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Sophie_M How are you feeling about the social media restrictions in Australia for under 16s?
  • replies: 13

Hey everyone With the upcoming Australian social media restriction for under 16-year-olds coming up we want to know what this means for you and maybe even the young people in your life. This conversation is a place for all of us to share how we are f... View more

Hey everyone With the upcoming Australian social media restriction for under 16-year-olds coming up we want to know what this means for you and maybe even the young people in your life. This conversation is a place for all of us to share how we are feeling and what we think the challenges and benefits might be for you or the wonderful young people in our community. Have you thought about how to stay connected with friends you’ve met online? Are you focused mostly on the positives, or the negatives? What do your parents think, and what could they do to support you? Importantly the Beyond Blue Forums are not impacted by these restrictions, we're here for anyone under 16. In short, from December 10 Social Media companies will need to ensure that only people over 16 actively engage with their platforms. There is a lot of information out there which can make it tricky to know what to expect on when it comes into effect. To learn more we think these are a helpful place to start eSafety commissioner + Headspace FAQs. We know this change will impact some more than others, QLife provide anonymous and free LGBTIQ+ support and 13YARN are here for all Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people. We want to hear your thoughts on how this might impact the mental health of under 16s in both a positive and negative way. The Beyond Blue Forums are a place for constructive and helpful conversation and the regular moderation rules apply which means we look forward to a kind and understanding discussion. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings Sophie M

BeyondBlue New to this Forum? Please read this first!
  • replies: 0

Hey there! Welcome to the Young People section of the Beyond Blue Forums. The purpose of this section is to provide members aged 25 and under a space to discuss life issues, tricky situations and the difficult emotions and feelings that come with tho... View more

Hey there! Welcome to the Young People section of the Beyond Blue Forums. The purpose of this section is to provide members aged 25 and under a space to discuss life issues, tricky situations and the difficult emotions and feelings that come with those. If you are aged over 25, please be mindful that this is a space for younger people to connect and provide support for each other. These forums are moderated, so your posts may not appear straight away. Information on moderation on the Forums can be found here. Being familiar with our Community Guidelines can help ensure that your posts appear online as quickly as possible. If we have concerns about your wellbeing, one of our friendly moderators will check in with you privately to make sure you get the support you need. If you need more immediate support, we recommend reaching out to the following: Beyond Blue Support Service – any time, chat online to a counsellor or call 1300 22 4636 Headspace – between 9am and 1am (AEST), chat online to a mental health clinician or call 1800 650 890 Kids Helpline – any time, chat online to a counsellor or call 1800 55 1800 Thank you for being here. We’re glad you’ve found us here and hope this can be a supportive space for you Beyond Blue

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ClosetMonster Letting a Favoruite teacher know about my mental health
  • replies: 4

I'm in highschool, yeah 9 to be exact. I have a bad habit of staying home from school even if i dont actually want to, but im a great student. And, I have a favourite teacher. I dont think he knows he matters to me as much as he does though. For sake... View more

I'm in highschool, yeah 9 to be exact. I have a bad habit of staying home from school even if i dont actually want to, but im a great student. And, I have a favourite teacher. I dont think he knows he matters to me as much as he does though. For sake of not using his proper name I'll call him just Mr. P. He isnt aware of it, but his attitude and confidence helped me get through tough spots in my personal life and helped me be more confident. I dont have a father, and he's the closest thing I have to one.But today I've hit a blunt stop. I was crying, and my mother made it worse, now it's turned into something worse than a mental breakdown, and she isnt making it any better. I want to email him to ask for advice or even just to let him know why im not there again. In parent teacher interviews all Mr. P left me with, improvement wise, was that he wanted to teach me more, hence why I feel so bad about staying home this much, it irks me.But I dont know how to reach out to him without either A: weirding him out, B: worrying him when he wasnt prepare for it, or C: seeming like an attention seeker. Can someone help me? I wanna be more confident to reach out when I know I need it. And, is it weird to be as attached to him as I am?

six I didn’t get in to my dream high school and now I feel lost
  • replies: 0

About three weeks ago I tried out for a school volleyball team at this school you do four periods a day and two of said periods are your sport of choice practice being a slightly alternative way of learning it is also the only one of its kind in my c... View more

About three weeks ago I tried out for a school volleyball team at this school you do four periods a day and two of said periods are your sport of choice practice being a slightly alternative way of learning it is also the only one of its kind in my country/state literally . I’ve been doing volleyball for about a year now and it’s safe to say I don’t know who I would be without it the school I’m at currently is somewhere I feel I don’t belong, I have dealt with countless other issues surrounding friendships and mental health I’ve spent two years at this school and I knew I wanted out my parents found the school I tried out for and suddenly it felt like all the work I did to keep my grades above the expectations and my absences as low as possible through the last two terms would finally amount to something it felt like there was a light at the end of the tunnel after two years of barely being able to be at school because of anxiety I had finally worked hard enough that I could make into my dream school. Then came the trial I worked so hard the weeks before that with how anxious I felt my whole body tensed up the same feeling you would get after pushing your body too far in the gym it hurt to sit up in bed. Finally after a week of pain my body had calmed down just in time for the trial still sore but 100 times better no matter what angle I look at it and over think it again and again I can’t find anything that could have given the school a reason to reject me there was only four other people trying out and I couldn’t think of anything I did terribly wrong I’m saying this as someone who is very hard on themselves and pushes to go above and beyond I don’t think I made it that far at the trial but I know I was not far enough off the only thing me and my family could think of was that it was my absences from the year before and semester one, and I’m angry and upset as we tried to give them recommendation letters for this very reason so it hopefully would be a problem but the school didn’t want them. it’s been three weeks since the Friday I found out the news and to be honest I fell into what feels like a depressive episode and the only thing I’ve been able to do is push down the though I didn’t get in to my dream school every time it comes up I know this is no way to help myself but it’s all I’ve been able to do recently It felt like I had lost all direction I’m not one to let go of something once I’ve grasped it once so I’ve stood my ground with my parents and I’m going to email the school and ask why I didn’t make the cut I don’t plan on begging I just need it for me this is what my councillor recommended to do if I felt I needed it I don’t know if ill be able to let go and if I will be happy at whatever school and end up o still feel a loss of direction. (please forgive the lack of punctuation and spelling mistakes aswell as the poorly explained rant? lol ) thank you six

lilacsky8 Need support/ someone to talk to
  • replies: 6

I’m really struggling with depression and I keep on getting thoughts to hurt myself. I’m not sure what to do. I have been self harm free for 2 days! My parents aren’t listening to me and see me as the problem. I’m so done.

I’m really struggling with depression and I keep on getting thoughts to hurt myself. I’m not sure what to do. I have been self harm free for 2 days! My parents aren’t listening to me and see me as the problem. I’m so done.

hs5u Some advice on with a female
  • replies: 2

so this girl i have met at uni, we were in the same group project and one day started showing signs that she's into me.And one day she invited me over to her party,I guess I probably didn't do my part so well at the party, I got a little reserved and... View more

so this girl i have met at uni, we were in the same group project and one day started showing signs that she's into me.And one day she invited me over to her party,I guess I probably didn't do my part so well at the party, I got a little reserved and missed a lot of the chances to associate with her and actually I ended up just leaving after a few hoursI felt quite remorseful so I messaged her and told her I'm really sorry I left and she was like it's okay, and then i asked her out and her reply was "is there something particular you wanted to chat about". I first thought that was being more open but then in another WhatsApp group chat that we both were part of, she suddenly said something like "oh I can't make it to the group gathering because of work" and suddenly turned on the WhatsApp disappearing messages. I took these actions as being thrown at me because she didn't want to associate with me anymore. So on our 1 on 1 chat I kinda just rambled to get rid of my asking out message as a reply to "is there something particular you wanted to chat about".And this morning I thought I might have made a mistake so I sent her another message asking "have i misunderstood anything".She hasn't responded nor read with a blue tick both messagesI guess this means she's no more wanting to get close?

Guest_56962122 Is australian government stupid?
  • replies: 1

First of all, this is a big privacy reach, and risk. The government is trusting social media platforms to store our id’s? Faces? And sensitive info? Hell no. I hope this backfires so hard they have to revoke the ban, the fact that they are saying thi... View more

First of all, this is a big privacy reach, and risk. The government is trusting social media platforms to store our id’s? Faces? And sensitive info? Hell no. I hope this backfires so hard they have to revoke the ban, the fact that they are saying this is for safety is such a bs excuse. They just want to see what you do on social media and god knows what else they can do. Also, if a data leak happens, say bye to all your juicy info, because its now in the hands of people you dont want it to be. And the company has to go through the photos, videos, and messages i sent and allow the service to see to check if im old enough? What if i DONT want them to look at my photos videos and other things to see if im old enough? What if i dont consent to that stuff? They just want to monitor you at this point and are putting it behind the words of “protecting children”. This country is doomed

Noons13 Hopelessness & Self - Hatred
  • replies: 4

Hi everyone, I've had really bad anxiety for almost 3 to 4 years, particularly social anxiety, which began around the end of high school. Whilst, I have struggled with this for a while, I feel that recently this has contributed to me feeling depresse... View more

Hi everyone, I've had really bad anxiety for almost 3 to 4 years, particularly social anxiety, which began around the end of high school. Whilst, I have struggled with this for a while, I feel that recently this has contributed to me feeling depressed. Despite my anxiety during high school, I still had optimism about the future and my life after high school. Since finishing, however, I've lost all hope whatsoever and I just feel worthless. I haven't made any new friends, have become a borderline alcoholic, sleep in almost everyday until 1pm, spending most of my time watching tv or listening to music to distract myself from how bad I feel. My anxiety more recently has also forced me to take a break from uni, as I would either skip classes or have a complete mental breakdown from being around so many new people. Whilst I felt I had to take a break from uni because I wasn't coping, I feel that this has actually made me more depressed as I have become more isolated. I now have developed a sense of hopelessness, where I genuinely don't believe that I'm every going to meet any new people or not worry about things constantly to the point of mental exhaustion because of my anxiety. Without my best friend, who is pretty much the only good thing in my life and my family, I think I would have already ended it all. Would love to hear from anyone,Noons

timdr4kz what should i do post social media ban?
  • replies: 1

Ignore ts i needa rant. Honestly, everytime the social media ban is mentioned I get really anxious and bummed out. The idea that all my friends will be cut off from me is honestly frightening. I am a fandom kid, and I chat with these people everyday.... View more

Ignore ts i needa rant. Honestly, everytime the social media ban is mentioned I get really anxious and bummed out. The idea that all my friends will be cut off from me is honestly frightening. I am a fandom kid, and I chat with these people everyday. We've made art and edits for each other, celebrated birthdays together, etc. I have spent years building a platform across tiktok, insta, etc, full of hours of dedication of edits and art, and the idea that all the connections, content can be cut off from me just like that is terrifying. My mental health has lowkey improved ever since I started talking to people online, my best friend I met has bpd and even through time zone differences, we manage to chat everyday. She gets me, we can talk about tim drake, batfam, comic books all day, we bought matching plushies from ikea, even across the country, she's my best friend. We have tried messaging through imessages, but i didn't work as neither of us had the money to message internationally. My financial situation isn't too good either, so I can't do as Anthony Albanese suggests "pick up footy, music, reading.." etc. Not to mention, I already do ballet, I have lessons everyday and train (muscle work, stretching) all the time, inbetween piano, guitar, photography, and school and tuition, theres no time for me to sit down and watch netflix or youtube, it is simply easier for me to open tiktok and scroll. Academic pressure as well has been crazy, I skipped two grades and am in all extensions, which may seem like a flex, but its a lot of pressure trying to keep up with everyone. On top of that, my family often argues, as my brother is very right wing, the rest of us are left wing, my mother is very expecting and has mild ocd and my dad is lazy and strict. Social media is honestly whats kept me sane these past few years. anyways, thats my rant. lmk what yall think make sure to like, subscribe and hit that notification button.

Sophie_M How are you feeling about the social media restrictions in Australia for under 16s?
  • replies: 13

Hey everyone With the upcoming Australian social media restriction for under 16-year-olds coming up we want to know what this means for you and maybe even the young people in your life. This conversation is a place for all of us to share how we are f... View more

Hey everyone With the upcoming Australian social media restriction for under 16-year-olds coming up we want to know what this means for you and maybe even the young people in your life. This conversation is a place for all of us to share how we are feeling and what we think the challenges and benefits might be for you or the wonderful young people in our community. Have you thought about how to stay connected with friends you’ve met online? Are you focused mostly on the positives, or the negatives? What do your parents think, and what could they do to support you? Importantly the Beyond Blue Forums are not impacted by these restrictions, we're here for anyone under 16. In short, from December 10 Social Media companies will need to ensure that only people over 16 actively engage with their platforms. There is a lot of information out there which can make it tricky to know what to expect on when it comes into effect. To learn more we think these are a helpful place to start eSafety commissioner + Headspace FAQs. We know this change will impact some more than others, QLife provide anonymous and free LGBTIQ+ support and 13YARN are here for all Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people. We want to hear your thoughts on how this might impact the mental health of under 16s in both a positive and negative way. The Beyond Blue Forums are a place for constructive and helpful conversation and the regular moderation rules apply which means we look forward to a kind and understanding discussion. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feelings Sophie M

ebee do i deserve to be happy?
  • replies: 2

for many years i used to be quite mentally ill, very full of constant self hatred and had anxiety, but one day it just….stopped. it felt like all the cynicism, defeatism, self flagellation, fear and anxiety just got up and left, that i finally felt l... View more

for many years i used to be quite mentally ill, very full of constant self hatred and had anxiety, but one day it just….stopped. it felt like all the cynicism, defeatism, self flagellation, fear and anxiety just got up and left, that i finally felt like i was happy and felt like i wanted to live, that i could embrace challenge and failure and know i would be okay after it anyways but now when i see my other friends who are struggling so much with their mental health issues, i feel a sense of guilt, like do i deserve to have this happiness? why was i allowed to be cured miraculously while the people who matter continue to suffer so much? when im enjoying myself while the people important to me are struggling, its as though im a rich person bathing in an oasis of water in front of someone dying of thirst of course, i am trying to encourage my friends to seek help, but theres only so much i can do (since i obviously cant force anyone to do anything, and as always all things take time) while i dont intend to be making other people’s issues about myself, that is kind of what im doing. i want to erase the part of myself that is selfish and self centred and become a selfless, kind and goodnatured person but no matter how hard i try, i always feel resentment and guilt even though i know its wrong i dont really know how i should feel… its very tempting to go back to negative self talk patterns and make myself miserable on purpose as punishment, but i know its just a self-serving act that doesnt help anyone at all, so i wont, but im really not sure what ishould feel

Guest_45257283 Joining the ADF with mental health
  • replies: 2

I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and have always wanted to join the ADF. I was wondering if after a certain amount of time without meds and after seeing a psychologist would I still be unable to join or would they allow me to considering I... View more

I have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and have always wanted to join the ADF. I was wondering if after a certain amount of time without meds and after seeing a psychologist would I still be unable to join or would they allow me to considering I don’t need the medication and would be deemed mentally stable by the psychologist.