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You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
Hi there,
When somebody you care about is going through a difficult time, it can be worrying and upsetting for you as well. I get the feeling that it felt really bad for you that you werent told about your dad and I can hear that you wish people had let you know. It also seems like your parents splitting up and your dads depression have had big effects on how youre feeling.
Im concerned to hear that youve been making yourself sick after meals because this can put your health in danger. After everything youve been through, you could do with some support right now. Have a think about which people in your life you trust and whether theres somebody youd be able to tell. Perhaps you could talk to a friend, family member or somebody at school. You can also always speak to a ChildLine counsellor when youve got things on your mind.
When youre making yourself sick its a good idea to get medical help, and you can start this by speaking to your doctor. I cant say for certain what your doctor will do next, but usually doctors talk to you about things that could help such as having counselling or seeing a specialist.
If it feels difficult to know where to start when you go to talk to the doctor, remember that there's a handy checklist builder at Doc Ready. It helps you make a list of the things youd like to say. That way when you have an appointment with your doctor you can read from it, or if youre finding it very tough to talk, you can always start by handing them the list.
I noticed that youre thinking about starting self-harm again. Part of recovering from self-harm can include having thoughts about it or actually doing it again. It doesnt mean that youre back at the beginning. Doctors can help to support you with recovery from self-harm too. We have a page of self-harm coping techniques which you might find useful. It could also help to look at the YoungMinds website which has some advice for getting support for self-harm. If youd like to try and find ways to distract yourself from the urges to self-harm, theres a useful list on TheSite.org.
Youve done well to get in touch and let me know about how youre feeling. I really hope you can get the support you need.
Take care,
Sam
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.