Summer’s a time lots of us look forward to, but for many the long sunny days can highlight darker times. Our helpline receives 25% more calls in summer, that’s why we’re asking you to donate to help us answer over 18,000 potentially life-saving calls.
Thomas was 16 when he took his own life. It was a huge shock for his family and friends who didn’t know he was finding things tough. We spoke with his mum Rebecca about why she wants to normalise asking for help from services like ours.
Stuff can feel really hard when you’re a teenager. There’s exams, relationships, friendships and a whole load of feelings to navigate. Asking for help can seem overwhelming when you’re struggling, especially when it feels like your mates have got stuff together.
Thomas loved music, hanging out with his mates and playing games. He was super into psychology, but had been finding sixth form hard. But for his mum, Rebecca, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She thinks that the stigma around asking for help stopped Thomas from opening up about what he was going through: