It never ends

[Guest]

I need some help. My parents are on the verge of getting divorced and all they do is fight a yell. I also think that my mom and maybe my dad are cheating on each other. I really do not want to live at home. For the past year and a half I have had to deal with my mother alchohol problem and the constant fighting of my parents. I love them both but I cant stand all the fighting. During the past year and a half my life has sucked, my grades have gone down and I have not played up to my potential in football and baseball. I cant stop thinking about my parents problems at school or playing. I need to move on with my life and forget about them and their problems. I was thinking about leaving and living with my friends? I cant stand living at home anymore I need to get away. I need to get my life back on track. Please any help would be greatly appreciated.

[ccsmod7]

Re: It never ends

Thanks for writing in to the National Runaway Switchboard. It sounds like your dealing with a pretty difficult situation right now. It can’t be easy to constantly hear your parents fighting and feeling like you are caught in the middle. You mentioned that your parents are on the verge of getting a divorce, and that you have not only been dealing with there fighting but also your mom’s alcohol problem. How long has she had problems with drinking? Has it been an issue in the past, or have you just noticed a problem recently? You said at this point you are so frustrated that you just want to leave the house. It’s understandable that your feeling that way, and it can’t be easy for you to deal with all of that stress right now. You mentioned possibly staying with a friend. Would that be an option if you did decide to leave the house? Have you spoken with any friends that would be okay with you staying with them? Do you have any other siblings? If so, have you been able to talk with any of them about what’s been going on? Have you been able to talk with anyone about how you have been feeling? A friend, another family member, or perhaps a school counselor? Do your parents have any idea how you have been feeling the past year and a half? Do you think speaking with them would be helpful? You also mentioned that you are active in sports, but that it’s been hard to stay focused with everything going on in the family. Do you think you would feel comfortable speaking to one of your coach’s about what’s been going on?
In the end it sounds like a really difficult situation and it’s not surprising that you’ve been stressed out over it. It’s tough because, as much as you may want to, you can’t control your parent’s actions, you only have control over your own. Sometimes just being able to talk and vent to someone about what’s been going on can help tremendously. If you ever want to give us a call here at 1-800-RUNAWAY there is always somebody here to talk. We are a completely confidential hotline and there is someone here 24 hours a day. Whether you want to talk about your parent’s situation, or if you are thinking of running away and want to talk about different options, there is always someone here to listen. Best of luck with everything and give us a call anytime.