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[Josh101]

Hey guys,

I'm 21 and this is the first time i've ever reached out to anybody for help with my mental health.

Lately i've been feeling strange and I wouldn't call this feeling new i'd just say that I don't like it. So far in my life i've had a lot of ups and downs. As i'm sure everyone has and so far i've known how to deal with these emotions and life. However lately i've felt very alone. This feeling comes from:

1. Past relationships ending

2. Social anxiety (not being able to talk to people the same as I could before
3.University and the workload that comes with it

4. Not having any time for myself

I know these are common issues for somebody my age however I find i'm constantly thinking about them and cannot no matter how hard I try STOP! I also feel lost in life so far i've done a lot of travel and met a lot of friends, however even if i'm in a room surrounded by people I still feel alone. This is me putting my heart on a plate and this isn't a common occurence however i've come to the conclusion that I need help even if it's just from random people on a forum. If you can give me any advice/ideas that'd be great because anything that could help would be very appreciated.
Thankyou and Peace and Love ❤️

[geoff]

hi Josh, welcome to the site and thanks for posting your comment.
People go through life trying to handle all sorts of difficult issues, sometimes you can overcome them or be able to fix them yourself, but then there are times when these problems become such a burden it's impossible to do so, then you try and push them aside and keep trying to ignore them, but they keep coming back, they're too strong to forget about and they are annoying.
You know the feeling of them continually going around and around in your mind, you just want them to stop, and because you aren't able to do this then other problems jump on board, so the weight becomes too heavy, this is when you start by going to see your doctor,who will diagnose you and then perhaps prescribe medication, they then may suggest you see a psychologist and give you a referral.
If this happens ask your doctor about 'the mental health plan' which entitles you to 10 free sessions per year, because you need someone to talk with,
You can also click on 'Get Support' and scroll down until you see 'Publications to download' or alternatively ring BB and ask them to send out the booklet, it's very informative and helpful, so all of these are what I suggest you should be doing, and please let us know. Geoff.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi Josh101,

Welcome to the forums and thanks for your post.

Appreciate you reaching out here and sharing whats going on for you.

Sounds like you've done a lot of thinking, so I don't really want to make you think more or too much. Instead I want to bring up the idea of action and plans. I love plans. Our brain has this weird thing where when we worry we get a hit of dopamine - and that's like our reward chemical that we get from eating chocolate, sex and partying. So long story short our brain likes to worry, and we have to work really hard to let it go.

So let's make a plan; you've mentioned four things in your post - past relationships, social anxiety, uni workload and time for yourself. We know that we can't change your past relationships, so instead focus on the rest. There's a lot you can control here; whether that's making steps to be more social, managing your uni study, finding activities that you enjoy and bringing in some self-care. Have you thought about ways you might be able to manage this in a better light?

Maybe this is something we could brainstorm to help you feel a bit more in control.

Study is something that comes up a lot here, so you may want to check this out and add your own tips or thoughts - https://www.beyondblue.org.au/get-support/online-forums/young-people/eeep-when-study-is-overwhelming---tips-ideas-and-coping-strategies

Hopefully this resonates with you a bit! Okay if it doesn't - there's a lot of people here in the same boat and I encourage you to have a look at the /youngpeople threads and join in!

Hope this helps,