TEEN QUESTION/PROBLEM:
I have been dating my 20 year old boyfriend for 1 year and I found out he has a baby (born 1 month ago). I love him and don't know what I should do? I think the baby is not my problem, my parents do not agree. I am turning 18 years old soon.

TEEN LINE WROTE:
Hello, it sounds like you are in a tough situation right now, and you are unsure of what to do. Its understandable that you might feel alarmed by the discovery you made. It seems like you've talked with your parents but they did not share the same opinion as you. Have you talked to your boyfriend about this? This might be a good time to think over generally about the quality of your relationship and also about what you want in your life. Also, what about talking with someone you trust like a friend or a trusted adult? Talking with someone else could provide you with a place to relieve your feelings. Also as a third person they might be able to provide you with a different insight. If you have anything else that you would like to talk about, or if you just need a place to talk to feel free to call us at TEEN LINE: 310-855-4673. We are open from 6pm to 10pm PST.

a TEEN LINE teen

TEEN QUESTION/PROBLEM:
My boyfriend, who i had a very serious relationship with (engaged), and i decided we needed to break up. We're both not emotionally ready or mature to be in a relationship, we wanted to stay together but we knew breaking up was the right thing to do. Besides all of that, he now is having alot of other troubles and he's decided to "give up", meaning he's not caring about his life much. I've tried talking to him and such, but nothing seems to work. I'm really worried about him. He's not suicidal, but i still love him with all my heart and i want to help him but i just don't know what to do. The whole situation has drained me emotionally and physically, and i hate to see him suffer too. I don't know what to do.

TEEN LINE WROTE:
Hey, it sounds like you're really concerned and worried about your ex-boyfriend and you want to help him. It's great that you're talking to him and letting him know that he has your support. I noticed that you said you feel drained, have you thought about taking care of yourself? How about doing something you enjoy like writing, listening to music, doing some type of activity or talking to somebody else about the situation? Like a friend, your parents, a sibling, or a school counselor? Also you can refer him to TEEN LINE, and inform him about who we are and that he can call us whenever he wants to talk. We are open everyday from 6 to 10pm (pst) and our number is 310-855-4673 or he can visit our website and use the livechat. Also you can give him the suicide prevention hotline 877-727-4747 if he is ever suicidal, they are open 24hrs. Take care.

a TEEN LINE teen

TEEN QUESTION/PROBLEM:
hi.. im j______ im 14,, but i have a problem with ma family.. mym parents are getting divorsed.. i loved them both.. but it hurts me to see my dad getting himself killed.. he is in love with his monay.. he does not really care about anything else. he is in mexico but he has a new woman n a new son.. it freakin hurts me kuz he is just doin it to kill our hearts.. he took everything away from us.. and he is kinda supposedly living da good life. but danm w3 are tryin out everything to get going.. we been better in these 3 years in da us withouy him.. but now we are about to loose our house because its too high to payy it.. im exited bkuz we might be muving in a couple of months but its just soo sad the way my father threated us with dissgust n hate.. its just dat wat kind of father i have.. ma siblings were da most abused n i kant believe they are still standin with ma drugs n no alcohol.. they got more abused bkuz they used to fight with ma father kuz they didnt want my father to even touch me when i was a baby.. my father changed with the time but still how kan sum one be soo heartless?? sumtimes we didnt even had money to even hav break fast to go to school.. its just soo sadd to see wut a wonderfull family we are n ma father never got to see it. but sumtimes i feel like doing drugs or sumthin idk how to stop those thinkings n thoughs.. i kdont ever want to do da but with ppl all around me kinda makes me want to do it but i just stop myself but its hard .sumtimes when im feelin lonely n bad i just wanna get high too see wut it feels like kuz they say it makes u feel good n da worries go away i dont kno if i should go try sum or wut should i do??

TEEN LINE WROTE:
Hey,
Thanks for e-mailing TEEN LINE, it sounds like there is a lot going on with your family right now. It's great that you reached out for help. I can't imagine how you must have felt when your dad left, but I'm glad you have a good relationship with your mom. Although when things get hard drugs and alcohol can be tempting, they are not a solution. The high is temporary and can end up causing you social and health problems. Are there other things you could do to help you cope with your feelings? Like sports, hobbies? Talking about how you feel can also help, do you have any close friends you talk to about this? or are you comfortable discussing it with your mom? Family problems can be difficult and it sounds like you are overwhelmed with everything, please feel free call us at 310-855-4673 anytime from 6 to 10pm.

TEEN LINE listener

TEEN QUESTION/PROBLEM:
What do you do if no matter what you do it's always wrong to your mom although you know what your intentions are and you know that you are doing the best you can?

TEEN LINE WROTE:
Thanks so much for contacting TEEN LINE. It sounds like you are having a lot of problems seeking approval from your mother. It seems like your trying to do the right thing, and problems with family members are particularly hard to handle. What exactly does she do to upset you? You mentioned that no matter what it seems as though she thinks what you do is wrong. Have you ever told her that you feel like this? She might not realize that she hurts you so much. If talking to her doesn't work or isn't a good option, maybe you could try talking to friends or trusted adults. Sometimes talking to an unbiased person is a great way to get your feelings out, and who knows maybe they'll have good advice for you. You could also call TEEN LINE 310-855-4673. We could go into more detail about whats going on with your mother and come up with more ways to help you.

a TEEN LINE teen

TEEN QUESTION/PROBLEM:
I have two best friends of mine that I hang out with constantly (nearly every day). We like to have fun with each other, but I find myself being the most "unliked" in our group of three. I have been know to be slightly emotional, internally, but I do a good job of hiding, resisting, and overcoming those emotions. Neither of my friends have told me that they don't like me, and I am sure that they do not. However, I have noticed/suspected some things that my other two friends say about me behind my back. They constantly make up nicknames for people as a way to make fun of them, and I recently discovered they have made up a nickname for me. I can not stand people talking shit behind my back, especially my own friends, and more than that, I am pissed that they made up a nickname for me. My questions are: Do I confront my friends about this? Do I call them out on it if they call me this nickname? Do I tell them to stop calling me that; what do I say to them so that they know it makes me angry? In all this, how do I (re)gain respect from my friends? How can I confront them in a way that they take me seriously and so that it does not bring about more teasing?

TEEN LINE WROTE:
Hi, thanks for emailing us. It's understandable as to why you're feeling frustrated about your friends. Dealing with relationships in general is difficult. Have you tried to approach your friends about how they're making you feel or asking about it? What about talking to other friends, or family members about how you've been feeling? It might help to talk to other people about things that are going on in your life. If you want you can call TEEN LINE at 310-855-4673, we're open from 6PM to 10PM PST. We'd be glad to discuss different approaches to talk to your friends, or anything else that's on your mind.

a TEEN LINE teen