Newbie looking for a chat! ^^,

MsCroft · ‎21-02-2016

My name is Oliviah and I am 16.

Recently I've been diagnosed with depression and anxiety, but no one has been here for me. I have no one to talk to and someone mentioned beyond blue to me.

And here I am.....

Guest_5218 · ‎21-02-2016

Hi Oliviah, and welcome to the BB Forums.

I am sorry to hear that you have been struggling with depression and anxiety lately. But you have come to a great place here where you can receive friendly advice, support and guidance from fellow sufferers whenever you need it.

I point out that it is not meant to replace professional practitioners, but it is a good support for in between appointments and is a great supplement to any other treatments that you may have happening for you. If you have been diagnosed with depression and anxiety am I correct in thinking that you are receiving some sort of professional help currently? That could be through your GP or perhaps a psychologist? If not, then please consider doing so. Your GP is a very important cog in your support crew in these matters.

Please have a look around at the resources that the BB Website has to offer. There is heaps of information that you may like to read up on to help you to understand more about mental illnesses.

You have done well to find the courage to come here and seek support. And it is a great first step for you. Please be reassured that this is a very safe and anonymous support group for fellow sufferers, so you can be totally open and honest in any questions or advice that you seek.

We are all here for you Oliviah.

Sherie xx

MsCroft · ‎22-02-2016

Hey sherie,I have been to my GP and have went to see a psychologist. I got a mental health plan and am going to regularly. But this is all so new, I have been depressed for as far as I can remember and no one really took attention. But my recent cry for help has caught attention, and that's how this all opened up. Like a wound that hasn't healed but hidden so that you don't get in trouble from your mum. Currently my family is naïve to the fact I have a mental illness. Im in year 12 and going through this, by yourself, especially In a year as important as this is just weighing on me. So I really do appreciate the help, and do look forward to chatting.

Kind regards, Oliviah.

Guest_5218 · ‎22-02-2016

Hi Oliviah.

Thats great what you've done so far. All the right things. You should be proud of yourself.

When you feel ready, it would be a good idea to talk to your parents about it all. I expect they would like to form part of your support network. Talk to your psych about how best to do that. I just dont think it advisable to do all this on your own.

It is bad timing to be dealing with this in year 12. But really there is no good time. Its still early in the year, and I'm hoping that the help you receive now will make things much easier for you than they would have been otherwise. it should all pay dividends for you by year's end.

Keep posting here and use this Forum as a means of support and helpful advice which you can utilise in between your psych appointments. If you have any other questions you would like to pose, you may like to look at the Young Peoples area as well.

I have a young nephew who has been suffering badly from Depression for a couple of years, he will turn 17 tomorrow actually. He has been seeing a psych for about 12 months now and has been on medication for a while. He has shown good improvement lately and has recently gone off the medication. He is in Year 12 too.

I wish you every success in dealing with all this Oliviah. You are obviously a very strong and independent young lady, so you sound well equipped to see it through to a happy and successful conclusion. You can learn to overcome this bad patch in your life.

Dont try to do it all on your own though - your GP, psych, parents, friends, and fellow sufferers here on BB Forums, can all help to support you if you call for it.

Just remember, there is nothing to be ashamed of in having Depression or Anxiety. With it in the news so much now through the likes of Beyond Blue and other organisations, the general public are becoming much better aware of it these days. So people will be understanding of your struggles.

Please keep in touch with us and let us know how you are getting along with everything. If you would like to have a more light-hearted chat, I would recommend going to The BB Cafe. You can find it on the Community Section of the Forums. Its kind of a make-believe Cafe where you can just hang out and chat to whoever comes along. You will likely meet another young lady there by the name of Graceeeee. She is 16 also, and is a real little charmer. She's lovely. You may find you both have a lot in common.

Kindest regards

Sherie xx

Doolhof · ‎22-02-2016

Hi Oliviah,

I too would like to welcome you to the community here at Beyond Blue. It is wonderful someone suggested you join up here, hopefully you will find support, ideas and strategies to help you through your depression and anxiety.

Sherie has made some great suggestions already. As she mentioned, this is a site where people understand depression and mental health issues.

It may be hard for your parents to understand what you are going through if they have not experienced depression themselves. Depression is like any other illness, it requires treatment and acknowledging.

Maybe you could find some information on depression that fits how you are feeling. You could show this to your parents. Your psych may be able to recommend some appropriate material.

Do you have any brothers or sisters? Is so, do they understand how you are feeling?

There is a lot of information here on this site relating to depression and anxiety, you may find some of that helpful.

Would you like to share with us what subjects you are doing for year12? My husband and I don't have children, but have enjoyed following my nieces through their school years. One niece finished year 12 last year. Some of the subjects are so different from when I went to school. I am now 50! Ancient hey! Ha. Ha.

As Sherie has already mentioned, this is a place where you can share what ever you feel you want to or need to and people will be non judgemental.

Hope you feel comfortable to check out this site and see what is happening else where as well.

Cheers for now from Dools

White_Rose · ‎22-02-2016

Hello Oliviah

Another warm welcome to Beyond Blue. You have been given terrific replies above so I will not repeat the information.

It's good that you are receiving help from your GP and psychologist. Having a good supportive network is important. So I will suggest you check out the Kids Helpline. This is for people up to age 25 and has a separate section for those in the age bracket 13-25 years. The address is http://kidshelpline.com.au/. I think you will find it helpful to explore this website as well as BB. You can talk to someone any time. 1800 55 1800.

Kids Helpline have a section for parents so when you feel you can talk to your parents, perhaps you can get them to look at this site.

Post here as often as you wish. It is a safe place to 'talk'.

Mary