Stress / Question
Published: April 22, 2009

Dear TeenHealthFX,

ive been reallt stressed and i might hurt someone i care about. i need a fast way to get this under controll before i hurt someone

Signed: Stressed And Might Hurt Someone

Dear Stressed And Might Hurt Someone,

 

If you are feeling stressed to the point where you are worried you will not be able to control your impulses and might hurt someone, then TeenHealthFX strongly encourages you to talk to an adult as soon as possible. You could speak with your parents, a school counselor, your doctor, an adult neighbor or extended family member, a therapist, or any other adult who could help you with this. You could also call 911 or go to your local ER if you feel you are in a crisis situation with your impulses.

 

It is very important that mental health professionals assess the situation so that they can determine what is contributing to the intensity of your stress and thoughts about harming others, and so that they can work with you on developing a treatment plan that will alleviate these thoughts and impulses. It may be necessary for you to be in individual therapy, family therapy, take psychotropic medications or some combination of the three. But help is clearly needed, so please reach out to someone as soon as possible since FX can appreciate that it must be very scary to be feeling this way.

 

If you get to the point that you are seriously considering suicide or are afraid of your impulses then you need to seek help immediately. You can call 911 or go to your nearest hospital emergency room. In northern New Jersey you can also call the crisis hotline from Morristown Memorial hospital at 973-540-0100. Outside this area call the Suicide & Crisis Hotline, 1-800-999-9999, 24 hours, 7 days a week.

 

If you live in northern New Jersey and need help finding a therapist you can call the Access Center from Atlantic Behavioral Health at 973-247-1400. Outside of this area you can log onto the US Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website for referrals in your area. You can also contact your insurance company to get a list of in-network mental health providers or check with your school social worker or psychologist to get a list of referrals in your area.

Signed: TeenHealthFX

Less than 33% of teens with depression get help, yet 80% of teens with depression can be successfully treated if they seek help from a doctor or therapist.

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