Growing up is not easy. If you feel overwhelmed with family problems or are desperate and think the only remaining solution is to run away from home, you should know you are not alone. Many kids, at some point, think about leaving their homes out of despair.
But thinking about it and actually doing it are very different things. Before you make any compulsive decisions that may harm you and put your life in danger, please take a few deep breaths and consider these helpful facts in resolving problematic situations the positive way, rather than decide to run away from home:
-You don’t see it now, but remember: problems can be solved. You have the power to choose to not make a bad situation worse, to not harm yourself even more and to not run away from home. You have the right to be happy and learn how to help yourself the right way.
-Talk to someone. Even when you’re disappointed with your parents, siblings or friends, and feel nobody cares for you, don’t give up on yourself; seek help. Try a school or family counselor, your favorite teacher, priest, relative or other responsible adult whom you trust.
-Some things may be extremely hard to talk about (all forms of abuse i.e.) so consider making an anonymous call. It may be easier to make a first step towards help that way. Search for help-lines that offer assistance to kids who think about running away from home. Trained professionals will listen to what you have to say and support you with constructive options on how to resolve your problems.
-Do you have friends or relatives you can stay with for a few days? Your parents would know where you are, and temporary separation would give you time and peace to figure out your best options for positive solutions. People make bad choices while under heavy stress, choices they later regret very much. Take time to relax and think things through.
-No matter how disappointed you are, if you are already overwhelmed with problems, you will only make things worse if you run away from home. Think about the consequences of being a homeless person. How will you, once you wish to get out of it, make it happen? Kids who want to run away from home feel they have no strength or option for anything else but to storm out of problems and never return. Think about it. The time to resolve things for the better is now, and with some help, anyone can do it. We know you can!
-If you don’t know anyone who ran away from home, read some online stories about what other people went through after they ran away.
It doesn’t matter what kind of problems you are having or why you want to run away from home. If you feel:
– your parents don’t love you and don’t care what happens to you
– they are too strict
– you are being abused
-your mom and dad divorced and you miss things the way they were before
-you stole something or you are in some kind of trouble and you’re afraid of your parents’ reaction
-if you’re pregnant and afraid to tell anyone
know this – you are a beautiful person and everything can be solved. All you have to do is to allow it and chose to be your friend, not your own enemy.
