Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Thank you for getting in touch and letting me know how you're feeling. It sounds like it feels difficult for you to be yourself at school. This can be a really tough time for many young people as they often find themselves returning to a place or situations that make them feel worried or unhappy. You say that you find school "horrible" and it seems like it is other people who are making school this way for you. If you have a look at the School / College message boards you may find messages from young people who have similar feelings. You could also post your own message there for people to reply to if you felt like it.

You don’t tell me in what way you feel judged by other people or any of the things they say. I can hear that you would like to be able to ignore what other people say, but sometimes you find that very difficult. You've talked about other people's opinions bothering you and I am wondering if these people know that what they are saying is having such an effect on you. Sometimes people don't know how their behaviour makes us feel. Maybe you could think of how it would be for you if they did know?

Teachers also have to try to make school as happy as possible for all their students. So if people are saying things that make you unhappy, maybe you could think about speaking to an adult at school about what is happening. You can read more information about bad feelings about school which I hope you will find useful.

If you would like to talk to someone about what is happening and begin to look at ways to help you cope with what is going on you can speak to ChildLine counsellors online, on the phone, or by sending an email. 

Thanks again for writing to me,

Sam