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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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Hi there lovely people

replies: 19

Just wanted to make contact, i'm a bit of a technophobe & anxious about this whole online thing! But I need to find community, need to reach out after such isolation. Trying to look after myself as i have no local support, no that's not true, my dog ... View more

How am I going through this on what should be a great moment?

replies: 3

Hi Beyond Blue. I'm new, 32, but I feel like I should have been here long before. I started experiencing anxiety out of nowhere back in 2015 when I was in TAFE. Probably cause I was worried about my future and I wasn't working full-time at that point. It was a rough point that I eventually sat down with my GP about. After putting me on a prescription I've maintained that for years. My anxiety would often come in the form of stomach pain/cramps, severe loss of appetite, thirstiness, irritability, sensitivity to hot and cold, and occasional light-headedness. It would often happen on days in which there was a big event, a wedding, a funeral, an ongoing incident at work, a road trip, or a birthday party (one time it was my own). I would get anxious all throughout my body and I would back out at the last second. It's been plaguing me all my life, but I always had the support of my friends and my family most of all. They all went through situations like this themselves.One of my worst times was during a year-long period when I was unable to find work. I became depressed, focusing on negatives all around me, and I started becoming emotional over time because I felt unwanted. That changed when I eventually found a job and have worked happily in it for 4 years with a positive workplace environment.Recently it has returned, and it has come at what should be a momentous occasion. I bought myself an apartment back in late August. I often began having thoughts about wanting to move out, but as I got closer and closer to the occasion, I began thinking about leaving the home I'd been in all my life. As well as leaving my Mum and Dad who have been my rock and support in my best and worst of times. I think most times I took their work for granted - I didn't do too much around the house, but enough to help out with really arduous tasks. They told me themselves that they would stand by me whatever I chose to do, but now I feel like a willful part of me that I've worked on getting back has been ripped out after moving in. And replaced with this painful, torturous anxiety. But it feels worse this time, all the symptoms I had suffered began coming back, I feel it every morning and on the days I go to work. I also started thinking thoughts, dark thoughts that I had never EVER gone to before, and I always brushed off because up until now, my life seemed pretty stable at home with my parents. I'm here to look for help and advice however I can.

wanting to stop feeling so depressed and anxious all the time

replies: 4

hey guys, im 23 years old and since finishing year 12 (so 18 years old) i have been suffering a lot from depression and anxiety. In my early stages of life i suffered through the divorce of my parents which they argued all the time, to the loss of my mother at 10 years old and to living with and dealing with my father who was a pedophile until the age of 14 when he was finally taken to jail. So ever since then i have known exactly what not to be, to be a rightous person but i have always wanted to live up to the expectations my mother would have wanted for me. Since i have never been shown anything in life, even after coming to live with my grandparents, i have really struggled with figuring out how i should be going about my life. I am grateful that ive gone through my studies to be an electrician and to have a decent job, but i still feel like i am lacking all the knowledge, self awarness and mentorship to just be able to go through life. Some days im feeling good but 90% of the time its a real struggle, and that 90% increases as life goes on so im hoping but posting something like this i'll be able to find some sort of guidance or help so i can finally leave this prison cell of depression.

51yrs of an unwanted fiend

replies: 1

As the title mentions, Im a 51yr old woman that has crossed paths with depression/ anxiety and low self worth many times in my life and here comes, that cross road again, just when I seem to have my life in order and, just when I think I can “read the signs” of my depression and act accordingly to it. It’s like it manifests itself in a different form and I’m back again to square one only on a different square to which I’m not familiar with. I’m currently on the depression side of the fence, right now. Nothing is making science to me, only negative thoughts do. I can’t make a rational choice when it comes to my daily life. I have always been an independent woman but now I have become so dependent with my partner right now. My thoughts are not like my usual “positive” thoughts that Keep my depression at bay. I can’t even hear them anymore. Everything is dark in my mind. I can’t stop apologising to everyone for no reason. This is the worst bat of depression, I have ever experienced. Hence, why I’m here right now.

Seeking support and guidance in overcoming depression

replies: 1

I wanted to introduce myself to this forum because I am struggling with depression. I have been feeling lost, hopeless, and incredibly tired for many years now, and I am looking for support and guidance from others who understand what I am going through. I know it can be hard to reach out and talk about these things, but I am trying to be brave and take the first step towards getting better. I have a history of addiction, and have struggled with substance abuse in the past. I have also tried antidepressants, but found that the side effects made it difficult for me to continue taking them. I have had a hard time committing to seeing a doctor or psychologist regularly because of my anxiety, but I am determined to make a change in my life and get the help I need. I am committed to studying IT next year and am hopeful that this will provide me with a sense of purpose and direction. I am also eager to make some new friends and connect with others who can relate to what I am going through. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, reading, and listening to music. These activities bring me some joy and help me to relax, but I often find myself struggling to maintain a sense of motivation and engagement. I am open to hearing from anyone who has found ways to cope with depression and build a fulfilling life despite the challenges.If you have any advice or words of encouragement, please don't hesitate to share them with me. Thank you for being here and for providing a space where people like me can come to seek support.

I’m the Imperfect Perfectionist

replies: 2

Hi Beyond Blue community. I’m new here, but my head has been like this forever. I hope you like my username, it took me all of three minutes to pick - I’m already trying to start being more proactive in timely decision making (see further below for why I’m explaining this). I’m a thirty something woman, awaiting for my first appointment with a psychiatrist - hopefully quickly as I’m falling and falling quickly. I always thought how I felt or how I live life was ‘normal’. I always thought that how I feel is how everyone feels but now I’m not so sure. I’m not sad, nor depressed - my mind feels weird, like I’m going and going, though I don’t want to, it’s draining now. I dont want to self diagnose but for the last two years, and after discussions with family, it has allowed me to rethink that what I feels isn’t normal. Now I’m using ‘normal’ colloquially because there’s no such thing as normal but I guess to define anyone that is different to me. I’m open to a diagnosis of GAD, OCPD, ADHD or all. Weirdly, I’m excited, I need to relate to something in the hopes that one day, I can receive treatment that’ll make me feel calmer and be a better mother. I have been tracking my habits - I don’t call them symptoms as to me, they’re normal. Most have been existent for the entirety of my life as a minimum, or for many, many years. Welcome to my imperfectly perfect life.

Begonia15

replies: 2

HiI’m new here. I’m living with chronic pain after a knee replacement in May 2020 that has failed. I’ve now had 7 surgeries on the knee and need more.I have gone from having an amazing career to being pretty much housebound and needing strong pain relief everyday to do the basic things. I feel pretty crap most days. I am though working hard with my new surgeon to explore the metal allergies I have to find the right implant to replace the one I have. I try to stay hopeful.

Cancer sucks

replies: 9

Hi all,I am 59, with one older and one younger sibling.Our 82 yr old mother has stage 4 breast cancer recurrent. She had a mastectomy and chemo over 10 years ago. At the end of 2020, she found out it had come back in her lungs. A few months ago she had falls, then a stroke (thankfully reasonably mild), then heart attack symptoms so her Oncologist stopped her chemo as it was doing more harm than good. Since the chemo stopped she has gone down hill so fast. Always a fighter, she now seems to have given up. We're not sure if she'll make Christmas. Today she started oral morphine for the pain. She is sooo tired all of the time.My 81 yr old father is not well either. He's had cancer, hydatid cyst, some infection in his body...he was under an infectious diseases specialist for quite a while. His heart only works at a small percentage, his kidneys aren't great....he's so frail and underweight. Then today my 64 yr old hubby had back surgery to try and relieve the constant pain he's in.I also have had a lot of health issues since being diagnosed with metastatic melanoma a few years ago, then a heap of very severe side effects from a blind Immunotherapy trial. I'm cancer free at present but always fear it returning.I feel like I'm on an emotional roller-coaster. We are really close to our parents and we are struggling to cope with the severity of their illnesses.I'm crying lots of tears.

I am lost

replies: 3

Hello, I am so lost. I cant seem to find energy. I am mentally so tired and feel like I had enough of everything. I still try to do my best at work and in my personal life for the sake of others but its exhausting and at the end of the day its so hard. I am making every effort to put a smile on my face and cheer everyone around me and make them happy. I like to see people happy but I feel exhausted. I dont know if I am making any sense.

Why this life is so bad

replies: 3

Hi everyone I don't know why I am here ... I just need someone to talk to as I feel so alone ... even people next door have a party ... and they invited me ... but I felt so out of place that I left early .... and they are now having a great time ... and I want them to stop ... that's very mean I know .. but every minute that continues I am having a harder time not to scream .. although I am already crying for an hour ... my apologies for any mistakes ... English is my second language and sometimes is hard to express myself ... I used to have really bad times in my life before but somehow I got up and get out those situations ... but I am tired now ... and don't want anymore to get up ... I am just tired of living ...

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

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

Hi there lovely people replies: 19

How am I going through this on what should be a great moment? replies: 3

wanting to stop feeling so depressed and anxious all the time replies: 4

51yrs of an unwanted fiend replies: 1

Seeking support and guidance in overcoming depression replies: 1

I’m the Imperfect Perfectionist replies: 2

Begonia15 replies: 2

Cancer sucks replies: 9

I am lost replies: 3

Why this life is so bad replies: 3