Help for a Friend
Although many teens are faced with problems, young people also find conflict when their friends are being troubled. Not all kids are faced with as many difficulties as others. Like when someone’s friend’s parents are going through a divorce. Or when a friend is having thoughts of taking drugs, cutting, or even suicide, they might seek advice from their friend. And many of those teens don’t know where to turn when faced with that kind of judgment without looking like a snitch. So here are some ways to help out your pal.
Parents can be both a blessing and a burden in a teen’s life. When divorce, arguing, and in some cases, abuse come into the picture, things can get pretty rough. That’s when kids look to their friends for guidance. But being as young as they are, they’re unsure about how they can help them. If your friend is going through a divorce, try this website. http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/home_family/divorce.html. If they’re suffering from domestic abuse, try one of these. Go to www.childabuse.org, or call -1-800-799-7233 or-1-800-787-3224 for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
Even if the parents are not abusive, the teen might be. The sad truth of the matter is that many kids are violent to themselves in one way or another. Cutting, anorexia, bulimia are all types of self-mutilation. There are many causes, known and unknown for these. And though there is no official cure, you can help your friend by being a one man support team. Here’s some things you can try in order to give your friend a hand.
http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/school_jobs/good_friends/friend_cuts.html
http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/exercise/problems/friend_eating_disorder.html
http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/expert/emotions/expert_eating_disorder.html
http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/feeling_sad/cutting.html
http://eqi.org/cutting1.htm
Whether or not your friend is harming their self, they might still be in pain. Many teens suffer depression. Not only is a painful thing to experience, but it can also cause some big problems later on. These can be things such as the self mutilation mentioned earlier, and even suicide. 1 in 5 kids think about committing suicide. And 8 out of every 10 kids who commit suicide gave some sort of clue that they might be considering it. It might be anything from seeking a doctor’s help, to confiding in a friend about what their feeling. If you sense that your friend is depressed, or if they’ve told you that they are, here are some ways you can get help for them. You can visit http://www.psychologyinfo.com/depression/teens.htm#treatment, or http://www.about-teen-depression.com/.
Friends trust friends. And some teens may have trouble handling that responsibility. But if your friend is hurting, you’re going to want to help. So be an informed friend. And the next time your friend is relying on you help for their problem, remember that a lot could be riding on guidance and support. So remember what you’ve learned from this article.