09/14/2021 - Eye sensitivity to lights
Hi I was wondering what to do know matter how much medicine I take (and I’m not taking to much don’t worry) I just don’t seem to get better. My eyes roll back like crazy and it just keeps getting worse! Not to mention my body is now moving like crazy too! My mom is trying to get me a therapist, my dad well he and my little sisters don’t really understand it. I’m just so worried about all the other 7th graders noticing at school and how they might react and what they’ll think of me. What do I do!
FROM DAVID
Hello! Thanks for reaching out! I've never been in this type of situation before but I can understand how you feel not wanting to be judged for something you can't control and I can also understand not being taken seriously. This sounds like it's having mental and physical effect so you might want to have an honest talk with your dad about what issues your facing and why they are so important to you. It's hard to open up to someone you don't know but you could also let your teachers or counsellors know. They should be more accommodating and help you if your having difficulties :) It's a completely natural thing you can't control and you sound like a great person so I don't think there's any problems with you and neither should anyone else! – David FROM JOSEPH
Hi, friend! It can be really hard when we’re struggling with something that doesn’t seem to go away, no matter how hard we try, and it sounds like you’re trying really really hard. It sucks when something affects us so much we are just sure other people are noticing and judging us, and it’s so stressful when we don’t know why it’s happening and even more stressful when we feel like no one understands what we’re going through, especially family. Although I don’t have the same experience as you, I do have a small sensitivity to lights too and I’ve had times when my eye would twitch uncontrollably, so I kind of understand how annoying and stressful it can be when eye problems don’t seem to go away. We’re not doctors or anything like that so I can’t tell you what to do. What have you tried? Bonus points if you can name one thing that worked, even just a little bit because every little bit counts. You said your mom is trying to get you to see a therapist, which I’m guessing is to help your body move less, but have you tried talking with an eye doctor about your sensitivity to the lights and how your eyes are reacting? I’m sure they’d be able to help you figure out what’s going on and help you either get rid of or manage your symptoms naturally or help you find the right medication so you aren’t stressed about masking (hiding) them. This would be a good option for the long run, but it might take some time to find the right solution that works best for you so you might have to hang in there. It’ll be worth it when you find a solution though. :) You mentioned that you’re worried about what your classmates might think. What have you tried so far to either stop your classmates from noticing or help yourself not care as much about how they might react or what they might think?
What do you think are the pros and cons of each of these ideas? Maybe there are more ideas you have that I haven’t thought about. All I know is that you know what would work best for you. If you want someone to talk to about this or anything else, just know that we’re here for you and we won’t judge you. We know you’re doing your best and that these things don’t make you any less awesome than you are. - Joseph 11/02/2021 - NEEDING HELP
Hi, I am struggling with anxiety and depression and have been for while. I have a therapist but sometimes it's not easy. I'm 13 years old and I have been so stressed and depressed that I can't do anything. Recently some people have been really rude to me, walking all over me a lot. I'm a really strong person but because of how shy I am at school, I can't stand up for myself. My therapist told me it might be a good idea to contact someone who might be able to help me where I feel comfortable without feeling like a disappointment. If you can help out, that would be great. Lately I really just need help boosting my confidence around people when I can't control my depression or anxiety. Sometimes at school you have to talk to people and can't avoid the mental issues. I have a lot of friends who expect me to be put together and I don't have many people to turn to comfortably.
-anonymous :/ From Vanessa
Hi friend!!!! thanks for reaching out thats a huge first step that u could have taken and im super duper proud of you :) we are all here for you no matter what sometimes talking about random things makes you feel better and i so get that. we are more than happy to be here and give u all the confidence boosts and give u all the loveeee. Mental health is sometimes a rough topic to talk about if you're not ready to and i get that sometimes distractions are better than facing the problem. When you are ready tho, ive learned that for myself personally it helps to just sit in my room and talk to myself about it. Ill literally just sit on my bed, turn off the lights, get comfy, and jut have a full on conversation with myself about what's been bothering me and walking myself though it. Its helped me realize that there are somethings in life that i can't change the outcome to no matter how hard i try and thats okay. forgive yourself for not being happy 24/7 thats okay its you trying that matters in the long run. We are all here for u and love you a lot so pls do give us an update one how ur doing :) you're a fighter and realizing you're strong makes u even stronger!!! you can do this!!! call us anytime :) we will be more than happy to listen :))) From Scarlett
Hi there! Thank you so much for reaching out to us. It takes a lot of courage and vulnerability to be honest about what is going on in your life, and I'm so glad you reached out to us! I recognize that it can be really hard to confide in others, especially those you don't know too well. I am really glad that you have a therapist to help you out as well, and even still, I understand that mental health can seem like an uphill battle at times. I've struggled with my mental health as well when I was younger. My father left before I started high school, and it really affected my confidence. I was also diagnosed with both anxiety and depression soon after. Sometimes, it can feel really hard to even get out of bed somedays, so I am so proud of you for being able to go to school. Remember that it is also totally okay to take days off for yourself as you feel the need to in order to take care of your mental health. I relate to you feeling like your friends expect you to be put together. The culture of school and society in general often glamorizes constantly being productive and having "no days off" per se. It's okay to not be together, and to take as much time as you need to in order to feel put together, even if it isn't perfect. You can always reach out to us whenever you would like to talk to someone. It can be easy to not feel confident and overwhelmed, and maybe something you could do is write positive affirmations for you to look at while you get ready for school in the mornings. You could write down phrases such as, "I am strong" on sticky notes and put them on your mirror to read aloud. You could also put reminders on your phone that force you to read them whenever you glance at it. Do you want to have more people in your life you feel comfortable turning to, like close friends? What are some things that you do to cope when you have feelings of anxiety and depression come along? I really hope to hear back from you soon, as I would love to offer support for you along the way. Mental health is a really difficult road to travel alone, and I hope you write back so that we can help be your cheerleader along the way. From David
Thanks for reaching out, I'm David! As someone who has been there before I totally understand how you feel. It's good to find something you enjoy a hobby or activity to relieve stress. For me that's talking a walk. Your a good person and many face these issues so your not alone! Your in no way a disappointment. Something else I know a lot of people find helpful is talking to people online like your doing with me. I know social media isn't the best and it can be dangerous but if you find people you know in person that are good and talk with them it can be easier than talking in person and you can make new or strengthen relationships. Like you said yourself your pretty strong and I believe that you are! There's no reason to feel ashamed of who you are. 07/30/2021 - Not doing so well right now
Recently I've been having a lot of breakdowns and I really need somebody to talk to. I think that my mother is manipulating me and she wont give me any sort of help for my issues like a therapist. I just really need somebody to talk to but I'm not in any sort of rush. Thank you.
FROM MONIKA
hey there ! i'm sorry you're going through that, i know how rough breakdowns can get. I'm super happy that you are trying to access therapy resources, even just reaching out like that is amazing ! Here's a link to our website, it'll show you a list of resources for counseling. There's also a 'topics' sidebar so you can choose resources based on your needs ! https://ccteentalk.clark.wa.gov/resources/category/counseling i'm glad you reached out to us, we love hearing from you !! my name is Monika, i'm here every friday from 4-7 p.m. we're open mondays-thursdays 4-9 p.m, and fridays 4-7. You can call us at 360-397-2428, and you can text us at 360-984-0936. (yeah we have 2 different numbers for texting/calling, it's a little confusing sorry !) I hope you can get the help you need, I'd love to hear from you to see how everything turns out and how you're doing !! stay safe, i hope you had a great weekend ! FROM ASHLEY
Hi! That sounds really frustrating. I'm glad you decided to reach out, that was a big step in the right direction on your part. I've actually been in a similar boat myself lately. It's helped me a bit to keep busy with things I'm passionate about. It doesn't fix everything, but it helps. I hope your situation gets better! <3 FROM VANESSA
Hey :) i so understand where you are coming from and yeah breakdowns suck :( sometimes therapy is a great options and other times it’s a pretty expensive thing. of course us here at teen talk aren’t certified therapists but we are here to be there for you. we are more than happy to help you think of ways to help your situation and to be able to hear you out whenever you want someone to listen. we would love to hear from you again and help you :)))) sending lots of hugs!!! FROM BRI
Hey! I am so glad you messaged us :) It can be really hard when you're going through a lot and don't feel like you're getting the support you need. I think it is pretty brave to be reaching out for help when you need it and that you are interested in seeing a therapist. What has been on your mind lately that has been leading to having breakdowns? Sometimes life is just a lot in general but I'd love to talk more about what's been going on. And why do you feel like your mom is manipulating you? Anyway, I look forward to hearing back and I am sorry you're going through this. FROM VALERIE
Hi! Thanks for reaching out. I'm sorry this is something you have to go through, you can always call us at (360) 397-2428 or text us at (360) 984-0936, we'd love to talk! (We're open 4-9 Mon-thurs, 4-7 friday) But if you were looking for more in person support maybe you have a close friend, another family member, or someone at school, like a counselor or teacher, you can talk to and your mom won't be the wiser. I really hope you get things worked out, you've got this! Comments are closed.
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