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.

All discussions

flower_girl1 Moving abroad/challenges
  • replies: 3

Hi all, So I haven't been on here for a while, reason is I have just moved to London in the UK. I have been here for about six weeks and I'm definitely coming up against some challenges. Firstly I have a new job, doing interior design for a small bus... View more

Hi all, So I haven't been on here for a while, reason is I have just moved to London in the UK. I have been here for about six weeks and I'm definitely coming up against some challenges. Firstly I have a new job, doing interior design for a small business for the very high end of the market. I have only been there now for 2 weeks and I have lots of big clients which is seriously scary. My challenge is with how I behave and present myself to people. We all act a bit different at work and since I started I have been very guarded with my personality I am not really showing them who I am. This is because I got very badly hurt at my last job and I feel that this happened because I was to open about myself. But this has left me feeling very isolated because I have no one to be myself with. Secondly I am way far out of my comfort zone. I didn't think London would be this different but there is very little familiar about it. I have always been happiest when I am in a settled routine and right now I am still in hostels, have no routine and also no privacy to just mope about having no routine. I don't know how long it's going to take me to find a place so I also don't know how I am going to keep myself calm until I am in somewhere. I haven't been reading or drawing or doing any of the things that normally make me happy and I guess it's just hitting me now as to how hard this is. Coming here and living abroad has been a dream for a long time, but it's just not feeling the way I thought it would, and I suppose that's just getting me down because, well, what's life for if you can't enjoy living your dream. I don't know that I really piped on here for any advise, I just wanted to vent. Thanks for reading. flower_girl

Amber1991 Feel worthless
  • replies: 3

Hi there, I've never been on a forum before but I'm feeling like I need to vent. I'm so sick of feeling like I don't know where I belong and at this point I feel like I will never get ahead in life. Nothing ever seems to go right Im currently unemplo... View more

Hi there, I've never been on a forum before but I'm feeling like I need to vent. I'm so sick of feeling like I don't know where I belong and at this point I feel like I will never get ahead in life. Nothing ever seems to go right Im currently unemployed and have interview after interview but never seem to be good enough. I can't get the motivation to get out of bed in the morning so I always end up waking up around lunchtime or later and when I do wake up all I feel is a sinking worthless feeling. I've had depression since I was 13 and I'm now 24 and starting to think that this is just how my life will always be. I cant study even though I'm not stupid I just can't mentally do it. I don't feel like I belong anywhere and have no idea where my life is heading. I Feel like everyone around me is moving on having children and getting married and I'm stuck, I've always felt different to everyone else and I don't understand how people can just get on with their lives so easily, I struggle to have a shower half the time. Anyway thanks for listening.

GG15Rose First job struggling to cope because of anxiety
  • replies: 10

Hi, I'm 16 years old soon to turn 17 and I would love if anyone here could help me! I have recently gotten a job as my parents have asked me too. I know I need one and I also don't mind he idea of earning my own money. Although, this new job I have i... View more

Hi, I'm 16 years old soon to turn 17 and I would love if anyone here could help me! I have recently gotten a job as my parents have asked me too. I know I need one and I also don't mind he idea of earning my own money. Although, this new job I have is causing me lots of anxiety. I have been woken up by panic attacks and I struggle to convince my self to walk into the job. It is a one on one environment and I have received no proper training. I get very scared that I will do the wrong thing and I am very afraid to serve customers as I fear I will mess up the order as there are many products I do not know. There is a lot of pressure from the boss who I am frequently working with in a one on one environment. The anxiety building up to the day I have to work and before I walk in is getting worse with each shift. I feel sick in my stomach and it puts me in tears. I think the right thing to do is quit the job and find another that is more suitable for me, one that is more structured and has proper training. This anxiety is affecting my daily life and thinking about it makes me feel really sick. I have to tell my parents and I fear they will be mad so I was just hoping maybe someone could tell me whether I am doing the right thing or not?

EKRM Always feel like crying
  • replies: 6

I am 23 and feel so alone. I have family that love me and amazing friends but I can't help but still feel alone. Any guy I have ever gotten close to always ends in "I'm not ready for a relationship". It's just something about me. I just want someone ... View more

I am 23 and feel so alone. I have family that love me and amazing friends but I can't help but still feel alone. Any guy I have ever gotten close to always ends in "I'm not ready for a relationship". It's just something about me. I just want someone to want me, to want to spend time with me, want to see me. I don't really have the courage to talk about it with my friends and family- I guess I'm embarrassed..

sidsthename Depression making doing homework hard
  • replies: 5

Hello, I'm new here. I'm B. So I've lived with anxiety & depression for a number of years (11 years) and my life has involved waves of one, the other, or sometimes a short period (max 2 months) of stability and happiness. I have an incredibly support... View more

Hello, I'm new here. I'm B. So I've lived with anxiety & depression for a number of years (11 years) and my life has involved waves of one, the other, or sometimes a short period (max 2 months) of stability and happiness. I have an incredibly supportive family (my mum is my rock) however they are currently away in Europe, and my sister although she lives at home is rarely actually at home. I have a great treatment team (outreach worker & psychiatrist) who are both seeing me weekly and doing everything they can, but I am still struggling quite a bit at the moment. At the moment my anxiety isn't really an issue, the depression is. I'm so apathetic, unmotivated, lack of concentration, and I am finding it extremely hard to finish my final few assignments. I finish my diploma this week (already finished classes) so got lots of time at home to try and complete my final 3 (HUGE!!!!!) assignments, and I can't even bring myself to do them. Or when I do, I can only concentrate for 5-10 minutes before my brain just does the thing you know in the video YBB made; It's incredibly frustrating, and so I'm finding assignments which should take max 8 hours are taking 5 days. I have one due tomorrow, and another due Tuesday, plus my final one due Thursday and my brain is just ughhhhhhhhhhhh I know I need to keep trying to do them, it's just all really hard.

Mikaela_21 Anxiety - Hot Flashes
  • replies: 5

All through my highschooling life, I've had anxiety someway. In grade 8 I wasn't that bad with my anxiety, I would go red with every presentation in front of the class but that was mainly it, I seemed fairly confident. I did get bullied from time to ... View more

All through my highschooling life, I've had anxiety someway. In grade 8 I wasn't that bad with my anxiety, I would go red with every presentation in front of the class but that was mainly it, I seemed fairly confident. I did get bullied from time to time by mainly popular kids and that would always make me angry and sad. By now my anxiety has gotten bad. I'm in grade 10 and at first my confidence was at an all time high and I was not caring about what people thought about me until this one time in History, some girl was getting in trouble in front of me and everybody in the class was looking and then I started to go really really red. I wanted to run out of the class and right as I looked up as the teacher stopped yelling at the girl one of the really popular guys was looking at me and sort of smiling like; wtf is with her?? . Ever since that moment in History, I've been avoiding that class. My hot flashes are ruining my education and my life. I go red presenting something at school, or even when a teacher asks me a question or when any attention is drawn to or near me. I go red at the supermarket when walking out in the open or at the checkouts. I go red when seeing family like when I say hi when we first get there. I feel so angry and upset with myself that I can't stop doing this. I feel all panicky whenever I go red, my heart beats faster and I get shorter breaths and disconnected from the real world as I feel I'm standing in fire. This feels weird but relieving to talk about my anxiety out in the open. Every night I pray to God about my anxiety, I'm not a religious person but it feels good to talk to somebody. I never talk about my emotions or feelings because of people and my family ignoring me or talking over me etc.. If I were confident I wouldn't ever ever eveeeer take it for granted I would be the happiest girl ever, seriously. I guess I'll never be that confident amazing datable girl, and I have to accept that...

Enigma5555 Paranoia over relationships.
  • replies: 7

Hey guys,I constantly feel like everyone despises me and that I'm a burden to society. People tend to dislike me without reason (especially girls - I'm a female myself), and I was bullied frequently throughout my schooling. Nowadays, I'm terrified th... View more

Hey guys,I constantly feel like everyone despises me and that I'm a burden to society. People tend to dislike me without reason (especially girls - I'm a female myself), and I was bullied frequently throughout my schooling. Nowadays, I'm terrified that my friends only talk to me still because they feel sorry for me. However, this year I met and befriended a guy who I eventually developed a crush on and now, after months of friendship, we're in a relationship. I like him a lot - he's my first ever boyfriend (I'm 18) and we get along really well. But, I feel inadequate around him. I don't understand why he likes me and I've convinced myself that it's only a matter of time before he breaks up with me because I'm really not worth it. He's second guessing this relationship, even though he doesn't appear to be in person. I've essentially just conjured up this entire scenario in my head to make myself feel miserable...I hope. It's hard to separate feelings from fact. And then the fact that I suffer from these episodes of deep depression and self-loathing make me feel obligated to break up with him, because I mean why should I burden him with my mental instability? I'm a mess! This is why I don't think I should ever be in a relationship. In fact, I had previously convinced myself that I would never get into a relationship for this sole reason. Normal people aren't as 'unstable' (at times) as myself.I haven't ever been for a formal diagnosis, but I know that the constant feelings of unworthiness (which have lasted for years) and occasional suicidal thoughts are not healthy, nor are they normal. I just need help with getting over this relationship paranoia, especially around my boyfriend. I hate that when I'm not around him I just succumb to my insecurities. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much xxbeyondblue's clinically-trained moderators often work offline (invisible to you) on issues relating to suicide or self-harm. At the same time, general supportive comments from the community are encouraged. If you have concerns around suicide or self-harm, please phone our support service on 1300 22 4636.

Angel5 How do I tell my friends I am depressed when they almost always ignore me?
  • replies: 7

I have been depressed for almost a year now and don't have anyone to talk to. My friends always ignore and leave me out. I always feel so alone. I know they will understand because some of the have also had the same issue but I still can't bring myse... View more

I have been depressed for almost a year now and don't have anyone to talk to. My friends always ignore and leave me out. I always feel so alone. I know they will understand because some of the have also had the same issue but I still can't bring myself to tell them.

Madstar1329 Easy to forget
  • replies: 9

I wake up and look at my life and I am less than impressed. I hate what I look like, what I do and pretty much everyone around me. I feel like no one really sees me anymore, like the mask I have made for myself can fool anyone. Some days I ask myself... View more

I wake up and look at my life and I am less than impressed. I hate what I look like, what I do and pretty much everyone around me. I feel like no one really sees me anymore, like the mask I have made for myself can fool anyone. Some days I ask myself why I even getting up in the morning.....

Gracieee I am never giving up 💞
  • replies: 5

Last year (2014), I was running at my athletics club when all of a sudden I had a stabbing pain in my ribs. I finished the race and went straight to hospital. Later I was diagnosed with scoliosis 24° and I have to wear a brace. The pain was from a ri... View more

Last year (2014), I was running at my athletics club when all of a sudden I had a stabbing pain in my ribs. I finished the race and went straight to hospital. Later I was diagnosed with scoliosis 24° and I have to wear a brace. The pain was from a rib dislocating. Now I have been forced to stop doing the thing I love most. Everyday is a struggle to walk let alone sit at school and carry my 10kg bag around. Anyways, things got easier and I then furthermore developed depression/anorexia. I lost 20kg in 2 months and was hospitalized due to bradycardia arithmetics. I nearly died. But now I am fully weight restored and I am making new friend and slowly learning to move past my childhood dream. Anyways my therapist says I am recovering extremely well, and basically I just want to help others by sharing my experience. ●I was an international track and field athlete ●scoliosis stopped my dream ●anorexia took over ●i recovered ●my grades have gone from a D to a B-A ●my new dream is to be in the army ●I hope i have inspired someone to realise that you can do ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING, if you believe in yourself.