I’m the proud daughter of a Mexican couple. My mom and dad are happy and my family is… I guess we’re okay. Yeah. But, my mother is a teacher and one of her students claimed that she was sexually assaulted by another teacher. So now they’re going to sue my mom because the parents said that she “failed to report” the incident. BUT the student told HER parents not my mom. My mother didn’t know anything! And this past year has been, weird and difficult. Ever since I entered middle school I’ve been very anxious and I’ve never had a slight ounce of positive self esteem. I hate myself, I literally think the most horrible things and it’s so hard to talk to new people. I’m not self diagnosing myself with anxiety but I once told my parents about being anxious and in Hispanic culture, we are hard-working, respectful, strong people. So they’re like “Don’t be ridiculous… Stop being so sensitive” And I just dealt with it. Lately I’ve been trying to lose weight because that will make me feel more comfortable because what I’m mostly conscious about is my weight. But my mother doesn’t understand that, I try to limit portions and eat healthy portions and foods and she’s like “STOP STARVING YOURSELF! this is why you get headaches”. So I don’t know, my mom is going through hard things, I’m trying to become a better person and nothing has changed… And I feel so embarrassed at school because I’m usually not noticed by teachers but my mother told them about what is going on with the assault and now they just keep asking me if I’m okay and I know that they’re trying to help but it’s embarrassing. I just feel confused, ashamed, worried, and misunderstood.
CONSIDER THIS:
- Having too many problems can make you feel alone and overwhelmed. You are strong for tolerating people who don’t understand you and for enduring your issues even though being a teenager is stressful enough.
- The problem might be that you’re not the only one going through problems. Everyone around you is as well. It might help to try to piece the situation together and see the bigger picture. You can try writing your thoughts and feelings in a daily journal. Writing may be helpful because you’ll be bringing ideas together with words which makes it easier to piece the situation together.
- Even though no one understands you, you’re problems still matter. You can head to the Teen Central website and click the Learn tab then read about any issues you may have. You may also want to explore the other tabs. If you need to speak to someone, you can click the Help tab then call one of the hotlines.
- You can express your feelings through creative activities. It’s easier to calm down once you let your feelings out. You can try drawing, painting, playing a musical instrument or listening to music.
- Sometimes life is meant to be challenging since this is usually how people learn and grow. Spirituality might help you understand this. You can go to the Teen Central website and click the Learn tab then Spirituality if you’d like. Spiritual techniques such as prayer, meditation and yoga may calm your symptoms of anxiety and help other issues. You may also attend church if you feel comfortable doing so.
- If necessary, you could benefit from speaking to a trusted therapist, school counselor or other mental health professional. The right person will listen to your problems and give you simple steps to solve them.
- Be positive. You can repeat positive affirmations to yourself to rid your mind of negativity. Do this every day to gain peace of mind.
- You can find something positive to focus on to ignore the world around you. Try reading a book, watching a humorous movie or growing a garden or potted plant.
- Actions speak louder than words. Sometimes it’s wiser to speak less to get your point across.
- Not taking care of your health can take a serious toll on your mind, body and spirit. You can eat healthier and exercise without losing too much weight. You can ask someone to make sure you don’t eat too little or become overly thin. Yoga can also be good exercise. Join a team sport if you’re social or try bike riding if you’re a more quiet person. Be careful that you don’t become unhealthy due to anorexia because this is often a problem for teens.
- Gain positive self-esteem by learning to love yourself as you are. Be brave enough to be yourself without caring what others think. If no one likes it, remain positive and do the things you enjoy even more. You can see it as life challenging you to be your better self.
- You can focus on doing positive activities like volunteering. Rather than letting life bring you down, let it make you a better person. Some ways to volunteer include helping animals at a pet shelter, doing things for the environment or helping children learn to read at your local library, among other things. Volunteering is a selfless act and will help you be a better person.
- You can try being more responsible to become a better person. This will give you more control over your own life and the ability to get things done in a healthy way. Responsibilities include getting a part-time job, doing chores or committing to getting good grades in school so you can have a better future. You may also adopt a pet from an animal shelter to take care of.
- By enduring your problems and never giving up, you’ll eventually learn to solve them and come out on top. You can research people who’ve beat serious issues like homelessness, eating disorders, disabilities and others. Think about famous actors, artists, scientists, humanitarians or activists.
HELP YOURSELF:
- How can you make a commitment to yourself to become a better person?
- How can being a better person make your life better?
- How can you help improve the lives of others by becoming a better person?
