I'm not abused, but I can't live here anymore

[Unregistered]

Hi, I'm 15 years old and I can't live at home anymore. I don't exactly know where I'd go, but I know I can't stay here. About a year ago, I suffered through some very bad depression and anxiety because of constant conflict with my parents and I kept everything to myself. It somehow built up and boiled over into me turning the anger onto myself and I diminished my self-esteem. Since then, I've worked through my self-esteem issues and I've learned to value myself and know it's not my fault. Recently though, I was involved in a bad car accident with my friends and I was not supposed to be in another teenager's car, but I needed a ride. I ended up being the only one who got seriously injured and on top of the injuries, I also had a concussion. The combination of the two took me out of school for two weeks and caused me to get behind, but I was never worried because I've always been a good student. Not only was I the only one who got punished, I also have to pay for half of the damages to my friend's dad's car even though I wasn't the one who crashed the car. The punishment, which is still currently halfway going on still, isolated me from all of my friends when I needed them the most, not to mention the very passive aggressive comments from my parents about "this stupid stunt you pulled." Now they are yelling at me for not having everything made up at school yet, even though I have it under control and I've only been back at school for a week now. My dad has recently threatened to pull me out of student activities that I'm highly dedicated to because I'm "behind the eight ball" on my makeup homework. Then, when I told my mom that he doesn't have the right to attack me about grades because I've always been a straight A student, she told me I need to start acting like an adult. I can't say anything I actually want to say to my parents because I know I will only be punished further. This never ending conflict is putting me right back in the horrible emotional place I was in last year and I don't ever want to be in that place again. This has made me no longer want to stay at home. I know I can't get emancipated because I'm still financially dependent on my parents, but are there any other options than just "sucking it up"? I've never been abused, but the constant fighting is hurting me in more ways than one.

[ccsmod15]

Re: I'm not abused, but I can't live here anymore

Thank you for reaching out to NRS. It sounds like you are going through a really tough time. It’s really great that you were able to work through your issues and value yourself again and it shows you are really strong. The accident sounds really scary- I’m sorry you had to go through that. It is completely understandable that you wouldn’t want to stay in a place where you don’t feel safe.
It sounds like you’ve done some research already and decided that emancipation isn’t the right option for you. It’s smart to research your options, so I’m really glad you reached out to us today. If you are feeling depressed, one option for you could be talking to a counselor or calling a hotline so you can get some help. The number for a depression and bipolar support line is 800-273-8255. There is also a hotline for the National Hopeline Network. This number is 800-442-4673.
If you feel like you want to have a conversation with your parents about how what’s been going on but you are scared of how the conversation might go, you can always set up a conference call with them through our hotline. We would talk to you separately first, then your parents, and establish some ground rules before merging the calls together. It can sometimes help to have someone mediating the conversation.
In terms of leaving home, there are a few options you could consider. If you have a relative or friend you can stay with, you could try contacting one of them and seeing if they would let you stay there until things get better. If this isn’t an option, you could also consider finding a shelter or a safe place to stay at. If you call our hotline number (1-800-RUNAWAY) we can help find a shelter nearest to you. There is an online resource called the homeless shelter directory you could also use to look up shelters near you. The link is http://www.homelessshelterdirectory.org/ .
Again, we are really glad you reached out to us. It takes a lot to ask for help and you are trying to figure out your options which is really good to see. If you would like to talk further about your situation, please do not hesitate to call or chat with us. We’re here to listen, here to help. Our number is 1-800-RUNAWAY and if talking over the phone doesn’t work for you we also have a chat service.

[Guest]

Im too old to run away. I can't spend another day in this cell. I need help but it's made impossible to find help. I don't have the energy or the hope to keep going on. You see on TV there's help but never for me. How can I find this help I don't want to talk to anyone I just want to be done. I am educated but jobless. I'm not unattractive but single. I have been robbed and I have been generous but have no money. I need help please

[ccsmod15]

Hi there,
Thank you for writing to us here at National Runaway Safeline (NRS). We understand it takes great courage to reach out, and we appreciate you sharing a little bit about what’s going on. We want you to know that we are here as support to help you through this challenging time. We can best help by phone or chat as NRS is unable to respond more than twice by email or bulletin for assistance. If you would like to talk more in detail and share more about how we can help specifically, please contact our 24/7 crisis support line either by phone or chat.
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.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Be safe,
NRS