Mental health

Feelings about separation such as anger, sadness and confusion are normal. However, if you feel down for a long time you should talk to someone.

If one or more of the following things are true for you, it's a good idea to talk to someone you trust about it:

feeling sad or crying often
hurting yourself
not wanting to be with your friends or family
having trouble concentrating
losing interest in doing things
trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
feeling left out of the social scene
low self-esteem
feeling irritable, angry or hostile
eating too much or not enough
feeling sick, such as headaches or stomach aches
causing trouble at school.

It's okay to ask for help if you need it. You can talk to your parents, friends, school counsellor, teacher or doctor. They can also help you find other people to talk to, such as experts on dealing with separation. Most communities and schools also have support groups for teenagers whose parents have separated. It can help to talk to people your age who are going through the same thing. Ask your school counsellor about getting involved.

Have a look at the More information section.