I have mental health problems that are being cared for under a doctor. Doctors can only help me so far. With all covid-19 virus and my own health, I’ve been having anxiety attacks and loneliness and a relative having sex that I walked in on and I’ve never had sex. A lot of hormones running all around. I just need to just talk so I called the warm line but I felt very uncomfortable and awkward and shame as other feelings/emotions. Some of the emotions I felt was because years ago I had to call the crisis line and also a different situation I had to be in hospital. I’m not and don’t want to say more on that call or hospital situation. I waited for a warm line worker to pick up the phone but I hung up the call before someone answered as I’m not an essential worker but I have family that is and I prefer to stay out of areas that I could catch common colds or covid-19 virus for a variety reasons. 1. Anxiety. 2. The masks if I wear too long I’ll have a panic attack. 3. I cannot and prefer not to catch a common cold or anything for the children and elders I’m near to. I’m in a tight complicated situation and don’t know where to turn to. No I prefer not to pest my family with all this. They’re dealing with enough with all what’s being tossed to them and what they are dealing with and facing. I don’t know what to do.
HELP YOURSELF:
- It sounds like you are going through a lot. Thank you for trusting us in the Teen Central community with your story. You have a lot of STRENGTH and COURAGE to share your struggles and take the steps to begin working through them. This process can be difficult though and it’s normal to feel anxious, lost, or other similar feelings as a result. There is HOPE. Here at Teen Central we are here to support you. The good news is you’ve already started taking steps towards wellness by receiving care from a Doctor and reaching out for help – great job!
- Educating yourself on the issues you are experiencing is another huge part of overcoming personal struggles. On the Teen Central website, you can read about topics such as anxiety and wellness if you click on the LEARN tab. There are also other helpful resources under the TOOLS tab that can assist with your emotional and physical health. If you are struggling with calling a hotline due to anxiety or other feelings, that’s normal and there are other options. If you click the HELP tab on the Teen Central website, there is a crisis text line that is available 24 hours a day, every day. All you have to do is Text “HELLO” to 741741 to get started.
- It must be difficult to feel like you are bothering your family if you talk about things to them. It can be normal to feel this way. Taking small steps like talking to a Doctor or us here at Teen Central is a great start but it’s important to try and find a trusted adult within your own life or community that you can talk to. Is there another relative or family friend that you can open up to as a starting point?
CONSIDER THIS:
- It’s always important to find healthy ways to express and cope with emotions – especially during stressful times. Have you tried journaling about your feelings and experiences? Writing things down is often a good way to organize thoughts and feelings to help us feel better. It can also help communicate things that we may have a hard time talking about. Maybe eventually you can consider writing a letter to a member of your family about what you are going through.
- Another huge part of wellness is self-care. What are the things you can do (even during Covid-19) that make you feel happy? Things like exercise can help with anxiety but even the smallest stuff like a favorite song or something that smells good can have a positive impact on a person’s mood.
- Having connections to other positive people is extremely beneficial. It is definitely harder during Covid-19 times but not impossible. Many people can safely interact with others through phone calls, video calls, and other methods. What are the ways you can get creative or use technology to reach out to others?
