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Sophie_M How are you feeling about the social media restrictions in Australia for under 16s?
  • replies: 14

Hey everyone With the upcoming Australian social media restriction for under 16-year-olds coming up we want to know what this means for you and maybe even the young people in your life. This conversation is a place for all of us to share how we are f... View more

Hey everyone With the upcoming Australian social media restriction for under 16-year-olds coming up we want to know what this means for you and maybe even the young people in your life. This conversation is a place for all of us to share how we are feeling and what we think the challenges and benefits might be for you or the wonderful young people in our community. Have you thought about how to stay connected with friends you’ve met online? Are you focused mostly on the positives, or the negatives? What do your parents think, and what could they do to support you? Importantly the Beyond Blue Forums are not impacted by these restrictions, we're here for anyone under 16. In short, from December 10 Social Media companies will need to ensure that only people over 16 actively engage with their platforms. There is a lot of information out there which can make it tricky to know what to expect on when it comes into effect. To learn more we think these are a helpful place to start eSafety commissioner + Headspace FAQs. We know this change will impact some more than others, QLife provide anonymous and free LGBTIQ+ support and 13YARN are here for all Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people. We want to hear your thoughts on how this might impact the mental health of under 16s in both a positive and negative way. The Beyond Blue Forums are a place for constructive and helpful conversation and the regular moderation rules apply which means we look forward to a kind and understanding discussion. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings Sophie M

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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neh4 help
  • replies: 3

It's been too long and I think I need to share my thoughts. I've gone to a councilor couple times before but it didn't feel right. I guess I'll give this a shot. I always feel empty, some days more than others but I always have it in me, like somethi... View more

It's been too long and I think I need to share my thoughts. I've gone to a councilor couple times before but it didn't feel right. I guess I'll give this a shot. I always feel empty, some days more than others but I always have it in me, like something's missing. My mom noticed that something might be wrong but I'd just get mad at her and reassure that I'm alright, I dont know why I'd react like that... Sometimes days would pass without me even noticing because all I've done is lie on my bed. Sometimes I don't even have any reasons to feel like that but I can't help it. I've disappointed so many people with my behavior... I've lost friends and I've lost opportunities. Once my host mom (I'm an exchange student) got so mad at me for spending too much time in my room and when she told me this I was surprised because I didn't even notice it. I didn't realize that the time had gone by so quickly. I also got into an argument with my other host family and they told me the same thing. I don't get it. And when I'm feeling like this, it'd last for atleast three days, sometimes way longer but I think it depends on the "trigger". Once I got into a huge fight with my then best friend and it got me so messed up. I would cry myself to sleep every night and on days I literally looked like half dead. I'd spend my time self-loathing and sleeping. It's been over 3 months and I'm still not fully over it. After that fight all I've done is compare myself to the girl and I feel like it's making me crazy. She's skinny and beautiful and I'm the opposite. I exercise nearöy every day and I feel like I'm not losing any weight. I did try some unhealthy methods as well but I feel like my body is against it. Everything the girl does makes me compare myself to her. We're in the same situation; exchange students, same school, same city and we used to be in the same friend group as well but after the fight I couldn't be with them because it made me feel awful. She has done some other stuff that makes me wonder if she's trying to prove me that she's better than me but maybe she doesn't do it on purpose. It's not like she'd have to prove that anyways. Honestly though, I have no idea what I'm doing here. I can't even put my feelings to words and this whole thing is going to sound like I'm a crazy jealous angsty teenager.. I don't know maybe I just feel lonely.

H-c Just getting things off my chest
  • replies: 5

Ooft okay how do it start... So basically I’ve been feeling like this for years now really but I kept of shrugging it off like it’s nothing. I don’t know if I’m burnt out or have high level anxiety or a bit of depression or all of them combined. I al... View more

Ooft okay how do it start... So basically I’ve been feeling like this for years now really but I kept of shrugging it off like it’s nothing. I don’t know if I’m burnt out or have high level anxiety or a bit of depression or all of them combined. I always feel like something is wrong with me or something bad is going to happen, I always waiting for that “thing” to hit me. And I always feel like I’m forgetting something. Or I feel empty, like my stomach feels empty all the time. I tried filling it with food, which did not help, Made me feel worse. It’s getting worse and worse especially after years nine. I’m frequently having all this random breakdowns at school and I easily cry for no reason at all, I’m also having trouble concentrating. Like at school my classmate and I were working on a project and she said something which isn’t funny because if it was people would start laughing but for some reason I laughed to the point where tears starts running down and I feel like I can’t even control what I’m feeling anymore. One minute I’m all happy and okay the next I feel like everything’s going downhill. I sometimes feel like I’m a disappointment or something. Like I can’t even do simple things or achieve them. I keep on zoning out in class no matter how hard I try to concentrate. I tried studying in small Chunks and all and it did not help, nothing helps at this point. I feel like I’m constantly disappointing everyone around me, my teachers, my friends, my parents. Plus everyone around me is saying things like “you’re smart you’re going to do well”, I can’t help but feel like I have to conform to their expectations like i have to constantly get 98, 99 in all my tests. I’m also scared to talk in front of the class for some unknown reason. I get all shaky and my mind just goes blank and my heart started beating rapidly n I started to get trouble breathing. I also get paranoid easily like one day I saw a flash and thought someone took a picture of me cause they hate me and wanna talk shit about me and all which is stupid i know what I can’t help it. I kept on telling myself that oh it will get better soon just get enough sleep. No. It didn’t help. Why do I keep feeling this way and how do I stop. Is it normal? I wonder how it feels not having to constantly worry. I need help? I sometimes feel like I wanna escape from all of this, escape form this reality, I wanna disappear so that I no longer have to deal with all these. It’s not like I wanna disappear disappear it’s just that I sometimes feel like I wanna leave everything behind for a few days or so without worrying about anything. right now I’m feeling overwhelmed by school and everything. At school all I hear are complaints and even in class. I have this one friend that kept on complaining about everything. I’m already carrying all of my heavy burdens and him complaining about his bad day or him not finishing his work isn’t helping. What am I supposed to do? I can’t tell him off but at the same time if he keeps on doing this I feel like I’m going to burst. I feel like a ballon filling with air with every second passing by getting bigger and bigger to the point where it’s on the verge of bursting.

n3v year 12 - unmotivated and frustrated
  • replies: 1

hi everyone, this is my first time posting here so i was a bit hesitant but here i am. i'm currently in year 12 and i guess i'm approaching the halfway mark (completed term 4 and am currently nearing the end of week 7 term 1). i have always had issue... View more

hi everyone, this is my first time posting here so i was a bit hesitant but here i am. i'm currently in year 12 and i guess i'm approaching the halfway mark (completed term 4 and am currently nearing the end of week 7 term 1). i have always had issues with school even in primary school relating to the completion of any sort of schoolwork whether it be assessments, homework and studying. i thought this year would never come because it always seemed so unreachable but now that it's here i'm mentally, physically and emotionally drained more than ever. i don't really know how i'm going to be able to comfortably make it through the year and especially through my hsc exam period since i never have the motivation to do work and am always procrastinating to try and avoid from doing anything. however, i still want to relax and have as much fun as i can since it is the last year of high school but it's difficult with that constant thought of the hsc in the back of my mind. i've given it much thought and i don't think i would want to go to university (even though my parents are expecting me to) so i know for a fact that the atar i get isn't exactly a 'be all and end all' situation for me but that still doesn't stop me from wanting to do well despite how i'm feeling. i've always felt that school just "wasn't it" for me if that makes sense. i'm the type of person who will only feel motivated to do things if it is something that i personally want to do and so sitting there studying or writing essays or sitting exams are things that i never want to do. this has resulted in me always completing things last minute and holding off completing schoolwork as long as i can. i feel as if i am at a point where i can't retain anything in my brain anymore because i don't have a desire to. i find myself reading a sentence to myself over and over again for 5 minutes because i just keep forgetting it (this is also the same for when i'm listening to someone talk - i will hear one sentence and try to remember it but then realise i hadn't been listening to everything else they have said). my vocabulary has never been extremely expansive or sophisticated but now i feel as if it is becoming even less so. i forget basic words often and i think my writing skills are getting worse. i'm behind on classwork and have had random moments where i start crying at home because of how frustrated i am. there's so much for me to say but so little characters - sorry if i'm ranting but i'm just stressed.

Ghost_Girl Lonely in a Small Town and Looking for Support
  • replies: 22

Hello BB members, I'm new here and am looking for some guidance. I'm 19 years old and I live in a small town. I'm really struggling lately because of my lack of a boyfriend/a really intimate close friend(s). I used to feel like I wasn't achieving any... View more

Hello BB members, I'm new here and am looking for some guidance. I'm 19 years old and I live in a small town. I'm really struggling lately because of my lack of a boyfriend/a really intimate close friend(s). I used to feel like I wasn't achieving anything since school ended because my friends went to uni, I didn't have a job and was generally not as successful or "grown-up" as my peers but things have been going really well for me lately; I've started doing a Cert 4 at TAFE, I finally got my drivers license, and I'm possibly going to be starting a council traineeship soon so now I have much more independence and more hope for my future but the more goals I tick off the list, the more pathetic I feel as far as my friendships and love life go. 3 of the people I went to school with are already engaged and I've never even had a boyfriend before. I didn't have any close friends until the middle of high school and now that they're at uni, I'm back to square one. I have friends around here but I don't have any really close friends that I can confide in, laugh with, and spend lots of time with. I wish I had a way to meet people but there's just not a lot of opportunities around here to hang out with people my age post high school. I was really hopeful I would make friends at TAFE and I've actually met a couple of people I get along well with but for the most part, the TAFE campus here is not very populated and thus not a great way to meet new friends. Going back to my love life, which has been the biggest factor in my depression lately, I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place because one of the only ways to meet single people around here is through dating apps which make me feel miserable but being single also makes me feel miserable. I'm so lonely that I have to imagine I have a boyfriend just to get out of bed and get through the day. I know I must sound pretty pathetic but I just feel really isolated, lost, and alone and I could use some support right now.

Ghost_Girl I feel so alone and like my life has no meaning
  • replies: 5

Hello BB forum users. As the title suggests, I'm currently struggling with loneliness (and have been consistently struggling with it for a year now.) I'm 19 years old and graduated high school about a year ago. The few friends I made there are at uni... View more

Hello BB forum users. As the title suggests, I'm currently struggling with loneliness (and have been consistently struggling with it for a year now.) I'm 19 years old and graduated high school about a year ago. The few friends I made there are at uni now and have lots of new friends whereas because I'm still living in my small home town, I've barely made any. What's worse is whenever my friends have been back in town they've been too busy to meet up with me and I'm starting to feel like our lives are too different for us to continue being close especially since the last few times I chatted with them on FB messenger, their answers seemed very short and impersonal. Another thing I've been struggling with immensely is lack of intimacy and sexual frustration. I've never had sex or even kissed anyone and I'm constantly fantasizing about finally being physical with someone and it makes me so depressed. Masturbation barely does anything for me anymore and I just wish I could finally experience sexual connection or even just platonic affection. I don't even remember the last time I've been hugged by somebody. I've tried to meet other single people but one of the only ways to do that around here is on dating apps which make me feel really objectified and I just don't feel like they've got what I'm looking for. The more and more lonely and frustrated I get, the more I feel like maybe I should just swallow my pride and embrace random hookups like so many other people my age have. On a more positive note, I'm planning on joining the local theatre group and youth council early next year which should hopefully provide me with opportunities to get out of the house and meet people but I just can't help but have no motivation to truly live my life since so many of the positive social/intimacy experiences I've had this year have been figments of my imagination. I know this must be a lot to unpack but I just feel so depressed and misunderstood and could really use some guidance.

2_Double_O I don’t know how to get help
  • replies: 3

I don’t actually know what’s wrong with me but I do know that something might possibly be wrong. I just have these feelings of like impending doom sometimes and I can’t stop myself from thinking about it. There are other things too but that’s not rea... View more

I don’t actually know what’s wrong with me but I do know that something might possibly be wrong. I just have these feelings of like impending doom sometimes and I can’t stop myself from thinking about it. There are other things too but that’s not really the point of this post. Point is: I’m so lost. I don’t want to tell my parents coz I’m worried of what they’ll think. I know my parents don’t really understand the weight mental illness has and the affect it can have on people. I have had a few counselling sessions at my school but during that time I didn’t have the guts to tell her how I truely felt inside and I think because I pretended to be okay she thinks I don’t need to see her anymore. I know it’s stupid but I don’t want to tell anyone because I don’t want to feel weak. But I feel that if I don’t start getting help something bad’s gonna happen. I just don’t know what to do. I want to stop feeling like this but I’m also scared that I’m just overreacting. I have a pretty good life and I really haven’t gone through anything too bad. I keep telling myself that if I get my life together everything will get better and sometimes that works for a bit but then I end up feeling the same way again. I just want the feelings to stop and I want to let all my emotions out but I’m afraid to. I was going to chat online with one of the beyond blue people but I kind of chickened out. At least posting this isn’t like a really conversation because it’s not directly to someone and I don’t have to reply

EJT struggling
  • replies: 4

Hi! I am F16 and recently have been experiencing some issues. I don't want to write long, boring paragraphs about how I feel and factors which may be affecting it so I'll sum it up in some dot points. I have been distancing myself from others a fair ... View more

Hi! I am F16 and recently have been experiencing some issues. I don't want to write long, boring paragraphs about how I feel and factors which may be affecting it so I'll sum it up in some dot points. I have been distancing myself from others a fair bit recently. Normally I am an energetic, bubbly and friendly person however I have become more quiet and reserved recently. Sometimes my old personality resurfaces for a few hours. When my friends ask what's wrong, usually I say I am tired. This is not completely a lie, as I will generally feel tired. This however is puzzling as I am receiving 8 & 1/2 hours of sleep a night. I feel very unmotivated, distracted and empty. Sometimes I feel as if I am simply existing, and the world is operating around me. This in turn also makes me feel quite lonely. My room is an absolute mess at the moment and I hate it, however I can't find the motivation to clean it. A few months ago we sold my house. We are renting at the moment, and in the process of finding a new house. This is very stressful and frustrating, as a few times now we have had our heart set on a house but we have unfortunately missed out on it. I just want to officially move. The process is so unbelievably tiring. I go through these really hyper, talkative and distracting moods in class where I quite literally can't get anything done. I am aware of when I go through them and it makes me upset because I know I am irritating my teacher and I want to be a good student and receive good grades, but I just physically can't bring myself to pay attention. I have been struggling to find the motivation to do my school work. If/when I start, I will generally not end up finishing it. It also takes me a long time to do work because I get distracted frequently and believe that most things I do aren't good enough, so I tend to re-read everything I have written after I make minor tweaks or write new sentences etc. (sorry I struggle to accurately describe it) Went vegetarian as of the 1st of January for ethical & environmental reasons. I have been taking B12 supplements and would like to start taking iron supplements to see if it helps with my lack of energy & sleepiness. Frequently have been getting stomach pains I get in these really obsessive moods/phases where I will obsessively research something e.g. today I researched getting a dog and calculated all the costs, did the research on the best products etc. I would love to receive any advice or feedback possible! Thanks.

Yuki03 Im scared
  • replies: 2

Hello Todays been a weird day (its almost midnight now) I’ve been feeling really empty and hollow today and either been sitting or lying down all day, exception for food and bathrooms. Its not depression (though I am diagnosed with that, anxiety, OCD... View more

Hello Todays been a weird day (its almost midnight now) I’ve been feeling really empty and hollow today and either been sitting or lying down all day, exception for food and bathrooms. Its not depression (though I am diagnosed with that, anxiety, OCD, panic. amongst other things) I have lots of things to do tomorrow and the days after that but Im too scared and stressed to do anything. hell pls. What are some ways you not feel so hollow and empty??

sop7 is this it?
  • replies: 7

I'm 22, finished my uni degree at 20 and have been working full-time for the last 1-2years. I've moved back home into my parents house away from all of my university friends and live in a town that has virtually no-one my age - apart from my now boyf... View more

I'm 22, finished my uni degree at 20 and have been working full-time for the last 1-2years. I've moved back home into my parents house away from all of my university friends and live in a town that has virtually no-one my age - apart from my now boyfriend who I've been seeing for almost a year. I've recently been getting panic attacks and depressive episodes which is really unlike me. I am wondering "is this it?" about life a lot. It feels like there was such a huge build up at school and uni to get a good full time job, get the boyfriend, travel, get married, have kids, etc and now that I'm finally on that track I don't feel happy at all. I feel depressed and anxious. Is this all there is to life? I used to wake up happy in the mornings and excited for what my day would bring and now I wake up sad, angry and irritable. I only have my boyfriend to talk to and am even doubting things with him. I don't know about anything anymore and i just don't know what to do. I can't keep feeling like this forever.