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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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Angst19 Feel empty, struggling with purpose/goals
  • replies: 4

Hello, I just finished my third degree last year and have been looking for work for a while. Other than that I am trying to do things I am interested in, but I find myself questioning the point of doing things I enjoyed doing before and often can't f... View more

Hello, I just finished my third degree last year and have been looking for work for a while. Other than that I am trying to do things I am interested in, but I find myself questioning the point of doing things I enjoyed doing before and often can't find the motivation. When I think of the reasons to do something (e.g. earn money, help others, make others happy, impress others or for enjoyment) none of them interest me and I don't know what will make me happy in the long term. As a result, nothing interests me and I spend a lot of time playing games and watching movies to escape the mundanity and I feel guilty that I'm wasting time. I have been looking for work for a while but I don't know what I want to do and have never really known. When recruitment agencies ask me that question (and annoy the hell out of me), I reply with "Anything I can do" or "anything that matches my resume skills." My mother sometimes yells at me frustrated that I don't know what I want. I did a bit of paid and volunteer work last year at a school but have been unable to do that this year due to new COVID restrictions, but I am currently doing a bit of volunteer work on weekends as an accompanist. I studied an Arts degree and an education certificate mostly because I felt pressured by my parents and didn't know anything else I wanted to study. Before that I studied Music because I enjoyed performing and composing, but now I often don't enjoy it and ask myself what's the point. I guess I worked really hard to finish my degrees and feel it has been a waste of time and effort because I can't find work that uses them, and I am afraid of making another fruitless investment of my time and energy. I also had a very stressful experience during work experience in 2019 that a counsellor I saw described as "traumatic" and that I might still be recovering from. One night a week I have dinner with friends from school and once a week I do a morning walk with a local group but usually I can't have meaningful conversations with them because I can't think of things to say and end up just listening and feeling left out. I talk to friends on Facebook but mostly small talk and the conversations don't last long because I don't know what to say to keep them going. These friends are either interstate/overseas or are busy. I have tried joining Meetup groups but feel I can't connect with anyone because I rarely have anything to say, so often lonely. Can anyone relate or give any advice? Thanks.

Tmac22 Got no idea anymore
  • replies: 1

Hey guys haven’t been back in a long time but currently 22 years old finished first degree had a job all be it an internship ready to go then covid hit, graduated 3 months later without much to show for it and due to the fact that the economic ramifi... View more

Hey guys haven’t been back in a long time but currently 22 years old finished first degree had a job all be it an internship ready to go then covid hit, graduated 3 months later without much to show for it and due to the fact that the economic ramifications are still affecting my industry I’ve decided to be proactive and get another degree in accounting whilst gaining a few credits from previous study. in saying that I am so lost, I basically did the degrees because that’s what was expected of me and my family who is in the industry have really been unhelpful whilst me attempting to find work experience is not a position I can be put in due to my job being financially secure and having to split my wage to give to struggling family members. this has put me in a rut as I am very far off financially where I could be and have missed out on heck of a lot of opportunities because family is so reliant on me to pay for daily grocery expenses etc which hard for me to deal with right now. not even sure what I want to do with life either I know I have a very analytical mind and I do enjoy studying however my thoughts have drifted to mute physical jobs ie trades but even then at my age is almost impossible to start and be successful even if I do pre app subjects. any guidance would be heavily heavily appreciated in what I should be doing

Guest_0784 Autism and the Internet never mix
  • replies: 11

I have no problem with having Autism, I always say If there was ever a cure for Autism, I would not even consider it! It would change me too much, I am happy who I am. I am happy having Autism. Expect, when you are on the Internet. It all started on ... View more

I have no problem with having Autism, I always say If there was ever a cure for Autism, I would not even consider it! It would change me too much, I am happy who I am. I am happy having Autism. Expect, when you are on the Internet. It all started on September 14th, 2016 when I was only 10. That was when the cyber bullying started. It has never stopped since, It is one of my biggest regrets joining ROBLOX. It started with the occasional troll that would say some mean stuff, but as I was 10, I could not handle it! But I made it. But that changed when I joined a communist military group on ROBLOX called the Imperial Robloxian Federation. I joined so I could play other roles in another game I played called Papers Please. There was some who we will call Doctor Henry, who was abnormal of bullying, and would abuse his power on me. It made me loss lots of confidence, and I joined and left multiple times within 2017. It became more serious when I joined Discord in December 2017. Where there was more severe cyber bullying to the point that I have never seen! Then it ended on the first week of March 2018 when I had my own fan club. With immense pressure I was forced to create a NSFW section. No big deal, they just put in some non christian stuff there like swearing, no big deal. That is what I thought. I did know it was for over 18's, so I tried for other people to take care of it, which they did not. I also had to test it. I thought that Hentai was just for swearing, not for porn with animation! I did not know that it was porn. I was shocked for life what I saw. I had to deal with that for a week, and my parents kicked me out. This same thing happened every few months on British Zulu Army, Stepford County Railway, Australia by Tony, and more! This just kept repeating itself, and it has never stopped. Now they know my last name, my old school, and almost everything except my address. Now for people who say Why did you not do anything about it?. At the beginning, I did not know how to report on Discord, nor take photo's of the bullying. Why did you not report it to the Police?, I did. I ran away from home to go to my local police station, but they told me to leave. It was good for only a little while. WHY ARE YOU STILL NOT DOING ANYTHING? I did report it to Discord and ROBLOX multiple times. ROBLOX ignored me and told me to report it again. Discord told me to do it the proper way, but that would make me too upset. I am also banned from talking about it. HELP ME

MacaroniNoodles I need a diagnosis but im scared to ask for one
  • replies: 4

Hey there, I am a 16 (almost 17) year old who needs some advice. Within the past probably 2 or so years as i have gone through puberty, I have started to notice that it has become increasingly hard to concentrate among other things. I have done a bun... View more

Hey there, I am a 16 (almost 17) year old who needs some advice. Within the past probably 2 or so years as i have gone through puberty, I have started to notice that it has become increasingly hard to concentrate among other things. I have done a bunch of research around ADHD and really dont want to self diagnose but i fit the bill pretty closely. I dont quite know if these symptoms are due to my anxiety (which i know can coincide with adhd) or if it seriously is something to look into getting tested for. Now heres the problem, my parents. They both are very much your "stop being dramatic, its just your mind finding excuses" type of people and also dont realise that not everyone with adhd presents the same way. What is a good way for me to possibly bring up the idea of going for testing? I just need to know what's going on in my mind. Thanks Macaroninoodles

Him High School and Not-Getting-Along-with-People-in-My-Grade Syndrome
  • replies: 4

I'm struggling to get my head around it. TLDR; There's either a problem with my year group or that I'm the problem standing in their way. I'm currently in my final year in High School and fall under the autism spectrum. I have a mixed reputation, had... View more

I'm struggling to get my head around it. TLDR; There's either a problem with my year group or that I'm the problem standing in their way. I'm currently in my final year in High School and fall under the autism spectrum. I have a mixed reputation, had nasty rumors circulate (they don't even know me either) my first three years. After diagnosis and regular sessions, I have no clue whether I'm respected in my year group or downright shamed. I started my journey of mental health four years ago, I’ve made many buddies along the way. I do well in my classes, had as many as 4 drama/music/art extracurriculars when I was in Year 9-10, have kept in touch with most of my friends and acquaintances up to now, and most importantly, I'm doing fine. I know I'm loved, worthy, and respected; That I have people around me who I can talk to and hang out with when I have the time. But unfortunately, I can't do any of these extracurriculars anymore. It's tough meeting up with my extracurricular mates now. My friends are diverse. From all walks of life, some started high school, some have a job, some dropped for TAFE, some go to UNI. And we mainly interact online until time allows us otherwise. I've always felt iffy with people my age. At first, it was me being judgmental, but afterwards I told myself; "What's the worst that could happen?" and dove right in. I opened up to the kids in my year group. Some kids were nice, some were straight up dismissive. I tried to reach out. I smile. I ask groups if I could eat with them, I ask if I could sit and talk with them, I join in conversations where applicable. I'm always the one having to start the conversation. And all I get? One worded answers. Strange glances. When I sit with people they eventually move away from me to sit with a friend. When I greet them they give menacing glances. They make strange faces at me. I’ve caught them pointing and laughing at me. When they have questions about a subject I do my best to help them out. When I struggle with a problem, I ask for help from kids too. But in the end, nothing. It's so isolating. Fyi, I DO have friends the same grade as me. But 80% of the people in my grade say otherwise. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. As much as I want to ignore them I NEED them. My friends take different career paths than me, I'm stuck with these kids in my subjects. If we want to succeed in the HSC we have to work together. But they aren't giving me a chance. What am I supposed to do? Is it me?

Fiaaa Finding it hard to make friends at school..
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone I’m new to this forum & don’t usually spend much of my time on forums, but I thought I’d give it a try and see what happens. I’ve been having a lot of difficulty feeling secure and confident in myself when it comes to making new friends. ... View more

Hi everyone I’m new to this forum & don’t usually spend much of my time on forums, but I thought I’d give it a try and see what happens. I’ve been having a lot of difficulty feeling secure and confident in myself when it comes to making new friends. I’m in year 11 and have been lucky enough to have the same friend group all through high school. But I really want to make some new friends. Everyone in my small circle has their own close friends as well, outside our circle, but I don’t. At the start of this year I promised myself to make new friends this year. But I’m finding it really hard. It’s mainly the feeling of rejection that scares me, and feeling unwanted / like someone I approach won’t like me. I feel like it shouldn’t be this hard to make new friends. This has made it really hard for me to feel comfortable in class. It’s become so bad that I’ll skip class because it scares me so much. Has anybody else felt like this? Is there anything I can do to help myself? Thank you in advance! PS. I don’t do any sports or other hobbies outside of school, and part of me wants to pick something up but the other part of me wants to keep my schedule clear for studying. I’m not apart of any clubs or groups, but if I were to join I wouldn’t know where to look!

Lalatheloopyone Feeling down - friends and life
  • replies: 5

Hi all, This is my first time posting and I’m a bit nervous haha. Lately I’ve just been feeling down and I often find it happens when I overthink but I do have social anxiety so overthinking isn’t new to me. I’m not a very social person but I have 3 ... View more

Hi all, This is my first time posting and I’m a bit nervous haha. Lately I’ve just been feeling down and I often find it happens when I overthink but I do have social anxiety so overthinking isn’t new to me. I’m not a very social person but I have 3 close friends although we have all moved away from each other due to uni. We still talk regularly but it feels like they are so focused on their own lives. Although that isn’t a bad thing I feel like I have no one to talk to. I have one friend who I feel really understands me and how I’m feeling but she is going through a lot of stuff right now so the last thing I would do is burden her with my problems. As for one of other friends she always talks to me about what’s happening with her life. I’ve helped her through her difficulties and it is honestly draining. I am more than happy to help her and be there for my friends but it honestly hurts when she doesn’t check in on me. I think I have a bit of resentment towards my friends at the moment but I don’t know what to do about it. I do fear that if I mention something or express how I feel then they will check in on me due to a feeling of obligation. Being able to be here on this forum and really express how I’m feeling does offer a bit of relief. There are a lot of other things that also cause me stress but this is probably one of the main ones.

Avocadooo LIFE GETS TOO MUCH. REGULARLY
  • replies: 9

So I'm new to this.. never looked for help in anyway because I never think I need it. I still don't think that I need help.. I don't even know why I am here, i guess I want to know if I do have some form off mental illness or if I just get overwhelme... View more

So I'm new to this.. never looked for help in anyway because I never think I need it. I still don't think that I need help.. I don't even know why I am here, i guess I want to know if I do have some form off mental illness or if I just get overwhelmed with life on s regular basis.. I feel like I deal with a lot for a 22 year old.. I've been dealing with the same life since I was about 17.. my mum had cancer, I took care off her, I was pretty much her mother in the end, she acted irrationally & like a teenager I guess, so I was the one to always calm her down when I was the one who needed a mother.. she ended up passing when I was 19, I lived on my own for about a year and a half then moved back to my grandmothers bevause I had no one, I had moved into stayed with my mother before she passed because she wanted to run away from life and our family.. I'm now caring for my grandmother, sounds like an asshole thing to say but I'm dealing with her emotional life aswell as trying to put my own life together & on track. She always has a go at me because she thinks I never have enough time for her while I'm trying to work and earn money, plus live with my boyfriend spend time with him, then on top of that trying to have time for myself to relax, as well as sell a house I own interstate. I feel like I have alot on my shoulders and I'm honestly just sick & tired off it.. this is my life in a nutshell so yeah I dunno haha just giving a back story about myself I guess and the reasons why I feel like I implode every few weeks..

Lyssaa "smart kid" struggles
  • replies: 2

Hi everyone, I'm in year 12, doing ATAR. Ever since I was young at primary school, I've been known as the smart kid. I'm always doing really well, because I work hard for my grades, and in year 10 and 11 I was dux of the year level. I'm known as the ... View more

Hi everyone, I'm in year 12, doing ATAR. Ever since I was young at primary school, I've been known as the smart kid. I'm always doing really well, because I work hard for my grades, and in year 10 and 11 I was dux of the year level. I'm known as the smart girl by my peers. That's how it's always been. My predicted ATAR is even 99.4, based on my grades last year. But at the end of last year, I burnt myself out. Really badly. In fact, I still think I'm not quite over my burnout from the end of last year, but it's what I had to do to get those grades. My self worth is largely tied to my grades. So far this year, I've found small amounts of schoolwork overwhelming and difficult, which is very unlike me. And over the summer holidays, I was able to spend loads of time doing what I've discovered I enjoy- reading, art, writing and watching shows. I don't have time for all those things now that school's gone back, and I've realised that I've always worked myself far too hard. But if I decide to put myself first and do more of those things which I enjoy, I know that my grades probably won't be as good and I'll slip down from the top- and in my last year it would be a waste for me not to be the top of the year after all of the work that I've put in. I'm known as the smart kid, and I know that the school expects me to do great this year. I'm torn between my grades and spending more time to relax and going less harsh on myself. If I don't do as well as last year I'll consider myself a failure, but I don't want to waste my last year working myself to death. In conclusion, I hate the pressure. And I've realised that I wish I wasn't the smart kid, with the perfect grades. Maybe then I would have been so much happier.

cant_come_up_with_a_name Weird relationship with my mum
  • replies: 2

hello, I have a bit of a weird relationship with my mum and I don't know if I'm overreacting or not. I don't know where to start but she is a single mum and she's also an alcoholic. When she drinks (which is very often) I hate being at home. I genuin... View more

hello, I have a bit of a weird relationship with my mum and I don't know if I'm overreacting or not. I don't know where to start but she is a single mum and she's also an alcoholic. When she drinks (which is very often) I hate being at home. I genuinely feel like running away. I have got depression and anxiety which she does too but she's so selfish and unhelpful when I have an episode. A few months ago I fell into a bit of a depressive episode, she told me I was being selfish and anti-social and she basically said that I was being an inconvenience. one time she was driving me home from basketball practice and I was crying because she was yelling at me for some reason but I was fidgeting with a part of my jumper and she said I was faking it for attention and that I don't actually have anxiety...I didn't even say anything I was completely quiet the entire time she was yelling at me. One time I told her that she upset me and then it ended up with her banging on my door and yelling at me, saying she was going to off herself. I can't stand up to her anymore because I feel like she might do something to herself. She is not mentally stable at all and I feel like I'm walking on thin glass whenever I'm at home. I also feel like she does not care about me at all? like when i show her my art she completely ignores it and the same with absolutely anything I'm proud of. after a hard year of bad grades failing most things because I was having a really tough time mentally, I got an 70% and I told her and she was completely unimpressed like it wasn't good enough. And when i needed a therapist a couple of years ago, i kept on reminding her and asking and she would just put off trying to find one for months. When we finally got to the doctor, we did get referred to a psychologist, but then she kept on postponing calling the place for another good 4 months. I came out as trans (ftm) to her a few months ago and she is now completely ignoring it and doesn't talk about it at all. She said I'm not allowed to change my name, she still uses she/her pronouns and when I came out to her she said that I didn't know what I was talking about. She did call the doctor about a gender therapist to see and they said they'd call her back to give me a referral. The doctor called me the other day to say that shed called my mum multiple times and she hasn't picked up or called back, which shes said she'd do for two months. Sorry for this rant but thank you for reading.