what would you tell your 15 year old self?

I heard an interview this afternoon. The interviewer asked the person "what would you tell your 15 year old self?"

It got me thinking what I would tell her. That was in the middle of a particularly dark period of my life. I was living in a home with an abusive, alcoholic father and a co-dependent mother who acted as if nothing was wrong. One week after my father threw my older brother out of the house he (brother) was killed in an accident.

If I could talk to that depressed stressed out kid I'd tell her to hang in there, that it will get better. My father used to tell me to enjoy my teen years because they would be the best of my life. I'd think "then just kill me now." I'd tell the 15 year old he was lying through his effing teeth, that better years were ahead. That, eventually, I'd have a good life.

So, what would you tell the younger you?

Don't play it so safe, take risks and join social activities.

I made a lot of mistakes trying to please and impress people just to have them by my side. This is what I would like to tell my 15-year-old self:

"Embrace your identity. Love your passion. Don't ever forget who you are and what you want to be just because you want to fit in. It's alright to compromise but not to the extent that you lose yourself. Do what you always love like drawing. Your future self will thank you for that. Stop treating anyone with food and stuff just to please them. It's good to be generous but some people will take advantage of your kindness and use you to get what they want. Save the money, it's not worth it because they will leave you as soon as you graduate and part ways."

End it now while there's still time...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skeezyks End it now while there's still time...

But then we would have missed getting to know you. I would feel badly about that.

I've thought about this question before....

It didn't get better.

I was already aware of the major philosophies, world-views, and wisdom. I tried to deal with my troubles in an intelligent, compassionate and self-aware fashion.

I'm not sure anything I could say would change how I felt deep down. Some things just have to be lived.

Be a doctor or go into the Marine Corps even though your parents are against it.

SAVE your money!

NEVER smoke cigarettes!

LIVE for today

LET GO of your past.

EMBRACE your inner beauty

BE WARY of the true intentions of others

BEFRIEND those who love you for you

TAKE that high school "college preparedness" course

THINK before you speak

CHALLENGE yourself

BRUSH YOUR DAMN TEETH TWICE A DAY AND FLOSS! :P

EAT nutritiously

EXERCISE regularly

LAUGH often

CHERISH your time

YOU are beautiful

YOU are loved

LOVE YOURSELF

"Girl, slow your roll"

Go into therapy as soon as you can. Your family is not normal and you have gotten messed up as a result. You will be okay. Hang in there in the meantime.

"Don't keep to yourself"

"Seek professional help asap"

Buy Apple.

Anything else I’d like to go back and change, would leave me without my children existing today.

Your parents do actually have problems & your fighting with them is a normal response to their behaviors.....& be aware....their problems have nothing to do with lack of education to don't equate an education with solving all those issues.....so don't marry someone thinking their education will keep them from being like your dad.

Yep get your education & become your own person. And OH YES, that wondering whether "this" is all that anyone feels in a relationship is on the right track because emotional connection was missing all around you....so your gut feeling was right on.

I was emotionally unhealthy even then. I would tell myself don't wait 30 years - get help NOW! I would tell myself to talk to my guidance counselor about the dysfunction at home, my mother's abuse, the bullying, and the debilitating anxiety and depression. Please please please I would plead with myself to speak up and ask for help.

I'd tell myself "you're going to go through some very traumatic things, but you will survive. You will be a stronger person as a result and you will not lose your passion."

I can trust the counsellor at the school instead of acting out and getting into trouble. Things at home are so unsafe i deserve to get help

Get professional help now. Tell someone what is going on. Stop the SH before it gets out of control! And love yourself.

I was in the juvenile psych ward a few times around that age. I would tell myself it gets better.

I'm terribly sorry for the troubles you all had to endure at such a young age...! At the same time, it was really inspiring reading all of these replies, especially from many of you saying that it got better in the end. I'm so glad. ^^

Even so. When I was younger, I was home-schooled and didn't have any friends in real life. I struggled with a lot of emotional problems and had no one to turn to when it got bad--so if I ever met my old self, I'd tell him;

"You shouldn't change yourself to appeal to others. Try to find something that you like about yourself and be proud of it! Stay true to yourself; go out there and see the world!"

Strap in...it’s going to be a bumpy ride but you’ll come out ok in the end.

Things will get better. You will have money. You will have money to travel. You will have travel plans. Mom will still be alive. You will have better self esteem. You will be doing so much better. You will be happier.

Get help much sooner , I’m a mess at 52 atm

Oddly, hold on, it will get better.

It's ok to cry you are safe

Don’t waste your time and money by hiring a therapist. They are useless.