How do I earn trust back with parents if I slip up from time to time and don’t see what I’m doing wrong the way they see it? How do I feel like there’s hope with so many setbacks? Any advice dealing with parents in tough situations and not using substances but other healthier coping mechanisms?
HELP YOURSELF
- Trust is super important and it’s great that you want to take the time to rebuild this trust with your parents. It’s also important to understand that we all make mistakes and have slip ups. It takes strength to want to make things better after having a slip up so great job! Thank you for trusting the TeenCentral community with your story and having the courage to reach out for support. There is hope and you are not alone.
- We have many valuable resources here on TeenCentral that can help you work towards achieving both of your goals. Under the LEARN tab we have information on so many helpful topics such as substance abuse, wellness, and anxiety. Within our TOOLS tab you can find things to help you on your quest for healthier coping mechanisms that work for you. We have guides for physical activities, creative coping skills and so many things in between. There’s even a social skills guide that has some useful tips and tricks for how to have tough conversations.
- Reaching out to TeenCentral is a great first step towards making the improvements you want to make in your life and relationship with your parents. Another important step is finding positive people in your own life that you can talk to and use for support. Often times these people can have a better understanding of the situation and can help you feel like you don’t have to deal with things alone. That can be a great source of HOPE. Maybe you even have a trusted adult who also knows your parents that you can use for feedback and possibly even to help you talk to your parents.
WHERE TO GO FROM HERE
- Finding positive outlets for your thoughts and feelings while you work through this situation is pretty important. Have you ever tried any journaling to help you cope with things? You could free write your thoughts or respond to structured questions about situations you find yourself in? If you have a slip up, maybe take the time to answer some questions about it: What was I thinking when I made the decision, how do it affect me positively/negatively, could I have done anything differently? You could even use writing to organize what you want to say to your parents.
- There are many ways to build trust and help improve relationships with others. What are the other positive things you can do with your family to help improve things? It doesn’t have to be anything big – small things like doing tasks without being asked, offering help with housework, spending time together when possible can all be meaningful.
- It’s really awesome that you want to find some more positive and healthier coping mechanisms for yourself. You can start by considering what are the positive things that make you happy? It can be anything no matter how big or small. It’s great to have many things to choose from that you can use in different settings. Going outside, exercising, drawing, arts/crafts, fidget items, watching a favorite movie or listening to your favorite music can have huge mood boosting benefits and help you cope with things in a much healthier way than substance usage.
