Hello,
Thank you for getting in touch with me.
It sounds like home can be a very scary place. Its never okay for anyone to hurt you - no matter who they are. Im so glad that you decided to write to me about whats happening.
Im very concerned that your mum and dad drink so often and hurt you - you dont deserve for any of this to be happening to you. Its important to remember that none of this is your fault and youve done the right thing to tell someone.
Lots of families are affected by someone who drinks too much and it can be very scary. When someone loses control over the amount of alcohol they drink they have a drinking problem and this is called alcoholism. Alcoholism is an illness so it may be that your mum and dad need treatment to help them. They can only stop drinking when theyre ready and they want to stop.
People around you have noticed some of your injuries and it sounds hard pretending that youre okay all the time and not telling them what happens at home. Many families keep alcohol problems a secret and this can make it feel like youre the only one that this is happening to.
Your parents are hurting you physically and I imagine that its very hurtful to hear them tell you that they dont want you in their house anymore. I can hear how worried you are about what might happen next.
This is such a lot for you to manage on your own and it doesnt sound stupid that sometimes you swear at your parents I imagine that you could feel scared, confused and angry and all of these feelings are bottled up inside.
You managed to get away from your dad the other day when you were scared. Thinking about how you can try to keep safe at home might be helpful too. If you feel frightened or have been hurt you can ring 999 for the police or ambulance service and tell them as much as possible they want you to be safe too.
You have mentioned wanting to get away from them, and this is an option we can help you think about if you call ChildLine or start an online 1-2-1 chat. We can help you think about talking to Social Services about what is going on at home so they can think about the best way they can keep you safe, or how they can support your parents to learn how to take better care of you. Alternatively, NACOA is an organisation that helps young people living with a family member that has a drinking problem.
It can feel upsetting to talk about what happens at home but talking about your feelings can help to make sense of them and start to work out what youd like to happen next. Sometimes worries can take over and I imagine it might be difficult to focus on your college work when all of this is happening at home.
I'm wondering if theres someone in your life that you trust maybe a tutor at college or a friends parent. Talking to someone like this could be the start of you and your parents getting some help. If you dont feel ready to talk to someone at college you could talk to a ChildLine counsellor and they can help. Either by ringing our free phone number 0800 1111, having a 1-2-1 chat or sending an email.
You dont have to tell anyone else that youve talked to us.
Its taken a lot of courage to write to me and I hope we hear from you again when youre ready.
Take care,
Sam
