Bullies aren't the only thing we are concerned with on this page, though. I also want those of you who are dealing with self-esteem issues, depression, loneliness, anger problems, family issues, etc. to know that you have somewhere to go for help when you need it. A few ideas for where you go to get help will be listed below, and if any of you have found good places to go for help and/or have any good success stories about finding help, leave a comment in the comments section.
Please don't be afraid to get help when you need it. Don't be afraid to talk to someone who knows what to do in these kinds of situations. Life is difficult enough without you having to deal with these kinds of problems on your own. No one will think you are weak or unable to take care of yourself. Get help now!
- School Counselor - this CAN be one of the best resources you have, if you have good, caring, and knowledgeable counselors at your school. These adults have been professionally trained to deal with all kinds of issues and will keep your situation confidential.
- a Therapist - you could talk to your parents about going to see a professional psychologist. They have to go through years of schooling, testing, and clinical trials to even become a licensed therapist, so it might do you good to talk through your issues with them. And don't be embarrassed! Many famous Hollywood actors and singers and millions of other young people and adults PROUDLY go to therapy! Seriously, with the kinds of issues that ALL OF US deal with these days, we would all do well to go to therapy once in a while! ALSO, it may take going to 2 or 3 different therapists before you find the right one. Sometimes, we just don't mesh well with people and if you feel like a therapist you are seeing doesn't help you at all or doesn't quite give you the help you need, don't be afraid to try to find another one!
- A Good Friend - Having someone we trust, whose company we enjoy, and who knows us well to talk through our issues with can make a world of difference in our lives. My advice, however, would be to choose your confidante wisely. Try to talk to someone who has a positive outlook on life rather than someone who thinks everything is horrible and has no hope. I know sometimes it's tempting to vent your frustrations with people who share those frustrations and feel unhappy like you do, but that only reaffirms how you feel and doesn't make the situation any better. If you don't have a close friend who is optimistic, try to think of an adult in your life who might fit into this category or at least watch someone (not in any weird way :)) who you admire as happy and confident and see if you can mimic some of the things that they do that seem to make them happy.
- An adult leader at your church, school, work place, etc. - many of these leaders have had plenty of experience talking with young people about difficult issues and might have some great advice for you or might at least know of a good place you can go to for help. Find an adult that you trust.
- Community Organizations - there are many community organizations, such as the Boys and Girls Club or just your city's local community center, that are set up specifically to offer help to those who are dealing with difficult issues. At the very least, they should be able to give you some good information on where to go for help.
- Help Lines - there are a lot of organizations set up so that you can call in to get help with an issues, whether you need immediate help or just help over a long period of time. Sometimes, helplines are great because you don't have to worry about talking with someone face to face, if that is something you struggle with or if you are worried about being embarrassed. Here are a few good options (you can also Google "teen helplines" or whatever your specific issues is, like "depression helplines"):
http://teenadvice.about.com/library/weekly/aa070500a.htm (scroll down a little to find USA numbers)
http://teenlineonline.org/ (this site gives you a number you can even text into rather than calling, if you would prefer and this is other teenagers offering help)
http://suicidehotlines.com/national.html (this website lists a variety of phone numbers for not only suicide prevention but other crises)
http://suicidehotlines.com/national.html (this website lists a variety of phone numbers for not only suicide prevention but other crises)
Many helplines are specific to your state, so Google your issue, your state, and helpline if you need more specific answers (example: "depression Missouri helpline")
- Support Groups - Support groups are a great way to be able to talk things through with people that you can relate to. Most people in a support group are of similar age or at the very least, they are experiencing many of the same issues and feelings that you are. You can find information for local support groups at your local church, school, community organization, city buildings, libraries, by Googling your issue and "support groups" (you might also put in your state or city to look for more local groups), etc. Asking your school counselor would be another good way to find a support group.
- Websites - There are so many websites out there to sort through that it can be difficult to know which ones will be helpful for us. The best thing to do when looking online is to be as specific as possible. So, if you are looking for advice on how to get over depression, then search "how to get over depression" and maybe you can also add something like "teenagers" or "high school" or "girls"/"boys", etc. Try to be as specific as you can so that your search engine can narrow the choices for you to pick from. Here are a few examples of sites I found by Googling some specific terms:
