Relationship and family issues

Anything to do with managing relationships and family, including parenting, separation, loneliness, divorce, family and friendships.

FAQ

Find answers to some of the more frequently asked questions on the Forums.

Forums guidelines

Our guidelines keep the Forums a safe place for people to share and learn information.

Pinned discussions

BeyondBlue Hey there - read this to see what this section is all about
  • replies: 0

Hello and welcome This is the Relationships and Family section where members can talk about what is happening in their lives and the people they live with. We know that who we live with can make a big impact on our wellbeing, both in a good way or a ... View more

Hello and welcome This is the Relationships and Family section where members can talk about what is happening in their lives and the people they live with. We know that who we live with can make a big impact on our wellbeing, both in a good way or a negative way. As always, we want to hear your story and how it impacts you and encourage everyone to support each other with kindness. There are a few things to consider when posting in this section so we can all get the most out of it: Everyone’s situation is unique. We all do our best to share what is important in our story but we can never share it all. Let’s be mindful we can’t know all of everyone’s story. Anonymous but public. These posts are available to everyone and while the moderation team keeps the Forums anonymous, posts are still online for everyone to read. Have a think about what you want to share to get the best support for you. Please stay safe. This space is an amazing way to seek support from others who might understand what you are going through. We want to hear how you are going and what is happening for you. Please also consider 1800RESPECT if you don’t feel safe or 000 if you are in danger right now. You deserve to be safe. Thank you again for joining this conversation, your contributions are worthy and important to us here. Beyond Blue

All discussions

Fredi Damned if I do, sicker if I don't
  • replies: 1

Man - I just lost everything I was typing and have to start again - another anxious moment. I have a lot of things happening that I don't feel i can do anything about without rocking boats and cutting ties. They are work things, not family things. I ... View more

Man - I just lost everything I was typing and have to start again - another anxious moment. I have a lot of things happening that I don't feel i can do anything about without rocking boats and cutting ties. They are work things, not family things. I want to talk about these things but am so concerned about the consequences that I feel like I am stagnated. This stagnation is making my depression and anxiety worse and my symptomatic assists are all coming back. The advice I was given was 'leave and don't go back' but that hasn't taken away the knowledge that I know things are happening there and I don't feel right just leaving. It is almost an innate feeling of justice but maybe I am just being a troublemaker, don't really know what I am talking about, being a nuisance, believing I know better. Any advice would be SOOOOOO welcome.

Choco-Girl Married and in love with first love again
  • replies: 1

Hi, I'm married with 2 kids. Marriage is not great or worst, its average. Financially build up together, but love life is not great. We don't have much emotional connection, all materialistic. After 20 years I met my first love again, he is married w... View more

Hi, I'm married with 2 kids. Marriage is not great or worst, its average. Financially build up together, but love life is not great. We don't have much emotional connection, all materialistic. After 20 years I met my first love again, he is married with 1 child. We both still love each other's and stuck what to do. We both love our kids and have guilty feeling about them. We live in two different countries, it's a big process to get together as well.Don't know what to do, Can I get advises please?

CrimsonBlue Wife micro-cheating with friend, so confused.
  • replies: 1

I'm in a Lesbian relationship and married to my wife for 6 years and together for about 20years. We have to beautiful girls, and I love my wife so very much but for the past year she has been texting another woman from her childhood. She has recently... View more

I'm in a Lesbian relationship and married to my wife for 6 years and together for about 20years. We have to beautiful girls, and I love my wife so very much but for the past year she has been texting another woman from her childhood. She has recently lost her father and in that time, she reconnected with this friend, but the connection was a lot stronger than I thought. My wife told her that she was falling in love with her. The other woman hasn't really told my wife how she feels about her, but they have been flirting in the texts that they send. I knew something was going on as my wife was distant and being secretive. I found a message that she sent this woman saying that she had fallen in love with he,r so I asked her about it and eventually she confessed to me but has since told me that she was in a bad place from the loss of her dad and wasn't thinking properly. Which I can understand but her feelings were real. She has continued to text and see this woman even after I have told her that I would rather she not have anything to do with her. I have asked her if she still has feelings for this woman and she said no. But then I asked her would she tell me if she did have feelings for her and she also said no. So, I struggle with trusting her now. She will be going to see this friend soon as she is a friend of her family. I am sure that the other woman has developed feelings for my wife, and I know my wife still have feelings for her too. My head is spinning around and sometimes I don't know what to do. I love her so much and can't imagine my life without her, but this is messing with my head and heart. What should I do???

KTF undecided
  • replies: 3

I love my wife and kids but i feel we as a married couple have drifted apart. I'm a good person I work full-time in corrections ( Crime) i cook, clean look after the kids put them to bed every day but I feel its never good enough. I never go to the p... View more

I love my wife and kids but i feel we as a married couple have drifted apart. I'm a good person I work full-time in corrections ( Crime) i cook, clean look after the kids put them to bed every day but I feel its never good enough. I never go to the pub or hang out with mates I feel that i don't want to return home and I feel pressure from her family is also contributing. I hate trying to work out what she will be like each day. I feel it should be this hard. I have approached the topic number of times but she just cries. Im at a loss i see other family members enjoying their lives and i feel it may be easy single. But i have supported her enormously with finances and yet her family are very well off and i feel if we do spilt she will take everything from me and i will be a 40yr old male starting from scratch again

Jordan701 Feeling not wanted
  • replies: 1

Hi all I’m not the best at this stuff but here go’s im a 22yr old male nearly 23 and over the last 3-4 years I’ve just felt not wanted in any form I’m outgoing nice funny and caring but just get treated like crap I play sports and no one sits near me... View more

Hi all I’m not the best at this stuff but here go’s im a 22yr old male nearly 23 and over the last 3-4 years I’ve just felt not wanted in any form I’m outgoing nice funny and caring but just get treated like crap I play sports and no one sits near me or really talks to me it seems like I always start the conversation and then they just get shitty and leave or I join in a group and they talk around me then leave then I’m just by myself talking to girls isn’t to hard of a task but I’m a virgin and I get made fun of a lot for it so my confidence it getting lower each day and I’ve been talking to less and less girls my family are all starting to have family’s of their own and I get reminded daily that they’re disappointed with my not dating or talking about my future and that just makes me feel on the outside of my family as well as my teammates I should also mention I had a lot of friends at school but they most of them stopped inviting me and talking to me after I stopped going to school for a few months because my mental health was not well at all and they never asked me how I was and blamed me for not coming to invites I’m not in a big area I’m in a small town and gossip and word spreads fast and then you just get left out of everything and end up not knowing if you belong at all I finally got a stable job after months of no jobs and my family are starting to be proud of me in that regard but I just feel trapped and everyday I feel worse & worse at work but put on a brave face but I feel like the customers can see through my fake smile and once happy shine I’m staring to not enjoy things that gave me joy and now just opt for my bed and movies after work till night and get up and do it all again…..I’m starting to lose faith In everything

Lookingforpeace Married and in love with someone else
  • replies: 12

Hi all I don't know where else to go with this, but I feel like my current situation is eating me up and I'm so tired of it. Long story so please bear with me. I recently rekindled a friendship with my first love. We are both married and have admitte... View more

Hi all I don't know where else to go with this, but I feel like my current situation is eating me up and I'm so tired of it. Long story so please bear with me. I recently rekindled a friendship with my first love. We are both married and have admitted our feelings for each other. He has told me he is insanely in love with me. We tried cutting things off in order to work on our respective marriages but that only lasted about a month. If anything, I felt even more depressed during the time we weren't talking, like something significant was missing in my life. I am so unhappy in my marriage and sick and tired. Sick and tired of us just not "clicking", living like room mates and feeling like there is no emotional or physical connection. He is more like my best friend, which some people say is essential to a marriage but then why do I feel like it's not enough? My husband is a great guy and he is the first person I go to for advice and support with my mental health. I'm not even sure if I could get the same thing from this other guy. I feel so selfish and like a bad person for feeling this way. I have been questioning whether I am just infatuated with the other guy. I truly am blind when it comes to him, and feel like he is a drug. When I see him I'm on a high, which lasts for a few hours/days, then I crash. Can infatuation turn into long lasting love I wonder... I have never felt this way about anyone before, not even my husband. I was in my mid-20s when I married him and he was my first. I fee like I should have gotten more life experience before making a decision like that. At the time though, I'd been broken hearted and decided that truly being in love only led to heartache and instead I would marry someone that ticked the boxes. Yes I have thought about leaving my husband. But I'm terrified about the logistics aswell as the perception of me especially by my conservative family. Also I have had moderate-severe anxiety and depression for about a year now and not sure if a separation would be the best thing right now. Having said that, a lot of my anxiety and depression has stemmed from being in an unhappy marriage so.... Chicken or the egg I suppose. i feel like I just want someone to tell me what to do! But in the meantime, any advice or relatable experiences would be so so appreciated.

Guest_43570404 Confused about my own feelings
  • replies: 3

I am in a 2 year long term relationship with my partner and I love them so incredibly much, however I have the urge to kiss other people?? I don't want to date other people, I only want my partner but I feel the urge to kiss and hold onto other peopl... View more

I am in a 2 year long term relationship with my partner and I love them so incredibly much, however I have the urge to kiss other people?? I don't want to date other people, I only want my partner but I feel the urge to kiss and hold onto other people romantically and platonically. But I don't want to break up with my partner,they're my end game, I'm 100% sure of it. Could I be polyamorous? Or do I need to take a break from my partner and explore the world a bit and then come back to them? I haven't told them about these feelings yet because I'm scared they will freak out and I don't want to upset them. They're okay with me kissing my friends, I do this platonically though, I hug and lightly peck my friends all the time but it's no the same... It doesn't satisfy my needs. I want to experience something new but I don't want a new partner... I'm really confused and I need some advice.

Lijah My Gfs mum betrayed my trust
  • replies: 2

So a few months ago, I told my gfs mum that I had been a victim of CSA. I have never been vulnerable with anyone except my previous gfs and I decided to be vulnerable with her. She then went on to tell everyone in her family. Which really disheartene... View more

So a few months ago, I told my gfs mum that I had been a victim of CSA. I have never been vulnerable with anyone except my previous gfs and I decided to be vulnerable with her. She then went on to tell everyone in her family. Which really disheartened me. Then a few weeks go by and my gfs mum then says to my gf which she tells me(she has a son to another person just for clarification and I love him to bits). She says that her mum told her not to leave her son alone with me at all. Now I have never and will never do anything to anyone. But when she told me that her mum said this; I broke down crying for the whole night and for the rest of the week and even now I feel so angry and depressed that someone could say this about me. And also to be vulnerable with someone and for them to say that about me just broke me to bits. I’m so confused as to where to go with the relationship as I love her and she loves me but I just don’t know how to move past that.

Gj-1974 Not coping
  • replies: 4

Hi l went through a nasty divorce and separation in late 2023 my ex wife controlled and abused Mr for years and l haven't seen my kids for 2 years l tried to follow my younger daughter on instagram but was rejected and me oldest daughter has got marr... View more

Hi l went through a nasty divorce and separation in late 2023 my ex wife controlled and abused Mr for years and l haven't seen my kids for 2 years l tried to follow my younger daughter on instagram but was rejected and me oldest daughter has got married l wasn't told. It's burning me up, especially coming up to fathers day. Help

Sunny0945 Workplace Fling Causing Anxiety, Guilt, Regret, Shame
  • replies: 5

This is hard for me to post....well I guess here it goes.I guess I’ll start off by saying I was and still am single. I've been struggling with this for a while, approx. 2-3 years ago my boss who has a partner and I had a fling. we worked on a project... View more

This is hard for me to post....well I guess here it goes.I guess I’ll start off by saying I was and still am single. I've been struggling with this for a while, approx. 2-3 years ago my boss who has a partner and I had a fling. we worked on a project together became close and started to flirt in person and over work messenger. We were smsing each other out of business hours Aswell. She asked me to delete the messages we sent each other during business hours. As things started progressing, she said things to me like "you make me smile every time I walk past your desk" and when I questioned her she said “I don’t know” and put an blushing emojis on. I went on by saying "tell me” and she said you make me nervous... and then things progressed again.... we started sexting each other and sending intimate audio messages to each other...despite my gut feeling was not to..I beat myself up for not stopping this here...I feel like a scumbag and blame myself. As things went on, I told her I like her...to which her response was as a "friend right?" and "you get attached to easily". I said “what have we been doing then? you have basically cheated on your partner”. Her partner looked through her phone and saw my message and accused her of cheating. Ever since then things have been awkward at work. For a while she wouldn’t even look in my direction and would completely ignore me (even for work related things). Eventually things came kind of good and would at least talk to me for work stuff and a little bit personal but then for some reason would go cold again and ignore me. This has been happening for a long time. I don’t know what she told her partner about what happened but I suspect it wasn’t the truth.Recently I’ve come to realise I’ve bottled this up for years and never talked to anyone about it. Which brings me to last couple of months where she started trying to be playful with me again and I’ve cut it off for the most part. Unfortunately, there have been a couple of occasions where we’ve gone out as a team and she made a joke at my expense and I ended up blushing. Now I’ve been getting weird looks from people in my team and I feel like they know. Any advice is much appreciated.