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Young people

A space for people aged 12-25 to discuss life. If you’re over 25, please be mindful that this is a space for younger people to connect.

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romantic_thi3f Eeep! When study is overwhelming! - Tips, ideas and coping strategies
  • replies: 51

Hi! Just thought I’d make a post with some tips for study. I know this is something we can all struggle with. These are all suggestions so feel free to take them or leave them! Hope they help! If you only remember one thing, let it be this: You are i... View more

Hi! Just thought I’d make a post with some tips for study. I know this is something we can all struggle with. These are all suggestions so feel free to take them or leave them! Hope they help! If you only remember one thing, let it be this: You are important. Your grades don’t define you. (support) Studying can feel isolating but know you’re not alone! Reach out – and find or make friends that can support you along the way. If you’re having trouble finding some friends, join some local communities or clubs! They have lots at Uni’s and even stuff like open days are great ways to meet new people and find out what’s happening. Study groups can also be a great way to meet people and stay motivated. Also remind yourself why you’re doing this; inspirational wallpapers or quotes can be super inspiring. Remember the saying about the oxygen mask? If you can’t take care of yourself first studying will be harder. You are important. You know the drill - water, food, exercise, sleep. Try to stay calm. Stuff that might be able to help include mindfulness, breathing exercises, colouring in, going for walks, journaling, listening to music… If you’re struggling – reach out. See a therapist. Talk to your student counsellor. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Also lots of Universities and TAFE offer disability services – which includes conditions like Depression and Anxiety. (study) Find the right study space for you. Maybe that’s in your room, or a coffee shop, or the library. Some people find that noise helps; other people not so much. If you like particular kinds of noise, you can find ‘coffee shop’ noise or ‘rain sounds’ to help concentrate. Make a plan. It helps to do it often so it becomes a habit. Anytime you get a due date, write it down. Maybe you could use a diary, planner, bullet journal or an app. I find the 30/30 App helpful - study for a bit and then break for a bit. You can also get add-on’s for your computer to block sites like Facebook if you find them too distracting. Find out what study technique works for you. Do you like cue cards? Mind maps? Colour coding? Does highlighting stuff help you remember? Charts, maps, diagrams? Recorded lectures? Goals! These are so important – not just writing down deadlines but rewarding yourself for meeting them. Even making smaller goals like ‘read two pages from a textbook’ can help. Break it down into bite size pieces, and don’t forget to reward yourself after!

Sophie_M NEW TO THIS FORUM? Please read this first
  • replies: 0

The Young People space is a sub-forum within the wider Beyond Blue forum community. 1. Its purpose is to provide members aged 25 and under a space to discuss anxiety, depression and other related life issues. If you are aged over 25, please be mindfu... View more

The Young People space is a sub-forum within the wider Beyond Blue forum community. 1. Its purpose is to provide members aged 25 and under a space to discuss anxiety, depression and other related life issues. If you are aged over 25, please be mindful that this forum is a space for younger people to connect and provide peer support for each other. 2. Content from this sub-forum is displayed on both the beyondblue and youthbeyondblue websites. 3. Please bear in mind that some members find content relating to suicide and/or self-harm distressing or triggering. If you would like to post on these topics, please do so in our Suicidal Thoughts and Self Harm section. Please see also our guidelines for making posts on this topic. Posts made here in the Young People sub-forum containing content relating to suicide and/or self-harm will be moved. 4. These forums are moderated, so your posts may not appear straightaway. Information on how our system works can be found here. Being familiar with our community rules can help ensure that your posts appear online as quickly as possible. 5. This is a peer support community, and to get the best out of being here we recommend that you 'give support to receive support'. More on how that works here.

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a13xx problems with mum
  • replies: 4

this may have to be a few parts because it’s a long story. my parents had a pretty rough divorce. It ended with my mum in the hospital with an eyepatch for a few weeks. I don’t know the full story of what exactly happened. Ive listened to both sides ... View more

this may have to be a few parts because it’s a long story. my parents had a pretty rough divorce. It ended with my mum in the hospital with an eyepatch for a few weeks. I don’t know the full story of what exactly happened. Ive listened to both sides of the story which are very different and ive never really known who to believe. My mum was a huge drunk my entire life. Although she suffers from major anxiety and depression, i’m not sure if it’s an excuse for what she’s done. After the divorce, my brother and i stayed mainly with my mum while i would see my dad every second weekend. I was around 10/11 at the time and she would drink until she passed out on the couch a like 2pm. She’d hide wine bottles in cupboards and in my brothers and i’s drink bottles. She’d drink drive me to basketball being so pissed with wine bottles clanking under the car seat while she would swerve and get road rage. it would be so scary. I hated going to my dads place at this time. It was scary and it made me sick to my stomach. Me, being the oldest, mum would frequntly vent to me about her traumas as a kid and with my dad. She’d talk about how evil my dad was and say he never paid child support or ever cared about us. She also told us mixed up stories about what happened to her face. one night it would be dads fault and the next it would be an accident. The routine of giving my mum advice and taking care of my little brother while she was passed out drunk was a daily thing. She never acknowledged her problem and when i mentioned it, she chased me around the house and i had to hide against my door while she would scream and bang on the door. I was scared of her. One night i remember my brother was watching a movie and didn’t want to go to bed yet. My mum yelled and screamed and ended up leaving saying she would kill herself and it would be my brothers fault. She didnt and i knew she didn’t because she would lie and manipulate us all the time. My brother didn’t know that though and he wouldn’t stop crying. She was gone for hours. Later i got diagnosed with depression and anxiety. She would get mad at me when i was in a depressive episode and say i was an attention seeker. She would say that i’m making her and everyone else feel worse and that i was being “dramatic” and lazy. She’d critique my weight, put me on weight loss meal plans i didn’t want, judge me when i would eat and hide food from me in a SAFE that only my brother was allowed. i have to write another part in a reply

a13xx wanting to drop out
  • replies: 2

Im a year 11 student at the moment doing all VCE subjects. High school or even primary school had been hard for me. Ive had multiple long breaks due to mental illness and long stays in psych wards and paediatric wards. my grades aren’t all that good,... View more

Im a year 11 student at the moment doing all VCE subjects. High school or even primary school had been hard for me. Ive had multiple long breaks due to mental illness and long stays in psych wards and paediatric wards. my grades aren’t all that good, so far with all the SACs ive done the highest ive gotten is 64%. Don’t get me wrong though, i do think i’m quite smart. I’m good at maths and art, i’m a fast learner and at past jobs my bosses have loved me. I’m considering dropping out because I dont plan on going to university. I have no interest in becoming a lawyer, doctor, or working in some office job. I don’t see any point in continuing on going to school since it’s causing me alot of stress. My potential plan going forward is to drop out, find a job and work as much as i can to get experience and a good resume. Hopefully during that i will go to tafe instead of school and do a course in whatever I end up deciding would be my career. However i’m worried about what my parents would think. I live with my dad and i think he expects me to go to school, get good grades, etc. and i’m scared to talk to him about it. The last thing i want is for him to be disappointed in me. I don’t want to be seen as a loser and not do i want to “ruin” my life but it just feels like the right thing at the moment. Any advice? should i really drop out or am i being a bit dramatic. Tough love would be good to hear

Kanew19 Advice on dropping out of highschool as a 17 year old
  • replies: 2

Hey, so I am currently enrolled as a year 11 student at high school currently doing VCE and a 3&4 subject early (biology). Pretty much ever since i could remember I've always been not that good at school only really getting D's, C's, and B's for my w... View more

Hey, so I am currently enrolled as a year 11 student at high school currently doing VCE and a 3&4 subject early (biology). Pretty much ever since i could remember I've always been not that good at school only really getting D's, C's, and B's for my whole school life, and kinda felt alone in that boat and that school has never really been 'my thing'. I decided not to do Vcal or drop out afraid I was gonna be seen as a real loser and stuff. Recently I have been contemplating finishing year 11 to the best of my ability and then dropping out before I do year 12. I haven't been diagnosed with any mental illness or anything like that but tbh I absolutely hate school, I would get nervous and honestly intensely hate the prospect of going back to school at the end of holidays and most Sundays. I currently have a part-time job at a bowling alley and arcade which I really love and once I turn 18, will basically get a manager position (as so I am told). My real question is "Do you think it's ok for me to drop out of high school after completing year 11". My theoretical plan would be to work at my part-time job and get my probationary licence, then once 21 apply to become a police officer, then hopefully have a full-time job as a cop. I am just really internally battling if I should drop out. I honestly do fricken hate school and I would honestly just love to leave and truly do what I love and not worry about my ATAR, SACS, and the constant pilling homework. I've been told that once you drop out you're really limiting yourself, but when I absolutely hate the thought of school and the opportunities outside of that...I'm just stuck and need some advice. Any comments help

Richardb3 i don't want to keep going
  • replies: 12

I have too many problems and some of them feel impossible to solve. I feel stuck and hopeless. I pray to God everyday and get no help. I now know there is nothing out there that wants to help me - I am alone and I am limited.

I have too many problems and some of them feel impossible to solve. I feel stuck and hopeless. I pray to God everyday and get no help. I now know there is nothing out there that wants to help me - I am alone and I am limited.

rescu3me im so done with life.
  • replies: 6

Hi, I just joined. I don't know where to begin. My parents have put me through so much hell, I question why I'm living with them. I don't know how to treat them. Right now I'm sort of silent. I have tried getting jobs as an attempt to moving out and ... View more

Hi, I just joined. I don't know where to begin. My parents have put me through so much hell, I question why I'm living with them. I don't know how to treat them. Right now I'm sort of silent. I have tried getting jobs as an attempt to moving out and being independent but I usually quit in the days job because I just experience another trauma, trauma layered on top of trauma. I get triggered, or I leave with no plan of the coming future. I'm so done. I want to make the most of my 20's and not suffer. It's hard though, because I normally feel like me vs the world. I feel seperate to the world, seeing everyone mingle and create happy moments with their friends and family. Automatic alienation, I feel like a criminal or just like a rubbish bag. I never had a happy kind of life...if I could explain everything I would.. I've experienced chronic loneliness a lot, to the highest degree one could experience. I haven't been diagnosed with this but I am aware I have extreme anxiety and social anxiety. I have been diagnosed w BPD too. I even get paralysed by so many options I create, so that's no fun either. I feel like I'm just drifting, dragging. Powerless, helpless etc. I don't know where I'm going in life. I think of career but at the same time I just want to focus on moving because they make me feel so alone. And that's like through every way possible. When they adore the dog, when they laugh, when they snore (that's the worst, I can't sleep every night.. so that makes things worse.. how can I work? I don't know how I can thrive at home, but how can I thrive when I feel so seperate from the world? I wish I had a perfect family, family that went on outings, people in my life that celebrated me, never ever recognising or experiencing loneliness, etc. I get triggered hearing people mention their friends, or even just walking outside seeing people, seeing what normalcy is like. people on their snapchats, people texting each other. im done.

Baileyjoyce Are the feelings im feeling normal?
  • replies: 8

My name is Bailey im 15yr and I don't know if what I am feeling is normal? Just about a month ago I've started to realise that what I have been feeling may not be normal. I've been feeling emotionless for about 2 years and about a year ago I have als... View more

My name is Bailey im 15yr and I don't know if what I am feeling is normal? Just about a month ago I've started to realise that what I have been feeling may not be normal. I've been feeling emotionless for about 2 years and about a year ago I have also started to lose a lot of interests I had, about 6 months ago I've also realised all of the feelings of being emotionless, overwhelmed, stressed, losing interests and my sleep schedule not being as good as it use to be has started effecting my school work. I have had an unstable younger childhood for my whole life up to a year ago so that may be a reason for these feelings. Are these feeling normal? And if the aren't what should I do?

jademk I need some help
  • replies: 11

I had been struggling with a girl I used to be friends with in the past year, and now she has left the friend group. However some of her close friends are still in my friend group and they are attention-seekers, gossipers, bullies and spread rumours ... View more

I had been struggling with a girl I used to be friends with in the past year, and now she has left the friend group. However some of her close friends are still in my friend group and they are attention-seekers, gossipers, bullies and spread rumours about me and my best friends. We want to leave the group- but we are worried that they will ruin our lives even more. At home, my dad as super high expectations that I can never live up to and puts me down if I don't do as well as expected. I am struggling and I have confided in friends to help me but I'm not sure if its working.... please help someone

MinaLou My friend has an eating disorder and I don’t know how to help
  • replies: 3

They can’t afford the psychologist and hasn’t told their parents, they’ve only recently told me about 3 months ago, even though it’s been happening for several. We’d recently had a solid 3 months of eating 3 meals which I knew was really hard for the... View more

They can’t afford the psychologist and hasn’t told their parents, they’ve only recently told me about 3 months ago, even though it’s been happening for several. We’d recently had a solid 3 months of eating 3 meals which I knew was really hard for them. They lapsed yesterday though. I don’t see it getting better without speaking to a professional but I don’t think they can. What do people with an eating disorder need most from a friend? I don’t know if it’s wrong of me to try change their habits ?

daisybaby888 weaning onto medication and I'm getting extreme side effects... what do I do to cope?
  • replies: 3

I hope I can get some help here because this is the worst I've felt ever. I'm weaning onto a strong does of a medication, I'm seriously struggling and was hoping for advice on how to cope with going on new medication. I haven't slept in days, am gett... View more

I hope I can get some help here because this is the worst I've felt ever. I'm weaning onto a strong does of a medication, I'm seriously struggling and was hoping for advice on how to cope with going on new medication. I haven't slept in days, am getting severe neurological headaches, can't keep food down even with nausea medication, had a panic attack for 14 hours straight, and am now convincing myself I want to break up with my boyfriend. Our relationship is rocky atm yes, but I love him and feel that breaking up with him while I'm in this state is going to do more harm than good for the both of us; but my brain won't be quite. I can barely keep my eyes open and yet I'm convinced I'm stable enough to make such large decisions and it's just an internal battle. I can tell the past week has been super exhausting having to see me this way, he understands because he's on and off different medications all the time and is patient with me. I guess it just sucks that it's impacting the people around me and making me the crawl out of my own skin. I can't even describe the level of headaches it's giving me; I do have pre-existing neurological conditions that it's actually helping to lessen, but that's also why the headaches are so extreme. In the morning before I take my medication I feel normal and like myself which is how I know I'm seriously mentally dissonant throughout the day. I've been severely depressed and anxious for 12 years now but have never felt this mentally unstable for such a extended period of time. Is there anything I can do to help myself? also would like to add that my GP is on holiday, she'll be back in a week and a half, but my social anxiety is too bad to see another doctor.

Nova28 Just need help
  • replies: 3

I don't know what to do, it feels like my entire life is in shambles, I'm practically homeless now but I suffered long before this, I was in an abusive relationship about a year ago where my partner just constantly put me down and controlled my every... View more

I don't know what to do, it feels like my entire life is in shambles, I'm practically homeless now but I suffered long before this, I was in an abusive relationship about a year ago where my partner just constantly put me down and controlled my every action, if I did something she didn't like I would get abused for it, she even coerced me and was very manipulative. When I tried to tell the police they just ignored me but listened to her when she put all the blame on me, so I quit my job and would've stopped talking to my friends if I had any, now I try to make new friends but everytime I get close to someone I get scared and stop talking, I have my own psychologist but have no idea how to tell them any of this, I'm afraid of being ridiculed and just feel safe in this manner.