Hi Everyone!!! My name is Valluvan and I'm a new community builder here at ReachOut!!! I'm really looking forward to being a part of a network of like-minded people, who like me, want to help others and prevent people from developing mental health issues. ... View more

Ok, well I interpreted that the continued posts about the lack of apology meant you were expecting or waiting for one from me. Sorry about that, that’s just how I understood it and my intention was not to misrepresent you but rather provide a suggestion or a thought for other members when there’s conflict. The idea was to keep any conflict off this thread and also not to “out” people as being involved in any particular incident. Take all the time you need to process what I’ve said, I believe we both have good intentions but have misunderstood each other.  ... View more

Hey @roadtonowhere, I just thought I'd check in and see how you are feeling today?    There's been heaps of great support and advice here, as a few people have mentioned, Headspace or a school or uni counsellor can be a great place to start if you want to chat with a professional, as we're not able to diagnose anyone based on what they say here :) I also just wanted to link you to these resources that explain how you can get a mental healthcare plan from your GP - basically, this can let you get medicare subsidised sessions with a private psychologist (some will even bulk bill for students, so you're not out of pocked at all) - your GP can explain the process to you, and may also have some recommendations for good psychologists in your area :)  Getting a mental healthcare plan   You mentioned that you don't think your parents would understand or support you if you decided to get professional help so you need to figure things out yourself- that sounds really hard, and I want you to know that this is a really safe space to chat about what's happening for you, and hear what may have worked for other people. I know that I had a time in my life where those everyday things like showering/ brushing my teeth felt really impossible on some days, so you're definitely  not alone there. Talking to a professional was really helpful, and simple things like making sure I get exercise most days also helped a lot. Things can feel so hard when you're in that dark space and I'm really glad that you were able to reach out here :)      ... View more

Hey @justkeepswimming ,    So glad to hear that you were able to talk through those feelings with your counsellor and that it felt good to be able to talk through what was happening for you. I know it's really hard to have those conversations, good on you for having the courage to take that step   ... View more

hello yeah i do i stream fortnite mostly  ... View more

What's happening in February?      Ask Me Almost Anything: UPDATE    Due to an unexpected delay we are only now getting a solid date for the Ask Me Almost Anything on Change. We will be holding this conversation on the 1st of March which will be a Monday evening. We are going to be welcoming a new guest for this chat, check out all the details here.    Getting Reals   For anyone who's new to the forums, Getting Reals are discussions where we dive a bit deeper into different issues and they are driven by our amazing volunteer mod team. If you'd like to check out all of our past GR sessions, you can find them   here.   Our Getting Real Live   is on  The Stigma of Struggling  and is on the 17th from 7:30pm AEST.    Guides and Chats   On 12th of this month we'll be sharing   Our Practical Guide To: Building Your Toolkit   And on the 22nd we'll be doing a Let's Chat: Community Safety    Weekly Wellbeing   We'll be doing our weekly wellbeing activities as usual - so keep an eye out for those.     If you're ever looking for some self-care ideas, you can check out our WW master list   here.    And finally, we have our Friday Fives where we celebrate all things awesome on the forums.        ... View more

My self care kit  - Creating playlists  - Creating mood boards  - Curling up in bed with a good book  - Drinking a warm cup of tea  - Working through a CBT Workbook  - Practicing calligraphy  - Venting to my mum  - Being alone to recharge  - Yoga or Pilates  - Dancing in my room to music  - Meditation  - Journalling  - Sleep  Writing out this list has made me realise now that there are so many ways I can support and look after myself if I have had a hard day or something goes wrong - thank you for this!  ... View more

@Tiny_leaf  that must be difficult to do on your own is anyone going to help you with it? and yeah it sucks that it is so expensive.  ... View more

Sooo cute @Addie_DCLXVI    This is me giving hugs to everyone in our community :)    ... View more

Hey @llugguss, that sounds like it was a difficult experience to be involved in, and it seems like it had a large impact on your wellbeing. Did you ever have a chance to talk to someone about this experience?  I hope you have found some sense of safety now while travelling around, I know it can't always be easy  ... 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

Hi @its_leon !   I hope you are feeling fine, and been well the past few days. As some of the others have said, watching explicit content can be healthy, but also unhealthy. In our modern-day, I do feel that it is too normalized and that wanting to stop is a very impressive goal and I hope you are supported. One thing you can do is to find a hobby or interest that will instead take up that time you would have otherwise spent watching porn. Additionally, I know that going to the gym regularly or physically exhausted yourself in other means leaves you with no time or no energy to even feel like watching porn and therefore taking away the urge, rather than fighting against it.   I know this goal can be difficult to achieve especially during times of lockdown, social distancing, and spending a lot of time at home. I hope you stay strong and continue on your journey! ... View more

You do have SO many talents @xXLexi_Lou122Xx! You're so good at art and music, and peer support (and puzzles :p)! Sorry you're feeling sad and empty :( My turn hehe 5 things I can see -my computer -my calendar -my phone -my hands -the fan 4 things I can hear -my brother putting things in their place -my breathing -the wind -dad watching tv 3 things I can feel -it's too hot and humid :( -my breath in my nose -the wind 2 thing I can smell/taste (I'm adding taste cause smell is too difficult on its own) -one of my meds tastes like blackcurrant :p -my hair smells like it needs a wash 1 thing I like about me -I'm still trying I guess ... View more

Hm now I'm not so afraid of phones anymore it's a little harder to choose. I guess text? Be able to see things where they were when they were lost, or know where you were at all times (you'd never get lost)? ... View more

Hi @Pleasehelp06 I’m sorry to hear you’re struggling :( feelings of guilt and shame are among some of the worst. it’s not your fault at all though - I learnt in a behavioural biology class at uni that porn is literally designed to rig our reward pathways by giving us sexual stimulation that we wouldn’t encounter in the natural world, which gives it addictive potential, much like drugs. It’s quite common and you’re not alone    what everyone else has suggested is fantastic, however I was wondering if you have/would be comfortable talking to someone you look up to at your religious centre about this? perhaps a youth leader (if you’re Christian) or equivalent in the religion you follow? I understand it would be scary but they may be able to offer you suggestions that are more in line with your religious beliefs, and help tackle the problem from your worldview :) ... View more

I'm sorry to hear you aren't doing well @AngelJoy I'm here to listen if you feel comfortable opening up about what's happening for you   ... View more

Smelly ... View more

Hey @WheresMySquishy, having things moved on you can be an absolute nightmare. It must have been so frustrating and stressful. I am so sorry you had to go through all of that that, especially while being injured! I used to have a similar experience when I lived at home and it always seemed to happen whenever I was in a rush!! ... View more

It sounds like you're going through a lot at the moment @Lost_Space_Explorer5. :( Chronic pain can be such an awful experience and I also find that my health problems flare up when I'm stressed. I'm not surprised that you have some worries relating to your health. I feel like when I'm not getting better, seeing doctors isn't something that I look forward to. Anxiety can have a lot of physical symptoms that are different for each person too and it can be hard to tell them apart from a different problem. I also think that people are generally more anxious about their health since the pandemic hit. Something I have tried to do in the past is log my emotions and mood along with my symptoms. I set up a simple table in my documents to do this, or you could use an app such as Bearable. Here's the Chronic Illness Support Squad thread if you're interested in checking it out. :) ... 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

Wow that's awful you didn't get to say goodbye @Bananatime04 :( How have things been going lately for you? ... View more

Glad you find this thread helpful and that it has given you a different perspective @MB95. I am sorry that you are struggling so much and feel as though nothing is helping. It is a pretty crap and tricky space to navigate      To respond to your post/answer the question - a journal (as a mode of reflection) can help you work out what your needs are and also keep track of what is/isn't working and why. It can include outlining what you have found helpful/unhelpful when trying to get support/supporting yourself, which can be a good way of evaluating your current strategies/supports. You could write a prompt like, 'I felt most supported when XYZ' or 'I feel good when I do XYZ'. Journals aren't for everyone though (I use the notes app on my phone for a lot of things), so no biggie if you don't vibe with it. Most importantly, I think being gentle and patient with yourself when things aren't working can go a long way.. which is the hardest part sometimes. Pay attention to statements that involve 'should', e.g. 'I should get over it, this should be working, I shouldn't have this problem' etc. Usually those statements don't feel too good or helpful. ... View more

haha @MB95  when you're writing a reply click on the little exclamation mark (next to the S with a line in it). it should come up with 'insert spolier tag' ... View more

Kombucha ... View more

I'm not going to tell you that smoking pot and using drugs is bad, because I'm sure you know it yourself. I was very surprised when you said that you perceive people as machines. I completely agree with you on this issue, since for about the last 5 years I have the same attitude towards people. I believe that you should not change your attitude towards other people because they are pieces of shit and do not deserve it at all. We need to buy some good weed https://www.dailymarijuana.co/shop/cannabis-concentrates/shatter/ and just ignore their opinions and their needs ... View more

I joined this forum because I was looking for a way to make the world a bit kinder. I love that RO is such a safe and supportive community built by so many amazing people ... View more

I don't know if I can say anything that @Lost_Space_Explorer5 hasn't already said, but I fully agree. It sounds like you've been feeling a bit low recently and that seems to have translated to you beating yourself up a bit and second guessing some of your interactions here on RO. I do want to reassure you that we all want the best for you, and we'll always be around to support us when you need it   ... View more

@AngelJoy I'm glad xx ... View more