I can't take this

[Violet]

Hi I'm Violet. I am 12 years old but more mature then most people my age.
Depression runs in my family and I have depression now. I even cry in school-I just don't care anymore.
I want to run away, because I just can't stand life or anything...
And..I just can't do it.

But I know I'm not strong enough-and if I run away to the one place of a family member that I know to get to-my aunts- my dad is gonna come and I'm gonna be in trouble. I just..I love my family but I don't want to stay here if it means I have to go to school-a place a hate-do school-something I hate-with all these people-people I hate. I can't fake a smile and pretend everything is all right-pretend these people are my best friends.

I'm tired of pretending, but I don't know if I should run away or not, considering that I am small and week.

[ccsmod3]

Re: I can't take this

Dear Violet,
Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Switchboard. We are sorry to hear about your depression and everything else you’re going through at school and at home. It sounds like things are really tough and you are seriously considering running away. You mention the option of going to your aunt’s house, although it sounds like you are concerned you will get in trouble if your dad comes to get you. We are not here to tell you what to do. However, if you haven’t had a chance to look at some common questions to think about before running, you can go here: http://www.1800runaway.org/youth_teens/nrs_help.html.

We are also not legal experts; however, to our knowledge running away is just a status offense. This means that minors cannot leave home without permission simply because they are not of age; which is 18 in most states. There are usually laws associated with harboring a runaway and crossing state lines with a minor which may or not apply in a runaway situation. If these are concerns of yours, you are welcome to contact local law enforcement for more details.

You mention that you can’t stand life or anything which sounds pretty serious. If you are having suicidal thoughts, one resource that may be helpful is the National Suicide Hotline, 1-800-273-TALK. You can also visit their website, http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/. We hope you remain safe as you figure everything out. If you need additional support and/or resources, feel free to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. Our hotline is available 24/7 and is anonymous and confidential. We also offer Live Chat from 4:30 to 7 CST by going to our webpage, http://www.1800runaway.org/, and clicking on the red “Get Help Live Chat” button. We wish you the best of luck!

-NRS