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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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helpmeplease01 fearing love/ past heartbreak
  • replies: 3

One of my biggest fears is falling in love because I worry that guys won't be able to commit to a relationship with me. I dated a guy one year ago which caused these insecurities to arise. Even though I'm not interested in the guy or seeing him anymo... View more

One of my biggest fears is falling in love because I worry that guys won't be able to commit to a relationship with me. I dated a guy one year ago which caused these insecurities to arise. Even though I'm not interested in the guy or seeing him anymore, he's still impacted the way I see dating. I opened up to this guy about the past. I now worry that guys wont like how I used to be in high school (years ago) and I worry they wont want to commit to something long-term because they'll find someone prettier and smarter or just better than me. I opened up to him and ended up getting hurt. So should I keep avoiding dating and try and "work on myself" ( which I wouldn't specifically know how to do so") or should I just get back out there and hope for the best?

Razzle3456 Struggling to be happy
  • replies: 6

Hey everyone, I’m pretty new to the forum thing so here it goes: I’m about to go into my last year of university, and I just feel sad. Last year was one of my hardest years of study, I moved out of home fully (was at college for 3 years), and I was n... View more

Hey everyone, I’m pretty new to the forum thing so here it goes: I’m about to go into my last year of university, and I just feel sad. Last year was one of my hardest years of study, I moved out of home fully (was at college for 3 years), and I was navigating 2 new jobs and a new relationship. Relationship side of things is great, but everything else is a nightmare. I constantly feel stressed and it’s gotten to the point where I’m so anxious about hanging out social outings, work, or anything that I really enjoyed going to in the past. My partner has been a great support, but I really don’t want to be reliant on the one person. Currently I’m snapping at really small things, I feel really insignificant, and I just don’t like me at the moment. I’m crying at least once a week getting in my own head, but now I just feel sad. Have been reading some stuff online here, but I’m just struggling to be happy again. would love to hear any advice, because I hate feeling like this.

madds97 Hi, I'm reaching out for help
  • replies: 5

Hi I'm Maddie and I'm 22 from Melbourne. I just logged on to this forum, and saw that my last post was from November 2016, it was a post about feeling very lost in my life and having no friends or hope for the future. Today is January 9th, 2020. That... View more

Hi I'm Maddie and I'm 22 from Melbourne. I just logged on to this forum, and saw that my last post was from November 2016, it was a post about feeling very lost in my life and having no friends or hope for the future. Today is January 9th, 2020. That post was 4 years ago. I originally came on here to share my story and reach out for help, yet seeing that old post has made me feel mixed emotions. Its been a shit 6 years honestly. But thats not to say that I haven't had ups and great things happen to me in that time. I'm a full time worker for the past year and 1/2 and I'm also engaged to an amazing guy. I never thought that would happen. I'm truly blessed. Basically, I've been depressed for the past 6 years and longer. I left school after year 11 (2014) because I was in hospital for most of that year, with psychosis and depression. I had survived a suicide attempt and was hospitalized three times for weeks/months. I was 17. Leaving school really screwed up my education. I currently work in admin, and while its not amazing, it keeps the bills paid and its not terrible I guess. I know I'm lucky to be employed and relatively stable financially. I just wish I had achieved more, and thats hard to sit with. Today I'm 22. I have no motivation to better myself, I just feel so stuck and hopeless. I hate what my mental health has ruined for my life. So you could say I'm angry too. I self - sabotage. What I mean is that I don't eat right, I don't exercise, I do the opposite of all good things for myself. I wish I knew how to stop and fix myself and my life. Its currently falling apart at my own doing. I've tried therapy. I've tried medication. All they did was make me feel embarrassed (therapy) and awful physical side effects (medication.) I've tried, I've given life my all. I've been knocked back and down so many times I can't count, and every time I've gotten back up and kept trying. There's only so much you can take. I don't know what to do anymore. It's been a long six years. I don't believe I'm fixable.

eukaryote Already given up?
  • replies: 4

Hey all, Anyone else experience major difficulty getting out of bed every morning? It’s been happening to me for the past 2 years on and off, but now it’s a daily occurrence. I had many failures last year (mostly academic) due to my own lack of motiv... View more

Hey all, Anyone else experience major difficulty getting out of bed every morning? It’s been happening to me for the past 2 years on and off, but now it’s a daily occurrence. I had many failures last year (mostly academic) due to my own lack of motivation. Even though i have come up with a plan on how to get my life back on track in 2020, have listed all my New Years resolutions, fitness plans and hobbies, I still don’t feel any better. I’m even staring an exciting casual job this year but I just have zero energy. I feel like atm I am just at home doing nothing all day. It’s kinda scary because it’s really like I have given up on life and I’m only in my early 20’s!

Cupcake2500 My "ex" has moved on...
  • replies: 1

I am an 18-year-old female. I met this guy who is also my age on a dating app a year ago. He was great. He said how he thought we would "last" and he told me he wanted to say hi to my parents when he picked me up from my place which he did. Everythin... View more

I am an 18-year-old female. I met this guy who is also my age on a dating app a year ago. He was great. He said how he thought we would "last" and he told me he wanted to say hi to my parents when he picked me up from my place which he did. Everything about him was amazing. He ghosted me two weeks later and said "he wasn't ready" for a relationship. He would still talk to me afterward and led me on (never initiating to meet up, ignoring me e.t.c.). I ended up ghosting him but then when I failed my driver's test at the time, I started to speak to him. We ended up arguing as he thought I would post indirect things on Facebook about him. In all honesty, some posts were and some weren't. At this point, I was ready to move on. I ended up passing the test a month later, I ended up apologising to him for "closure" (so stupid) and just felt content to move on. However, on my friend's birthday, we went to this club and I bumped into him. This resulted in a hot and heavy makeout. He was drunk but said he "wanted to see me again". He almost had a fight with my friend's cousin because I ran off with him to another area of the club that night. My friend told him to never contact me again if he was only going to waste my time. He ghosted me after saying "when will I see you again?" All my efforts went down the drain. I find out a month later, the day after we saw each other. That he matched with my best friend on the dating app (she matched back out of curiosity) and he started talking to her. She didn't want to tell me when it happened because she didn't want me to be hurt. She told him we were friends and mentioned that he was not nice to me while dating and he replied, saying that I was "twisting" things. He followed me on Instagram a few months later yet we did not talk. I found out yesterday through his mate's facebook page that he just got into a relationship. I have broken down, because he was not ready for me. He also blocked me on Instagram, so I can't even see what his girlfriend looks like as it has not been revealed who he is with. I feel worthless, he consumed my happiness pretty much all year. He has made me questioned my sanity, my existence. He was different (and cooler) to what I used to know, all I did was crave him. I feel like nothing because of the way things have turned out. I need help.

abs3 my story
  • replies: 1

hi, i’m abbey. it’s been a couple of years since i’ve started to feel like i’m not myself anymore. i’m extremely insecure and put myself down to the point where i blame every problem on myself. i have a boyfriend, he is supportive and loving but does... View more

hi, i’m abbey. it’s been a couple of years since i’ve started to feel like i’m not myself anymore. i’m extremely insecure and put myself down to the point where i blame every problem on myself. i have a boyfriend, he is supportive and loving but doesn’t know how to handle his emotions and sometimes pushes me away making me feel lonely and vulnerable towards harsh thoughts. i put a lot on the line for him and i love him with all my heart. i struggle with making new friends because i over think things and assume people dislike me. i just want to know i’m not alone and i hope others know how it feels to be mis treated and feel unloved although i am

cripjay15 overwhelmed
  • replies: 1

I am really struggling with anxiety at the moment. mostly because of going back to school after having trouble with my friends. my problem is sleep. at the night time is mainly where my anxiety comes out. because it’s just me and my thoughts in my he... View more

I am really struggling with anxiety at the moment. mostly because of going back to school after having trouble with my friends. my problem is sleep. at the night time is mainly where my anxiety comes out. because it’s just me and my thoughts in my head. I can’t sleep because my head just goes crazy. the way of calming myself down is listening to music or just watching movies and stuff to just distract myself from my thoughts. other wise my head goes wild and i get into a bad state and have kind of a panic attack. but i do a lot of sport and sleep is even more important especially with my past with injuries. so i’m practically staying up past midnight most nights on my phone trying to get out of my own head. but then i get more anxious about not getting enough sleep and being tired and whatnot. anyway i’m just stuck in a vicious cycle that i’m not too sure how to get out of.

oscar0101 Comedown Issues
  • replies: 2

This may sound minor but I wanted to get it out there, Recently I have been experiencing extreme comedowns after enjoyable events in my life. Three events in particular have really impacted me. 1. A couple of years ago I went to visit my family in th... View more

This may sound minor but I wanted to get it out there, Recently I have been experiencing extreme comedowns after enjoyable events in my life. Three events in particular have really impacted me. 1. A couple of years ago I went to visit my family in the UK for a few weeks on my own. This was a pretty monumental step for me, and I enjoyed it thoroughly. In fact, apart from coming home to see my direct relatives I had very little reason to want to return at all. After coming back I fell into deep depression for a good few months and struggled with returning to the boring school life I had left behind for three weeks. I'm sure everyone experiences post-holiday blues to some degree but it was to the point where I was crying in bed at night. 2. I entered a youth rock competition with my band and we did very well. It was a pretty large competition and certainly the largest crowd we have ever performed in front of. We performed our set almost perfectly and I came down from the stage in a state I can only describe as ecstasy. We also made friends with a couple of other acts. In the days following the competition I began to feel more and more depressed that it was over, that I would have to wait another year to enter again. Once again, this seriously impacted my life and made me feel unmotivated and directionless when starting new things. 3. Recently I attended my college band camp which I was sure I would not enjoy. Surprisingly, I made some great friends and had some great laughs. Unfortunately, all of these friends were from my school's sister school and It is highly likely I wont see most of them for another year. I enjoyed my time with them more than my regular friends and now that I am back I am starting to question whether I am in a productive relationship as well as feeling the same lack of motivation as before. Once again, I know these sound minor but they are starting to ruin my mood in enjoyable situations. I often find myself consciously making an effort to enjoy certain events or feeling sad when they happen because 'I'll never experience this again'. I'm finding it extremely difficult to live in the moment and enjoy life as this feeling is beginning to dominate my life. Thankfully I am not on drugs, from this experience I think I would fall apart on them. If you have any advice please let me know. Thanks.

h12 22 years old, male, massively sexually frustrated and depressed
  • replies: 13

Hey everyone; for the last few months, and on many prior occasions, concerns about sexual contact, loneliness etc have been like a leaden weight in my mind. I'll put down a few connected specific thoughts and some questions, in the hopes of getting s... View more

Hey everyone; for the last few months, and on many prior occasions, concerns about sexual contact, loneliness etc have been like a leaden weight in my mind. I'll put down a few connected specific thoughts and some questions, in the hopes of getting some advice, any general thoughts, and just maybe giving support to others who are going through the same sorts of struggles. A snippet of context for you: I'm a 22 year old male. I have severe depression, anxiety and OCD. I've always had these but things really kicked up a notch or ten in late high school and uni. I stopped uni after a year, and for the few years since I've lived with my parents and been on various meds with very limited success. I don't usually have all 3 main conditions at once. Right now the stand out is depression and it's mainly connected to being very sexually frustrated - I've had two sexual experiences, firstly with a friend (she wanted a relationship with me, I didn't feel the same way but she was the first non-family girl I'd ever talked to (I was 20 then) and I was totally clueless). Second was with my first girlfriend, now ex, early last year. All I can think about recently, literally for large sections of each day, is how much I crave physical intimacy, how lonely I am (I only have a couple of friends, old school guys), how insanely jealous I am of other young people who seem to be able to get sex whenever they want with whoever they want, how unattractive/inadequate I feel, how low (wait, let's be honest, non existent) my self esteem is etc etc. And a surging storm cell of unanswered questions: how do other young people get sex so often, so easily? Where do they even have sex given that most still live at their parents' houses at my age?? (that one really confuses me!) I've gotten the impression that most girls these days say they don't want meaningless sexual encounters and don't like guys who are pushy wanting sex, yet I also get the impression that everyone (including said girls) is having sex all the time - how do I possibly reconcile that?? I'm an odd type of guy in that I'd preference genuine intimacy over quick hookups (honestly I wouldn't be against the latter but have never had an opportunity). I'm introverted, nerdy, value sincere, deep conversation, loyalty, commitment, not really a party person - not really attractive things at all! The cultural standard of having lots of sex by my age, the jealously, confusion, longing - is even a hug too much to ask for??

zrm25 Anxiety overwhelms any desire to get help
  • replies: 4

I have been having problems with anxiety and depression for years now. In the last few months I was able to get onto headspace to get some help, because that didn't involve talking to anyone except by webchat. It's gotten to the point now where they'... View more

I have been having problems with anxiety and depression for years now. In the last few months I was able to get onto headspace to get some help, because that didn't involve talking to anyone except by webchat. It's gotten to the point now where they're suggesting I go to doctor or GP or something and get better help but I can't do it. Just thinking about it gives me panic attacks. It's so bad, like there's so much wrong with my life and how I feel but I'm too scared to do anything about it. I know I need help and I want it, but I just don't see it actually happening because of my anxiety. I don't know how to get past that anxiety even just for a little bit.