Ask Sam letter

Hi there,

Thanks you for your letter to me.

It sounds like you’re going through a really difficult time. I can hear that how people have reacted to you coming out as bisexual has made you feel very low.

You said that people have been making fun of you and being horrible. It sounds like you’re experiencing bullying because of your sexuality and this is not okay. Nobody has the right to make you feel bad or to call you names and be horrible to you. I can hear that you got upset in class because of this.

Being bullied can leave people feeling a whole bunch of emotions including feeling very sad, lonely and like they don’t want to be here anymore. When you told me you don’t want to be here anymore I’m not sure whether this is a feeling you’re getting or if you’re thinking about doing something to end your life. Either way it is really important to talk about these feelings so that you keep yourself safe. It may be a good idea to talk with a ChildLine counsellor about these feelings so that they can support you and find a way for you to cope and stay safe.    

It is also important for you to know that you don’t have to put up with being treated like this at school or go through this on your own. You have the right to tell someone about what’s happening to you so you can get help and support. You could tell a parent, a carer or a teacher. Your school has a responsibility to make sure you’re not being bullied. Every school has something called an anti-bullying policy which states the things they should do to stop bullying from happening. You can ask to read this and check that they’re doing all the things they promise. I know that talking to a teacher or any other adult that you trust may be scary. You might want to have a look our page about asking an adult for help to get some tips on how you could do this and you could also talk to a ChildLine counsellor.  

You have also said that you feel some of your friends don’t want to walk around with you since you’ve come out. It sounds like this has left you feeling quite isolated.  Perhaps it would be a good idea to talk to one particular friend that you trust and tell them how this has left you feeling and ask them what’s made them react in this way. You may also want to read our tips and advice about sexuality and coming out.

I can hear that after not self-harming for a while, you did last night. Don’t worry - people can start harming again after not self-harming for a while and it doesn’t mean that you have gone back to how things used to be. Perhaps you could have a good think about what has helped you to stop in the past and remember these things if you feel like self-harming again. It would also be a good idea to talk to a ChildLine counsellor if you do get the urge to self-harm and you could work through what triggered these feelings and what ways you could use to distract yourself.

I hope some of this has helped.

Take care,
Sam