Bullying/Cutting

April 14, 2011

Dear youthline,

-I’ve been feeling so depressed lately. I have no social life at all. My parents are just making it worst by yelling at me. To top it I’m stressed out about maybe getting into a fight I’ll never win and then getting introuble with my parents. I just don’t know what to do. What should I do about this?

-I’ve been dealing with a lot of stuff. Recently I started cutting myself. I was under a lot of stress and I wanted to know if it actully worked. I considered drugs but I didnt feel that I had a lot of openings to drugs so i went to cutting. Now, everytime I feel uncomfortable I go into a bathroom and use something sharp and start cutting. I told one of my best-friends about it and she told me to stop. But I doubt she has any idea of what I’m going through or feeling. So why should I take her advice? What do I do at this point?

Dear Victoria,

I am sorry to hear that you have been struggling lately, but am very glad that you reached out to the YouthLine.  We would love to talk to you on the phone any day at any time to better help you and talk with you about the hard times you are going through. Please feel free to call whenever you would like. Teens are available to answer the phone Mondays-Thursday from 4-9 pm. The number is 1-877-968-8491.

Your safety comes first and is very important, so if you are still having concerns about becoming involved in a fight, I ecourage you to confide in a trusted teacher at school or a counselor. Have you considered talking to your parents about this fight that you are worried about, or anything else going on in your life right now that is making you feel depressed? If you are uncomfortable discussing these things with your parents, I would again encourage that you do talk with someone. As long as the person is someone you tust, it can be a great relief to have someone to confide in and listen to you.

With how hard things have been in your life lately, you show great strength in making the choice to not do drugs. By making this decision, it sounds like you do care about and respect your body and health, but are just having trouble relieving the stress and depression in a healthy and effective way. Although your friend may not be going through the same thing as you, it sounds like she is very concerned for your safety and only wants the best for you. Have you tried opening up to your friend about what is going on so that she can understand the stress and emotions you are experiencing? We  are concerned for your safety, so if you ever have thoughts of suicide please call the YouthLine and know that there are people who care about you!

1-877-968-8491

We wish you the best Victoria,

-YouthLine

Filed under: Bullying,Drugs,Read Your Answers,Stress — kaitlyn
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How to help a friend on facebook who seems suicidal

April 6, 2011

  1. Click on Account

  2. Click on Help Center

  3. Click on Security

  4. Click on Sensitive issues

  5. Click on the question “How do I help someone who has posted suicidal content on this site?”

Learn more information on the appropriate steps to take if you have concerns that someone on facebook is suicidal.

You can always encourage the person to call the Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK(8255)

Filed under: Suicide — kaitlyn
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Day of Silence

April 5, 2011

The Day of Silence, a project of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), is a student-led day of action when concerned students take some form of a vow of silence to bring attention to the name-calling, bullying and harassment — in effect, the silencing — experienced by LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) students and their allies. The next National Day of Silence will be Friday, April 15, 2011.

Search for Day of Silence on facebook

Filed under: LGBTQ — alex
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My brother always calls me fat

April 3, 2011

Dear YouthLine -
I am 12 years old.
I am 140 pounds.
I always feel fat and my brother always calls me fat,
So I only ate a little bit, then dad got deported to Mexico.
I have been sad and so I have been eating a lot but i want to lose 40 pounds but I feel like food takes away all the hurt inside. I always cry because I feel overweight and ugly, what do I do?
- Elisha

Dear Elisha,

Thanks so much for reaching out to us and opening up about what is going on in your life.

It is completely normal and very common for people of all ages to feel comforted by food, so please don’t feel like you are alone. Being separated from a parent is a very difficult and overwhelming time. I don’t know a lot about your situation, but it is so important that you reach out to other family members, friends, or anyone close to you for support, especially during this hard time. If you feel uncomfortable talking to a friend or family member about your concerns, I would encourage you to possibly talk to a school counselor, or of course you can always call the YouthLine! We would love to hear from you. Teens are available to take calls from 4-9 PM Monday through Thursday. In addition to being separated from your dad, it sounds like you are very concerned with your health and physical appearance. While food can be very comforting, there are other options available that would help you to cope with the pain in a healthy way. You mentioned wanting to lose weight. Exercise is a sure way to help make this happen, and will also most likely make you feel much better on the inside and out! We care about you and how you are feeling. It is important to always take time for yourself and do things that you enjoy. I don’t know anything about your interests, but some suggestions would be reading, drawing, listening to music, writing, hanging out with a friend, taking a walk to get some fresh air…and anything else that you enjoy. Here is a website that I hope is helpful to you.

http://www.something-fishy.org/

YouthLine’s number is 1-877-968-8491.

Best wishes Elisha,

-YouthLine

Filed under: Bullying,Military,Read Your Answers,Stress — aBitClone
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My friend was hit by a car and lived

April 1, 2011

Dear Youthline -
Last week my friend was hit by a car… And she lived. I can’t stop thinking about the accident. The only person I’ve ever felt good talking about this kind of stuff with started to act like I don’t Exist. I need to talk to that person though. What do I do?

Britt

Dear Britt -
Thank you so much for writing in, it takes a lot of courage to share what is going on in your life.

It sounds like you are having a hard time dealing with almost losing your friend. It can be very scary realizing how fragile life can be, and it is important that you share these feelings with those around you. Have you spoken with your friend who was in the accident about it? Sometimes it can be easier to discuss difficult topics when you know that the other person is struggling with the same feelings you are.

As for your other close friend who is not speaking with you, because we do not know the details of the situation we can’t necessarily tell you how to fix it. But what we can say is that great friendships can have tough times, but sometimes all it takes is sharing your feelings, apologizing, and moving forward to fix what may seem like an un-repairable relationship. We hope that this helps, but if it doesn’t then you can always call the YouthLine to discuss the situation in more detail. Teens are available to take YouthLine calls from 4-9 PM Monday through Thursday. Our number is 1-877-968-8491; we hope to hear from you!

Best of luck Britt,

-YouthLine

Filed under: Read Your Answers — aBitClone
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