Dear YouthLine,
My name is Samantha. I started drinking, smoking, snorting and sexual activities at a very young age… (12) I need help quitting.
Dear Samantha,
Thanks so much for reaching out to the YouthLine! It is very brave and mature of you to acknowledge that you have been struggling with drugs, alcohol, and sexual relationships and that you are in need of some help in order to stop. Since you started struggling with those things at the age of 12, I imagine that you have had to deal with some really tough emotional things in your life starting at a young age. It can be really hard to go through difficult times alone and it sounds as though you have had a very hard time finding healthy ways to cope. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to talk to a friend, family member, counselor, or anyone that you trust about these things that you are struggling with so that you can receive some direct support from someone who truly cares about your well-being. With the right support and resources, it will be much easier to overcome any hard obstacles in your life and find much healthier ways to cope that you can feel good about.
If you feel comfortable texting or calling the YouthLine, it would be much easier to provide you with helpful resources such as treatment options because we would be able to gather some more information about your situation and what kind of resources would be most beneficial for you. You can talk to another teen by calling 1-877-968-8491 or by texting teen2teen to 66746. Teens are available to respond Monday-Friday from 4-9pm, but you can call the number 24/7 and someone will answer.
I wish you all the best!
-YouthLine