Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Thanks for your letter explaining what is going on for you and how you are feeling.

You say that you want things to go back to how they were before you moved and it sounds like you are very upset about moving house away from your family and friends. You don’t give the reason for the move, but it feels like moving back is not going to happen soon so it’s about doing the best you can to enjoy being where you are.

It might be helpful to think about what it would be like to talk to your mum about the way you are feeling and to explain how you are missing your friends and family, including your dad. A way of making new friends is to get more involved in your school and local community by joining an activity or club. You could find out more about what is going on in your area by checking out local advertising in the library, local shops and newspapers or by having a look online.

It feels like this move has hit you hard, and a move like this means a lot of change and the loss of things and people familiar to us and we crave our old life: this is normal and quite common.  As a result your confidence and self esteem have been affected. There are some ideas on the ChildLine website about how you can improve the way you think about yourself and to help you deal with these feelings.

You talk about being ill and in pain and I am concerned about this. I would suggest that you get this checked out with a doctor or nurse as soon as you can. You can do this by going to see your GP, visiting an NHS walk-in clinic or by talking to the nurse at your school if you have one. You could also check things out on NHS Choices website. Their number is 111.

If you would like to talk any of this through in more detail, you could talk to a ChildLine counsellor by phoning them free on 0800 1111, chatting on 1-2-1 or by sending them an email. There are also message boards on their website, where you can get help and support from other people in similar situations.

Take care for now,

Sam