"When you talk about your difficult feelings, it always helps"

– From a very young age, I felt that I might be somehow different from others, says 19-year-old Itu.

As a child, Itu was bullied at school. Applying to the only high school in town didn’t seem like an option because of the bullies. So, after middle school, Itu moved alone to another town.

However, the feeling of loneliness did not ease. While other classmates rushed to parties, Itu was alone at home. Due to depression and social anxiety, it felt difficult to join events.

– It makes you feel like there’s something wrong with you for being lonely. Am I somehow wrong?

Help from the Youth Shelter

One evening, a friend asked Itu to come along to the Red Cross Youth Shelter. The Youth Shelters offer the presence of a safe adult and, among other things, free counseling in five locations and online.

– We went to sit in the living room. The staff member asked me why I had come there and if I would like individual meetings with a staff member. I did.

Weekly meetings have become important to Itu.

– At the shelter, my own staff member is the first person I enjoy talking to about everything. When you can process things there and talk about your difficult feelings, it always helps. It brings security to life in general, having a safe place to go, Itu says.

Itu also encourages other young people to seek help for their loneliness and mental health challenges before the situation worsens.

– I just want to say and hope that young people dare to seek help early enough and understand that it’s perfectly normal, even if things don’t always go well or if you have mental health issues. You are still a normal and good person, even if everything isn’t always okay.

You can see Itu’s story on November 22 at 8 PM in the “Vain elämää: Punaisen Ristin päivä” episode on Nelonen and Ruutu.