Divorce and Teens
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  • SOS

SOS - Immediate Help

If you're in a crisis, you may not be sure where to turn. You might be familiar with 911 or your local emergency number, which can help you with a crisis, and there are also specialized hotlines you can call for help.

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Dealing with a Crisis

I wrote this website for the average teenager dealing with their parents' divorce and the typical problems that come along with it. That said, I am well aware that there is a significant group of teens whose lives are anything but typical. If you are dealing with severe problems - abuse, cutting, thinking about suicide, or anything along those lines - you need help and you need it now. I am not trained in dealing with crises, so if you are going through one you need to find help from another resource. In a crisis, you can always call 911/your local emergency phone number, or use any of the following resources more specific to your problems.

Child Abuse
Every day, thousands of children and teens in the United States alone are abused. You don't have to be one of them. Talk to a trained counselor at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453). The hotline is free, anonymous and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is accessible from the United States, Canada, or a territory of the United States. They can do as little as just serve as someone to talk to, or they can help you report the abuse, whichever one you choose to pursue. Call today.

Thoughts of Suicide
If you're feeling sad, hopeless, or suicidal, the National Suicide Hotline is the place to call. You can speak with a counselor at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). The best part is that it's free, confidential, and available 24-7 within the 50 states in the US. They also have an online chat option which is available within the United States and its territories from 2pm to 2am seven days a week.


General Crisis
The Boy's Town Hotline is not just for boys, but for any children, teens, and families in need of help. Whether you are dealing with drug abuse, running away from home, thoughts of suicide, child abuse, depression, anger, backlash from the divorce, or even relationship problems, this is the number for you. Like the others, it's free and open 24/7 - just call 1-800-448-3000. Unlike the others, though, it offers other additional resources, such as online chat support, which is open Monday-Thursday 8PM-11PM Central Time. The hotline works for the United States, and should also work for Canada and Guam. Also, a great hotline I ran into recently which is specific to Canada is the Kids Help Phone, 1-800-668-6868, which is also for general crises and also has online chat support from Thursday to Sunday 6 PM to 11 PM EST.

If your country is not covered in this list and you're in a crisis, please call your local emergency number. For supplementary materials, you can visit Regional Resources.

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SOS
Disclaimer: The advice given here may not be completely accurate, and may not apply to everyone. I am not a professional, simply someone whose parents divorced when I was a teenager, and what I write generally comes from personal experience. If you are in the need of professional advice, whether psychological or legal in nature, seek help elsewhere. If you are in a crisis, call 911 or your local emergency number right away! The author is not responsible for the content of other websites for which links have been provided. 
Published: 04/05/2010
Last Updated: 01/12/2014
Photo used under Creative Commons from Phillie Casablanca