Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Some feelings are so difficult that it’s dangerous to keep them inside. It can cause a lot of harm and problems for us if we try to bottle up feelings for too long – especially ones about suicide. As they are very personal, it can be hard to open up about feelings like this – but there are ways and places to do that safely.

Finding someone to share something important with is a big decision to make. It’s important to tell someone you trust. Make sure that they are going to listen and try to understand what you’re saying, but it’s also important that you trust they will act appropriately with what you say. For some things it might mean keeping it to themselves, but sometimes it might mean helping you to get support by telling another person themselves.

Our counsellors can listen and support you, no matter what’s going on. They are able to keep most things confidential, more than someone like a teacher or a social worker could. But there are still things that even they couldn’t keep between you and them, like if we’re worried that you’re in danger.

Telling ChildLine you feel suicidal doesn’t mean that we’ll tell someone else right away, and we’ll always talk with you to make sure you’re okay.

You can find out more about how our confidentiality promise works, or you can get in touch with one of our counsellors who would be more than happy to explain it in more detail if you need to.

Thanks for sending this to me, take care.
Sam