Abusive ‘Friend’ and Distant ‘Family’ truly

[Guest]

Hey. Ok so i’ll Keep this brief. I’ve never really had much of a family. My family has been made up of addicts and people who aren’t around...so I look to my friends as family. Specifically my “pal” Henry. Though recently i’ve Been considering running way from both the family that I much don’t have and the people I consider basically family. Why you may ask...? Well for me it’s recently henry has started becoming...aggressive and it’s come to the point where i’ve Been pushed around and emotionally pushed to my ends. Though he claims I wanted this and all I can do is agree. He’s my only friend and I have no one else to turn too. I feel like i’m Walking into a pit of lava. Every time I try to explain that I don’t want to do something he always makes me do it anyways. I’m in a corner and I fear running away is my only option. I don’t see my “Family” often and when I do they are all not clean.... I don’t know what to do... I’m scared and confused and feel slightly dependent on henry but I Don’t feel like that’s normal......

please help.....

[ccsmod1]

Hey there,

Thanks so much for contacting us, it takes a lot of courage to reach out and share your story. It must be really hard to live in a home with so much tension you deserve to be treated with respect from both your family and from Henry. No one deserves to be forced/pressured into doing things that they aren't comfortable with, especially by someone that is supposed to be a friend. It may be beneficial to reach out to others about what's going on, you may want to think about talking to someone like a counselor or school social worker. Running away is a big decision and it can be very stressful to figure out what you want to do.

It can be really hard to live with someone who struggles with addiction issues. We want you to know that you are not alone. If you’d like to talk to others who are dealing with friends or family members who have substance use problems you can check out Nar-Anon. You can find more information about this support group, or find a local meeting here: https://www.nar-anon.org/ If you feel like your family is being neglectful (not taking care of you properly, not supplying you with necessities) or is being abusive, you have the right to report it. If you feel like this is an option you want to explore, you may find this website helpful: https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse/. We can also help you to file a report if that’s the route you are considering.

If you’d like to go over what’s going on in depth, or if you’d like to explore other options that you may have available to you, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-RUNAWAY. You can also chat us by clicking on the “CHAT” button on top of our homepage. We’re open 24/7 and here to listen and support you in any way we can.

All the best,
NRS