Feeling out of control can be very scary. You might feel out of control in different ways – you might feel out of control of yourself, or you could feel out of control of your situation. Lots of things could cause you to feel out of control – pressure at school, family problems like arguments or divorces, losing someone you’re close to, struggles with drink or drugs, or anything that strongly affects you.
If you feel out of control of yourself, try to think whether you think you will do anything that would put yourself or someone else in danger? If the answer is yes, you probably need to ask for help in dealing with the thoughts or feelings that are making you feel out of control. You could talk to your GP about what the best option is for getting help, or if you need an immediate response you could call a helpline as a short-term fix.
You may be thinking about running away because of being out of control – that you need some space or to be away from a certain situation. If this happens it would help to think about what you may do and how to be safe.
If you feel out of control of a situation you are in, that is quite normal, but it doesn’t make it any less scary. You could try talking to family or friends who you trust, because sometimes just talking about it with someone who understands can help, and they may even be able to offer to help support you to deal with the situation, and you may start to feel more in control.
The Runaway Helpline can only provide services to children and young people within the United Kingdom, and information and advice on this site relates to the UK only.
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