Michaela

I'm a 14 year old girl going into 9th grade, and I'm really depressed and suicidal. I hate my current school. It's not that I get bullied a lot, people just tend to ignore me because I'm quiet, which I could change going to a new school. I have hardly any real friends, just a lot of acquaintances and the friends I do have all moved away or are taking band so I don't get to see them that often. Hardly anyone tried to get in contact with me all summer so I don't even know if I could call them friends. There's nothing really left for me at this school. I just can't go another 4 years hating myself and being sad all the time. I have so many bad past experiences at this school that it's hard for me to even walk in the door. And I know I shouldn't let past experiences catch up with me but they do. I just want a clean slate, and a fresh start. My current school is really ghetto too, which is opposite my personality. There is this really nice school but it's like 10 minutes away from where I live, and my mom can't really afford the gas to drive me back and forth everyday. Also, in movies whenever a girl starts at a new school she seems to get bullied, is this true in real life? Would I just get bullied going to a new school, or is it worth a shot since I hate my life anyway. And since I'm going into the first year of high school, will a lot of people be transfers anyway? What would be a way to convince my mom it's a good idea? Thanks.

I'm a 14 year old girl and I HATE my hair color. I have dirty blondish colored hair with a red tint, and I just can't stand it anymore. I don't want to go like bleach blonde, just a medium blonde, a few shades lighter than my hair is now, and maybe with highlights. I have pretty fair skin with a cool undertone, and medium- darkish brown eyes. When I was younger my hair was really light blonde, so I figure if it worked then it would work now too right? What I'm kind of worried about though, is my eyebrows are a darker than my hair, so would I have to dye that too? There is this one youtube girl called theelizarose and I LOVE her hair. If you could look her up and tell me if what her hair looks like would look good on me based on my description, that would be really helpful. Also, would it be a better idea to get my dyed then highlighted, just dyed, or just highlighted? Thanks in advance!

I'm a 14 year old girl. I love playing soccer, and have been playing it for more than six years, but I don't know what's happened recently. Just a week ago I had the best kick on my team, and I can still kick it really well when its coming at me, but not when it's still anymore. It's so frustrating. This happened last year too, where I just apparently forget how to do it overnight. And to add to it, I have to do the goal kicks for my team, so I make myself look stupid in front of everyone. Even our managers have been trying to help me, but they can't. I practice almost everyday for hours to try to get it right, but I can't. I've watched multiple videos on YouTube, but nothing. I just can't seem to get my foot under it correctly. I feel so stupid when I used to be able to kick the ball across half the field, and now I can hardly ever get it in the air. I don't understand. Our managers, 14 year old guys, can kick it across the whole field. I don't know what to do. Please give any advice you have or give me some links or something. Thanks

Today I played a terrible game of soccer on my schools team. We lost 8-1. I'm usually one of the best on my team and everyone relies on me to keep the ball away from the goal (I'm center defense), but I obviously sucked. I'm the biggest (tallest) and strongest person on my team and usually pretty good, but everyone expects me to be amazing, and most of them kept yelling "Use your body! Use your body! Take all your anger out!" to keep the ball away but I just couldn't today. Surprisingly a lot of people on my team that are usually really good were bad, but I just feel like I let everyone down. The thing is with me, because I'm so tall and a lot bigger than everyone, I have bad endurance and can only run a small amount at a time, which really sucks because I'm one of the only players that has to play the whole time. This is only our second game in the season, and even though I played good last week, I feel like this influenced how my team thought of me. The only thing in the game that I did kind of well was that I accidentally fouled about ten girls. I'm just so angry. Soccer is one of the only things I'm good at and makes my life worthwhile. The same thing happened last year, I'm amazing at practice and tryouts but bad in games, I couldn't even kick a simple goal kick. I think it's the anxiety of it all. I struggle with how to take the ball from the other team when they advance on me. Does anyone have any tips to help me be a better defender, and how to get over this?

I'm a 13 year old girl. I've been depressed for a very long time, about 3-4 years, but this past year has been the worst. I almost attempted suicide in November, but I backed out at the last moment. Only my 28 and 26 year old sisters know, and they never did anything to try to comfort me or get me help, they just brushed it off like it was nothing. This traumatizing event haunts me and makes my depression worse than it already is. I don't have a lot of "friends", but more like acquaintances that don't really like or care about me because I'm depressing and quiet and no fun to be around. The real me is actually outgoing and fun, but that part of me is hidden behind this cloud of darkness inside of me. I'm just so lonely and have very low self esteem.. My dad left a few months ago, my mom is a *****, my "friends" don't care, and I never see my siblings. Easter was the last time I saw my siblings and I didn't even talk to my sisters and when I tried to hug my brother he just pushed me away. I think about suicide everyday and want to die so badly. Except I don't really want to die, I just want to be happy. I can't confide in any family members to get help, but I really want a therapist. Do some therapists take medicaid? I just don't know what to do. I tried many times to be happy and optimistic but I just bounced back into deeper depression. I hate this life and myself. How do I be happy? How can I get help?

I'm a 13 year old girl. I haven't been to confession in 7 years and I'm getting confirmed in 2 months, so I know I have to go soon. After all of these years, I feel really horrible for not going. I don't go to church every Sunday either, which I know I must change. I usually only go to church on days of obligation, but feel terrible about that too for taking the Eucharist unholy. I have done some terrible things in the past that I know God has already forgiven me of but I know I also have to say them in confession. The biggest thing is that I attempted suicide about a half a year ago and am still depressed and think about killing myself everyday, even though I promised God I wouldn't. I most likely have to go today because palm Sunday is tomorrow. God already knows my sins, so I'm not scared to admit to them, just to another person. I think I'm just mostly scared of doing something I haven't done before, or in a long while. Do I just walk in and sit in the pew? How do I know when it's my turn? Do I just kneel at the kneeler, or wait for him to ask me? Do I have to say anything before I start confessing? What will he say when I tell him I attempted suicide? Thank you to anyone who answers, but please don't waste both our times by telling me how bad of a Catholic I am, I'm trying to change, and that's what matters. I just know when I finally do confess, it will feel like lifting the world off of my shoulders.

I'm a 13 year old girl. Yesterday in gym class we had to do situps and the cobra stretch, which isn't ever a problem, but earlier today out of nowhere I started having this stabbing pain and extreme tenderness under and around my right rib cage and a little near left as well. It's so bad I can't turn my body. This isn't normal, right? I am diagnosed with costochondritis though, which is pain and inflammation lining my chest wall, but can the pain spread that far down? I have pills for the costochondritis, which I took this morning, but it obviously didn't affect this. I'm 5'7 and 140 pounds, if it makes any difference. I'm also usually physically active everyday because of gym class, but I had a bad sore throat today so I stayed home. The weirdest thing is the pain just appeared suddenly while I was lying down. Any answer and information about what I may have is helpful. Thanks!

I'm a 13 year old girl and I'm supposed to be getting confirmed to the Catholic church this coming May. The problem is, I don't want to get confirmed to the Catholic church. There are just too many things in that church that I don't believe. Yes, I do believe in God and the Holy Trinity, but I do not believe what they state on homosexuality, that you have to confess your sins to the priest in order to be forgiven, that not going to church on Sundays is a sin, and many more. I tried talking to my mom about it and she got angry, but she said she wasn't going to make me do it. Everyone in my family is confirmed besides me and my older sister who dropped out too. My mom thinks I'm dropping out because my sister did, or to rebel, when it's really neither of those reasons. It would've been easier if I was dropping out a few years earlier, not when it's a few month's away, but I just finally started asking myself "is this what i believe?". I've been going to catechism every Wednesday since kindergarten, and have to go to 3 hr prep classes every Sunday, and every time I go to them and sign these papers saying I believe and will live out the faith, I feel ABSOLUTELY terrible for lying to God. I've come so far and I have absolutely no idea what to do. Any advice? Also, please don't try to convert me, I have enough stress with this already.

I'm 13 and my sister just got me a one year membership for the YMCA for Christmas. I've been wanting to go for a while but I don't know what kind of equipment to use. I want to start out just jogging on the treadmill, but with a whole building full of equipment I want to try out some other things. I want to tone my arms, legs, and stomach. Any suggestions? Also if I go four days a week and am pretty active, about how long will it take to lose about 15 pounds? I'm 5'7 and weigh 135 pounds and just want to get that extra flab off. Don't worry, I'm not anorexic. And any suggestions on what to bring besides workout clothes, a lock, and a water bottle? Also if I go at about 5pm on a weekday do any of you know if all of the teenage boys are going to be taking up the basketball court? I've been needing to practice basketball but have no where to because It's winter where I live. Thanks in advance.

I'm a 13 year old girl and am in 8th grade. Basketball tryouts are soon and I really want to tryout with my friend, the only problem is I have absolutely no idea how to play basketball. My other friend started telling me about the rules and positions and I had no idea what she was talking about. I also have really bad social anxiety and will only try out if my friend does, but there's two teams at our school and we might get onto separate teams if we even make it at all. Though I don't know a lot about basketball do you think there is any chance they could take me in because I am really tall with an athletic build and potential. Also, it is winter where I live and there is no open gym at our school, or any gym like YMCA we can afford paying for. Any ideas on where to practice? Could you also suggest the gear I would need if I made the team and if basketball shoes are necessary? Thanks.