Hey @Wathan , I just wanted to say how sorry I am that your family and loved ones are friends are having to go through such a scary and uncertain time, I imagine it must be a really powerless feeling being so far away, especially if communications are being cut like that. We're always here if you need to chat. Have you been able to get back in contact with your loved ones?  ... View more

Hey @Saltwaterdreamtime , oh man I can relate so strongly to what you wrote about the rough day with your little guy. I have had mornings like that and it is such a deeply awful feeling - I don't yell at my kids much either and always feel like utter shit when it does happen.  I can completely understand why it would add to the general crapness of the day.   You sound like such a caring, switched on, thoughtful and loving parent to your little dude- and kids don't need us to be perfect all of the time.  Parents are human, and I know one thing I've found helps me (and them!) is to acknowledge when I've been angry, and explain what's been behind that.  3 year olds can be utterly delightful but also SO challenging and nobody is a perfect, calm, reasonable parent all of the time.  Hope today's a better one - can you plan something nice for yourself later on?  ... View more

Hey @justkeepswimming , it's really good to hear that you're feeling alright today :) Experiencing those dark thoughts can feel really scary, but it's something that a lot of people experience, and talking through them early with someone you trust can help a lot. We're really glad  that you were able to come on the forums to chat things through. Feel free to keep us posted on how you're getting on   ... View more

That uncertainty is so frustrating I know @Saltwaterdreamtime, and it is exhausting. I know that getting out for a run or a walk has been a huge circuit breaker for me recently when I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed, do you think planning something like today or tomorrow might help you at all?  ... View more

Heya @Saltwaterdreamtime , I'm trying to break the late night scrolling habit myself - I totally get that!    I can completely understand feeling frustrated by all of the uncertainty, especially in Victoria where you guys really did it tough. Personally I did get a bit of comfort from how well they were able to get the outbreaks in Syd and Melbourne under control without a lockdown early this year, but I know the continuing uncertainty of it all can mess with your head a bit.  ... View more

@WheresMySquishy  that is such a great idea!!    I'm loving seeing the support and self-advocacy on this thread! @xXLexi_Lou122Xx  I'm sorry to hear that your teachers haven't all been across your IHP, that's frustrating especially when I know it can take a lot of time and energy to develop it. I know a as a parent myself I've often found that a quick email to a teacher from a parent can be helpful - my daughter also has some chronic health conditions and a health plan , and sometimes an extra heads up is needed. It sounds like you are doing a really fantastic job at advocating for yourself and your needs though!    ... View more

Hey @Eden1717 , I'm sorry to hear that things have been so tough, it sounds scary and exhausting :( How are you feeling today? Thinking of you ... View more

Hi @justkeepswimming ,    First, thanks so much for letting us know that you're safe at the moment. I can completely understand feeling scared about talking to your counsellor about the thoughts you're having, I think @Bingo1234  has given really great advice there- it sounds like you have a really trusting relationship with your counsellor, and a lot of people have similar worries about talking about thoughts of suicide. Even though it's hard, talking to her about how you're feeing sounds like a really good idea, and if you're comfortable sharing your worries about being sent to hospital, they should be able to be pretty open with you about when that is something that might happen.    Talking about those thoughts is a really protective thing- some people also find that working on a safety plan is something that's really helpful. Have you ever chatted about that with your counsellor?  If you're someone who likes using apps, Beyond Blue have developed a safety planning app called Beyond Now- you can learn more about that here if you're interested :)    How are you feeling today? We're really glad that you could come here and chat about what's happening for you       ... View more

@SomeoneNADJS  Hc I'm glad that the safety plan should be useful for the system in the future- if you like having things in a digital form, there's an app for developing and storing a safety plan that might be helpful - you can check that out here if you're interested, it's called BeyondNow    I've seen that one - I really liked it! I hope it helps to take the pressure off a bit, does R do most of the schoolwork for the system? With the psychiatrist, I can totally understand why it would be tricky -  there's been a lot going on, and there's no rush to make changes right away, I just thought it might be worth mentioning. It can definitely take awhile to find the right supports. I hope all goes well with the team followup today ... View more

@SomeoneNADJS  Hi Hc, it's nice to meet you - first of all, I just wanted to say how glad we are that you were able to get yourself help, it shows so much strength and resourcefulness. Do you feel like the new safety plan that R made at the hospital is something that will be helpful for you in the future?    I'm sorry to hear that the hospital weren't good at using your correct names and pronouns, that's pretty disappointing. If you feel up to it, that's definitely feedback you could give to the hospital-  if you google 'feedback to public hospital in [your state]" you should be able to find info about how to do that.    It's been a really full on week by the sounds of things, and I can totally understand why you'd feel like you need a bit of a break! Do you think you could give yourself a few days 'off'? I know it's not quite the same, but when I was studying and hit the wall I did sometimes track down movie versions of what I was reading, I'm pretty sure there's a few different productions (film and stage ) of Richard III online, would watching one of those help at all?    It's really good to hear that R was able to talk to your psychologist about everything that's been happening for the system, is looking for another psychiatrist who's a better fit an option?  ... View more

Ahh Leo sounds like a big personality @Tiny_leaf !!  Feel free to share any photos - I can't have dogs but love to live vicariously through other people's  ;) By licking eyelids do you mean your eyelids?? That is pretty hilarious ... View more

Hey @MB95 , I just wanted to check in and let you know that we are thinking of you. I totally get that awful feeling of feeling like a burden, if I'm honest, when I've been through tough times that feeling is one of the things I have hated the most. Because it makes me think that I'm not worthy of help, or am wasting people's time - and it's only when that fog has lifted that I can see that isn't the case. I don't know if that makes sense - but anyway, I just wanted to let you know that we really care about you, and that we're thinking of you.        (total tech fail here, I tried very hard but failed to embed a video for you so had to make do with a GIF). Here is a link  ... View more

Oh that really sucks :( I hope it's not too $$$ and that you're back on the road soon!    Awww that "I'm not very good at kinder" does sound totally heartbreaking - they sure know how to tug at the heartstrings, hey. It sounds like he did so well though, what a little champion ... View more

Ah I'm sorry to hear that @Saltwaterdreamtime , was just catching up on your posts from last week. Sounds so stressful, unexpected car dramas absolutely suck. Your post reminded me a bit of when my mum's car literally caught fire when we were driving down a major highway when I was a kid - thankfully just down the road from a fire station but not cool at all. Does your insurance cover a loaner car at all?  How did your little fella go at kinder?  ... View more

Oh that is a really hard one @Hozzles ! With small humans I have forgotten what it's like to have a proper sleep in so I might have to choose that one, I used to be a massive night owl though.    Would you rather go backpacking, or have a luxury 5 star hotel holiday?  ... View more

Hey @Saltwaterdreamtime , I'm sorry it's a shit day today. Are you working today?  ... View more

Hey @Eden1717 , that sounds really tough. I imagine it would feel terrifying thinking that people want to kill you, especially when it's someone  you've had a pretty trusting relationship with like your psychologist.  When is your next appointment with them?   We are always here for you to vent, or talk through whatever you feel comfortable sharing. With the food, is it the leaving the house part that is making you feel scared? Would doing an online groceries order be an option for you?    I'm sorry that things are feeling so scary at the moment. I know you're really good at keeping yourself distracted  and that sounds like a really good plan - are you watching anything good on Netflix  at the moment?   ... View more

Hey @Tiny_leaf , glad you can get out once a day at least. It must have been a bit of a shock to have lockdown hit so quickly, but it's good there's a fixed end date there. How is Leo doing these days?  ... View more

Hey @Lost_Space_Explorer5 , I really feel you with the anxiety - health stuff- what can make it even trickier is that anxiety can cause real and legitimate physical symptoms, and stress can also make some chronic health stuff worse. I can also hear how you're feeling frustrated at yourself because anxiety might be causing symptoms, that sounds like a super frustrating cycle to be in. Bodies can be so annoying sometimes hey!   It sounds like you are doing a really good job at advocating for yourself  and your health. It's important and valid to get things checked out physically first - as you said, there's been a decent amount of times where there was something going on. There's also been some great suggestions about mindfulness and different types of stress reduction here too. Have you ever heard of mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR)? What works best is different for everyone, but there's some good evidence behind it and I know personally I found doing an 8 week mindfulness course super helpful :)  ... View more

@Bananatime04  aw I'm sorry to hear that, it's always hard to move on when you've found someone you really click with, and it sucks that you weren't able to say goodbye :( I'm not super familiar with how KHL works, will you be given another main counsellor to talk to there? How are you feeling today?  ... View more

Hey @Pleasehelp06 ,    It sounds like a really tricky situation - just so you know, Kids Helpline is available for young people until you're 25 so you're still fine to call them if you like :) They also offer webchat if you'd be more comfortable with that, I can totally get why it might feel embarrassing to chat with your case worker or someone face to face about how you're feeling.   Another person who might be able to give you another perspective is a GP, do you think you'd be comfortable having a chat with them?  ... View more

Hi @Eden1717 , it sounds like things have been really scary and stressful, and I"m so sorry to hear that. I can understand why you'd be feeling exhausted. How are you feeling today?  ... View more

Hi @its_leon , no worries at all - do you think you'd feel comfortable having a chat to your GP, or going to your local headspace centre? They also offer online counsellng- chatting with a mental health professional can be a great place to start. They can help you unpack what aspects of your behaviour might be causing you problems, and what might lie underneath that.    SMART recovery could also be a great organisation to check out, they have meetings all over the country to help people overcome all kind of addictions.    We've also got an article here with some really straightforward information on addiction, and how to know if your behaviour may be an addiction - a lot of people do watch porn and find it a healthy way to help them explore and express their sexuality, so I suppose it's also about looking at what it is about watching porn that's making you feel like it's a problem, why you want to change your behaviour, and what harm it's causing you at the moment. Does that make sense?      ... View more

5 things I can see - A candle - Small stuffed felt cactus (xmas craft project!) - Framed photos - Many board games in shelves -Glasses case   4 things I can hear Cicadas outside Fan going full blast inside Partner taking work phone call Music   3 things I can feel  - Air moving from the fan - Carpet under my feet - Fingers on the keyboard   2 things I can smell Very faint new paint smell (why does that take so long to go away??) Gardenias from my garden   1 good thing about myself:  I'm curious about the world   @Lost_Space_Explorer5  thanks for reminding me about this awesome thread, @musicfan_xo  this is a great one to give a go if you feel like it!  ... View more

Hey @its_leon ,    Welcome to the forums, it's nice to have you here :) You're definitely not alone in worrying about how much you watch porn, or whether or not you might be addicted. Do you mind if I ask what it is that has you worried that you're watching too much? I'm hearing that it's a habit that you're wanting to change, but you're finding it hard - have I got that right? Do you feel like watching porn is stopping you from doing other things that you'd like to be doing, or affecting your life in bad ways? Are you concerned at the type of things that you're watching?    Watching porn is a pretty personal thing and what's a problem for one person may not be a problem for another - it's a bit of an older post, but we did have a chat about watching porn in the community here that I found really interesting if you think it would be helpful to have a read about other people's experiences.  Looking forward to hearing from you :)    ... View more

Reading through this thread has seriously made my day @ayrc_1904 , thank you so much for starting it! I'm loving reading through everyone's responses. Here's a few of mine:   1. I like being awake really early and being out for a walk or run in nature, in autumn or winter, when the air is crisp and chilly, and you can see mist rising from the grass, and maybe even some frost.  2. I like the satisfying feeling of pulling weeds out of the garden and smelling fresh soil 3. I love the smell of the air after a massive thunderstorm in summer 4. I love being outside with people listening to live music as the sun sets 5. I love the smell of freshly ground coffee at dawn and watching the sun rise over the ocean 6. I love hearing people sing to a song they love ... View more

Hey @Eden1717 , just catching up on your thread, I'm sorry that things are feeling pretty scary and overwhelming at the moment. Feeling like someone's stalking you sounds like it would be an awful feeling :(  It's good that visiting your family was a bit of a distraction (I like a bit of Hell's Kitchen too! Also really like kitchen nightmares)... I think you've mentioned that your mum has helped you before with preparing some food, do you think that could help at all?    Have you talked about your fears about food with your psych at all?  ... View more

Hi @AngelJoy ,    I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling so scared about talking to your mum, it is great that you were able to talk to your sister, though. Do you mind if I ask, what makes you scared of talking to your mum?   We have a really good set of tips on our website about talking to parents about mental health that I just thought I'd share here in case that helps, it has some great, practical tips on how to prepare yourself to have that conversation.    Also just to let you know I've sent you through a quick email, so keep an eye out for that :)      ... View more

First, YES to everything @Bre-RO  said!! You guys are amazing.     @musicfan_xo  I'm really sorry to hear that you had some not so great experiences on other forums, and we're glad you feel safe and supported here. Different things work for different people and I'm glad you've found spaces that work for you   ... View more

Hey @Lost_Space_Explorer5 ,    Reading back through this thread  and I have so many thoughts going through my head - it takes a lot of courage to talk about those dark thoughts and dark times, it can be such an awfully isolating experience, so many people suffer in silence feeling like they're the only ones to have those thoughts, and I think what you say here is amazing:     I just wanted people thinking those dark things to know they're not alone and there are more helpful ways to getting help   That is a huge part of what I think is so powerful about these forums, people can realise that they're not alone. It sounds like a really interesting and important conversation to have with your psych and I think the fact that you were willing to be vulnerable and have that conversation is huge. How are you feeling today @Lost_Space_Explorer5 ?  ... View more