Hey @litgym! I'm sorry to hear things have been so hard :( For your sister, do you think you could do other things with her like watch a movie/Netflix which require less energy? Or do you think you could try going outside and doing something fun with her, even mini golf or kicking a soccer ball etc? Do you think ideas like these may help to relieve that guilty feeling a bit and instead might help you feel great for spending time with her and yourself in general after playing outside in fresh air or watching something you enjoy? As for Netflix I would HIGHLY recommend 'Jane the Virgin' !! It's such a funny and happy show, I found it helped me to watch that whenever I felt down and wanted to pass time. Then I got very addicted to it!! ... View more

@mizzybooklover the day I can do that will be an achievement     I am proud of myself for going to sleep last night instead of watching Netflix for hours again!! :P ... View more

Welcome @thetinyhealer !! Looking forward to seeing you around on the forums :D ... View more

Hey @dremo ! I am so sorry to hear how you have been feeling, I understand you must feel so let down by those around you and alone. But know how brave, strong and inspiring you are for continuing to do everything you do (especially med school!!) despite how you have been struggling. I think everyone has provided some very useful advice here and I can say from my own past experience last year during a similar time I was struggling through, I found being open to joining new uni clubs, sports, getting a new job or even saying hi to the person you buy coffee regularly from and starting a conversation - as unappealing and scary these small random ideas may be sounding right now, when I made myself reach out in all these different areas of my life, they eventually all helped me so much in their own way and turned my life around! I started to build all these different connections with people I never expected to ever and I'm so happy to say I have made some amazing, lasting, new great friends as a result. Hope the last few days have been a little better <3 We are always here <3 ... View more

I am proud of myself for simply sleeping early last night! I feel so much more awake instead of being groggy and drinking coffee all day! :) ... View more

@Esperanza67 @litgym literally listening to Halsey right now as I was reading this, she is so good <3 ... View more

Hey @redhead, I'm so sorry to hear you've been going through such a tough time, I can't imagine how you must be feeling but I just want to say that I can see you truly are so strong and brave for continuing to try so hard despite how hard it is and what you are going through. And as @Jay-RO mentioned, we are all so proud and happy you are here, it definitely takes a lot of courage to call an ambulance and I am so sure you have inspired many others (including me) in your persistence! <3 I hope you have an amazing day and do some fun things, do you have much planned? ... View more

Welcome @michaelthomas!!   What is your favourite thing to do over the   xmas / new year break!? Everything!! I love being able to do nothing on the holidays but then also seeing so many friends and looove the christmas vibes everywhere you go :)     How keen are you for holidays? The most keen I've ever been :D   Do you have any special new years eve plans? Having a chill one this year, but will defs be with friends :P   What was your favourite thing about 2018? (Feel free to share some awesome RO goodnees) Getting involved with ReachOut and joining the mod program has definitely been one of the highlights! The weekend away with all the other amazingg people, constantly giving out positive vibes and encouraging each other was exactly what I needed! An amazing bunch to be around :)   In one word sum up 2018 Enlightenment   How do you feel about fireworks!? Love them    ... View more

You're doing great @Tommy-420, we are always here for when you need some support! Hope you have a great Christmas :) ... View more

That's good to hear, hope you've been doing well! Yeah I've been good, just so busy with everything this time of the year! How are things going with your partner? ... View more

You're welcome @Tommy-420 , just glad to hear it helps! :) And no worries at all, no pressure in replying ever! How are you feeling now? ... View more

Hey @Jaredlange1, I think the others are right in being careful not to push too hard as that is also important as it shows you respect her space. It sounds like she's tried opening up and trusting a few people in the past for support and they have ended up not sticking around or being there when she needed. I think you can show her you are different by doing what you are already doing and keep letting her know you are here for when she is ready to talk and as @Sunflower18 has said, keep checking in on her so she knows you really are there for her and do really care. Little things like that can mean so much to someone and show so much more than words! Your friend may need a lot of time so don't give up on her! But it sounds like your friend is very lucky to have you! :) ... View more

Hey @Tommy-420, I'm so sorry to hear what you have been going through. It must be so tough having to fight all those battles in your head by yourself. I understand how it may feel like everyone else has their own things to deal with and that you are adding to that if you talk to them about your issues. But just like when a friend comes to us upset, we do not tend to think at all about how they are making us worry or adding to problems, but instead we are glad they came to us and we want to help, in fact we would much rather the people we loved come to us than have to deal with things on their own. So when the tables are turned and we are in need of support, we can sometimes forget this and tend to think the opposite as our minds can play tricks on us, but try to remember it from the other point of view in times like that!  For me personally, I used to find it extremely difficult to talk in person and avoided it at all costs and used to prefer writing too. I also understand how daunting it may sound to see a psychologist as I too avoided that too for a long time. But it really can help to see a psychologist when things are weighing down other aspects of our life.  I used to write down my issues or thoughts down on a word document and send them to a trusted friend and counsellor when I very first started off talking about things and opening up to other people. This helped a lot because I couldn't bring myself to talk about things in person and this way it allowed them to really understand me and what was going on. They would read my documents and then respond in person and slowly, I started to be able to talk about things more and more. As much as I was afraid and even ashamed to share some of the things I wrote, I found finally sharing them with other people helped me in so many ways.   Do you think any of this may help you too? Hope you're having a good day ... View more

Hi @Jaredlange1 and welcome!! I think it is amazing you are concerned about your friend and it is clear you care a lot about her! I think some people find it a lot more harder to open up and trust people than other people do and there is usually always a reason behind this, whether it is they never really had anyone to talk to growing up or they may have opened up in the past to have it not end so well. I think the most you can do is to simply talk to her and let her know how you feel, that you are concerned and that you have noticed she is going through a really hard time and you really want to help. Let her know that you will be here when she is ready to talk and you will continue to support her even if she isn't or encourage her to talk to another trusted individual. I think maybe even asking and trying to find out the reasons why she may be afraid to open up will help you understand her more and show you how to best approach this. E.g. If she is afraid telling you about her issues will drag you down, reassure her they will not (many people also tend to think this way, especially in times of feeling down).   What do you think about this? Don't forget to make sure you're looking after yourself too!   ... View more

I am so in love with Ariana Grande's 'Thank u, next' !! I have had it on repeat for days I love it and it's also such a great, positive way of looking at things after hard times, I love her  ... View more

This thread is a great idea! I feel like sometimes we can be so stressed we forget to do the things we love and this thread reminds us how important that is and gives so many new options for everyone try!   I love to just go over to to my friends house and all watch movies all day, order in lots of food, play games (really hooked on mario kart atm hahaha) and just enjoy the day together relaxing and doing whatever we like!  ... View more

@N1ghtW1ng yes! I am pretty sure you can transfer universities after just 1 year (I think, may be different for different universities so make sure to check your policies) to any you would like if you maintain a certain grade! You could even transfer into a course that requires a lower ATAR at that university and do an internal course transfer after just 1 semester!   If things don't work out don't be discouraged! Make sure to look at the policies/eligibility criteria and steps required ahead of time so you don't miss any dates and you will find it is not as difficult or scary as it may feel to get into universities of your choice! There are so many options out there!!  ... View more

Second last question guys!! :)   6. What are some other ways to go to uni if things don't work out?     ... View more

@Alison5Oh for sure! I literally took like 5 hours sometimes to get through a lecture when I studied business because I was so uninterested but now as weird as it sounds I can't wait to get started on my readings for psych and really enjoy doing assignments as they are usually on topics I find so interesting! Hahahaha aww thanks @Jess-RO ! I love quotes so that is an awesome compliment :D ... View more

@Alison5 to be honest I used to be like that for a long time too, I didn't really have a preference towards what I studied I just chose business because it seemed like it had options. I always thought I was never going to know what I enjoyed doing and would just work in business because of that. But I found my love for psychology out of nowhere, 3 years after uni and it just came to me! It gave me so much motivation and changed things so much in the best way, so don't give up! Keep trying new things too and one day you might realise you love something you never thought you would! :) ... View more

@Birdeye aww thank you! :) That's definitely what I learnt! In year 12 I was stressed about the VCE exams and thought what I got into would determine how my life turned out but I couldn't have been more wrong! It is definitely about what you choose to do with yourself from then and how you keep working towards your goals! And you can always change your course of life at anytime whether you're 21 or 40! ... View more

This next question is a very important one for managing stress levels AFTER the exam!   4. How can we keep busy while waiting for exam results? How do you feel about your results? ... View more

3. Did your exam marks affect what you ended up studying? Are you liking what you are currently doing? My ATAR results got me into the course I wanted after year 12 (Bachelor of Commerce) but not at the campus I wanted. At first, I was a bit discouraged by it but then I came to fall in love with my campus and didn’t want to transfer to my original goal!   Anyways, even though I ended up getting into the university campus I wanted I did a complete switch and after 4 years of uni already I am now studying psychology instead! It is a complete different direction from commerce/business but I absolutely love where I’m at and what I am studying! Never would I have thought I’d end up in the field of psychology but best decision ever 😊 ... View more

Seems we're all feeling or felt the same towards the end of year 12!   Here's the next question:   3. Did your exam marks affect what you ended up studying? Are you liking what you are currently doing? ... View more

2. For those who are studying exams, what are your plans like for the future? How do you feel about finishing high school?   I rememeber when I was at this stage in year 12 I was nervous about finishing high school and having to venture out into the world (seemed so scary!) and also sad about having to part with all my friends as noone was going to my university. But looking back now it really was so much more fun and exciting than scary, and I've made sooo many more new friends after high school! :)   @N1ghtW1ng I have to learn the about the whole field broadly, but I definitely plan on specialising in mental health :) ... View more

1. When you were in high school what did you want to do? Or if you still are in high school, what do you want to do?   When I was in high school I had no idea what I wanted to do at university! I was leaning towards studying law and becoming a lawyer, but I ended up going with business because it seemed like it gave more options. But I am now in my 4th year of uni studying psychology and just like @Jess1-RO I can't imagine doing anything else! Even though it took me so long to get where I am, I wouldn't have had it any other way as I had so many amazing experiences along my journey here :) ... View more

Hi @Charlie-29-1999, I think what @mrmusic said is true and your friend really cares about you and values you to trust you and share with you such details of her life. And I can tell you are very empathetic, smart and thoughtful as you are able to understand she may be the way she has been because of past experiences and the fact you are there for her and supporting must mean so much to her. Try not to feel too guilty as I can see that what you did was what you thought was right and in the best interest for her, trying to get her more support and surround her with more friends. And something very important to think of at times like this is your own mental health too! It can be hard and feel overwhelming at times when we don't know how to help a friend so bottling everything in could have hurt you and you wanting advice about what to do shows you were trying to help her in the best way you could!   I remember the first time I told my bestfriend about similar issues in my past and she told someone, behind the hurt I realised I wasn't really upset with her, but I think most of it was that I was embarrassed for other people to know about such details of my life as I had been very quiet about it and kept to myself before that, I was afraid people may see me differently. But when I talked to my friend and I realised it was heavy stuff and she needed someone to talk to for her own health too and she was only trying to do what she thought was best for me, I understood and was glad she did as I cared for her too and wanted her to be mentally well too. It helped for her to reassure me she didn't she see me differently nor did who she told, in fact they ended up helping me a lot through the process and today I am so glad she told them because I realised how much easier it is having people know.   Do you think you could have a talk with you bestfriend and explain how you felt and that you were only trying to do what you thought was best for her? And that you're sorry if it was the wrong thing to do and if it hurt her and maybe next time you will check with her if its okay first or what she would prefer? Your friendship sounds so strong I'm confident you will work it out! <3 ... View more

Hi @Clarke, sorry to hear about what you're dealing with, it must be so tough and exhausting having your mind filled with anxious thoughts all the time, but you are so so strong for still sticking it out and getting this new job too! You should be proud of this achievement! As ecla34 mentioned, you should give some of the apps on your phone a try, then you could practice mindfulness anywhere you are when you feel your thoughts starting to race. How has your new job been? Have you been enjoying it or has there been anything that may be bothering you or leaving you worried at work?   ... View more

@maevesgild that sounds tough, I can see you care about your friend a lot, she is lucky to have you! It's a tough one as she seems very closed off you don't want to risk overwhelming her and it may be extremely difficult for her to open up and let others in. I would say keep doing what you're doing and all you can do is be supportive and make sure she knows how much you care about her, that you are there for her if she wants to talk or needs a friend. And maybe you can try telling her you have noticed these little things and are worried about her and was wondering if there was anything going on lately or what's been on her mind lately. You could do this in a simple chat so it doesn't scare her off and give her a big hug after so she feels loved!    What do you think? Do you think this might help? Don't forget to look after yourself too!! :)   ... View more

Happy birthday @Bee!! Hope you had the best day today and got lots of pressiess! Thanks for being so supportive, you've helped me transition onto reachout so easily, you're great at what you do!  ... View more