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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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spontaneous sunflower anxious 19yo who's never had a job- help!
  • replies: 14

I'm actually 18, turning 19 next month but anyway ... brief backstory- I dropped out of high school early 2020 due to years of struggling with anxiety and depression and I'm currently undertaking a tafe course. Ever since I turned 15, I've wanted to ... View more

I'm actually 18, turning 19 next month but anyway ... brief backstory- I dropped out of high school early 2020 due to years of struggling with anxiety and depression and I'm currently undertaking a tafe course. Ever since I turned 15, I've wanted to get a job, to be able to earn money and save up for travel, moving out, etc.. but due to a couple reasons, despite wanting to get a job, I've never even applied for one. I feel a bit ashamed to admit that but I trust this is a judgement-free forum. Because of my anxiety, I have always felt extremely anxious about the steps to getting a job- the handing in the resume, the interview process. In high school we were briefly taught to write our own resumes, cover letters + what to expect in an interview but honestly I still felt confused and anxious about the process and still do to this day. It's funny to me that I could write essays in high school and get 90% and above but can't write a simple resume or cover letter. For years I have asked my parents for help with these things, and they have expressed their support for me to get a job, but I still sit here reading my resume over and over feeling it is not good enough and feeling embarrassed to apply for a job at almost 19 years old, with no year 12 pass and no previous job experience. I feel that I am at a point where my mental health is significantly better than it has been in past years and I feel ready to get out on the work field (I'm desperate to fill my time with work as I only have tafe once a week) apart from these pesky anxieties that continue to hold me back. I worry what to say if an employer were to ask why I didn't finish high school, why I've never gotten a job. I mean, I don't even know if those are things an employer might potentially ask but I worry about it anyway. I don't know how to make myself look like an appealing person to hire when my resume has so little to show. I have no work experience except for a week of unpaid volunteer work back in 2018. I was environment captain in 2017. I didn't win any notable awards in high school. I don't have any referees for an employer to call. I really want to work and earn my own money but I just don't know how.

The_last_time Feeling sad
  • replies: 3

Recently when i’ve felt sad i try to match how i feel with the music i listen to, and it’s rlly helped me identify the feelings that i don’t realise i’m having. that sounds positive but i’m not even sure if it is at this point. A few lyrics from phoe... View more

Recently when i’ve felt sad i try to match how i feel with the music i listen to, and it’s rlly helped me identify the feelings that i don’t realise i’m having. that sounds positive but i’m not even sure if it is at this point. A few lyrics from phoebe bridgers’ song “Funeral” really resonate with me. “Jesus Christ, I'm so blue all the time And that's just how I feel Always have and I always will I always have and always will” They’re super simple lyrics, but they just encapsulate how i feel so much. Being depressed makes me view my whole life up to the depression as sad. And not surprisingly the future too. I might be autistic so i’ve always felt weird and misplaced everywhere so that only adds to the feeling. it’s nearly been a year since I was diagnosed with depression and I definitely don’t feel as low as i did then, but i wouldn’t say im much better either. So yeah. why am i so sad? All the time? will it ever go away? *shrug*

DamienW Young Adult Autistic Forum
  • replies: 1

Not sure if anyone knows but is there a young adults autistic forum or chat room that would suit my 18 year old son? I have looked online and lots of websites for parents of autistic children but I was hoping to find something that is regulated so my... View more

Not sure if anyone knows but is there a young adults autistic forum or chat room that would suit my 18 year old son? I have looked online and lots of websites for parents of autistic children but I was hoping to find something that is regulated so my son can chat online and meet new people with the same condition? The ideal outcome would be for him to meet face to face with others but not sure how easy that will be living in Tasmania?

Guest_236 how to find yourself again after finishing school?
  • replies: 7

hi again, looking for some advice. tldr: after many years of focusing on school, i have time AND mental stability, but can't seem to find any enjoyment or satisfaction in my hobbies anymore; help? I used to love drawing, watercolour painting, photogr... View more

hi again, looking for some advice. tldr: after many years of focusing on school, i have time AND mental stability, but can't seem to find any enjoyment or satisfaction in my hobbies anymore; help? I used to love drawing, watercolour painting, photography, creative writing, singing, i was even learning piano for a while... but that was years ago. and a lot of those creative outlets were used to get me through dark times. but then i got busy with school. every time i wanted to get back into my hobbies i'd get worried i'm wasting my time, so i kept telling myself "after this set of exams, after this last assignment, during these school holidays..." but then it would never happen. but now i have the mental stability (i'm doing a lot better these days, most days) and the time (i just finished my trial exams, so i have 2 entire months to be more balanced in my lifestyle) to focus on my goals, one of which is to have some more unplugged me-time. but all the hobbies i used to love just make me frustrated. i think it has to do with confidence, not liking what i create, comparing my art to my friends' art because they're so much more skilled than me... so i end up losing motivation 10 minutes in and crying because i feel so useless. has anyone else struggled with this? how did you get back into your hobbies after a long hiatus? how do you find enjoyment rather than frustration when creating? are there any new hobbies or other art forms you think i should pick up? and most importantly, how do i find myself after neglecting my inner self for so long? Tea

Lyssaa Not sure if this counts as trauma?
  • replies: 3

Hi everyone! I recently have been thinking a lot about a brief relationship which I went through three years ago for about four months. In this relationship, I was dating a guy (we were both 14/15) and it was great for the first month and a half, but... View more

Hi everyone! I recently have been thinking a lot about a brief relationship which I went through three years ago for about four months. In this relationship, I was dating a guy (we were both 14/15) and it was great for the first month and a half, but then him and one of my friends began getting really close. They said they were best friends, but they talked and texted and called a lot, and they used to joke in front of me about how everyone else thought that they were dating. He also facetimed her on one of our dates, had her as his lock screen wallpaper, and they kept saying "i love you" to each other as a joke. I never said anything about it to them because I was worried that I would be seen as crazy, and I was so insecure that I thought that he would get mad at me. One time when I did have a bit of an emotional outburst and got super freaked out and terrified and upset because he didnt text me back (thats how insecure I was), he gave me the silent treatment for nearly a week and then broke up with me. I also recall at one point in our relationship he made a joke about my acne, which went on to become a very major insecurity of mine and caused me severe emotional distress. Afterwards my friend and him stayed super close, everyone always told me that he probably left me for her (even though they never did end up together). It turns out that she was talking shit about me the whole time we were friends, she would constantly bring him up around me after we broke up, told me she was busy but would be with him, and was making up lies about me. After I cut her off, for the next few months those two would keep talking about me. I feel like I shouldn't still be thinking about all of this three years later, but it keeps reappearing in my memory to bother me. And someone very close to me recently said that it sounds like emotional abuse on his behalf towards me. I feel like I'm being crazy and overreacting, but the other part of me thinks that maybe this all affected me more than I thought and I could be suffering some kind of emotional trauma. Others have told me that it sounds like it was traumatic and I haven't been able to process it, and I also feel like I may have forgotten a lot of the experience. What do you guys think? Does this sound like some kind of trauma, or am I just overreacting (which could also be due to being made to feel like I was overreacting by both of them?) Thanks everyone- hope ur all doing well

Fennec So tired, all the time
  • replies: 11

It's just a little past midnight at the time of writing this. My depression is reaching an all time high and I feel so hopeless that I just.. don't know what I can do anymore. I've been looking for a job for 2 years, ever since the end of 2019, and I... View more

It's just a little past midnight at the time of writing this. My depression is reaching an all time high and I feel so hopeless that I just.. don't know what I can do anymore. I've been looking for a job for 2 years, ever since the end of 2019, and I've gotten maybe 10 interviews since - no matter who I go to for help, professionals or otherwise, their advice never works. I've taken courses that were supposed to help, but EVERYONE these days has the same skills, and I hate this waiting game where sometimes I don't even get a response unless it's an email 2 months later saying the position was filled. I apply for what feels like 1000s of jobs a week (probably more in the 50s), and the rare responses I do get that are even remotely positive always fall through. I get such horrible anxiety talking on the phone or being on zoom, and I can't tell anybody about it because it's always met with "EVERYONE HAS ANXIETY", or "Everyone suffers like you! suck it up!" I'm so tired. So tired of looking for work and begging for scraps that I don't even get. My anxiety ties me down, my depression drags me under, and I don't know what to do anymore. The only times I feel calm are when I'm out on a walk, or alone in my room. I'm exhausted by people being around me, exhausted from the anxiety I constantly have when they're around. How do I stop feeling like this? And be more... more. Successful, less anxious? I don't know what I'm looking for, but if y'all have advice, please. Please let me hear it. (Or read it, I spose) Thank you.

anonymoussss12 I feel anxiety, insecure and hopeless; all sorts of bad things daily.
  • replies: 1

From my self-esteem and how my current daily routine is really stressful. I binge eat, get fat-shamed, shamed for my anti-social n gloomy personality, I don’t feel that my family and friends can stand me anymore. I’ve become less enthusiastic n less ... View more

From my self-esteem and how my current daily routine is really stressful. I binge eat, get fat-shamed, shamed for my anti-social n gloomy personality, I don’t feel that my family and friends can stand me anymore. I’ve become less enthusiastic n less motivated to do anything, I relieve my stress with food, I started to hate myself, especially my weight gain, I get no nice comments from people around me, the first thing they say isn’t how are you but you’re so fat now, what happened to you. Also, I chose to do art for uni because that’s the only thing I’m good at and enjoy but I feel the disappointments around me. My parents say it's fine but also say “I wish I had at least one child who did a good career like a doctor.” I’ve never gotten compliments or praised for anything I do. I don’t feel like a proper adult and I’m already in uni, not ready for grown-up things to handle, I stopped driving lessons cos I was ashamed at how slow I am compared to all my friends who all have licenses now and some say ‘just get it, if I can, u can too, why haven’t u still’ but every mistake I make, I feel so guilty and embarrassed to continue on. My friends don’t call me out to hang anymore too, they must think I’m a drag to gatherings or I’m too ugly and sad for them. I cry myself to sleep very often now. Also, my parents are basically splitting up and everything around me has made me have no hope for my future. It doesn’t sound like anything big or major but all these things accumulating has made me very depressed or fatigue (or at least that’s what I think it is cos some say ‘it’s just all in my head’ when I finally let out what I feel). I feel very lonely and useless. I’ve rarely opened up cos I’m scared more people will ignore me or get uncomfortable with what I say. Could I have any piece of advice and comfort pls??

JoC18 I just want to talk to someone
  • replies: 15

hi all Hope everyone is doing well.... I have a lot of negative feeling recently. I just would like to talk about it and throw everything out when no one judges me.... So let me start I am upset about what I did in the past. I am a perfectionist. Now... View more

hi all Hope everyone is doing well.... I have a lot of negative feeling recently. I just would like to talk about it and throw everything out when no one judges me.... So let me start I am upset about what I did in the past. I am a perfectionist. Now I am thinking if I did this and that, or not to do this and that in the past, then I might be a better person now. I might be more attractive, I might have more friends. I might be more successful. There might be less people who dislike me....etc Secondly, I am a weird person. For example, I am only interested in thing/person I cannot get, and please. When a person tells me he/she dislike me, I will be very careful and try to please them. I will be upset and hopefully they can like me eventually. I understand that I should not waste time on those people but I should spend more time and effort in maintaining a health relationship with close friends , I cannot as I am not interested in the relationship once the relationship is well established. To me, I feel like it is a challenge to get everyone likes me. When they like me, I think mission is completed and let me move on. Thirdly, I like to compare with others. I wonder why others have what I do not have. They are prettier, they are more attractive, they have more friends. They have a wealth family. Their grade is better. They have a better job. etc.... It upsets me when I start comparing but I cannot stop! well... I hate myself being a person like this. Thank you everyone for listening to me. I do not have big issue. But it is really much appreciated to talk about all of these horrible thinking without being judged by anyone. Regards J

Unicorndogge I dont know who i am anymore
  • replies: 150

Lately i just feel like i am getting dragged along not doing anything useful. The thing is i am pretty much useless, my anxiety is bad i cant even do what most other people can do my age and now i just have no motivation to learn because i know i wil... View more

Lately i just feel like i am getting dragged along not doing anything useful. The thing is i am pretty much useless, my anxiety is bad i cant even do what most other people can do my age and now i just have no motivation to learn because i know i will stuff it up or not go anywhere with it. I dont have a job, i dont study anymore and now that i am living with my nan its like i feel trapped even though i was in a worse position at home with my dad smoking weed with most of my inheritance money. I don't know what i am good at, liking something is not enough anymore because i know that i will be alone forever.

AngelWhite123 21 years old, never worked, finished highschool, dropped out of online course
  • replies: 3

Well I’m pathetic. 21 years old, haven’t done anything since highschool besides get my drivers license. Due to what I could only imagine is trauma from my past as a kid (im trans and was bullied a lot because of it) and a mixture of anxiety and depre... View more

Well I’m pathetic. 21 years old, haven’t done anything since highschool besides get my drivers license. Due to what I could only imagine is trauma from my past as a kid (im trans and was bullied a lot because of it) and a mixture of anxiety and depression (I’ve never been diagnosed) I’ve basically hidden away from the world, both terrified to join it yet desperate to be part of it. I don’t know what I want to do with my life, and sometimes I wonder if it’s even worth it. I think so often about maybe I should just find an easy way out, to take the burden off my parents, to finally do something right. I don’t know what kind of help, but I definitely need it.