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Sophie_M How are you feeling about the social media restrictions in Australia for under 16s?
  • replies: 1

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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anoncreate i feel worthless
  • replies: 4

all my thoughts are negative it’s like in any situation i will find a way to feel bad about myself. i think too much, i think about everything from the tiniest thing someone will say or the way someone will act without even realising i will take so t... View more

all my thoughts are negative it’s like in any situation i will find a way to feel bad about myself. i think too much, i think about everything from the tiniest thing someone will say or the way someone will act without even realising i will take so to heart and it will genuinely affect me because it stays on my mind for so long it’s like i can’t tell if i’m just mega insecure and feeling bad for myself or if i’m genuinely upset. i hate feeling like this, i don’t want to tell anyone and i never talk about my feelings because it makes me uncomfortable because i don’t want people to look at me differently and also i feel like my problems aren’t worth someone listening to because i feel like it’s not a real problem but at the same time if i’m constantly feeling sad then how can that be not be a problem? i’m just confused because i’ve felt like this for so long and i’ve always denied that there’s been something wrong but when it comes to that i don’t even wanna talk because i’m insecure of what people have said about me like why can someones opinion that doesn’t even know me affect me so much i don’t know what’s wrong with me and i don’t know how to deal with it sometimes i wonder if i wasn’t here would that just make me feel better because stressing about my life that feels so worthless is getting me no where.

Cerise547 Feeling bad and using my phone as an escape
  • replies: 3

Hey all, so recently I’ve been feeling really strange- I feel tired, lazy, unhealthy (I’ve barely exercised for weeks and I’ve been eating pretty badly), rude and grumpy. I feel stuck in a rut and I feel disappointed with how I am and how I’m acting.... View more

Hey all, so recently I’ve been feeling really strange- I feel tired, lazy, unhealthy (I’ve barely exercised for weeks and I’ve been eating pretty badly), rude and grumpy. I feel stuck in a rut and I feel disappointed with how I am and how I’m acting. I just feel strange like all of the time and to combat these feelings, I lie in my bed or on the couch for hours on my phone. I use stuff like Instagram, YouTube, and some other social media. I don’t wanna get up and I just use my phone as a way to ignore my real life. I feel a disconnect from my real life and the people around me. I feel like I’m stuck in a hole, but I’m too lazy to get out. I don’t want to face real life. i just checked my screen time, and last Sunday I spent over 9 hours on my phone. On school days I spend around 3/4 hours on my phone. Ugh. i also feel like I’ve been acting and speaking to others rudely, especially my mum. I feel like I can’t help it and then I feel awful afterwards, since she’s under a lot of stress too. This “stuck in a rut” feeling has made me so lazy that I don’t even help out around the house or do my chores, which disappoints my mum. I feel like I’m disappointing myself and the people around me. even when I’m at school I don’t talk to my friends at lunch, I just go on my phone and stay silent. My friends notice this since I’m normally quite talkative and bubbly, but when they ask about it I just say I’m tired. I just don’t want to talk with most of them. i feel awful, but I don’t want to talk to people about it in my real life because... I don’t know really. Maybe because I’m scared of judgement? Or I can’t be bothered? Or I don’t want to face what’s really going on? I don’t know, but I’m sick of this feeling. I feel stuck. That felt good to get that all off my chest. Please help if you can

Guest51956 Cold feet? Anxiety probably.
  • replies: 4

Hey everyone, I hope all is well. Sorry to be a downer but I'm not so well. Life has stopped for me, day by day nothing really happens. I know life really hasn't stopped but it really feels like it for me. I believe it or not have 11 siblings, this b... View more

Hey everyone, I hope all is well. Sorry to be a downer but I'm not so well. Life has stopped for me, day by day nothing really happens. I know life really hasn't stopped but it really feels like it for me. I believe it or not have 11 siblings, this being the case I shouldn't be feeling lonely at all? Well yes I in fact do feel alone. I haven't got any friends, this is my own fault for not making myself seen by the world. I think what really has run me into the ground though is that ACL broke. Riding a moterbike on a farm in the dark on a dirt road at forty kilometres/hour has some consequences. I hit a stone, lost balance and made a last minute attempt to stop myself from crashing. I put my leg out. This is getting too long. My point is life sucks too much to care.

lonelyglassesgirl Anyone else feel burnt out and like you don't know how you'll finish all your studying for term/semester?
  • replies: 1

I feel like this. 25-year-old uni student, been studying full/part-time for years, doing pretty okay but absolutely sick of it and I've still got another year to go. One particular essay is absolutely destroying me; I only have limited time to work o... View more

I feel like this. 25-year-old uni student, been studying full/part-time for years, doing pretty okay but absolutely sick of it and I've still got another year to go. One particular essay is absolutely destroying me; I only have limited time to work on it due to work, but in my non-work time I'm so exhausted I tend to procrastinate at least 50-70% of the time. It's coming along slowly, but I think it's rubbish. I also feel like my degree is worthless for getting any sort of job I'll enjoy, and the news of the coming recession is stressing me out. Also I've made a job application (for when my current fixed-term contract ends) and they're ghosting me, won't even reply to confirm they've received the application. Yeah, I just feel like a screw with all the thread worn off, like I can't be productive anymore. Work's a bit better; I was having a lot of panic attacks until about two weeks ago, which was really wearing me out, and even though that's improved, I feel like I'm still dealing with the cumulative effects. Sorry for the rant. That time of year, I guess.

Bee1998 Anxious About Death
  • replies: 2

Hi, I am 21 and have been having very surreal thoughts about dying for the majority of my life. I am extremely scared of the thought of death at an old age. I start thinking about when I get old, and the reality hits me, “oh shit, I am going to die o... View more

Hi, I am 21 and have been having very surreal thoughts about dying for the majority of my life. I am extremely scared of the thought of death at an old age. I start thinking about when I get old, and the reality hits me, “oh shit, I am going to die one day, and that’s the end. Nothing more.” It scared the shit out of me... the thought of just being dead . It’s black. Nothing. That’s it. These thoughts get so bad that I start choking up and can’t breathe. Sometimes I get so caught up in today, that I forget that one day it’s going to happen. Can anyone else relate?

Bee1998 21 And Addicted To Alcohol
  • replies: 3

I am 21 and addicted to alcohol. I guess it’s my way of coping with day to day stress, but I can see that it’s becoming an issue. I am spending around $100 a week on drinks, so financially it’s not great for me. As soon as I’ve finished work for the ... View more

I am 21 and addicted to alcohol. I guess it’s my way of coping with day to day stress, but I can see that it’s becoming an issue. I am spending around $100 a week on drinks, so financially it’s not great for me. As soon as I’ve finished work for the day, my first reaction is to buy drinks and come home and get drunk. The worst part is, I don’t want to stop. When I feel this buzz from drinking, it’s the only time I ever feel happy. I know most people say it’s a temporary fix, but for me, it genuinely makes me forget about all the crap in my life , and I really do feel happy. I guess the main reason why I feel bad about drinking is because my partner doesn’t drink at all. And I feel like I’m letting him down every time I have a drink. I also feel like I’m the only person my age who has an alcohol addiction... Is there anyone else my age who is going through the same struggle??

Grace04 Too depressed for school
  • replies: 2

I’m 15 and in year 9. This year I have really struggled with depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and eating disorders (binge eating and anorexia). I’m so depressed that going to school feels impossible right now and I have no idea what to do. I d... View more

I’m 15 and in year 9. This year I have really struggled with depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and eating disorders (binge eating and anorexia). I’m so depressed that going to school feels impossible right now and I have no idea what to do. I don’t want to miss out on learning and at the same time I really don’t want to go to school. My eating habits are terrible, I can’t eat anything without feeling guilty and the second I do it makes me binge eat.

Betriouffift Most difficult chapter in my life.
  • replies: 4

Hey, I'm new here, so this will be my first post, I'm trying this out to receive certain feedback, advice and suggestions on my current situation in my life. I am 16, and I haven't been living with my parents for almost a year now, although I managed... View more

Hey, I'm new here, so this will be my first post, I'm trying this out to receive certain feedback, advice and suggestions on my current situation in my life. I am 16, and I haven't been living with my parents for almost a year now, although I managed to escape from a toxic environment with my parents, including my siblings, I still somehow managed to carry the weight of that toxicity on my shoulders to when I moved out. I moved in with a friend, who was kind enough to inform his parents about my situation, they allowed me to live with them since I had nowhere to go, immediately, I was much more happy, everyone was very accepting and natural about it, they helped me move my belongings in and supplied me with all the essentials to live. They then vowed to assist me in bettering my life, to help with my learning to drive, getting a job, and living more independently. Which was amazing, I was much happier there and learned so many things that I still carry on for today, obviously, some issues arose during my time there, I would have arguments with my friend but we would manage to sort it out after some conversation. But after a couple of months there, things started to go downhill, although it wasn't to my attention, I hadn't gotten a job yet, and that wasn't too impressive to my friend's parents, I was also having performance issues while driving and let my anxiety get the better of me, after further time there, my relationship with my friend began to degrade, I became more distance from them as they attempted to better themselves after problems they were experiencing, which is fine, but it did make it harder on me. Then after 7 months of living there, I was given the news that they were no longer comfortable with me living there, I found a sharehouse online and with the money I was receiving, I moved out, with their help. I quickly became more isolated and financially concerned, and started experiencing issues with a much older tenant who has little consideration for others when smoking and using public areas. My problems with this tenant were ignored by the landlord and I was brushed off because of my age, and that sort of leads up until now, where that tenant may be moving soon, but I'm not too sure yet, I work now, but I'm sorting out issues with my roster as I still attend school, but they sometimes have me work late on weekdays which isn't desirable. Its mentally draining and I get stressed easily, advice is also hard to come by currently.

AnotherWebDude 17 and the realisation that I completely wasted my life away and have no foreseeable future.
  • replies: 5

To be honest with you guys, this is sorta my first time ever coming on to a site like this, can't say I'm entirely sure if I'm really doing this right or if anyone is going to even see this thread, but it's better than sitting around and twiddling my... View more

To be honest with you guys, this is sorta my first time ever coming on to a site like this, can't say I'm entirely sure if I'm really doing this right or if anyone is going to even see this thread, but it's better than sitting around and twiddling my thumbs about y'know? I always thought that if were to dawdle my way into a forum or two about this kinda stuff, I thought I'd be the guy on the other end of line, giving some poor guy in need a piece of advice. Well I guess I'm that guy right now. I guess it's time to quit with the dumb mellow-dramatic spiel and get to the whole point of this thread before anyone reading leaves out of boredom but I'd like to give a bit of context to the whole situation before I get to the deep stuff, just try and bear with me a bit. You ever get to that point in life where you're all hunky-dory chilling out in your room watching YouTube, hanging out with your friends, not doing homework, all that kind of stuff. And I know that everyone was like this at one point in their life, we've all been young stupid teenagers at some point in our lives, but that's the point. Well, it all came crashing down on me basically. The ultimate reality check came in the form of my year 11 yearly examinations, or moreso the quality of which I have attempted my yearly exams. It's that time already, and I feel like garbage. The final term of my year 11 livelihood before my departure off into the realm of year 12 and then it's off to the real world, and I have absolutely no plans nor knowhow on how to actually be 'independent'. And then it all starts to set in about all these facts about yourself that you'd just nonchalantly shrugged off; that you're an actual moron, you have practically no redeeming traits or skills about yourself, you're lazy, you've wasted away how many years playing video games or watching dumb videos and how you've accomplished absolutely nothing worthwhile within your entire existence. Then you start looking at your friends who already have jobs, meaningful relations, brains that'll get them whatever diploma that they so wish for. I'm the textbook loser, a joke, a complete waste of space with no future. And I know this all sounds petty, whiny and stupid as hell compared to people with legitimate mental problems. Just that I've been in a real iffy headspace for quite a while and could use some advice or someone who knows about this kind of stuff for an opinion. Regardless though if you got this far thanks for hearing me out.

Jamzies Post-exam disappoint, loss of esteem and motivation
  • replies: 1

There is no doubt that over the last few weeks that I've felt a flurry of emotions over the post-exam period. Having all my previous exams handed back, I could not find a moment where I felt satisfaction. Such exams started about a month ago, just a ... View more

There is no doubt that over the last few weeks that I've felt a flurry of emotions over the post-exam period. Having all my previous exams handed back, I could not find a moment where I felt satisfaction. Such exams started about a month ago, just a week before I had my camp and the rest of the holidays. There is a possibility that I may not have studied well enough, but one issue that does stand out, again and again, is leaving questions unanswered. A tiny chunk of these were ones I didn't understand, but most were slightly easier to grasp the meaning of. Where slightly more were left unanswered, I felt worse when I looked at others' scores (and no, I didn't disclose my score). While being marked down to C isn't something so major to worry about for the first exam, the problem is fixating on others' results. Unlike a normal grade marking scheme, they're based on the year-level cohort's results. After taking a look, this put me slightly below average, which has always been rare. I've had a little chat with parents, yet there's still something that stirs within me to be felt again as a flashback. Having one again today made me feel I couldn't turn a blind eye, hence the writing of this thread. I've also had similar feelings from occasional tests before the exam. After repeating the process of disappointment over and over again by realising, yet no action done, I feel my motivation is slowly leeching off and my mood swinging a bit more. Any suggestions?