Anonymous asked: Hi Liz. I'm a 14 year old girl, and I don't have a bad life, when you look at the big picture. But I'm a self harmer for about a year now. My father is an asshole, he lies and manipulates me, telling me things I know aren't true, but I still believe. My grandmother has Alzheimers and a bad bladder, which makes me and my mother obligated to clean the house every few hours. We are starting to run out of money. On top of that, I'm dealing with my sexuality, I'm bi. How do I not reccur to self harm?
It doesn’t matter if someone has it harder, that doesn’t make anything easier for you. To avoid self-harming, firstly remember that you are absolutely not responsible for your parents financial situation or your grandparents health. That’s not something you should be a part of at all. Don’t let yourself get parentified. You’re a kid. Be one.
Then, find other ways to channel your stress and pain when you can’t avoid getting involved in the situation in the first place. Talk to friends, draw, sing, dance, blast music, disappear into your room. You won’t be ungrateful, you’ll be taking care of yourself.
