Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Thank you for your letter, well done for getting in touch. It sounds like you’re going through a really difficult time with your sister at the moment. The mean things she  says to you are wrong. Nobody is allowed to say hurtful things to another person. What she is doing is called emotional abuse.

It seems like your sister is making home life very tough for you just now. I wonder if you have ever told your sister or anyone else about how she is making you feel? You may want to consider telling an adult that you trust who could help you to talk her and explain how much it’s affecting you.

It seems as though listening to negative comments over and over has made you feel really down recently. Sometimes when someone repeatedly says nasty things to another person it can make them start to believe them and feel bad about the thing that they say. It seems like the situation is beginning to feel overwhelming.

I’m glad to hear that you don’t self-harm but you’ve told me that you want to run away and never come back. Running away can make you very vulnerable and put you in a dangerous position. If you do decide to run away it’s important to think about where you could stay that is safe and how you would buy the things you need like food and clothes. There is some more information in Explore about Homelessness & running away.

It sounds like you are finding it difficult to know how to keep yourself safe or cope with the things that have been going on. ChildLine counsellors are always there to support young people with difficult situations and feelings - they can talk to you about what options you might have. You can talk to a counsellor anytime on the 1-2-1 chat (a bit like instant messenger) or by calling 0800 1111 (this is a free number even from a mobile and it won’t show up on your bill).

You could also have a look at the ChildLine message boards to get support from other young people who might have experienced similar problems.

Take care,

Sam