DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a 17 year old high school student. I have suffered from mental health issues for some time now.
Unfortunately, my parents don’t seem to believe that I’m in trouble. They accuse me of exaggerating and even outright lying about my feelings.
I understand that it can be difficult to understand for someone who has not experienced these challenges themselves, but it is extremely frustrating to feel like I am not believed.
Do you have any advice on how to communicate with my parents and get the support I need?
Lack of validation
DEAR LACK OF VALIDATION: Can you talk to your school nurse and ask for help?
Do you have access to your health insurance information? If this is the case, the nurse may be able to help you find a mental health specialist who can support you. Likewise, if you have a pediatrician, you can ask that doctor for a referral to someone who can help you.
Of course, if you feel like you are in an emergency situation, you can seek help without insurance. You can call 988, which is the suicide and crisis lifeline, for 24-hour support.
As for your parents, they probably don’t understand mental health issues. They may not intentionally leave you out. Many people don’t have an idea of what mental illness looks like because it is less tangible than a cold, flu, or other illness.
Ask your parents to be kind and love you even if they don’t understand. Tell them what you need if you can: a hug, avoid ignoring your worries, help find a doctor but also find other people who can help if your parents can’t or won’t not.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My coworker has a bad habit of constantly interrupting people mid-sentence, and it’s starting to wear me out. Worse yet, she doesn’t even realize she’s doing it.
She even does this when speaking with clients, which completely annoys them and everyone else in our meetings.
I don’t know how to approach this, as I’m not his superior. How can I make him aware of this without seeming rude?
Let me finish
DEAR LET ME FINISH: The next time your colleague interrupts you, stop her. Say something like: Wait. I was saying something and you interrupted me. Let me finish.
Privately, you can remind her of this moment and tell her that you noticed that she regularly cuts people off. Tell him you find this off-putting. Ask him to stop. If she ignores this, give her some examples of when she interrupted others, including during meetings.
Suggest that he wait for people to finish their sentences before intervening. She may or may not heed your advice, but you don’t need to be her supervisor to try to support her and the rest of the team.
Harriette Cole is a lifestyle stylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative aimed at helping people access and achieve their dreams. You can send questions to Askharriette@harriettecole.com or to Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
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