I speak to a friend I trust

Sometimes talking to a friend about your problems can be a great place to start. It can be really tricky to begin these conversations but a good friend should make time to listen to you and hear what you’re saying.

If you talk to a friend about wanting to run away or leave home, there’s lots of different ways they could react. They might be concerned or worried about you, they might be shocked, or they might be happy that you felt able to share your problems with them. If they react in a way you don’t expect, it might be that they they’re unsure of how’s best to support you. And if they don’t respond in a nice way it might be a good opportunity for you to think about who else you can talk to.

However they react, it’s likely that a good friend will want to help you. If your friend thinks you should speak to someone else – like a trusted adult or teacher – it’s a good idea to listen to why they think that. If you’re being harmed or at risk of running away they’ll probably be worried about you and will want to make sure you get the right support. They may also have other ideas around how you can approach your problems.

If you’re unsure about talking to your friend about your problems, or would like free and confidential support around running away, the Runaway Helpline are here for you. You can call or text on 116000, 24 hours a day. We’ll listen and not judge, we’d like to help you stay safe no matter what’s making you want to run away.