seeking help should be easy for all not spend 3 hours researching how to use a forum.i am new to this and have had it already.people need help now

Dear Col

Welcome to the forum and thanks for posting. I'm not sure if you are complaining about the beyondblue forum or forums in general. I suspect it is the BB forum.

I am sad you are having a rough time at the moment and feel you need help. This is what we dobut we cannot guarantee immediate replies.

Just to make it clear what happens on this forum and where you can receive immediate help. If you are in any kind of danger you need to ring 000 and ask for an ambulance to take you to hospital. That's where you will get immediate help. If you would like to chat to someone either by phone or chatline there are several options.

You can call the beyondblue helpline 1300 22 4636 which is available 24/7. If you would like to use the beyondblue chat online facility you can talk via email from 3:00pm to midnight. Unfortunately BB does not have the ability for a 24/7 chatline.

When you would like to 'talk' in general you can use this forum. We cannot guarantee an immediate reply as everyone who posts here does so voluntarily. There are no dedicated resources for a 24/7 response. Everyone who posts here has experienced some kind of mental health difficulty and so are able to understand the pain and frustration you may be experiencing. Ideally we would like to respond immediately but it appears you posted in about 1:00am eastern time. Most of the people who would respond are not generally available then. In other states which have a time difference to the eastern states there is more likelihood of an immediate response.

I'm sorry you had difficulty finding your way round this site. I have difficulty navigating Facebook so I 'read only'. However, if you want to talk about mental health issues this is a good place to post. It's secure and the people who post will not abuse you in any way. e.g. block you from making posts. The exception being if you abuse someone. The difficulty is finding someone awake in the early hours. However I am here now.

Does this help you? I would like to continue a conversation with you if you would post again.

Mary

Dear Col67,

Welcome to Beyond Blue. Sorry to hear that you are feeling so frustrated and unheard. And if it makes you feel any better, it also took me a few hours to figure out how to use the BB forums as well, the first time I got on here.

We live in a world that is so 'instant' these days - instant coffee, instant money from the ATM, fast food and quick self-serve checkouts - it's no wonder we also want things to be fixed or changed 'right now'. Unfortunately, that's now how life works. Things take time. Perhaps you could tell us a little more about what it is that has brought you here? After all, a problem shared is a problem halved.

Also, keep in mind too that even though Beyond Blue may not be manned 24/7, there are services out there that are, such as Lifeline - 13 11 14.

In the meantime, please know that you are not alone. And please too, when you can, if you would reply to our posts and just let us know that you are okay. Take care. Hope to hear from you again soon.

Mel. xo