Hiya Jack!

Thanks for commenting! I'm afraid that we're not experts on JSA here at The Mix - sorry about that!

To get an answer to your question, you could speak to the specially trained advisors across at your local Citizens Advice Bureau branch. You can find your local branch by searching, with your postcode, on this website - https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk.

Take care,

Harry@TheMix

Hey Jessica!

Please don't feel the need to apologise to us - we're just here to listen to what you have to say and try to offer you some support and point you in the direction of some other organisations who can do the same thing!

You might be interested in this article which we have here at The Mix titled 'Was it sexual assault?'. You can find this article here: www.themix.org.uk/crime-and-safety/victims-of-cri.... As this article explains, you were made to have sex against your wishes, as so the incident you have described would constitute this. The other incidents which you describe happing a few years ago again appear to fit this definition. Remember that nobody has the right to make you feel uncomfortable, and it is their responsibility to realise their actions are wrong, it is not yours!

For further support, you might like to reach out to the team over at Rape Crisis. They specialise in offering support to victims of rape and sexual assault. Regardless of when the incident occurred, they will offer you the same level of help and support, whether it happened 10 minutes or 10 years ago. To find out more about the support they could offer you, you might like to head over to their website, which you can find by following this link - https://rapecrisis.org.uk/.

Alternatively, you might like to visit our online community over at our discussion boards. These boards provide you with a safe space in which you can talk to other young people and get support from other members of our community, some of whom may have had similar experiences to you. You can find our boards by following this link - http://www.themix.org.uk/community/.

Thank you very much for having the courage to share your story with us - remember that what happened to you is absolutely not acceptable and it is not something which you should have to tolerate. Nobody has the right to make you feel uncomfortable.

Take care,

Harry@TheMix

Hiya Melina!

Thank you very much for sharing your story with us! You're exactly right when you say that nobody deserves to be treated in the way that you have described. We understand that talking about such personal experiences can sometimes bring back painful memories - it is so brave of your to share your experience with us.

If you ever feel as though you would like to discuss what happened with some peers, you could join the online community here at The Mix, known as our Discussion Boards. All that you have to do is make an account over on the boards and then you're away. You can find our online community, and join it, by following this link - http://www.themix.org.uk/community/.

Alternatively, you might like to speak to the folks over at Rape Crisis. This brilliant organsiation specialise in offering support to victims of rape and sexual assault, regardless of how long ago the incident occurred. Check out their website - https://rapecrisis.org.uk/ - to find out more about the support that they can offer you, including support which can be accessed by telephoning their helpline.

Finally, you might want to reach out to the team over at Samaritans. They're on hand to offer a listening ear if you feel as though talking through your experience with others would help. You can follow this link to their website - https://www.samaritans.org/.

Thanks for sharing your story with us, and remember that people are always there to talk things through with you should you wish to.

Harry@TheMix

Hi Carolyn,

Thank you for reaching out to us here at The Mix! I think it's important to acknowledge that you have let your daughter know that you are there for her and that you will listen to her whenever she has a concern - these are two great things for her to know that will undoubtedly help her through the tough moments, even if you do not realise it. Showing that you care for her can never be a bad thing!

It is important to note that supporting someone who self-harms can be emotionally draining, especially when it is someone such as your daughter who you have a profound connection with. Remember that you cannot pour from an empty glass - the first step to supporting your daughter is looking after yourself! You could reach out to the Samaritans who offer a 24hr helpline service to anybody who feels as though they need to talk through their personal situation with somebody. You can find out more here - https://www.samaritans.org/.

You might also be interested in checking out a section of a website hosted by a charity called Mind. This section of their website provides details information to family members who wish to support others who are close to them who are struggling with self-harm. You can find this section of the website by following this link: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types....

Finally, you might like to check out this article here at The Mix, which explains a little more about ways in which you can support somebody who is battling with self-harm. This article can be found by following this link - www.themix.org.uk/mental-health/self-harm/support....

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us - remember that to look after others, you first have to look after yourself. Don't be too hard on yourself, your daughter has reached a difficult moment in her life and this is not your fault - we all struggle sometimes! By continuing to show her that you care and letting her know that you are their for her, you are offering her an invaluable support network at this difficult time.

Take care,

Harry@TheMix

Hey Cristy!

Thank you for reaching out to us here at The Mix. We appreciate that talking about things such as this is a big deal for a lot of people - thank you for taking such a positive step in reaching out to us for advice.

As the situation is involving yourself and your mam, it could be a little more complicated and will need to be dealt with more sensitively than most. However, I want you to know that you are not at all overreacting. Nobody has the right to make you feel uneasy or uncomfortable, whether they're total strangers or a member of your immediate family.

Have you tried speaking to you mam about how incidents such as this make you feel? I know that you say you and your mother have a strained relationship, but if you could speak to her, as difficult a conversation as this may be to have, then that might be something that could help.

Alternatively, you might like to reach out to the team over at Childline, if you're under nineteen, or the team at Samaritans if you're over this age. Both organisation act as a listening ear to those who need it most, with Childline specialising in supporting children - as the name suggests. You can find details for Childline on this website: https://www.childline.org.uk/ or Samaritans here: https://www.samaritans.org/. They'll happily discuss your situation with you.

In terms of moving away from home, you are able to do so legally from the age of 16, although it is not normally something which we would advise doing until you are 18 years of age. To discuss your options further, you may like to reach out to the team over at Shelter - a specialist housing charity. You can find out more by visiting their website here: https://england.shelter.org.uk/.

I hope that this has been helpful to you. I want you to know that, even though you may sometimes feel as though nobody cares for you, the organisations named above are just three examples of countless more groups who have your best interests at heart and will do everything within their power to support you.

All the best for the future,

Harry@TheMix

Hiya Shadae!

It's great to hear that you're in a loving home at the moment - arguing is nothing to be ashamed of when you spend so much time with somebody, it's something which happens in most households!

In terms of moving away into a place of your own which will allow you to keep your new pets, as you're over 16 you're legally able to live alone, providing you are able to finance this. As you're currently living in a home and you're not being evicted from it, it is unlikely that you'd be able to receive emergency housing support from your local council housing department.

You might like to get in touch with the team over at Shelter if you're seeking any further advice. You can find more information by following this link - https://england.shelter.org.uk/donate?reserved_ap....

I hope that this has helped,

Harry@TheMix

Hiya Mel J!

I'm afraid that we're not experts in council housing matters such as this - sorry about that! Besides what has been said in the above article, we cannot offer you much further specific advice.

You could contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau to seek further advice regarding this. You can find the contact details for your local site by searching with your postcode on this website: citizensadvice.org.uk/.

You might also like to contact your local council housing authority. You should be able to get the contact details for this organisation through your local authority customer contact department or switchboard, depending upon how they operate.

Take care,

Harry@TheMix

Hey Jean!

Thanks for reaching out to us here at The Mix - we understand that it can sometimes be difficult to talk about personal things such as this so thank you very much for reaching out to us!

I'm afraid that we're not medical experts here at The Mix (sorry!) and so if you have any further concerns about your health after reading through the information given in the above article then you could make an appointment to speak to a medical professional who will be able to advise you further. We know this can be daunting, but remember it is the doctors job to safeguard every aspect of your health. When it comes to your health, no question is a silly question!

Thanks again for reaching out to us and take care,

Harry@TheMix

Hiya Gabriel!

As explained in the article above, when you are caught in possession you can be given a written warning, issued with an £80 on the spot penalty notice or arrested. Which of these happens depends upon your history and the amount you are in possession of.

While it does sound unusual that you were charged £16, I'm sure that the police officer acted inline with legal guidelines and their role. To discuss this issue further, you could contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau. You can find the details by visiting this website: citizensadvice.org.uk/.

I hope that this has been helpful to you and all the best,

Harry@TheMix

Hey Jean!

Besides the advice we've given in the article, due to the fact that everybody is different and drug use has different long-term effects on different people, we're unable to give you any specific diagnosis of your symptoms and how long they may last (sorry!).

You might like to make an appointment with a medical professional, such as your GP, to discuss your drug use and to decide upon some positive next steps that you can take.

Alternatively, you could contact the team at FRANK, an organisation who specialise in offering support to those, such as yourself, who have or do currently misuse drugs. You can find out more by checking out their organisation website here: http://www.talktofrank.com/.

Take Care,

Harry@TheMix