Hey @xXLexi_Lou122Xx    I'm sorry to hear that you've had a few bad experiences at school recently. I'm really glad you spoke up about that boy though - good on you! It's also great that he came and apologized to you.    It sounds like you have a bit of plan going forward regarding school which I am glad to hear!    Mmmm you did some cooking today did you? How did you go? What did you bake?  ... View more

Hey @Tiny_leaf    Just posting here to see how you are going? You have received lots of positive support on this thread so far. You have been a great help to users over the past month, or ever since you joined ReachOu - providing them with great strategies to move forward and better themselves. It is obvious the users you helped are returning the favour in this thread. Clearly, your ideas and support are very much valued on here.    I really like that litter tray idea. Are there any other projects you're working on at the moment? If so, we'd love to hear about them!    Also, do you know which breeder your going to go with? What a cute, fluffy breed - I'd never heard of it before!  ... View more

Hi @Cameron303 and thank you for reaching out.    As @xXLexi_Lou122Xx stated, it seems like you're suffering from self-hate at the moment, which can be really hard to deal with. It's important to know that just because you feel that way at the moment, doesn't mean these feelings are true. In other words, even though you FEEL like you are a bad person, it doesn't mean that you ARE a bad person.    You mentioned you've surfed the web to find help? Searching the web can be a good start, especially in terms of finding peer support like here on ReachOut. However, the web is also filled with lots if inaccurate information, which may mislead you and make you feel worse. Given the way you're feeling, it may be beneficial for you to see a doctor or a psychologist? A psychologist in particular will help you understand why you're having these thoughts. They should also help you put a plan in place to help you tackle such thoughts and move forward. Seeing a professional would be beneficial because there's only so much help searching the web can provide you! The psychologist/GP may even be able to provide you with links to trusted websites to ensure you're reading the right information. Is seeing a GP/psychologist/counselor something you would consider?   Also, I will be sending you an email soon, so please look out for it.    I hope you feel better soon. It was extremely brave of you to post about your issue on here! Therefore that's one thing to reflect on and be proud of yourself for today.  ... View more

Hey @Hozzles    Thanks so much for the update.    I'm so sorry to hear that your pet passed away. Pets can be such a great source of comfort for us, and losing a pet can be so difficult. It's great that you're aware that it isn't your fault, and instead it is just your OCD playing up because you're grieving sad at the moment. You are doing the right thing by trying to not let your OCD bother you too much. Clearly, you are a very loving owner, and cared for your pet a lot, hence being so effected by it's passing!!! Also, I just googled what a bearded dragon is (I've never seen or heard of one) and their average lifespan, which turns out to be between 6 and 10 years. So if you convert that to human years, your pet lived til about 90, which is super long. I'm sure it had a very great life with you in it! Also, passing in it's sleep sounds quite peaceful.  Thanks again for reaching out and keeping us updated. It sounds like you are on the way up - despite this little hiccup - which I'm sure you'll be able to tackle. Stay strong and we are here for you throughout this.  ... View more

Hey @scared01    I'm here. Whats up? ... View more

My pleasure @Bananatime04.  You are very much valued here on the forums. I'm always happy to help where I can. Of course - due to the nature of the interaction (i.e., online forum) there is only so much I can do, hence why we refer you to places like KHL for extra support. The more support the better    I 100% understand why you are feeling stressed. When one is struggling mentally, they can often feel exhausted from just "fighting" their negative thoughts, let alone having to deal with all other aspects of life. Hence, making it hard to keep up with "usual" things.  I don't want to make this about myself but I thought this story might be relevant to you:   Last year I had a very hard year. I was doing my 4th year in Psych (super important year) and a very close family member was very sick. Anyway, I spoke to the university and they managed to accommodate my circumstances due to the stress I was under. I got an extension on a few things which helped a lot. It was hard to reach out for help. At the time I felt I was even undeserving of help! Now that I look back though, it was the most fair decision I could have made for myself at the time. I'm glad I was kind to myself and got the help I needed. I also told friends and family about how busy/stressed I was, so they understood when I wasn't as available or as helpful around the house as usual.   Anyway, the point of my story is that sometimes you have to tell other's whats going on to get the help that you need, and so that they understand why you may be falling behind, or helping less, or seeing them less, or whatever it may be! Of course - it is totally up to you what you do. I don't know the people in your life so I can't tell you what is right for you. However, I thought a story like that might be helpful in some way. I hope it does help!    I have to log off soon. However, I trust that you can look after yourself tonight. I personally think that you are doing really well even trying to keep up with everything considering all that you are going through at the moment. It's also really great that you are posting on here about how you're feeling. If you feel worse tonight, please contact KHL. Be strong  All of us here on ReachOut believe that you can get through this!    ... View more

Hey @Bananatime04    I understand what you mean. Thanks for sharing. It sounds like you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed. I guess the important thing in this moment is to be self-compassionate. From what I can tell by your posts on the forums recently, is that you are going through a lot at the moment, and struggling with your mental health. Therefore, it's pretty normal that other aspects of your life are being impacted such as your ability to keep up. What you have to do is be kind to yourself in this moment. Tell yourself "bananatime, it's okay if you're falling a little behind, you're going through a lot at the moment" or "bananatime, it's okay, don't beat yourself up about it, things will fall into place soon." If you need a little extra time with things then speak to your teacher/ parents/ school counselor and they should be able to help you. At the moment though, the most important thing is your health. So you need to focus on keeping yourself healthy, and some ways to do that are 1) be self-compassionate, and 2) speak to others and get the help you need. Can you do that for me? How does that sound?   If you are feeling overwhelmed it might be a good idea to take a 5 minute break from whatever is stressing you and do some deep breathing, pat your dog, and tell your self everything is going to be ok.    Are you safe at the moment?  ... View more

Hey @Bananatime04    Thanks for reaching out. We're here for you. What do you mean? Could you elaborate? Do you mean your homework or life or?  ... View more

Hey @Bananatime04    What's going on for you? ... View more

Great thread @WheresMySquishy - thanks for sharing all your resources. I will definitely use some.  ... View more

Thanks for the positive update @queenP . Posts like this give others in bad situations hope that people CAN and DO get better with the right support in place! So again, thank you.  Continue to keep us updated.    ... View more

Hey @Bananatime04    Thanks for taking the time to answer those questions  . I love that you managed to distract yourself from strong thoughts today. That is fantastic!!!   In terms of self-care, I've noticed that you love your dog - is it Eddie? Maybe you could take him/her for a walk or just cuddle with him/her for some self-care. Also you seem to enjoy gymnastics so maybe you could do a session of that? Other different things could include taking a bath, meditating, painting your nails, doing a face-mask, having a cup of your favourite tea, watching your favourite movie, putting your favourite song on and dancing to it... hmm, basically anything you enjoy.    Hope both yours and @Tiny_leaf's nights are going well!!   ... View more

Hey @Bananatime04    Yes, answer away if you feel up to it  ... View more

Hi @Mrstweety5482    Are you okay? You said "I can't do it I'm over" which could be referring to a whole range of things, but because it is a mental health forum, some users seem to think the worst.    Are you able to confirm your safety for us? If you are unsafe right now, could you please call KHL on 1800 55 1800 or emergency services on 000. The reason we ask this is because as an online forum, we are not well-equipped to deal with crisis situations. It is possible that you weren't even referring to a crisis in your last post, but just thought I'd let you know in case.    @Tiny_leaf thanks for checking in with @Mrstweety5482 but try not to stress - they could have been referring to anything.  ... View more

Hi @Khloe    Ah. I'm so sorry to hear. Sounds like you're stuck in the middle, which is NEVER fun.    It's hard to give you advice without knowing the full picture, especially regarding whether to move in with your mother or not.    However, in terms of your dad speaking badly of your mother, I'd be upfront with him if I were you. It sounds like the way he is speaking is really bothering you. So I'd say something like "Hey dad... I know you're really upset by what has happened with mum... and I'm sorry about that... but hearing you speak about mum like that does really upset me... I'm here for you generally, but I'd prefer if you didn't speak to me about mum. It puts me in a really uncomfortable position. How does that sound to you? Do you understand why I'm saying this?"   I know being upfront might be really hard, but at least that way you set the boundaries. Dealing with your parent's divorce is hard and your dad shouldn't be putting that sort of negativity on to you. It might be good to refer him to counselling services if he needs a chat, perhaps MensLine. Even if you say something like "I know you need to vent and let it out so I looked up some services and MensLine is a free counselling service for men having relationship issues. Do you think you could call them to vent? They're available 24/7"    Just so you know - the above is my opinion - but you need to do what is right for you.    Please keep us updated on how you go  and please look after yourself  ... View more

Hello @Tiny_leaf and @Bananatime04    Long time no speak. How are you two going? It seems like you two are a bit down tonight. Good on you two for expressing how you feel, seeking support, as well as supporting others.    @Bananatime04 just letting you know that I removed an aspect of your post. I will send you an email so that you understand why . I noticed you the word "self-harm" instead of stating the details though, so thank you for doing that. You being mindful of the guidelines is much appreciated by us here at ReachOut    Anyways. I'm sorry you two are having a bad night. I am having a bad night too to be honest! I thought I might ask you and myself some questions, to help us focus on the positive! I will answer them too.    1. What are you looking forward to in the next week? I am looking forward to catching up with uni friends for drinks on Friday!    2. Tell me two good things that happened today? I got to cuddle with Shakira and I did some cooking, so I have food for the next few days.    3. Name a self-care activity that you might try tomorrow? I will go for a walk if the weather is as good as today! Otherwise I might do some yin yoga.      Also, here's one of my favourite photos of Shakira, she was a kitten here:          ... View more

Hey @mspaceK    I've seen your posts over the last week or so and you seem to be having a bit of a hard time, emotionally. Despite this, you have still managed to attend work, and do activities such as dancing and cooking. I just want you to take a moment to reflect on all the effort you are putting in to getting better, and how great that is. You are being very brave and strong throughout all of this! It takes a lot of courage to fight when you're feeling down, and you're doing a great job of it, even if you aren't aware of it right now.    I also just wanted to let you know that I edited out some of your last post, only because it was a bit graphic. I hope you don't mind. It wasn't that bad but I just wanted to err on the side of caution - some things that may not sound triggering to us may be to others.    Anyway - sending lots of hugs your way. Keep doing what you're doing in terms keeping busy and pushing through the negativity. We are here for you along the way.      ... View more

Hey @queenP    How are you feeling today? I just caught up with this thread and it sounds like you've been lacking motivation and feeling a little sad recently, yes? It seems like you have received great support from @Jess1-RO and @lennycat2017. I really like @Jess1-RO's analogy about pushing a boulder up a hill, which gets much easier once you reach the peak. Even though its hard, you just need to keep "pushing," pushing through the hard feelings and thoughts, and pushing to achieve contentment and do the things you'd usually do. Of course, it's good to take a break, listen to your body and mind, but then pick yourself back up tomorrow and keep pushing. You will get there eventually. Honestly though, It seems like you are already pushing. You are doing all of the right things. You are posting on here for peer support, you have been seeing your GP weekly, have started seeing a psychiatrist, and you have booked in with your psychologist now that they're back. You are pushing and you probably don't even know it. You should be very proud of yourself, that takes a lot of courage. So, well done to you!   In terms of self-harm, I'm personally not sure if stimming will help, but it is worth trying. We have another thread here about self-harm alternatives. Have a read  . I also found this link which I think might be useful for you (note no. 144 and 145 aren't relevant for Australians). I think "the butterfly project" and "the hug theory" are great ideas. What do you think? Do they seem like good ideas to you too?   Also, I'm not sure if you've considered calling a helpline when you feel tempted to SH? They might be able to distract you, help you, and provide you with alternatives. See here for some helpline options.    Thinking of you tonight.  ... View more

Hey guys    I love cooking, love to be "efficient" with food and hate wasting it, so here are some things I do...   I make healthy banana bread (no refined sugar), slice it, and then freeze the slices individually (using baking paper so they don't stick). That way, when I feel like a nice treat, I just chuck a slice of banana-bread in the microwave and voila!! I really like banana bread because banana itself is quite sweet and so it's yummy even without any added sugar. You can add honey or maple syrup though for a healthier sugar alternative :). Note: Bananas can be quite expensive. So I usually buy a big batch from the local market as they are much cheaper. I eat them by themselves or put them in smoothies. Any that go dark, I freeze, to use later for banana bread. Once I have 4-5 frozen brown bananas, I make a big batch of banana bread. I make zucchini + lemon bread. Sounds strange, but its actually pretty nice, I think because I use coconut flour which makes it a little sweet. It's a smart way to get a few extra veggies in, and I don't even notice them in there!!  I freeze it like I do with the banana bread. Carrot bread is another way to trick oneself into eating veggies. I'm clearly all for tricking myself into eating well.  If you ever make lasagna, make an extra tray and freeze it. Then you can eat it for dinner when you're feeling lazy. Also stops you from ordering take-out    Pre-make pesto sauce, it's super easy and tasty. When you're feeling lazy you can eat it with pene (pasta). I prefer home-made pesto over  supermarket versions. I make it by blending olive oil, basil, garlic, Parmesan, and cashews.  You can "spruce up" the pesto pasta by either adding cream or tomato/olives. Super yummy and easy.  Overnight oats are so yummy, healthy, filling and SUPER convenient for a rushed morning. See some good recipes here. I keep my overnight oats pretty basic though - oats, yogurt/milk, honey, cinnamon powder and whatever fruit I can find, preferably banana or berries.    @Tiny_leaf 's savoury cupcake is a great idea, and one you can also freeze. I also love @queenP's suggestions - particularly cooking a big batch of something portable at the start of the week. I usually do this with quinoa - I treat it like rice and add carrot, onion, peas and egg.    Great thread guys!!! I hope you find my suggestions helpful. Happy eating  ... View more

Hey @Saltwaterdreamtime    I'm sorry to hear you've had such a crap night! It can be so frustrating when you have to jump through 546546546 hoops just to get the support you need. I feel that way when I call basic services (unrelated to health), so I'd imagine it'd be 100 times more frustrating when trying to access mental health services. If it makes you feel any better, I have been on the other end of those calls/chat services, and it is never anything personal. It might just be that the organisation is very busy tonight. Still, it can be really disheartening for the person trying to get help, so I'm sorry that's happened for you tonight.    Have you tried accessing any other services? Maybe you can try calling MensLine tonight? They're a great service.    It's not good that you want to vomit. Have you tried some breathing exercises? They can be really useful for stress/ anxiety.    I hope you feel better soon  ... View more

Hey @Bananatime04    I'm okay thank you, actually recovering from being unwell, so sipping on lots of hot tea and OJ    I'm happy to see you ended up posting this thread. That was very brave of you and you have received lots of great support. It is so lovely to see all of you supporting each other. I mean that honestly.    It's great that you're feeling better. I'll tell Shakira when I get home - she'll be happy to hear you're well    Sleep well  ... View more

Hey @happyisgood    I've just caught up on this thread. I'm really glad you've found all the advice you received on this thread helpful. & that it exceeded your expectations. Thank you @xXLexi_Lou122Xx @Tiny_leaf and @WheresMySquishy for providing @happyisgood with such great support. You all should be very proud of yourselves.    Dealing with strict or idealistic parents (if that's how your parents are) can be really hard. If you've tried your best, then you should feel proud of yourself, no matter what mark you get. Also, if you find you need help in certain areas, then seek the support you need - there is no shame in that. Is there any subject in particular that you're stressed about?    You asked for some recommendations on how to manage stress so I have linked some good articles/videos for you:  How to deal with stress here.  5 apps you need for when school starts here.  Coping strategies for exam stress here.  Living with school stress here.  The ups and downs of stress here.  7 tips to help with anxiety and stress here.  5 ways to declutter your mind here.  Stress swaps here. How to manage your time here.  School life here.  How to make friends at school here.  I personally find breathing exercise helpful for stress. The app "Calm" has heaps of good mindfulness/meditations sessions that might be worth checking out.    Also I read that you were discussing potentially seeing a psychologist. If you're unsure of how to go about this, then these (here and here) articles may be of help to you. If arranging to see a psychologist at this stage is too difficult, does your school have a school counselor that you can chat to?  ... View more

Hey @Costas    Welcome to ReachOut and thank you for sharing. Reaching out can be difficult so it was very brave of you to do so.    You mentioned you're suffering from panic attacks and anxiety? That sounds very stressful for you. Have you told anyone about this issue? I think it would be very beneficial for you to seek professional support if you haven't already -  contacting a GP might be a good start. Also telling a parent or guardian so that they can support you through the process might be a good idea too.    Thank you for bringing up this topic as I am sure it is one that many people on these forums can relate to.    Also, because you are a new user, please check out our guidelines here. We ask new users to read them to ensure everyone is using the forums properly and safely.  ... View more

Hey @Eden1717    I'm just posting to check in and see if you're okay to night? You mentioned that you're not coping so I'm a little worried about you. We care about you here at ReachOut and want to make sure you're ok    You mentioned you're having a lot of trouble with your eating issues. Are you receiving professional support for that at the moment? You mentioned you have a psychiatrist in a different state. Will you be moving back to that state or? If so it might be worth you looking up supports in your area.    Thinking of you tonight  ... View more

Hey @Tecna    Welcome to ReachOut. Just letting you know that I moved your post to this thread as it was posted in the incorrect section. Choosing a career can be so tough. I'm going to send you an email so please check them shortly.  ... View more

Hey @keezeik    I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling with loneliness  but know that you are not alone! The feeling of loneliness is experienced by many, so much so that a new support line (called Friendsline) has been developed to try and help this issue. It might be worth giving them Friendsline call on those days when you're feeling lonely. They only operate on certain days and at certain times though, so calling KHL might also be a good option. Is this something you'd consider?    I really like that you've reached out to talk about this. I also really like that you know what you need to do to feel less lonely. Of course it can be an exhausting process, but it'll be worth it. Trying to talk to the nice people who you volunteer with sounds like a fantastic idea. You mentioned you study - is there anyone at university who seems friendly? Marking friends at university might be an idea too  . Of course, you can always make a thread on ReachOut when you're feeling a bit down. Many of our users are very supportive to each other and I see the way friendships can develop here, even over the forums.    You mentioned you have a few friends. What about family? Or pets?      ... View more

Hey @keezeik    I saw your comment about loneliness and realized you were commenting on a year old thread. I moved your comment here. This means I have created a thread for you / for this comment. This will help ensure people see what you have posts, and will hopefully increase the support you receive.  ... View more

Hi @Thesaurus,    Yes, please try again  ... View more

Hey @Saltwaterdreamtime    Kinda, I've been here for a bit now, but only just made my own personal account.  ... View more

Hello @Saltwaterdreamtime  ... View more