Teenage Zone
Neurodiversity Hub Wirral
Before You Begin
Sometimes thinking about difficult or scary things that have happened can make you feel unsafe. Before you read this section, take a moment to notice how safe you feel. If you feel distressed right now, there are helpful contacts at the bottom of this page.
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If you want help with strong emotions such as anxiety, sadness or anger, you can watch videos made by young people for young people here:
KeepCool – King’s College London
KeepCool - King's College London (kcl.ac.uk)You can also call:
The Samaritans
Childline
You may also want to talk to someone you trust. This could be a friend, a family member or a safe adult. If you need support from someone outside your family, you could speak to a teacher, a school nurse or another adult who helps you feel safe.
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You can help yourself by making a simple safety plan. A safety plan helps you think about what to do when you feel overwhelmed. Remember, bad things can happen to anyone, and it is never too late to get help. Helpful thoughts might include taking life one day at a time. If you feel upset or distressed, it might be a sign that it is time to ask for help or change something in your life.
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Trauma can affect your mental health in many ways.
It is normal to feel upset after something difficult happens. Most of the time we start to feel better after a while. But if something happens that makes you feel terrified, helpless or unable to cope, it can have a long‑term effect on your emotional wellbeing. This is called trauma.
Trauma can come from one event, a series of events, or something ongoing. You can experience trauma even if the event did not happen directly to you. For example, seeing something frightening happen to someone else can be traumatic.
Some people believe something has to be extremely serious, like being in a war, for it to be called trauma. This is not true.
Trauma can come from something small that had a big effect on you. For example, if a teacher called you “stupid” and it made you feel ashamed or doubt yourself, that could be traumatic.
Trauma can also build up over time. For example, if someone in your family criticises you again and again, this can lead to trauma.
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being in, or seeing, a serious accident
experiencing abuse or neglect
losing someone you love
being the victim of a crime
being bullied
You might also experience trauma because of your identity. For example, experiencing racism or discrimination can cause trauma.
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