Salon.com > teenager

I’m 18 and angry!

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Cary.

Hello. I am 18 and I hate my life. I'm dead living in flesh. I have a lot of sex with people but I never get what I actually want or who I fall for. I only smoke weed, watch some videos and sleep. I am very very very angry with everyone, for no reason. Well, actually, some reasons maybe. I am gay. I don't know what else. I am very indecisive and no motivation what so ever.

18 and Angry

Dear 18 and Angry,

You are going to be loved. You will get what you want in life. You don't have to do anything about that right this minute. For now, just accept that it is true. Your feelings of anger are going to pass. You will be loved for who you are.

Now here is what I want you to do.

Sit quietly. If you are on the street find a place to sit. If you are with a group of friends, go to another room and do this. Sit quietly. Look around you. See what is around you. If you are inside, see what is in the room. Take a minute to do this. Notice all the things in the room. Notice what color they are, what they are made of. If you are outside, notice the things around you, the plants, the sky.

Where do teens go with grief?

Mon, 06 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Hi, Cary

My 15-year-old niece lost her boyfriend a few months ago to cancer. While she's doing pretty well, she feels very lonely. She has friends and a lot of hobbies and activities. I was wondering if you know of a good site for teens that would help her through this difficult time. I'm also in the process of trying to find a therapist for her because I feel a few visits would be a help.

Caring Aunt

Dear Caring Aunt,

Thank you for your letter. Though your niece has friends, she feels lonely. She may not know how to communicate with them about what she is feeling. She may feel they don't understand what she is going through. To some extent, "lonely" may be a catchall word for her, indicating sadness, lack of energy, consciousness of loss, anger, etc. At 15, one's emotional vocabulary is limited. At the same time, she is of course lonely.

She is lonely. She had someone she was with a lot. She had enough human contact. Her boyfriend gave her that. Now he's gone, so of course she feels lonely.

As you probably know, she will have to live with this loss for a while. It will take time for this loss to take its place in her world.

Teen who participated in last week’s Inaugural events shot dead in Chicago

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:00:00 +0000

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that 15 year-old Hadiya Pendleton, a King College Prep sophomore who last week attended President Barack Obama’s inauguration with her school's band and drill team, has been shot dead. Neighborhood resident Roxanne Hubbard told DNAInfo that "President Obama's house is like three blocks from here, so this is not typical."

Pendleton was reportedly in a nearby park with her friends after having been dismissed early from school; reports indicate that members of a gang were also at the park that afternoon when a gunman ran in and shot Pendleton. A 16-year-old boy , Lawrence Sellers, was also shot; he is wounded and in critical condition.