Building people skills while volunteering By Anonymous I work in an environment that constantly requires me to interact with a variety of different people, each with their own personal lives and mental struggles. Many of my clients have some form of learning difficulty or mental health concern. Being part of TeenHelp has aided me in the service I provide to my clients, and has provided more relatability and understanding for those with struggles I...
1 Comments

An interview with someone who has Bipolar II Anonymous and Chantal (MsNobleEleanor) I had the privilege to interview someone who is diagnosed with Bipolar ll and while discussing the questions we hope that it sheds some light on how Bipolar ll is challenging for someone just like it is for others facing with it today. 1) What are you diagnosed with? I am diagnosed with Bipolar II, Borderline Personality Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and PTSD. 2) Did you know you had...
1 Comments

My volunteer family By Anonymous Have you ever thought about volunteering? TeenHelp is where you should start because we have so many areas to pick from - Community Mentors, HelpLINK Mentors, Forum Moderators, Articles Writer and so much more. The staff are so sweet and always helpful, I love working with all of them. I joined TeenHelp because something horrible happened and everything changed so fast and I needed help and I found TeenHelp. Everyone was so nice and helpful to me...

Staying long-term with a supportive community By Anonymous I've been a member of TeenHelp for 18 years now, and a volunteer in various capacities for much of that time. TeenHelp has a superpower that keeps it relevant and important even 20 years later and that's its volunteers and community. Being a part of TeenHelp for so long has done a lot to shape who I am and where I'm at now in my life. TeenHelp was there for me when I needed support and a community the most, and has played a...

|| || Read more stories from our volunteers here: http://www.teenhelp.org/volunteer/
1 Comments

An interview with a 3x sexual assault victim By Sarah (Rivière) and Anonymous For many, sexual assault is an incredibly traumatising experience. One exceptionally difficult to process, and move forward from. It can be difficult to come forward and speak out about both the experience of sexual abuse, and the effects it has. A user of TeenHelp — whose name will remain anonymous — has willingly allowed us to interview them and discuss their experiences as a triple sexual assault victim, and...

My life with Asperger's syndrome By Lydia (Penultimate) Asperger's syndrome is a mental illness that affects several areas of a child's normal development. This disorder is largely misunderstood and is often compared to Autism, a more well-known mental illness that also involves developmental issues. While the two are very similar, it's important to distinguish between the two, as children with Asperger's syndrome do not have language impairments like children with Autism do, which enables...

25 Years of TeenHelp Memories As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations, current and former members of TeenHelp were invited to share some of the things they love about the site. Answers ranged from specific features and memories to the overall feel of the site and the community of people who spend their time here, but one thing remained consistent: TeenHelp has been a supportive and welcoming place that has changed many people’s lives for the better. Read on to hear about the lasting...
2 Comments

My experience with Bipolar 2 Disorder By Jenna (~Abibliophobe~) Bipolar is a disorder that can be really difficult to have because a lot of people don't understand that there are different types of Bipolar. When you tell most people that you have Bipolar they automatically counter that by saying, “I have never seen you manic.” While mania is something that all people with Bipolar have, the intensity of mania varies according to the type of Bipolar people have. With Bipolar 2, the mania is...

Being an alcoholic By Jessie (Palmolive) My Story Nothing could have prepared me for the world I was about to enter when I picked up my first bottle of vodka. I was about 17 and had suffered with mental health problems since I was 11. I struggled with depression and anxiety which turned into BPD, PTSD, depressive episodes, psychotic episodes, and eating disorders. They all added to my stress levels and I didn’t think I was going to become addicted to alcohol too. I had never drunk much...

Brought up by alcohol By Anonymous Since about the age of eight years old I have watched my dad drink. He would have a can of beer whilst playing a game with us while my mum cooked dinner, and that would be the norm for a Sunday night. It never really bothered me that much when I was younger as alcohol has always been in this house and always will be. During the day he is sober, holding down a job from nine to six in an office. He's not the stereotypical ...

My Experience with Endometriosis By Chantal (WretatsyRemedial) Endometriosis is a painful condition that causes the endometrium to grow outside of the uterus. I have been diagnosed with stage one endometriosis; there are four stages. This article will explain what endometriosis is, what the symptoms are, treatments, and how I found out I had stage one of endometriosis. What is endometriosis? Endometriosis is a disease caused by endometrium tissues that grow outside of your uterus...

My personal experience with anxiety By Jenna (~Abibliophobe~) Anxiety is something I have dealt with for many years. I was officially diagnosed with it when I was seventeen and in a psychiatric hospital. I always knew what anxiety was because my dad suffers from it as well. So, the attacks I would have were familiar to me but it was difficult experiencing it myself. I have been prescribed two different medications to deal with it but they aren't always helpful. My anxiety ranges from...

An experience of self-harm By Jessie (Palmolive) Living with self-harm can be hard and that's something that I can personally relate to. However, we can learn ways to manage self-harm and to manage the feelings beneath the self-harm itself. Hope will keep you alive, as long as you keep hope alive. When I was nine, I started self-harming. Honestly, I don't know what the first thought in my head to do it was but I remember it well and it’s scary to think I'm now twenty-two and I ...

Creating life long friends. By Jade I joined TeenHelp when I was 13 years old,and I will be turning 25 in 2 weeks. I joined because my parents were getting divorced, I was depressed, struggling with typical teen struggles, along with the divorce, moving from parent to parent, etc. I was thankful to find this page and become an active member. I received some really great advice, and I remember feeling so much better after reading responses to my post and realizing someone actually cared. ...
1 Comments