bad its her house. Apart from this, ive spent my whole life copping it left and right from my family. On one side my father abused and manipulated me, and treated me like I was the stupid child with issues ( he said this to my mother on multiple occasions when i was as young as 9) on the other side I have a mother continuously telling me what im doing wrong and how im like this and that. And then my sister who's just overall horrible towards me. Im at a loss at what to do and my mental state is extremely bad right now.

stressed about school starting again

replies: 4

I'm sorry I post on here too much lmao I'm in year 10 this year and my last year at school was terrible, I was starting at a new school and I wasn't doing very well mentally, I was suicidal and was skipping school most of the time and then of course online school happened which made it even easier to just avoid everything. my average grade for each subject ended up being 50% or less which isn't great. i had so many missing assignments and I thought if I just avoided it all it would go away. i really want to improve this year, i dont want to repeat but my studying and organisational skills aren't the best. i find it hard to concentrate at home and I never really seem to get homework done..also the people at my school are extremely homophobic misogynistic and generally bad people.. since Ive recently come out as trans after school finished last year I'm scared of people recognizing me or deadnaming me and ofc people making fun of me, I mean it's kinda inevitable seeing the people there suck, I have a few friends who are nice but I don't have any classes with them.. anyone know any tips on how to be motivated or keep an alright work ethic? or even how I can stay kinda positive this year? or the best one how I can stay as invisible as possible? really not looking forward to it

How do i recover from this? What’s the condition?

replies: 4

I have really bad memories from when i was in my previous school which was co-ed and i was hugged and “touched” [it was really close to my private areas but i did not understand cause i was really naive and stupid back then], even though it was obviously visible that i didn’t like it and said no and told them to stop(my classmates, mainly just from one person). Even though i told that person ( N) that i did not like it and kept on pushing him away, but N kept on doing it cause they enjoyed the way i reacted. I was scared to tell others cause 1. N was a year older than me and 2. N was really popular and outgoing, so i figured everyone would listen to him rather than some quiet and sky kid that sits in the back of the class. Now years later even though i no longer see N anymore i cant help but feel disgusted whenever someone esp of the opposite gender when they come close. [three feet is the closest range where i feel comfortable] my body would somehow freeze . This is bad cause I can’t really ask questions to my teachers cause i hate it when they get close (cause they can’t see my working out ) and i keep on stuttering and sometimes it gets hard to breathe. And now I’m scared of the opposite gender and i know that they’re not like N but i can’t help but feeling scared. Also my friends thinks that thinks I’m some kind of “arrogant” person just cause i refuse to hug them. I really don’t Iike it and feel really uncomfortable when any gender gets close and make any kind of skin contact e.g. poking or touching my arm or holing my hand. Any skin to skin contact, i can’t. After any type of skin contact happens, i have this urge to execessively clean that area and after using excessive amounts of anti-bacterial soap. How do i get “better” so that i dont feel disgusted when someone makes contact, accidental or not? Though its been more than 3 years since I’ve seen N how do i tell him that all this has happened to me all because of them? I get mad at myself every time i think about it. I really want to get better so that i no longer feel uncomfortable when someone accidentally run into me, and I really want to hug the people I love comfortably. (To moderators : sorry if this is in the wrong forum i’s really appreciate it if you could move it to the right forum)

hard to go to my dad's house

replies: 3

hi people on here are helpful so.. my parents are divorced, they had a pretty tough breakup they were both alcoholics at the time and there was alot of physical abuse from what I can remember coming from mainly my dad, but my mum was also quite verbally abusive. They divorced in 2016 and I've been going to my dad's house every Wednesday after school and every second weekend. that schedule lasted until around when lockdown started, my little brother and I didn't go to our dad's as much since we were doing online school and it was just easier doing schooling at my mum's place with all my school books and stuff there. i was still going but it was more like one weekend each month or something like that. it's the school holidays now and I feel really guilty for missing out on all that time I could've been at his place seeing as he lives with his girlfriend but she works alot of the time and I felt bad because he might of been feeling really lonely? whenever I go to his place now I feel like I'm not supposed to be there or like I'm interrupting something or in the way? i feel like I'm not wanted at all at my dad's place and that they both secretly hate me and that I'm an inconvenience. i know he thinks we don't like him anymore but I really want to go but everytime I go I feel really guilty about even being related to my mum because I'm being unloyal or that I'm exactly like my mum? they still don't have the best relationship. i hope this makes sense and I'm writing this as I'm procrastinating walking to my dad's so if anyone can help in any way or even someone else who's going through the same thing can relate or? thank you

Hi

replies: 2

Hi everyone, I am new here so I am a bit nervous to be opening up. Before I start I just wanted to say I hope u are all well. I guess I should tell u a little about myself. 3 or 4 years ago I went to headspace for the first time. I had been struggling long before then but I had only just got the courage to ask my parents if I could go to therapy. I started to go pretty regularly and I was comfortable with my therapist. However, about 12 months afterwards I stopped going. This was a result of circumstances (my therapist decided to start their own practice, it was getting expensive). During my time with headspace, my therapist conducted some assessments which indicated that I had anxiety and OCD. However, they were a strong believer in not labelling things so I never got a diagnosis. This has made life very difficult. I feel as though I cannot say I have OCD or anxiety as I am not officially diagnosed. I feel like a fraud and do not want to promote self-diagnosis. Since my time at headspace I have not gone back to therapy. I have fallen into this space where I once again am too scared to start the process to go back to therapy. And life since then has been one of ups and downs. I have had some good times but I have also had some really bad times. And now I find myself in a really bad mindset. With nobody to contact for support. This is perhaps the lowest I have ever felt in my life. I know I need help. I have seen what can happen when something is left too long. But the problem is I can’t wait 6-8 weeks to get into headspace, I need help now. I want to get an official diagnosis so I can begin to embrace recovery. I want to be able to sleep at night without my brain filling with intrusive thoughts. I want support so that I can continue working through what is going on. Recently I have had a regular intrusive thought which is rather scary for me. It is what I guess u could call the last nail in the coffin. It signals to me that I need help now. That this can’t continue. Anyway I will stop there as I am sure I am boring u by talking about myself. I hope u all have a good day.

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

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

Leaving My Former Homophobic Religion and Re-analysing Their Scriptures replies: 1

Mudcakes’s personal thread. (My story) replies: 2

Joining the Army with a History of Depression replies: 5

all of my efforts are in vain replies: 6

I promise, things get better :) replies: 4

I have OCD and depression and my family dont care/understand. replies: 10

stressed about school starting again replies: 4

How do i recover from this? What’s the condition? replies: 4

hard to go to my dad's house replies: 3

Hi replies: 2