"I don’t talk about my past, I don’t talk about how I feel, I don’t talk about the emotions and all that because it makes me feel vulnerable, to be honest with you".
Lots of people find it difficult to talk about problems. Talking to someone you don’t know about mental health can seem impossible, but it doesn’t have to be!
Your worries about talking to someone may well be similar to lots of other young people’s worries (and adults too!). You might be worried that you are wasting someone’s time, that you won’t be listened to or that you’ll sound silly or feel embarrassed. It can be hard to take that first step but you might be surprised at the response you get. You won’t know unless you try. Why not start by talking to someone you trust, or writing things down first and then getting some professional advice if you want to. You could ask someone to come with you when you talk to someone, and you could try choosing a comfortable place to meet. Even professionals are flexible and some will meet outside, in a café or in your own home!
"It’s scary’, ‘it’s embarrassing’, ‘it’s silly’, ‘I’ll look stupid’, ‘they’ll judge me’, ‘they’ll label me’, ‘they’ll give me medication’, ‘I’m crazy’, ‘they’ll put me in hospital".
Even if you’ve been feeling different to how you used to and it’s upsetting or frightening, and you want to talk to someone about it, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have a mental health problem. You might just need to get something off your chest that is bothering you.