<center>((((((((((MEL)))))))))) </center>

I'm so sorry you're hurting, Mel, and I hope you will talk with the counselor when school starts again. Sometimes parents understand more than you give them credit for and I bet the counselor will have some suggestions on how to start talking with your folks. As hard as it is to believe, parents were teenagers, too!

I told my Godchild once that being a teenager is one of the hardest jobs she'll ever have, and it IS. You might feel like you're different from everyone else, that you're too tall, too short, not pretty or handsome enough, not smart enough ... the list of "differences" goes on and on. But here's the thing, Mel ... everyone feels the same way when they're a teen! Yes, everyone !

I can tell you it will get better because it WILL. The people here will help you and will be concerned about you and will understand excatly how you feel right now. FEEL THIS instead of a cut? And if that doesn't work, please be careful. I asked my daughter to be careful ... and to make sure she sterilized whatever she used to SI so it wouldn't get infected. That surprised her but I meant it!

Hang in there, Honey ... you're stronger than SI. If you weren't, you'd never have come here for help!

Trying to be a GoodMama