I'm 52 and can't see making it that far.

You can join me in singing the old theme song...One day at a time, one day at a time...I don't remember any other lyrics than that...

It's hard!! My 18 year old daughter feels the same. It's so difficult to convince her it will get better. It does.

I'm a teen too!! I know it sucks right now. Last year in February I tried to unalive myself, but I'm doing a lot better right now. I know how exhausting it is when people tell you they know what ur going thru, so I'm not gonna say that, but I am gonna say that it will get better!

You got this. We believe in you!!

I freaking hate being a teenager

You have survived 100% of your worst days at this point. I think you're doing a great job! Even if it is hard and you'd rather do 1000 other things with your life than going to school. Do you journal? It can be a great way to figure out what you want in life and all that. There are many self-discovery writing prompts out there and they can be really helpful :) also, allow yourself to feel all your feelings. If you suppress them for too long it can lead to a lot of bad things. And you can do it anywhere. :)

Thank you <3

Thank you :)

I have a very bad wrist injury. No one knows what's wrong with it, and it looks totally normal (no swelling or bruising or anything else). I finally got an mri (I was supposed to have it in April, but my insurance company hates me). It's preventing me from drawing, which is something i used to do constantly, and I also can't do literally anything else because it hurts all the time. Pain medication has no effect on it, and I tried several different braces but the all actually made it hurt more.

You should see a pain specialist. You're 16. Call the biggest and best children's hospital in your area and tell them you'd like to see a pain specialist and what you need to do so....like if you need a referral. They are very familiar with all sorts of pain and have lots of tricks that might help. My daughter has chronic pain and has gotten lots of help this way. Just a suggestion.

Sadly, I don't know if my insurance covers that. There's a possibility I'll need surgery, but we'll need to see if the mri reveals anything

Have they tested you for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis yet?

Oh s**t man I didn’t know you had that, I’m sorry you have to deal with a constant pain and I couldn’t even begin to imagine what that’d be like

Thanks. It is pretty frustrating. Hopefully the mri will reveal whatever the xray and ultrasound couldn't

Hopefully. When is your MRI?

It was a few days ago (despite the fact that it was originally scheduled for April 26th), I'm waiting for results now

I hope everything goes well!! 🙂💙

Thank you!! :)

Oh well I hope your results come back soon!!!! (Also April 26 is my birthday!!)

Thank you!! (Happy very very late birthday!)

Thank you so much, I hope I get better soon too <3

Yeah I get that, you kids today have it rough will all the stiff competition to get into good places. I'm just a random person on the internet, so please feel free to ignore this next part, but hon take a break if you can. It doesn't have to be long, but you'd be amazed what just having one day where you don't think about what you have to do can bring. It's easier said than done when you're surrounded by parents and teachers with expectations, but once you're out of high school it's a whole new game. Your folks don't get access to your uni report cards unless you give it to them. Your professors don't micro-manage the way some high school teachers do. Hang in there, you've got us rooting for you.

Thank you so much. Thankfully, it's the holidays for me right now, so I do have to stop studying, even though I feel awfully guilty. End of the 2/3 week, and now I'm just getting anxious towards next term, and school camp... I hate school camp. 1 week of nonstop hiking, no showers, surrounded by all the kids in my grade, it'll be bloody cold (nearly 2°c, and I'm used to 30°c odd), we can't bring technology (even books are frowned upon, but I don't care), I'll have the stress of assignnments and eisteddfods and competitions in the week after that I can't prep for (because I'm not lugging a clarinet, or a tenor sax around the bush for a week), also last year most kids in my group couldn't cook, so I'll probably have to take charge again and do that... they tried to eat raw tofu - not even cooked. It's not very nice.

Were you forced to do this???? If so, please just fake being sick to get out of this and you shouldn'tbe forced to do that bcs I know I certainly don't like socialisation and livin with a bunch of random ppl.

Yeah, school camp, we can't get out of it unless we have a doctors note, and if we don't go, we're not eligible for an end of year award. We have to do it every year, but at least I think this is the last year of rainforest survival camps, after this year it's things like camping on the beach.

Ahh...something to look forward to. Camping on the beach sounds great. You might still have to cook.

The trite old saying that "life is what happens while you're making plans" is, unfortunately, true. Teen years are hellish busy as we're expected to make "decisions that will effect the rest of your life," while actually getting through the day. (Important side note: It's important to pay attention and make thoughtful decisions, but nothing is set in stone. Don't sweat it.) ...Anyway, the point is, get through this bit. Everyone's 20s are better than their teens. Meanwhile, make yourself notice a little beauty every day. And as for the Meaning of Life?...my therapist reckons it's Eat, S3x, Dance. Simple as that. Works for me.🤷🏻

Yeah, I guess so. Is it kinda bad I have a 10 page long bucket list before I turn 20 to complete? Probably, but that feels like the only way I can be sure I'll make the most out of my teenage years. And it's not even much good, it's all "Dye your hair" and "finish a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle" and "finish a rubix cube" - I'm not very out there for a teenager. I don't have a social life, but I get good grades and spend lots of time in the music corridor at school, so I mean, could be worse. I'll try to, thank you.

All best wishes, Shouty, Monday, fair, everyone else here who is a great person!

You're doing well! My only goal was "get to the weekend!"

Haha, fair enough. Tonight's goal is get to tomorrow. Tomorrow's goal will probably be make it another night. I'm just taking it night by night at the moment, but I'm safe.

I know it is hard, I know how things can eat you up inside, I found meditation and it was a life saver. I know things can definitely look bleak and hopeless but there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. I know that might sound cheesy but it is true, sometimes we just have blinders on and can't see it, but it is there. I wish there was something I could tell you that would change everything for you but I know there isn't. Just know that in our lifetimes things change constantly, a few years from now you might look at things differently and be happy. It won't always be this way, hang in there!

Shouty, I am also a teen and I almost unalived myself when I was seven. I got help and am now happy and healthy. I advise you to get help as well. I can recommend a doctor if you want.

There you go. It might not be much, but it's better than nothing. If you're interested in suggestions, have you read Tamora Pierce, Anne McCaffrey, or Ursula K. LeGuin? They are not current writers but their books are available new, used, or epub and my daughter also enjoyed them as a teen.

Oh Yeah LeGuin's Earthsea is one of my favourites.