How do I tell someone I am struggling and need support?

Talking about how your feeling to someone you trust can often help you see things differently. They may have ideas about how to help you change things in your life that worry you. Once you speak to someone and they know what you’re going through, they can be there for you and offer ongoing support.

Putting things into words sometimes helps. It's good to say what's on your mind. Talking to someone could make you feel like you don't have to deal with it on your own and make things feel more manageable.

Some things to think about:

Choose someone you feel safe with (this may be an adult you trust such as a teacher, GP, parent/carer, sports coach, youth worker, social worker, your friend’s parent, a school counsellor or nurse, a neighbour etc)
Plan what you want to say
Try and pick a time to talk with them when they are not distracted
Remember you can say as much or as little as you like. Sharing what you feel is right at the time.
You can ask them at the beginning of the conversation to keep what you say private and not to share it.

How to start a conversation

"I want to talk to you about how I am feeling"
"This is hard for me to talk about, but I really want to tell you how I have been feeling.”
“I need some advice on something I’m stressed about.”

If you're still not sure how to start a conversation, there are lots of things you can do:

Write a letter
Talk about something else first
Talk about a friend experiencing something similar to you first