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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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mike9 Young person (13 years old) with anger issues
  • replies: 4

Hi, does anyone have experience with how to deal with a child (13) that has massive anger issues? Currently on antianxiety medication. Child lashes out at parents (hitting and kicking). If you are in a similar situation, how do you manage it? Extra m... View more

Hi, does anyone have experience with how to deal with a child (13) that has massive anger issues? Currently on antianxiety medication. Child lashes out at parents (hitting and kicking). If you are in a similar situation, how do you manage it? Extra medication to control the anger? Thanks

mongolucious me and school
  • replies: 7

since i started highschool ive been struggling, and everytime i try to reach out for help all i get told is that im lazy and to try out meditating, which i wish it were that easy. i failed last year (and thanks to covid i didnt get held back) and ive... View more

since i started highschool ive been struggling, and everytime i try to reach out for help all i get told is that im lazy and to try out meditating, which i wish it were that easy. i failed last year (and thanks to covid i didnt get held back) and ive already failed semester one of this year. its so hard for me to just get started on work, i am currently writing this instead of writing an essay, if i just knew why its so hard for me i would feel so much better. i just want to sleep for a couple months. ive tried seeing my school counselor and the first thing she did was pull up my report and ask me why i failed, then told me to try out having a schedule or to keep a diary, and everytime ive tried and ive put my full effort in it just never works and i end up ignoring it and forgetting about it and if it is laziness how do i make it stop i just want to be better i just want to be able to get things done because sometimes i cant even take care of myself. atm my sleep schedule is garbage, im going to sleep at 4-6am and sleeping through all my online classes i was a top student in primary school, even at the beginning of year 7. i just cant figure out the issue. everyones so disappointed in me no matter how hard i try. im too scared to ask for help everything is so scary

LiamWL98 I’m panicking about weight gain
  • replies: 4

I’m 15 turning 16 and I hate my body. I always had larger then normal thighs but recently instead of being fat in the stomach, it’s all gone to my thighs. I realised that after my sisters birthday party where I drank like 7 sodas and after that a sod... View more

I’m 15 turning 16 and I hate my body. I always had larger then normal thighs but recently instead of being fat in the stomach, it’s all gone to my thighs. I realised that after my sisters birthday party where I drank like 7 sodas and after that a soda day for 6 days straight that I wasn’t getting fat in my stomach but my thighs and I had it under control. Until a month to 3 months ago when I realised I had stretch marks on my thighs and I went into panic mode and gained more and more and more. Now I’m trying to fix my mistakes only if I look at my thighs or calves I feel ashamed and have massive feelings of regret. One of those feelings where you want to time travel back and tell yourself to “stop!” Or when I panic I repeat “I don’t want this.” And can’t stop myself for a solid 3 minutes and then I go into a quiet panic where I can’t stop thinking about it. I body shame myself to hating my fat but with other people I generally don’t mind fat or stretch marks. I don’t get a negative responses by people ever but somehow have developed a insecurity about it. I don’t want to go to counselling and talk about it because I would hate for my parents to find out. I don’t care how supportive they could be I don’t want them to know. I’m sorry about this I just need to vent or hear something reassuring.

JacksonOB I can't deal with the stress and pressure from school and assignments.
  • replies: 2

I am Jackson, a student in Grade 9 in Brisbane. I have been overwhelmed by assignments, assessments, homework and work in general. I am not the best of students, I am extremely worried and stressed out about my marks with last year my marks dropping ... View more

I am Jackson, a student in Grade 9 in Brisbane. I have been overwhelmed by assignments, assessments, homework and work in general. I am not the best of students, I am extremely worried and stressed out about my marks with last year my marks dropping heavily in Maths, English and almost all of most of the subjects, but mainly Maths. I just can't deal with all the stress and pressure from assignments and I can't focus in class cause my school forces us to wear masks. I just don't know what to do with all of it. Due to all of the things I have mentioned it has begun to take a toll on me personally with me not getting sleep, exercise and my mood is suffering. I have begun to spiral into a pit of sadness and depression and I can't get out of it. I really just need help.

Cstaaway Psychologist is not helpful?
  • replies: 10

Hi, this is my first post so sorry if it seems a bit all over the place. I'm currently in my early 20s and have struggled with my mental health for years and years. Mental illness seems to run in the family (multiple members with schizophrenia and bi... View more

Hi, this is my first post so sorry if it seems a bit all over the place. I'm currently in my early 20s and have struggled with my mental health for years and years. Mental illness seems to run in the family (multiple members with schizophrenia and bipolar). Only recently (past 2 months) did i start seeing a psychologist because it always seemed like too much effort to organise it. I got a mental health care plan from my GP and I didn't get to choose my psychologist. I feel like I go through pretty long periods of time where I either feel nothing or only negative emotions (agitated, anger, hostile). The only thing i tend to care about is doing well at uni. I have always struggled making friends and have had very few close ones. However the ones i do have, i also feel absolutely nothing towards in these periods. I feel as though i could completely cut them out of my life without any second thought. I even feel like I could be fired from my job and not care whatsoever. I haven't found joy in doing almost anything for years and lack any sexual desire. Going out to with friends feels like a chore. I don't even enjoy eating and only do so because there's bad health implications of lack of food and also because i feel physically sick if i don't. For background, i had an emotionally abusive/neglectful up bringing but no longer live with my parents. Other things i experience include finding it extremely hard to sleep and when i do, i can sleep for 12 hours every night and still be exhausted, and some days i find it almost impossible to concentrate. I also get agitated very easily if the area i live in is not kept clean. I'm quite an analytical person so i can understand how I'm feeling without talking to others. To me it sounds like i may have symptoms of depression/anxiety/bipolar. I've voiced everything i feel to my psychologist and I've found him no help and i often leave more agitated then when i came. To me, my symptoms clearly show signs of potential mental illness yet my psychologist has never addressed them and of course i don't want to wrongly self diagnose. He's said i feel the way i do because of how i grew up, which i'm fully aware of and not why i'm going to him. I'm going to him so he can clarify/diagnose in order for me to understand what's going on and to fix it. He doesn't suggest ways to cope with what i feel. I find it quite annoying that after putting off going to see someone for so long that it hasn't helped whatsoever. What do i do?

fleshblur I can't tell if I'm actually trying or putting any effort into making positive changes in my life...
  • replies: 3

So, I've been struggling. I keep losing and failing, and I'm tired. But I also want to do better and change. It's hard and I can't tell if I'm actually trying or putting any effort into changing or doing something different because my times where I t... View more

So, I've been struggling. I keep losing and failing, and I'm tired. But I also want to do better and change. It's hard and I can't tell if I'm actually trying or putting any effort into changing or doing something different because my times where I trial something different don't last long. Then looking back into it, I'm not even sure if I tried at all. I just feel so defeated or like I've given up a decent portion of the time, and tired so often.

Izelle I’m falling apart
  • replies: 11

I’ve been so stressed and worried lately, i feel like I’m at the bottom of a dark pit all on my own. School work is piling up and I cant find the motivation to do it in any way, my friends are so distant and i can’t escape from the people I said I wo... View more

I’ve been so stressed and worried lately, i feel like I’m at the bottom of a dark pit all on my own. School work is piling up and I cant find the motivation to do it in any way, my friends are so distant and i can’t escape from the people I said I would help. I can’t trust anyone with anything anymore. I don’t know who I am. I look at my name and I feel worse. I don’t want to wake up tomorrow, I’m just dragged along everyday but I don’t want to anymore. I feel like I’m sitting on a tightrope. I’ve talked to people but no one has been able to help. I’m trying one more thing before losing my strength, I have no more energy left to try and be keep going. I just want this to stop.

0rinkydinky0 Struggling with life and goals
  • replies: 4

For the longest time I've wanted to be a singer but I'm a quitter. I honestly feel horrible because I can't even bring myself to try and I'm so pathetic that seeing things like Kpop performances makes me want to cry. I just feel so down and it's hone... View more

For the longest time I've wanted to be a singer but I'm a quitter. I honestly feel horrible because I can't even bring myself to try and I'm so pathetic that seeing things like Kpop performances makes me want to cry. I just feel so down and it's honestly unbearable. Anyone else feel this way? Is it just extreme envy?

nat_97 The "Too late" girl
  • replies: 1

"Nat takes far too long" That was the very words my student report said three years in a row, all written by different teachers. My habit of taking far too long in completing activities was apparent in primary school. I would be so absorbed in the mo... View more

"Nat takes far too long" That was the very words my student report said three years in a row, all written by different teachers. My habit of taking far too long in completing activities was apparent in primary school. I would be so absorbed in the moment I would simply forget about time. My mother was genuinely concerned how these exact words would appear in my report every year, but I simply brushed it off. Fast forward to now at age 24 and completing my last year of studying, I'm really starting to see the problem escalating over the years. I took an interest in graphic design and studied it in TAFE while working. I loved them both, but at the same time I was very scared and conscious of my peers judging my every move. My workflow for both slowed down and soon enough, I was hit yet again with those very words by both my teacher and boss - "you take far too long". I broke down, skipped a lot of classes and ended up paying the hefty price of finishing 8 overdue assignments in a week. After taking a year break, I quit my job and continued my studies in University, hoping I would toughen up with the more academically strict deadlines. The problem in fact reached its peak. Every time I started an assignment, those "too late" words would echo in my head and I would start questioning my every move. "Is this the most efficient way? Am I taking too long? How long should I be taking to finish this? Does other people take this long?". Studying a design course that encourages experimentation meant there was no definite rules to anything. I left my assignments to the last minute a lot, not wanting to face my emotions of doubt and fear, and skipped classes too to avoid the critical feedback sessions. I made myself feel worse by handing a lot of overdue assignments, creating an endless cycle of guilt and disappointment. Now I'm in my last year and I am still struggling with my subjects, finishing an overdue assignment while trying to survive my internship. I really do enjoy my studies and would love to make it as my dream job, but seeing how slow and sensitive I am, I'm questioning if I am suited for this creative field. I want to change. I don't want to be the "too late" girl anymore. I've attempted multiple times to manage my time effectively, but I keep failing from feeling overwhelmed by negative emotions. Someone please advise me how to get out of this vicious cycle. Anything on time management, dealing with fears of peers, failure, doubt and judgement.

Loligiggles Lost my ability to be creative?
  • replies: 8

So, I've lost the ability to be creative, like in the way I used to when I was a teenager and now, at 23, seemingly lost all of my creativity. Is this just me, or have others experienced this?

So, I've lost the ability to be creative, like in the way I used to when I was a teenager and now, at 23, seemingly lost all of my creativity. Is this just me, or have others experienced this?