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 here and just trying anything at this stage

replies: 2

I don't really know what I'm doing at this point in time, I feel like I'm too young to be feeling this way or something along those lines. I look at everyone else's threads and see their realistic serious adult issues and i look at my own and wonder why I'm so heavily affected by my own. Ive been extremely depressed for the last year or two, recently however circumstances around me have worsened around me and it becomes a struggle to feel happy at any given time. If i was being honest my life was perfect in my eyes, i was always happy and couldn't be brought down, it had been 11 months since my previous suicide attempt and everything was so good. however, just the past 2 weeks alone I've been broken down to a level i didn't think was truly possible. I feel more upset and distraught right now than i think i ever have. My friends have all cut me off, my girlfriend has dumped me, my pet dog (indigo) lost her eye to a stray cat while i was walking her, my grandfather has developed Parkinson's disease and is rapidly deteriorating and my nan has fallen and ended up in hospital with a brain bleed. Im just so lost, everything that I've known my entire life has just come crashing down around me and i don't know what to do. Im confused, like how could any of this even happen, why me? I keep thinking about my grandfather and how he will eventually forget about me, we used to go to the cinemas all the time together and always watch the latest films that would come out. It was like the thing we would do weekly and i loved it, he used to tell me how much he loved fishing and how he really wanted to take me. Now he has become too unwell to fish and so the one thing he has always wanted to do with me isn't even possible. Im just here to let everything out cause i don't know what else to do. Im sorry if this is just nonsense stuff and doesn't really make any sense i just have nobody to turn to and its been quite difficult. Much love to everyone here - Jay

Helloooo everyone! :) A student hoping to work on expressing emotions safely here!

replies: 1

Hi guys, it's nice to meet you if you're reading this I'm a relatively outgoing and happy person who never considered it possible to have mental health issues. However, when I was diagnosed with an inferiority complex and, a thankfully worked upon and less severe inability to understand others and express my own emotions. Paired with rough physical health issues, navigating life has been a hard experience for me. In all honesty, I never thought I'd end up using the websites we skipped over in class but thankfully I remembered. Unfortunately, my relationship with my mother is a bit strained. I think this will be a topic I often vent about. I'm keen to listen to everyone's problems and give advice while working on how i interpret emotions through text. Of course, this isn't the place to practice but I find comfort in seeing people in the same boat as me. I've had to revise this post a few times because I came off kind of rude, haha. Have a wonderful night

Hi, I’m new to the forum

replies: 3

Hello It’s nice to meet everyone. I saw a post, with everyone putting what they were proud of that day. It made my cry but I still liked it because it made me think maybe I do have things to be proud of. Maybe posting this could be one. I tried to create a login, but I already had an account from 4 years ago. I guess I’ve felt bad for years, for as long as I can remember. I feel numb most of the time, but sometimes I get so overwhelmed it’s like all I’ve ever felt and all I’ll ever feel. Anyway, thanks for reading this. It feels a little weird to write out to the internet, but kind of nice too. H

Retinitis Pigmentosa

replies: 15

I live with an Inherited Retinal Disease (IRD) Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a blinding disease without treatment or cure and I would like to connect with others in the community living with RP and their families / Carer to exchange tips and strategies to navigate and conquer life with a vision impairment and to provide support to each other when our days are a little cloudy. This is my first of many posts and I am unsure where to post.

Severe Anxiety

replies: 4

Hi everyone my name is JP, I am a newbie on here I have been suffering with Depression and Anxiety for the past 10 years, but never to this extent, It all started on the 9 August 21, I went to bed as usual at about 10.30 pm, it took me about 3 hours to get to sleep, I got up at 4.00 am , feeling Anxious, nauseated, agitated, cold and hot flushes, dry mouth, short on breath, heart palpitations, no appetite and on edge all day , I was exhausted………. I am averaging 3 hours of sleep a week if that,I can’t sleep whatsoever, I am going crazy, last week I admitted myself to hospital I was there for 7 hours , they did all sort of tests and all results came up as normal, my GP said it was Anxiety, it’s been over 3 month now and don’t know how to stop this horrible feeling, I am still suffering, I can’t keep going like this!!! I am so depressed , I am scared to go to bed every night. i am hoping someone can tell me what else to do, or if someone is having the same problem hope to hear from you soon

Anxiety and depression from unemployment and more

replies: 2

Hi everyone, I had been long term unemployed since I completed TAFE in 2013 and did not have any friends either. I developed social anxiety, depression and a sense of worthlessness. I recently found work in 2020. However, I entered the job feeling scared and that I wasn't capable which ultimately led to me being fired. Some members of my family make fun of me for my unemployment as well which only makes me feel worse. I hate visiting my family members because I know that they are judging me and think I am a lazy piece of garbage. The only person in the world that I feel actually supports me is my Mum otherwise I'm alone in the world. I have lost my motivation and have no idea what I want to do with my life. I blame myself for my situation and I hate myself. I was bullied in highschool which has traumatised me and I constantly find myself thinking about the experiences I had in highschool as if I was still there. To sum it all up, my life and mental health is a mess.

Feeling Disconnected and Alone

replies: 7

Hey guys, I’m new to this and was wanted to address so feelings and emotions that have carried on for a while as i feel that I am not ready to tell my friends and family about it. For about two months constantly I have had the feeling of emptiness, being alone and having no determination to do anything. This is scary to me as I am normally a ‘glass half full’ type of person but am slowly starting to no longer see it that way. I find it hard to get up of a morning and do the tasks set for the day. I struggle trying to socialize with my close friends as I often feel like an outcast and has also recently drifted from one of my life long friends. Anoyone got any suggestions on how to over come these emotions or begin to learn how to deal with them?

Brand New, depressed, lonely and isolated.

replies: 4

Hi, I just came here to find some like-minded people who I could relate to and who could relate to me. I'm brand new at this forum thing and being here and I feel silly. I'm 29, female and a mum diagnosed with BPD, PTSD and bipolar 2, i work full-time and do tafe part-time. At the moment I feel so down and lonely and disconnected from the world and everyone in it. I have 2 close friends who can't relate to me and both live over an hour away so I can't just duck in for a cuppa (even if I did have the time) and my partner is no help when it comes to my mental health. I have no family (long ass story) and I just feel so alone. I'm a bit scared because I know after this depressive downswing a manic episode will happen and those aren't much fun either. I just wish I could find 'normal' for a month or two, a happy medium. My physical health has been rubbish as well, I spent 15 days (in two separate admissions) in hospital in the past month, I have specialists on specialists and they've all prescribed medication so I'm on a cocktail everyday. I'm just so frustrated. I just want to be healthy and well. Anyway, that's kind of me. I'm a mess. Thanks for reading x

New Here- Diagnosed with BPD, Depression, Anxiety and coping with a relationship that no one understands

replies: 1

Hey, I am Bec. I was diagnosed with Depression and Anxiety about 6-7 years ago but recently diagnosed BPD as well. Have been trying new meds the last few months and having quite big fluctuations between depressed, anxious then 'normal' I don't feel like myself at all, I don't even remember what that is supposed to feel like. I am also struggling with people around me who just don't know how to talk to me and they trigger my symptoms. I want to run away most of the time. Just need some support from other people that are similar to me so I don't feel so alone all the time

Introducing Myself

replies: 1

Hey everyone, I’m OpenThought. I’m currently a high school student and have been diagnosed with anxiety and autism. I take medication to help my anxiety and regularly see my psychologist. The main reason I joined these forums was because I felt I needed a bit more accessible support without relying too heavily on friends and so on. Most of my issues stem from stress over school, friendships and my view on myself. I think I somewhat hate myself and I’m trying to stop that. This hasn’t been helped due to loosing one of my closest friends recently making me even more on edge and worried about how I interact with people and often it takes some reminding from friends to get me back out of these circle of thoughts. I regularly go on walks to calm my stress, same with drawing and writing. I like to sometimes read, watch TV and play games although unfortunately I don’t consume as much media. I hope in my time here I can offer some help and get some help from others as well. Chances are I’ll be in the forum for 12-25 year olds most as I feel a bit anxious talking among people much older then me. I look forward to meeting and talking to you all -OpenThought

Meet your community champions! replies: 10

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

New here and just trying anything at this stage replies: 2

Helloooo everyone! :) A student hoping to work on expressing emotions safely here! replies: 1

Hi, I’m new to the forum replies: 3

Retinitis Pigmentosa replies: 15

Severe Anxiety replies: 4

Anxiety and depression from unemployment and more replies: 2

Feeling Disconnected and Alone replies: 7

Brand New, depressed, lonely and isolated. replies: 4

New Here- Diagnosed with BPD, Depression, Anxiety and coping with a relationship that no one understands replies: 1

Introducing Myself replies: 1