I wanna run away but I don't know where to go.

[ccsmod10]

It sounds like you haven't been feeling listened to, and likely like people around you are not putting themselves in your shoes or trying to see things from your perspective. That can be extremely frustrating, and it makes sense if you're feeling angry, hurt, sad, depressed, or hopeless.

There are people (including us at NRS) who believe you have value, and that you deserve to be heard and understood. The feelings you described of exhaustion and feeling like you're going insane can be common in homes with dysfunction, or when you aren't receiving deserved validation and understanding from the people around you. We are here to help provide that.

Additionally, if you do decide you need to run away, or you want to discuss any other solutions, we are here to talk through a plan.

Whatever you decide, feel free to live chat us at 1800runaway.org or call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY and we will be here to listen.

You don't have to deal with this alone.

I’m 13 and I want to run away bc I can’t take having no one listen to me and I can’t wait 3 years. I also feel that if I don’t runaway I won’t be here anymore. I’m just so completely exhausted and I can’t take it anymore. I feel like I’m going insane

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,



Thank you for reaching out to NRS. It takes a lot of courage to ask for help. We are sorry to hear that you have been experiencing a difficult time and we are here to support you.



You mentioned that you are experiencing verbal abuse at home. No one deserves to be treated this way. You deserve to feel safe and secure in your home. We want you to know that any minor experiencing abuse has the right to file an abuse report. Child Help USA (www.childhelp.org) is an organization that can provide you with more information about child abuse and the process of abuse reporting. We at NRS are here to support you in your decision and can assist you in filing an abuse report if that is something you would like.



It sounds like you are considering running away. There are lots of important things to think about if you are thinking of running away, such as supporting yourself financially and continuing in school, which you mentioned. Other important things to consider would be finding somewhere safe to stay. We at NRS can work with you to consider each of these questions and how to develop a plan to stay safe if you are considering running away.



You mentioned that you are feeling like a “train wreck” and we are so sorry to hear that you are struggling. It sounds like you have been going through a lot and that would be challenging to cope with. Your mental well-being is important and you deserve support to help you feel better. The National Alliance of Mental Health (NAMI) is a great resource to explore if you are interested in learning more about mental health and support options that are available. They can be contacted via phone at 1800-950-NAMI or at www.nami.org.



We would love to talk more with you about your specific situation and provide you support in any way we can. Please don’t hesitate to reach out anytime by calling 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or via chat on our website www.1800runaway.org.



We wish you all the best and hope to hear from you soon.



Be safe,

NRS

Honestly, I'm sick of this. My brother-- who is seven I think..-- has depression, and my mother can, what appears to be, only give so much love out. I have three siblings, and I am the oldest, at age eleven..Then, with my dad, he verbally abuses me! He threatened to lock me in my room with no electronics. Nothing. The only company I would have would´ve been the five minutes of time they come in to give me my food! I am a literal train wreck, and not to mention that I am writing a book with my friend, and I have so much crap to finish in school. I do not think I can handle this anymore, yet I do not even know where to start..I don´t even have a bag packed or enough money! Though, at the moment I am in school as I send this..School kind of makes this entire problem bad, really. Like, I want to stay in this school with my friends, but I don´t know how I would do that. I am, like I said, a fricking train wreck..

[ccsmod15]

Hello there,

Thank you for sharing that. It sounds like you are dealing with some pretty intense thoughts and emotions. The fact that you reached out to us is a good sign, though. We are here to listen and help in whatever way we can. The best way we can do that would be for you to call our 24 hour confidential hotline at 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929) or chat with us via the chat feature on our website: www.1800runaway.org. You don't have to face this alone.

If you are in immediate danger please call 911. If you ever are feeling suicidal or like harming yourself, you can also reach out to https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ (1-800-273-8255).

We hope to hear from you soon. Please stay safe!

NRS

I wish i never existed sometimes

I’m 12 and wanna run away bc my parents emotionally abuse me just because I’m the older sibling and have a different dad their also homophobic and racist..

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for reaching out to the National Runaway Safeline. You are very brave to take the initiative to share this information with us. Writing down thoughts in a diary can be a great way of expressing feelings in private. We are sorry to hear that your mom found your diary, but we are here to offer you support during this time.



Our priority is always your safety. You mentioned that you have engaged in self harm. This has got to be really tough. In some cases, it can be helpful to talk through these thoughts with someone. The National Suicide Hotline is available 24/7, just like us, but they have trained counselors that are there to talk through anything that you are thinking or feeling. If you’d like some additional support, an organization that may be helpful is the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). You can contact them by calling 1-800-950-NAMI or you can text them by sending NAMI to 741741.



If you would like to discuss additional options for you, feel free to reach out to us. You can call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY or chat with us via the chat feature on our website: www.1800runaway.org. Best of luck!

Hi um I am done with everything my mom found my diary and read It now I am in trouble My birthday is on Sunday and I am going to be 17 I want to end my life on my birthday. I have tried 3 times to run but I am scared

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,

Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). It takes a lot of bravery to reach out, and we appreciate your ability to share what you're going through. We are here to support you.

You mentioned that you have been experiencing some issues at home. You do not deserve to be treated this way, and it is your parents’ responsibility to keep you safe. If you would consider it, this is a resource that may help you find a possible solution: (www.ChildHelp.org).

It may also be important to maintain good mental health, especially when you are feeling like you are being mistreated at home. You may want to think about who you can reach out to, or what resources you can contact if you aren’t ready to talk to someone in person. NAMI is a resource that can provide you with some mental health support. If you would like to do so, you can text “connect” to 741741 to communicate with a crisis counselor 24/7.

We are here as support to help through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email to assist you. If you would like to talk more in detail please call or chat soon.

Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button).

If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.

Be safe and stay strong,

NRS

Im 11 and my mom yells at me at me and sometimes makes me sleep out side like I'm a dog

[ccsmod2]

Thank you for contacting National Runaway Safeline. It was brave of you to share what is going on right now. You are going through a lot, and you deserve to feel supported throughout all of this. It sounds like your dad has been emotionally abusing you with his words. It is unfair that he is putting so much pressure on you to succeed at school when you are going through your own mental health struggles. Please know that if you are feeling unsafe, we can always provide you with the resources you need. It might be a good idea to see if you are able to call in or chat online (1-800-786-2929 or www.1800runaway.org). We can help you find free or affordable mental health services in your area. We can also help you report any abuse that is happening at home so that a caseworker will be notified to assess your situation.


You mentioned you were also thinking about running away. We can help you find shelters or transitional living programs that help youth get on their feet, but some information that might be helpful to keep in mind is that those who are younger than 18 typically cannot leave home without their guardian’s permission. So if you were to run away, your dad can call the police to file a runaway report. If that were to happen, they could look for you and bring you back home if found.




You are going through a lot, and we appreciate you reaching out to us. Please feel free to contact us whenever is suitable for you as we are open 24/7. If you feel that you are in immediate danger, please do not hesitate to contact the police (911) to get immediate assistance.

We hope to hear from you soon,
NRS

Hi, I'm 15 and I've had the strongest urge to runaway for the past few months. I live with my step-mom and my father and I really do love my father and I appreciate everything he's done for me but at the moment I feel really alone. Every time something happens somehow it falls back onto me and I really don't understand why. I try to stop having these thoughts because I know there are people in much worse conditions than I am, but I can't help it and I hate that I'm being this selfish. It all started around November of last year until February of this year, when I was in a terrible mental condition and nobody even noticed when all the signs were very obviously there. My cousin tried to commit suicide and I guess this scared my step-mom so she took away the remotes to the T.V. in our living room and I don't have a phone because they're scared I'm going to look at things that are going to make me do what she did. I'm also in 11th grade at the moment so not having a phone realllllyyyy sucks. I don't really understand the logic behind why they won't let me get a phone and I get stressed every day because along with not really having access to the internet, aside from my brother's pc, my father wants me to do all of these academic things and to be at the top when the time I was doing my best to stay at the top I was so low mentally that I started to question if I really wanted to be alive anymore because I didn't really see the point of life. One time when I had a band concert, my dad got up half-way thru the concert and went to wait in the car knowing I didn't have a phone to call and see where he was. At the end of the concert, I got scared that he left me and I didn't see anyone I knew to ask to borrow their phone so I started panicking. It was raining that day so that added to the mess of a night that was, finally I decided to go check if the car was there and he was waiting there. I didn't really understand why he was waiting in the car when the concert hadn't finished but when I got in the car he started yelling at me saying that I needed to practice more and how I wasn't doing enough because at my school there are 4 bands and the 1st band is the best band. I wasn't in the 1st band. I was in the 3rd band and I still don't understand why because I practiced an hour everyday when kids I know that never practiced got into that band so... Anyways, it was so bad that I started crying because I felt like a failure knowing I put a lot of work into band and sacrificed so much of my time for band trying to make him proud. He asked my why I was crying and I told him because all I wanted to do was make him proud and he said that I can't make him proud. I cried for a really long time that night. Life really sucks and there's not really anything I can do to make it suck less.

[ccsmod15]

Hello There,



Thank you for reaching out to The National Runaway Safeline, we are here to help and here to listen. It takes great courage to reach out for help, and we are glad that you have decided to reach out to us. It sounds like you are going through a difficult time and we want you to know that you are not alone.

Since you are 18 years old, you’re considered an adult and you don’t need your sister’s approval to move out. If your sister doesn’t let you leave the home, you have the right to call your local police department and they can assist you while you gather your belongings to leave in a peaceful manner. You will not be considered a runaway since you’re an adult now.

Also, I am sorry your sister mistreats you and know you don’t deserve to be treated that way. You are of age to make your own decisions in regards to school and what type of job you want. If you are being abused in any way (physical, neglect, emotional, verbal, etc.) and feel unsafe you have to the right to contact 911. You do not deserve to be mistreated, and you do have the right to file an abuse report. One option would be to contact Child Help at: 1-800-422-4453, and they can help you file an abuse report.

Only you know yourself when it’s time to leave home due to it being an unsafe situation. We want you to know that if you do choose to leave home, we hope that you have a plan to stay safe. If you want to talk to us about your options or even find a safe place that you might be able to reach out to for some local support, you can always give a call or chat in.

We hope that this information will be helpful to you in your situation. If you have any other questions or would like to explore more options please give us a call. We are available to you 24/7 to listen and to provide support through this challenging time.

Our contact information is 1-800-RUNAWAY (786-2929); www.1800runaway.org (click on the chat button). If you are at risk of any danger or feeling unsafe, we encourage you to reach out to 911 or seek emergency assistance immediately.



Best of luck!

NRS

Hello I’m 18 and i’ve Been thinking of running away for 4 years now (all of high school) cause of the things my sister(legal guardian) and her children have said and done to me since I was 8. My sister likes to gas-light me and she recently took away all of my privilege to make my own decisions. She kicked me out yesterday then took be back in only to tell me I had to get a job of her choice, go to school for something I don’t want to, and I have to pay rent for my room, pay her back for the things she bought, and sleep with my door open. Everything I worked towards she took it all away just so I can do all the things she wants. It isn’t fair and it’s worse when I tell her I want to do something and she calls me names and tell me I’m rude or ungrateful. I thought things would be better but it’s getting worse. I have no money to move out and if I get back into school I would have to wait till December to go back. Everything feels like my fault, but no one in my family is listening to me. They all take her side because of the crazy things she said about me to them. Is there anyway I could get more information on what I should do?