Friendship is one of the most significant relationships in human life, and during school years the need for it is most tangible.
Some people are more sociable and make friends easily. Others are more withdrawn and closed, it is more difficult to initiate social contacts and, accordingly, they communicate with a more limited circle of people. However, friendship is not measured in quantity, and those who are surrounded by many people do not always have true friends. We talk about true friendship when the relationship between us is based on mutual sympathy, understanding, help and support. When we trust and are loyal to each other.
Friendship doesn't happen overnight. It is a long process in which two people get to know each other, find common interests, share ideas and respect their differences. The path of friendship is littered with many unforgettable moments and vicissitudes where you laugh and cry together, share your secrets, get into trouble, find solutions, fight and then make up. Each friendship is unique in itself and each of the people we communicate with has a different and irreplaceable role in our lives. So value your friends and treat them as you would expect them to treat you.
If you find it difficult to make friends and feel lonely, misunderstood or rejected, contact the NATIONAL CHILD LINE on 116 111. We will listen and support you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Friends have a strong influence on our experiences, how we perceive ourselves, how we behave, what we believe and how we understand the world around us. Therefore, our choice of a friendly environment is extremely important!
It is normal when people spend a long time with each other that they start to imitate each other. If you've noticed, friends often dress alike, like the same music, use the same expressions, and generally behave the same. This is due to the influence we have on each other with the people we interact with. We talk about social pressure when we do things that we would not do under other circumstances. We do it to feel accepted, liked and valued by the people we want to be friends with. Peer pressure is not always a bad thing. Sometimes it helps us to try and discover new things like that skateboarding isn't that hard, or that board games aren't really that boring, to overcome some of our fears and become more confident in ourselves. But the influence of our friends can also turn out to be negative, pushing us into behaviors and choices that are harmful to us - for example, smoking and skipping school. Coping with social pressure requires finding a balance between being yourself and fitting in with your friends. Learning to say "no" to things that you don't like and that can hurt you, even if your friends react to it with ridicule or rejection. This will help you not only choose your friends correctly, but also learn to make conscious choices, stand up for yourself and set boundaries in your relationships with others, which will benefit you throughout your life.
If you feel that your friends are having a harmful influence on you, talk to an adult you can trust - a teacher, parent or psychologist.
You can also contact the NATIONAL TELEPHONE LINE FOR CHILDREN by dialing 116 111. We will listen and support you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Adolescence is the period during which most children experience their first love excitements and thrills. This is the time when adolescents begin to take more care of their appearance, prefer mixed companies and actively seek approval from their peers. They also begin to be excited by many questions: How to propose a date? What are we going to talk about? What if he refuses? What will he think of me?… They are about to learn how to attract attention, express sympathy and communicate with the object of their feelings.
Falling in love as a teenager is a particularly shattering and memorable experience. The person you love conquers your mind and heart, you desire his presence constantly and in any form, you idealize him and you are ready to make any sacrifices for him. It seems to you that your love is so true and perfect that it will last forever.
In reality, however, in this period feelings are unstable, perishable and often bring disappointments. It is perfectly normal that the first love does not coincide with the last, as the love suffering that often accompanies the end of a relationship is transitory. Subsequent romances await them, each of which will be different from the previous ones and at the same time just as emotional.
If you need to talk to someone about your first encounters with love, contact the NATIONAL CHILD LINE on 116 111. We will listen and support you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Love infatuations and relationships are almost always accompanied by experiences of mistrust. Jealousy is a condition associated with feelings of possessiveness, insecurity and fear. In the context of romantic relationships, jealousy can manifest itself towards someone we like, someone we are in a relationship with, and even someone we have already broken up with. At its core is our desire to feel important, special, valued and loved. When we feel threatened or neglected, our fear of losing the place we have held until now gives rise to jealousy. We can be jealous of literally anyone and anything in which we see superiority or a threat - from a real-life rival, to the friends, hobbies, and even the pet of the person we are in love with. Jealousy is accompanied by a huge loss of energy and excruciating mental suffering. The lack of skills to deal with this emotion brings a lot of negativity into the relationship between two people, and sometimes leads to acts of violence.
If you suffer from jealousy, the first thing you should do for yourself is not to blame yourself for your feelings. Jealousy is a normal feeling, closely related to our preservation instinct, our need to belong and be owned. It is important to think and realize what actually provokes this feeling in you - what exactly are you afraid of, how justified is the threat you feel, whether the mistrust is not in yourself, whether your expectations of the other are too high high and how would you feel in the opposite situation. Answering these questions will help you realize that in order to expect to be special to others, you must first be special to yourself, love yourself with all your flaws and appreciate yourself for all your unique qualities and traits, with which you differ from others.
It is important to understand that healthy and lasting relationships are based on voluntariness, reciprocity and respect for the right to personal freedom and choice of the other. No one can take away anything that belongs to you, nor can you detain someone by force. Scenes of jealousy, restrictions and threats do not protect you from disappointments and cannot bring back lost love. So enjoy it while you have it, and when it's gone, accept that it's for the best and that something more exciting and real is ahead.
If your love experiences are accompanied by feelings of doubt, jealousy or fear, do not hesitate to contact the NATIONAL TELEPHONE LINE FOR CHILDREN by dialing 116 111. We will listen and support you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
In our daily life, we communicate with different people – parents, teachers, peers, people we know well and those we have barely met. If you've been paying attention, the emotional and physical distance you maintain with others depends on how long and how well you've known them, the situation you're in, and the nature of the relationships you have.
For example, you feel tense and careful about what information you share with someone who has just spoken to you, while you are natural and relaxed in your communication with those with whom you have had many meetings behind you. And that's normal!
However, some people find it difficult to trust and allow even people they know well for a long time. In their usual surroundings, they are often silent or avoid talking about themselves. They are restrained in their emotions and you can hardly understand what they really think and feel. Others trust too easily. At the very first meeting, they will gladly tell you all the details of their lives, invite you to their home or accompany you to a place they do not know.
To some extent, this is also normal and is due to the peculiarities of the character, the way of communication in the family and the level of communication skills. Sometimes, however, it becomes an obstacle in maintaining healthy relationships with others.
If you have difficulty building trust and intimacy, or you let others in too easily, we can help you find the balance.
Contact the NATIONAL TELEPHONE LINE FOR CHILDREN by dialing 116 111. We will listen and support you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Betrayal begins with trust! There is no way we can be disappointed by someone with whom we have not previously developed an affinity. Betrayal always comes from the people we let in and trusted. That is why it is such a painful experience.
When someone betrays your trust, it's normal to feel shocked, lied to, angry, sad and broken. Your belief in trust between people may be seriously shaken and you may wonder if you will ever be able to trust anyone again. You feel that you will never forgive the person who committed the betrayal and you begin to doubt his sincerity towards you in general. You probably despise him for what he did and wish you had never let him in in my life…
These are normal reactions when a person is affected by betrayal. But do not rush with strong words and final decisions - give yourself time. Think about what led to the situation and examine it carefully from all sides. You may find an explanation for the act and even something that caused it. Give the person who betrayed you an opportunity to defend their position - it may turn out to be just a misunderstanding. Share what happened with someone close to you and hear their point of view. Listen to your inner voice!
Often betrayal breaks the relationship between people and leaves bitterness in their hearts. Sometimes this is the right decision, especially when betrayal happens again. But if the person who betrayed you is genuinely remorseful when your relationship with them is meaningful to you, give them a chance to make amends and possibly earn your trust again.
Forgiving betrayal is difficult, but not impossible. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes and hurts the feelings of those they love. With mutual willingness, effort and patience, closeness and trust between you can be restored.
Whether you are in the position of the betrayer or the betrayer, we can support you.
Contact the NATIONAL TELEPHONE LINE FOR CHILDREN by dialing 116 111. Trust us! We will listen to you and help you reach the right decision for you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Have you ever felt that someone is taking advantage of you, forcing their opinion on you, or dragging you into things you don't like? For example, your classmate who demands that you copy your homework, your friend who insists that you only be friends with him, or the object of your feelings who expects physical intimacy that you are not yet ready for. If the answer is yes, you may have a problem with setting and maintaining your personal boundaries.
Personal boundaries are an imaginary line by which we separate ourselves from others. This line outlines our individuality and our personal comfort zone. It shows others with whom we interact what is acceptable to us and what is not. Personal boundaries can be both physical and emotional. The physical concerns how much we allow someone near our body, and the emotional - how we stand up for our personal desires, feelings, thoughts and beliefs.
Very often, in our quest to win approval, not disappoint someone, or avoid conflict, we neglect ourselves. In this way, we allow others to step beyond our personal boundaries and not only disturb our comfort, but become vulnerable to harmful influences and encroachments that threaten our health and safety.
Setting personal boundaries is an extremely important element of any relationship you have built or will build in the future. With their help, you show your positions, your principles and how you require others to behave towards you. In other words, you set the rules of communication.
Personal boundaries start with getting to know yourself, who you are, what you like and dislike, how you want others to treat you, and what action or attitude you find unpleasant. Be aware of your wants and needs and don't let others make decisions about what is right or good for you. Don't compromise on things that make you uncomfortable - emotionally or physically.
To protect your personal boundaries from invasions, create a habit of listening to yourself, learn to say "no" and overcome your fear of rejection. End a conversation that bothers you, leave the place where you don't feel safe, refuse to do something that makes you uncomfortable. Yes, you may disappoint someone at the moment, distance them and even turn them against you, but in this way you will stay true to yourself and surround yourself with people who accept your differences, take into account your individual needs, respect your opinion, your interests and your right to make independent decisions.
And vice versa - respect the personal boundaries of others. When you hear "no" from someone else, accept it and don't insist. Be understanding and find a space together where you feel mutually comfortable.
If setting personal boundaries or respecting those of others is difficult for you, contact the NATIONAL CHILD LINE by dialing 116 111. We will listen and support you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
We know that when people reach a certain age, they start a family. Together with the chosen one of their heart, they come together under one roof, they have children and with a good combination of circumstances, they live happily until death do them part. Sometimes, in our teenage years, we meet someone we fall deeply in love with. We feel that this is our soul mate and the person we want to spend the rest of our lives with. He shares our feelings and together we begin to dream of having our own home and family. Yes, it's still early - we haven't finished school, we don't have our own income, we will have to live with our parents initially, but love doesn't ask for that. And when we love each other, there's no way we won't make it...
Sometimes we are born into a family where tradition dictates that our parents choose our life partner instead of us, as well as the age at which we should go through the wedding ritual and live together as a family - whether we want to or are ready for it. Opposing the will of the parents in these cases is often associated with many negative consequences - from deep shame and humiliation for the whole family to stigmatization and expulsion from home. We can't afford it!
When you are a child, however, regardless of which of the two situations described above you find yourself in, it carries multiple risks for you. In Bulgaria, the right to marry is tied to reaching the age of majority and the voluntariness of both parties when entering into it. Living with someone as family when you're still a child is even illegal and can have consequences for both your parents and the person you lived with if they're an adult. And this is no accident! Your age suggests that you have not yet reached the necessary maturity to respond adequately to family responsibilities. No matter how romantic it seems to you at the moment, in conditions of conjugal cohabitation, your life will radically change, especially if it is followed by pregnancy and the birth of a child. This often means ending your education, moving away from your peers and the activities that excite them, giving up on your plans to master your dream profession, living in substandard housing, low income, or completely you depend on the financial help of your parents or the state. It's certainly not the life you want for yourself, or the one you love, much less the children you might have together.
So think! If this is really the person you want to spend your life with, that won't change in a year, two or five. Be patient and use your desire to commit permanently to him as motivation to complete all these tasks that are ahead of you right now and that prepare you for a successful, happy and long-lasting married life.
If you are considering or being pushed by someone else to early cohabitation, contact the NATIONAL CHILD LINE on 116 111. We will listen and support you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!