'I'm scared I'll cut myself again'
'I just found out my dad has another daughter - he had family before us.'Rachel, 16, was still in shock when she spoke to Get Connected's Helpline Worker, even though it was a week since she'd met her dad's oldest daughter, Catherine. She hadn't felt able to speak to her parents because whenever she tried, Catherine was there, joining in the conversation.
'When will I be able to talk to my parents without her listening?'
Rachel admitted that she'd only just got used to being an only child - her brother had died last year and for months she'd had trouble coping with his death.
'I used to cut myself. And I'm scared I will again.'
Get Connected asked Rachel whether she got on with her new sister. "She's okay," Rachel said tentatively, "but she said something mean about my brother and she never even knew him. That's what made me think about cutting myself again."
We explained that we would look for whatever help she thought would be most appropriate. Rachel asked if we could put her in touch with a bereavement counsellor, which she hoped would stop her feeling the need to cut herself. We gave her the number of Cruse, the national bereavement helpline. Rachel finally asked whether there was someone she could simply talk things through with tonight, as she felt she had a lot to get off her chest.
Get Connected gave her a free connection to Samaritans, the listening service, which would otherwise have shown up on Rachel's parents' phone bill and charged them at the national rate.
'I had no idea there was anyone who could listen and help me," said Rachel. "Thank you so much.'