@Tiny_leaf  It can be hard when you don't get to pick your own professional. I hope the appointment goes well anyway though. Your cat sounds adorable. I agree with you that 'treating' autism is problematic. ... View more

@ApplesRoses  Grim Fandango is amazing! I don't remember ever playing it but I've played other games from the same developer back on my very first PC. They were like the OG of detective videogames! I really should play it now that the remastered version is on the Switch. I think it's great that these types of games are having a bit of a Renaissance lately. The first three Ace Attorney games also got a re-release this year. I read that realMyst is also coming to the Switch. ... View more

This was such a great chat! It was so helpful to me, especially because this is the time of year when people experience a lot of things happening with study and applying for courses. Thank you everyone for participating! ... View more

@ApplesRoses  I love Steven Universe too! I used to watch it with my sister all the time. Garnet is such a good character. It's so great to have such a positive depiction of a same sex relationship in a cartoon. I like how their song emphasises how united they are as a couple and how they can get through anything together. ... View more

Who do you look up to for self-positivity? I've always looked up to fictional characters and found some great quotes and messages about self-positivity and not being too hard on yourself in fiction. I also look up to people who have gone through difficult times. Everyone on ReachOut is so inspiring. I'm constantly in awe of everyone's strength and resilience. Seeing people find happiness despite experiencing some bad events has helped me realise that I can get through my own hardships. Some celebrities have also gone through some really challenging times and still managed to achieve success too. @ecla34  I also think about that particular question a lot! Sometimes, failing can seem like the end of the world at the time, but it usually never ends up mattering in the long run. Thinking of the bigger picture can be so helpful. ... View more

Here's our last question: Who do you look up to for self-positivity? ... View more

@SomeoneNADJS  I totally agree that we can often have a distorted view of ourselves and that accepting ourselves can be an ongoing process and rarely happens immediately. ... View more

@ApplesRoses  I agree. Sometimes, we can be so busy doing things for other people that we neglect ourselves and stop doing self-care. That's a beautiful way of thinking about asking for help. ... View more

How can we be more positive towards ourselves? I've been trying to identify errors in my thinking. Sometimes, I think that bad things are definitely going to happen, when I really don't know whether they will happen or not. I think that sometimes my emotions get in the way of my reasoning, so I've been trying to see things more objectively. Here are some good resources for this. I have also been trying to say to myself that I am trying my best and sometimes I can't prevent things that are out of my control. I think that having a good support network can really help with identifying your strengths. Good supports tend to see me better than how I see myself. I think it's great to have times where you tell other people how much you appreciate them, and they say good things about you in return. ... View more

I think that's a really common issue @ApplesRoses. I think I'm more of a person who likes to support other people rather than myself. It's extended to my relationships. People have said that I make other people happy, but they don't make me happy. Sometimes, I have bent over backwards to help other people, but they haven't offered me the same level of support. I guess it can show you who your true friends are. ... View more

Is it easier to be positive towards ourselves or to others? I think it is easier to be positive towards others. I think we tend to be less harsh on the people around us than ourselves. I also think it's easier to see our own faults. I tend to only see the good in other people and give them the benefit of the doubt. I try to give advice to myself as if I'm speaking to a friend. I think I end up being more encouraging and less hard on myself. ... View more

Here's our next question: Is it easier to be positive towards ourselves or to others? ... View more

@drpenguin  I can totally relate to dwelling too much on things. I feel like I spend too much time thinking about things that I can't change. I've been working on trying to focus on other things and not worry as much. ... View more

@SomeoneNADJS  I can relate to some of your experiences, even though I haven't personally experienced gender dysphoria. I often felt like I couldn't have particular hobbies or interests because they were unpopular, for example. I'm glad that your support network has helped you to see your good qualities! My psychologists also taught me that I'm too hard on myself and that I don't have to be perfect all the time. ... View more

@ApplesRoses  I completely agree! Sometimes, we focus too much on the negative and overlook the positive. I think this is a normal thing that people do, but looking at the positives can really help us feel better and remind us that it's not all bad. ... View more

Do you find it easy to be self-positive? If not, why? I don't think it's as easy to be as positive towards yourself in comparison to others. I think it's normal for us to go over scenarios and events in our head, scrutinising our actions and wondering whether we could have done things differently. We're only human, after all. I often worry about how people see me, because I've been bullied in the past. So, sometimes I feel like I have to be careful with what I tell other people and how I act because I feel as though they might not accept me or try to make me feel ashamed. It's taken me a long time to realise that I have a lot of things to offer other people and it's their loss if they dismiss me. Guilt and shame are things I struggled with a lot when I was going through depression too. ... View more

Those are some great points @SomeoneNADJS! I agree that being self-positive is a learning curve. I'm glad that being self-positive has helped you! ... View more

@ecla34  I agree! The way we think can really impact on our emotions and how we act. Sometimes, we can be our own worst critic. Wow, that's so touching @ApplesRoses! It can actually be really hard to realise that we are only human. I'm glad you've learned to love yourself. You definitely are worthy of support and love. ... View more

What have you learned by being self-positive? I have learned that I should give myself more credit. Even things like getting up and facing the day may not sound like much, but they are actually big achievements if you're going through a hard time. I have learned that I am capable of getting through some tough stuff, because I've survived my worst days. I think that by being self-positive, good things have come my way. I think it helped improve my relationships and led to some new opportunities. I used to get scared of trying new things on my own, but I've been able to work up the courage to do them by believing that I could do them. Being self-positive has also helped me stand up for myself when other people are trying to bring me down. It has helped me to not take criticism to heart. ... View more

Time for the next question! What have you learned by being self-positive? ... View more

@ApplesRoses  I think self positivity can help break negative though patterns too. I'm glad that you could think of yourself more positively and it helped you. ... View more

@ecla34  That's so true. Sometimes, when we don't feel good about ourselves, we can put too much responsibility and blame on ourselves and be really hard on ourselves. We sometimes don't consider other factors that could have contributed to bad things happening. ... View more

What are some benefits of self positivity? Some benefits of self positivity are: - You can feel more self-confident, which might help you do better in work and study. - It can put us in a good mood. - It can have health benefits, such as improving our physical health. - It can reduce stress. - It might improve our relationships. - It might make you more aware of your rights and make you more assertive. - It might improve your leadership skills. - It can inspire others. - It might improve your resilience. ... View more

@Tiny_leaf  I'm sorry for not being able to talk to you these past couple of days. It sounds like you've been going through such a difficult time. I'm sorry that you were feeling so awful and the chat didn't help.  It's great that you had the courage to reach out for support anyway though. I hope you're feeling at least a little bit better today. ... View more

@StrawberryShortcake  I'm sorry that the counsellor wasn't right for you. Sometimes, it takes some trial and error before you can find one that you can connect with. I'm glad your mum is supportive of you. It sounds like you really care about her. Sometimes, it can be helpful talking to someone outside of the family, who is trained in providing support or therapy. If your mum doesn't want you to see a psychologist or someone in person, you can always contact supports for free online or over the phone, such as Kids Helpline, Lifeline and eheadspace. With Kids Helpline, you can choose to have regular counselling sessions. What do you think? ... View more

@jasmine12345678  I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with Lifeline. You must be going through a really difficult time. I echo @Esperanza67's insights. I have also had some good experiences with Kids Helpline. You can also choose to talk to the same person again or have regular sessions. There is also another service called eheadspace, but I personally haven't used them. They are not an urgent service like Kids Helpline and Lifeline, but you can email them or chat with them online if you don't want your parents finding out that you called them. ... View more

Hi @ellabuck_x! That sounds like a really tricky situation. It can be really hard when you and your partner have different views. I agree with the other comments on this thread. I think talking to your partner and clarifying where you both stand on the issue could be a good idea. You could frame it as a 'What if?' or hypothetical scenario. I agree with @Hozzles that it could be worth asking if your partner is up for other things other than his definition of sex. These don't necessarily have to be something physical. I also think that you might just have to accept his view if he is really adamant about it. It's almost impossible to change a partner. ... View more

@MisoBear  That's so true. I think that everyone feels anxious or depressed from time to time, and that's normal. But it's no good to be feeling like that all the time, or having feelings that get in the way of life. I'm glad that some things have helped you! ... View more

@LizO1997Thanks for the kind words! Postgraduate study is so competitive. It's hard because there is no guarantee of being accepted into a course. Those are some great skills to have. I also learned Japanese for four years, so I put that on my resume. I'd love to pick it up again. I've heard there are some apps where you can learn how to speak languages, such as Duolingo. Have you done any spreadsheets? That could also be a good thing to put on your resume. Do you have any transferable or 'general' skills from another role, or have you cared for a family member, friend, neighbour, etc.? Some places value these skills, especially if you word them in particular ways. For example, if you volunteered part time whilst caring for someone else, you could say something like 'Organisation and Responsibility', 'Work/Life balance', 'Flexibility', etc. I agree about how hard it is to find a job, especially for young people like us without a lot of experience. ... View more

@Izzyy  I'm glad that you're feeling a bit better and talking about it has helped you. I'm glad that you were able to work up the courage to tell your school support person and it's made you feel less anxious. It's great that she's supportive of you. I can totally understand you being afraid to tell her. I was really scared about telling people about my experience too. It was easier for me to tell strangers and professionals rather than my own friends and family because I was anxious about how they would react. Whether you should do any of the steps she mentioned is up to you. You could do some research to see which kinds of things would be right for you and weigh up the pros and cons. ... View more