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Sophie_M Meet your community champions!
  • replies: 10

Hi everyone, We wanted to share with you the way that our wonderful Community Champions are here to support you. You may have noticed that a few of our Forums members are labelled ‘Community Champion’. Community Champions are volunteers within the Be... View more

Hi everyone, We wanted to share with you the way that our wonderful Community Champions are here to support you. You may have noticed that a few of our Forums members are labelled ‘Community Champion’. Community Champions are volunteers within the Beyond Blue Forums who: have the time, skills and empathy to support other members regularly; help to welcome new members; are actively engaged members that help set the tone of our community. Our Community Champions are regular contributors to many conversations across the forums. They are a consistent and friendly voice that have committed to sharing their experience and expertise with this community. They are not health care professionals or clinicians. Like you, they have an experience with a mental health challenge or diagnosis – either for themselves or someone they care for. This forum is for people who understand what it feels like and have a lived and living experience of mental health challenges. Our Community Champions help everyone feel comfortable and confident by demonstrating what excellent peer support is all about. Click here to find out more about how you can become a Community Champion! This incredible team are excited to introduce themselves below, and we are sure you’ll see them around the forums in conversations important to you.

Aaronsis HELP..Am I posting in the right section?
  • replies: 10

Welcome to those who are considering posting for the very first time, welcome. Thought I would repost part of the words that Chris B posted awhile ago, (2014) as I can hear that people are unsure if they are posting in the right section or worried th... View more

Welcome to those who are considering posting for the very first time, welcome. Thought I would repost part of the words that Chris B posted awhile ago, (2014) as I can hear that people are unsure if they are posting in the right section or worried that they are posting "the wrong thing". 1.A good title makes the difference Just like a headline in a newspaper, when scanning the dozens of threads to click into, it’s only natural that people will choose the ones that resonate with them most. A title that entices the reader, or asks a question, is likely to get a better result than something non-descriptive like “Depression” or “I don't know what to do”. If you think you’re not good at choosing titles, leave it till last. Spend time writing your post, then perhaps choose a sentence from what you’ve written as the title. 2.Join in threads that have already been posted We all have our own unique stories, but part of the reason for joining a forum like this one is because you know that you will have a lot in common with others who are posting. Before starting a new thread, have a look through the current topics being discussed and see if there’s a conversation you can join in with. It can be quite common to have a handful of very similar threads happening at any one time, with members seemingly unaware that there are others right there who are going through the same thing. Talking to other members on their threads is a great way of getting yourself known so that when you post a thread of your own, people may respond quicker because they recognize your name. 3.Choose the most appropriate section for your post Many people browse the forums looking for stories specifically to do with pregnancy and parenting, employment, grief, loss, separation etc. Going straight for the “Depression” section may seem like the easiest option, but this section is often the busiest, so your post is more likely to get lost among the threads. Making good use of the different forum sections not only helps keep the forum relevant, but you’re more likely to find others who are going through the same experiences as you. Also, if you're wanting to discuss issues of trauma, abuse, suicidal thoughts or self-harm, it's really important you post in the designated section to avoid triggering others who may not wish to read about these topics. Mostly..just come and chat, we are here for you. Our amazing wizards in the background will see your message ends up in the right spot. Sarah

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Me62 Hi
  • replies: 6

I really don’t know where to start, I’ve been diagnosed with ptsd(c), borderline personality disorder, depression and very high anxiety. I’ve also got severe pain in both of my hands which makes it very difficult for me to use them , which doesn’t he... View more

I really don’t know where to start, I’ve been diagnosed with ptsd(c), borderline personality disorder, depression and very high anxiety. I’ve also got severe pain in both of my hands which makes it very difficult for me to use them , which doesn’t help my mental health.

indigo22 New to the Forums
  • replies: 6

Hi everyone, have just signed up and introducing myself. I am a woman in my 60's and have pretty much been through the works. I grew up in a dysfunctional family. Have been dealing with Dysthymic Disorder and Major Depression since my teenage years. ... View more

Hi everyone, have just signed up and introducing myself. I am a woman in my 60's and have pretty much been through the works. I grew up in a dysfunctional family. Have been dealing with Dysthymic Disorder and Major Depression since my teenage years. Have lost 3 family members to cancer, one family member and a best friend in road accidents, and another best friend to a rare disease. Have been married, separated and divorced (no children). Have had and recovered from a rare cancer. Have one sibling left who is a narcissist and has resented me from the day I was born, needless to say when I moved, I gave no indication of where I was going. I was already struggling emotionally when I started caring for family members during their cancers, my father died first but when my mother died just 10 weeks after my brother, I felt completely broken (like humpty-dumpty). My Major Depression progressed to Chronic status and had suicidal ideation for the next few years. I moved more than 300kms away to leave it all behind but after 1 year found out I had cancer in 2016. I am glad to say that I am doing much better these days and would like to put my many years of experience into helping other people not make the same mistakes that I made.

Sophie_M Celebrating 20 years of our Blue Voices community
  • replies: 3

Hey everyone, We wanted to share some lovely news. This month, we celebrate 20 years of our Blue Voices community, founded by a few pioneering members in lived experience advocacy back in 2003. Today, 5,800 people make up the Blue Voices community. T... View more

Hey everyone, We wanted to share some lovely news. This month, we celebrate 20 years of our Blue Voices community, founded by a few pioneering members in lived experience advocacy back in 2003. Today, 5,800 people make up the Blue Voices community. They each have their own unique lived and living experience of depression, anxiety, and suicide, or have experience supporting someone else. Many of them are here on the Forums. You may have spotted their Blue Voices badges next to their names. Community members with this badge interact with Beyond Blue to help shape our work, using their voices to make sure that the work we do is guided by the knowledge, experiences and expertise of the community. To our Blue Voices legends: Every day you have inspired and challenged us to listen harder, think differently, and drive positive change. We are grateful for your foresight, generosity and hard-won expertise and wisdom. Our deep thanks to each and every one of you. For anyone who'd like to find out more about Blue Voices, click here. To see what our Blue Voices members have to say about their experience, check out our Facebook post here. If you know a Forums member who has this badge, we'd love for you to celebrate them below!

stylishkid Not sure where to start
  • replies: 5

Hey there. As the title suggests, I’m not sure where to post exactly. I became a parent almost 2 years ago and it’s brought up a lot from my childhood, but I don’t feel like I’ve got any right to claim I’ve got any big problems. i struggle daily with... View more

Hey there. As the title suggests, I’m not sure where to post exactly. I became a parent almost 2 years ago and it’s brought up a lot from my childhood, but I don’t feel like I’ve got any right to claim I’ve got any big problems. i struggle daily with feeling inadequate both at work and as a parent (I work 3 days a week). I’m unhappy with the way I look, my abilities and how I interact socially. I don’t have any friends, but I used to when I was younger. i worry way too much about what others think but I want so badly to be liked by people I don’t even like. It sounds so stupid to say it. my partner and I have chosen to go down the gentle parenting route, and this wasn’t how I was brought up. I’m facing resistance from family for it, but it’s also bringing up a lot from my own childhood. I believe my father was a narcissist but not an awful one. I was the less desired sibling of the two of us and I guess I knew it but just accepted that’s the way things were. anyway, I’m not sure what to expect here. Or how to go about seeking help. But I’d really like to feel more balanced.

ihstelife I need help
  • replies: 5

I smoke weed it feels like I let everybody down my family don’t even want me in the house cos I flip out and scare everyone I’m nothing but a little prick how can I treat y own family like this the one that looked after me half my life idk I just wan... View more

I smoke weed it feels like I let everybody down my family don’t even want me in the house cos I flip out and scare everyone I’m nothing but a little prick how can I treat y own family like this the one that looked after me half my life idk I just want a fresh start with them and to be loved as I once was before they knew

a_buzz Introducing myself :)
  • replies: 9

Hi all, My name is Ash, I'm 27 years old and this is my first post. I've just recently decided to join up to Beyond Blue because I have felt like I've needed a way to unload all of the stress, depression, anxiety and thoughts that have been building ... View more

Hi all, My name is Ash, I'm 27 years old and this is my first post. I've just recently decided to join up to Beyond Blue because I have felt like I've needed a way to unload all of the stress, depression, anxiety and thoughts that have been building up. I'm not much of a person who talks about his feelings or emotions as I tend to bottle it all up until it's too much and I just have a breakdown. I'm hoping that becoming apart of the Beyond Blue I can somewhat release the tensions that I have but also open myself more and just talk to people about what's going on and figure out a solution to how I can better myself and help others.

lin99 Stuck
  • replies: 3

Hi, I'm here to talk about my mental health, because I want to change, and I want to get better. I just turned 18 a few months ago, and this is the worst I've ever felt in my life, Im stuck in the darkest downward spiral I have ever been in. My life ... View more

Hi, I'm here to talk about my mental health, because I want to change, and I want to get better. I just turned 18 a few months ago, and this is the worst I've ever felt in my life, Im stuck in the darkest downward spiral I have ever been in. My life is supposed to be just starting, but it feels like it's ending. Im an adult now, I can do whatever I want, and I have all this responsibility, autonomy and freedom. Im in university, and I have endless opportunities in front of me and so many resources/help in my grasp... But I am stuck,paralysed by my thoughts, self-doubt and fear. Drowning in what I think is depression and anxiety. I have fought and worked hard to make it this far, to graduate college, and in fact to just be alive at this very moment, but I feel like I don't deserve it, I don't deserve any of the good things that have happened to me... I don't even know why I think like this. I am so privelaged, and so extremely lucky to live the way I do. I have two parents who will love and support me at the end of the day, and regardless of what happens there will always be a roof over my head and food on my plate. My mum works so hard to provide for me and my siblings, and she is kind, generous and understanding. Even my friends who I ghost for weeks, and shut out are supportive and want to help. Yet I still feel worthless, miserable, unloveable and hopeless. I feel like I haven't suffered enough to feel the way I do, I haven't felt the sting of real struggle, of real life. I have trauma, but not enough to be this damaged. Don't get me wrong, my life certainly hasn't been easy, and i've had my fare share of shitty experiences, but not enough to feel these big things I feel. I think about ending my life all the time but I can never bring myself to do it.(I am safe right now, I am not at risk of harming myself). But no matter how good life gets, and how stable I feel, I seem to always get knocked back into this state of helplessness where I just want to run and hide, I just want to stop hurting, and the only way that seems possible is to end my life. At this point the only reason I am alive is for others, for my friends and family. I want to live for myself, pick myself up off the ground and work my way back up, out of this hole I have dug for myself. I want to get out of this depressed, self destructive state that I am so comfortable in. I want to enjoy being alive, and I want to really live.

cameraobscura Hi All
  • replies: 1

HII am here to speak about my mental condition. I am using this forum for the first time; hence I have no expectations.Just a bit about myself. I am a migrant from India. This is my 26th year in Australia. 6 years back, I moved to Canberra due to a j... View more

HII am here to speak about my mental condition. I am using this forum for the first time; hence I have no expectations.Just a bit about myself. I am a migrant from India. This is my 26th year in Australia. 6 years back, I moved to Canberra due to a job. I have a family of four who are pretty dear to me in every aspect.I have been in meds for six years, going through multiple brands and various dosages.Recently I lost my job (1 month back). I resigned from the place. The organization was toxic, and I was pushed from the organization. It impacted my mind. I do not get motivated to do anything. Every day it’s a struggle to get up from my bed. At the beginning of my unemployed life, learning took less effort. But I gradually realized that my mind was not on the page like mine. Most of the time, I think, ‘What is the point’. When I was working, I used to think the same way. My mind is clouded most of the time. I like to do things, but my mind does not give me company. It is hard even to describe what is going on inside of me. I feel my life is getting snatched away from me. I am scared that I will be old before I know it, and then I will realize that life means nothing to me. That is a hell of a scary thought. I have a small group of friends who are pretty good. I have been quite lucky in that instance. But asking for mental support all the time is not possible.I love playing video games. Before, I used to play for hours, but now, after an hour and a half, I lose interest. I watch videos of talk shows about mental conditions but cannot apply them. I am still sane, thanks to my family, especially the kids. They keep me ‘awake’.The experience from my last company still haunts me and makes me angry. I try to pass it, but it won’t go away. I feel so betrayed, and I think absolutely stupid in the end. The person I trusted so much turned against me.I apologize that my content is all over the place. I am writing what is going through my mind.I did counselling; it didn’t help a lot. I did for over a year, but nothing incredible came out.Thanks for listening.

strugglzreal Introducing me
  • replies: 2

Hi! I figured this was the right place to start. I'm 42 female and really struggling at the moment. I was in a really good place before changes in the workplace (not COVID related) made a lovely place to work really hard. I now have a pretty awful ti... View more

Hi! I figured this was the right place to start. I'm 42 female and really struggling at the moment. I was in a really good place before changes in the workplace (not COVID related) made a lovely place to work really hard. I now have a pretty awful time at work. I took some time off last year due to depression and came back and was doing really well and drawing boundaries. But drawing those boundaries does come at a cost - strange how saying no to unreasonable requests (that other - male - colleagues get away with saying no to, on the rare occassions they are asked) suddenly makes me the problem. I think I really need to leave the job and it would need to be a career change because of the nature/availability of the work. But that's such a frightening prospect given my financial commitments and the years I put into developing a career.I've booked in to see the counsellor I saw last year who was really helpful, but in the meantime I thought I'd pop in here given its late at night and I'm looking to another sleepless night!