Too young for therapy...

@Espen15 Hi I havent tried the therapy here but I have heard from some people who have found it helpful. I believe that it costs $150 a month. There are group discussions here that I have found helpful and they are free. You can check out the community calender if you re interested in trying (I think that you will have to go to the teen discussions)

@Espen15 I can imagine the support you get from listeners is most likely limited, given that they're usually also teens (well meaning, but still developing of course) it's possible you may have more luck with adult-teen listeners, but in the end we're still just volunteers and not trained professionals

One thing I want you to keep in mind is that you're young and at a high point in your mental development. What that means is...things are most likely really heightened for you, but they WILL settle as you age. There's a lot going on in your body, including in your brain (not to mention all the stressful things going on in your environment!), and it can cause a lot of painful things but this is also something that very often goes away or becomes much easier to manage as you get older. So if that's any consolation...you have good odds of feeling better with some time :) it's tough times for sure, but they pass if you let them.

As a personal note, I was heavily depressed from about grade 4 to probably the end of my university degree. I thought I would never feel better, that it just wasn't possible for me, that I was meant to be this way. But in university I decided to try the counselling there, since it was free from the school and I didn't have anything to lose from trying. The two counselors I had at different times both used CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) techniques with me and...it felt like magic. I mean, it was a LOT of work and a lot of effort from me, and it took time and it made me feel worse at first (because you really have to face your thoughts and take responsibility where you can and make an active effort to make changes) but over time I realized I wasn't even near how awful I had felt before. It helped anxiety a lot too. I wouldn't say I'm "cured" but I'm SHOCKED that I actually have days where I'm happy to be alive. I felt that would have never been possible before. I still have awful days, but I'm better equipped to handle them now.

So, one thing that could be useful is looking to CBT, it's obviously best used with a professional, but there are activities/educational pieces that can be used by yourself. There's even a workbook that is for going through yourself, it's called "Mind Over Mood" and you can find a free pdf online if you look :) it is work, it's effort, it's being realistic with yourself, but if that's what it takes to not feel awful, I think it's worth it.

I've also heard that teens sometimes benefit more from DBT instead, dialectical behaviour therapy. I don't have any direct resources for that (or know how effective it is by yourself) but it's another option to search online if you're interested :)

So in conclusion...I would say don't give up on listeners entirely (maybe search for verified adult-teen listeners?); if your school has any form of counselling (guidance counselor, etc....sometimes they have counselling training or have resources available) it couldn't hurt to try that; there's free at-home therapy tools online you can try; and of course have patience with yourself as you grow :) it's tough when you can't tell your parents, when you can't reach out for support in a professional way, but you do deserve support and you deserve to feel happier in your life. And I believe that you can get there, there's always options

@Espen15 Hi Espen!

You're right, therapy at 7 Cups is only available for people who are 18 or over. In real life you can have therapy at almost any age, but at 7 Cups it's 18 or over.

Therapy at 7 Cups does cost money. In real life, therapy usually costs money but in some circumstances there are ways to get therapy without any direct cost. This depends on where you are and possibly on other arrangements that your family might have made.

If you have therapy with a good therapist, it will be like an deep and intense conversation with someone who really understands you amazingly well. With their help you'll be able to work things out about yourself that are very difficult for you to work out on your own. You'll be able to understand where your trust issues, depression, anxiety, and LGBTQ+ struggles originally came from, and how to move on so you are free of them for the rest of your life.

If you have therapy with a bad therapist, it will be frustrating and you'll get nowhere. The bad therapist might make you think this is all your fault. Good therapists are hard to find. You might be lucky with your first one, or you might have to try several before you find a good one.

If a listener at 7 Cups abandons a chat, accuses you of being stubborn, tells you what to do, or gets mad at you, please report them. Otherwise they'll do the same to other people. If you report them they can be encouraged to get help from a mentor. If no one reports them, they'll just continue being useless. You can report a listener in several ways, for example, here: Submit a request (But please don't try to report anyone here in the forum—it doesn't work.)

You are very welcome to chat to me, if you like. I will not abandon the chat, tell you what to do, say nasty things to you, or make you lie about how you feel, and I'll do my best to understand. You could click on my profile picture and read my profile first, and if it looks OK to you just send me a message. I'll reply as soon as I can.

Charlie