#micmic

Hey sweetie,

I hope you're doing okay. I'm happy you sent in this ask, I'm proud of you for seeking help.

I totally understand where you're coming from. My Father often ignored any problems I was having, expected me to 'sort them out' myself and pretended that I was just lazy.

A lot of the time, parents do this because they don't want to believe that their child could have a mental illness, or any kind of difficulty. A lot of the time elders believe they know best, even when it's not about them, just because they've been alive for longer. A 10 year old could have more life experience than an 80 year old. Sure, not in all the same places but you get what I mean. Sometimes you can fix this by sitting down with your Father and telling him that you're really struggling at school etc. Make sure you get it across that you're being serious, and you want some help. Maybe get a notepad and write things down, it will be easier for you to keep track of what you want to say. Don't let it turn into an argument, and if he tries to leave make sure he knows this is something serious that's affecting you in all aspects of life and you really need his help.

If he still doesn't listen, I urge you to speak to somebody at school. This could be a teacher, or your school councellor. Tell them how you're feeling, and that you're having trouble at home making your parent understand that you're really struggling. With your permission, they can (probably - I'm not sure how it works in other places) make a meeting with you and your father so you can all discuss it. He might then listen if it's coming from somebody in a position of power (teacher).

Unfortunately there isn't a lot more you can do, as it all depends on whether your Father wants to open his mind and listen to what you've got to say. You can always speak to another family member, maybe he'll listen to them.

I really hope you manage to get through to him, it sounds like a really tough situation you're in.

Good luck love, you got this.