Welcome and Orientation

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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 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.

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 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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New poster. Worried about the future.

replies: 2

Hi everyone! Nice to meet you all. Hope you're all as well as possible and able to keep powering through your darker times to reach the sunnier days. I suppose my main thing is that I spend a lot of time worrying about the future. More specifically, about all the ways the future could literally go apocalyptically, human-civilization-and-existence endingly wrong. And I don't know how to stop. For example, this evening I read the news, saw the words "North Korea" and suddenly it's hours of reading every every article I can find about nuclear war and convincing myself it's almost certainly going to happen within the next couple of years. I'm out for a walk, look around my surroundings, and just picture them in ruins. The last few years have felt like I've got a pressure cooker in my head. It feels like the world is spiralling out of control and there's nothing I can do about it. One day I feel like going full survivalist, the other I feel like doing so is utterly pointless because I don't want to live in a world of ruins. And I hate it. I'm sick of feeling paranoid and frightened, but I don't know how to stop. I don't know how to talk to people about it without either (a) sounding absolutely ridiculous or (b) freaking them out. But I don't know how to switch it off either, so I just end up stewing in my misery and feeling like I'm wasting my finite time worrying my life away. Anyway, that's me. Hope we all can help each other out somehow.

Hello.... I'm drowning...

replies: 1

Hey there, I'm not really sure what posting in a forum will accomplish... I think everyone is in the same boat as me - struggling and looking for help... but I don't have anywhere else to go... I am a chronically ill single mum of 1. I work full time (even when I was on dialysis every night I still worked full time). I work about 55 hours a week and do not have any family here (my family is overseas). I am feeling so overwhelmed... I have this pain in my chest that makes me cry when I start to think about it... I sleep intermittently - I fall asleep ok, but then I wake up after a couple of hours and can't get back to sleep. The thoughts keep racing - usually about something that I said or did that I'm not sure if I have handled it correctly. I constantly think I'm going to get fired - I can't keep up with the work. I honestly don't know how all the other teachers manage to get all the work done - how do you do it all with only 2 hours of prep time??. I work from 7:30am to at least 5:30 every day, and then I work at least 5 hours on the weekend. I feel guilty for not doing everything I'm supposed to do. I feel guilty for working so much that I neglect my own daughter. I feel guilty because I am very educated and yet I don't feel like I am successful. I feel guilty because I never went to my mom's funeral because my husband told me I couldn't afford to go.. that was 8 years ago and I still cry about it. I just feel so overwhelmed and I don't know where to go or what to do. I can't see a counsellor because I don't have time, and I don't have someone to mind my child if I do go. I don't want to quit my job, because I actually love the "teaching" part (i.e. being in the classroom)... but I was given a kidney a little over a year ago, and I know this stress is going to make me sick again. I say I'm a single mother, but I am actually married. My husband moved to Asia last year. He hasn't had an income in 10 years.... just lots of ideas that I supported him with. When I went on dialysis he quit his job because he wanted to go back to school... which meant I had to continue working full time. Currently he is starting a business overseas. It was really my idea... but I had to continue working to pay the bills. Anyways, I support him while he is setting everything up. Found out he had an affair.... He wants to stay married... but he also doesn't want to stop seeing this woman because he is lonely in Asia. Oh my gosh... I can't handle all of this.

Ideas on shaking the tears and feeling good once again

replies: 1

Hi there everyone, just joined the dog hoping for advice and help to shake the blues or how to manage it. 48 yom ex ambulance paramedic medically retired now cafe owner and bloody miserable. Heavily medicated and can't stop crying, constant doubts of... View more

I need help

replies: 3

Hi, I am a male and as such am not used to allowing my flaws to surface. I hade a stroke November 2017 and I thought that as I didn't appear to suffer any long term effects that I was alright. Now I find that my marriage is on the rocks because of my mood swings. I have lost all desire for the future. I live from day to day. Nothing excites me and al I want to do is sleep. I know that I am no longer normal, went to the DR and was prescribed sleeping tablets. I do not want to be a zombie and after taking 1/2 of one of these I was. Is there any hope for me or do I just wander and hope that it will go away. Desperate

Is there a diagnoses for what I've been experiencing ?

replies: 2

There are times when I'm just casually laying about, going on my day until I hit with a sudden wave of sadness and fathom unrealistic scenarios in my head to amplify it. and its not just sadness either, there are times when paranoia and fear hit me about my friends intentions and get angry at them because I've conjured up some ludicrous scenario in my head, there are times when I felt like I've been abandon and also made some excuse to justify it. there are times where feel like I'm a burden on everyone while also justifying such belief. there numerous other feelings and emotions that I've been through with this formula, so my question is that does this have a classification/diagnoses for I've been experiencing? or am I just overreacting to my hyper imagination?

Made To Feel Like The Bad Guy

replies: 1

Travelling home on the train, two guys smelling of alcohol, decide to use the seats as foot rests. From their discussions, I knew they were Defence. I let them go for a while, and noticed other people on the train weren't impressed with them either, at first I politely asked them to take their feet off the seats, they ignored me, so I was a bit more abrupt. Their comments of me having mental health problems pissed me off, but being left alone without the backup and support of others, I was left vulnerable. Why won't others speak up?

New to the forum - I hope I can give someone support

replies: 1

Hi, I am new to the forum. My wife has had a lot of issues with depression and anxiety, but had a lot of improvements after going through the Beyond Blue program. I hope that maybe I can help give some support to others on the forum, both to help the... View more

Struggling with Therapy

replies: 4

Hello, everyone! I just joined up today because I've been feeling extremely overwhelmed lately. I moved to Australia from America about 2 years ago. My anxiety and depression have been pretty severe since then, and I suspect I might also have body dysmorphia and ptsd though I've never been diagnosed. I don't have much of a support system here. I have my husband, but no other family or friends. I also have no idea how health care (or anything, really) works here. I feel so lost and confused. It's like I've been drowning. I started to see a therapist who I found online not long ago for video sessions. We had about 4 or 5 sessions and long story short, she became more and more unprofessional until she just didn't call me for a session we had scheduled, and she stopped replying to my e-mails altogether. I have no idea why. It's very frustrating and confusing. I don't want to let this discourage me from seeking the help I need, but I'm worried this will happen again, and I really don't want to relive the things I've already opened up about in therapy. I'm not even sure how much more help I can afford. My husband has been struggling to support us. I have no car, no job, and the savings I had left after moving here are already dwindling from the few sessions I've had. I just don't know what to do. I apologize for the long post, and I'm also sorry if some of this was a bit incoherent. As I said, I'm very overwhelmed, and I've been having trouble articulating. Thank you for reading!

Feeling forgotten

replies: 9

Hi not sure how to start Im 27 years old and I feel that my whole life I have always had it hard and that life is unfair. I know it is for everyone but I feel that it was extra for me. I never found a friend that I could connect with. Everyone has 1 best friend, i don't have one. Throughout school no one wanted to talk to me. I had social anxiety and made it hard. But I got told to make the first step and approach and I did but still they would not have me. Worse they verbally bullied me by talking behind my back. I overheard them sometimes. When I went to work I met some people and they were nice and I thought I finally made some friends but sadly they messaged me less and less till eventually we don't talk anymore. In my new workplace, the people are lovely and I try to start conversation but it never catches on. I feel invisible there. Some of these people say, when they do talk to me, that I'm funny and and good to talk to but it never moves past acquaintance stage. I don't feel like I'm part of the team. My family is amazing but my sister is always out with her friends or at work and my brothers busy with theirs. My whole life I had no one. No one to open up to. I've never even had a boyfriend. I've now been told I have arthritis in many joints and a bone tumour (non cancerous) on my rib that causes a lot of pain. It keeps me up most nights. I want to talk about it but everyone seems to busy for me and often forget. Life is just going on and is dragging me along too without caring wether I'm enjoying my time. I'm starting to feel depressed but I don't know if it's because of my lack of sleep or the way my life has been. I don't know what I'm looking for here but I just want to get these thoughts and feelings out I guess.

New and Anxious

replies: 4

Hi. I’m new I’m not really sure what to do, I’m a mess of feelings right now. I can’t get motivated to do anything I called in sick to work today and I’m honestly not sure how I’m going to go in tomorrow. I just want to run away.

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

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

New poster. Worried about the future. replies: 2

Hello.... I'm drowning... replies: 1

Ideas on shaking the tears and feeling good once again replies: 1

I need help replies: 3

Is there a diagnoses for what I've been experiencing ? replies: 2

Made To Feel Like The Bad Guy replies: 1

New to the forum - I hope I can give someone support replies: 1

Struggling with Therapy replies: 4

Feeling forgotten replies: 9

New and Anxious replies: 4