This is an online resource for the book The Teenager's Guide to the Real World by Marshall Brain, ISBN 1-9657430-3-9. The online resources are offered as a free supplement to the book. They help you access the huge library of material for teenager's available on the Web. For more information on the book please click here.

Teenage Problems

Problems come in two categories: Problems that you have no control over, and problems that come as a consequence of something you have done. Examples of the first category include things like cancer and the death of a parent. You deal with them as they occur as best you can. Examples of the second category include drugs and pregnancy. You prevent these in your own life by being smart and learning the facts ahead of time so you can avoid them. The book The Teenager's Guide to the Real World is a great place to start learning the facts.

What if you, personally, have a problem? Or one of your friends? It matters, and it is real. It doesn't matter what the problem is: as soon as it affects you personally in some way, it becomes important.

The first step in solving or coping with a problem (or in helping a friend with a problem) is recognizing that the problem exists. For example, if you have "a problem with drugs," nothing will happen until you recognize that you have the problem. Only you can fix it. That is what makes recognition so important.

Once you recognize that the problem is there, you can begin to understand it and your options. One of the best things you can do is find someone to talk to. That someone might be one of your parents, an adult you trust, a teacher or counselor at school, a minister or priest, or a person on a 1-800 help line (see below). Talking really helps, no matter what your problem is.

Another thing you can do is educate yourself. There is information all over the web to help you learn and understand, as well as all kinds of books. There are also people across the country who want to help. Here are some links to help you get started:

If you have a problem or a crisis happening in your life and you need someone to talk to, one option is to call a free crisis hotline. Hotlines are generally set up by government or charitable organizations to help people deal with specific problems. The following table contains a number of free hotline numbers:

AIDS

AIDS Hotline 800-FOR-AIDS

CDC AIDS Info 800-342-2437

Alcohol

Alcohol Hotline 800-331-2900

AA 800-950-9888

Pregnancy

Crisis Pregnancy Center 800-560-0717

Crisis Pregnancy Counseling 800-441-2670

America's Crisis Pregnancy Helpline 800-67-baby-6

Child Abuse

Child Abuse Hotline 800-792-5200

National Child Abuse Hotline 800-4-A-CHILD

Crises and Suicide

Covenant House Nineline (for any kind of crisis) 800-999-9999

Crisis Help Line (for any kind of crisis) 800-233-4357

National Youth Crisis Hotline 800-448-4663

National Youth Suicide Hotline 800-621-4000

Sanctuary Crisis Line 800-548-5222

Crisis Line for the Handicapped 800-426-4263

Drugs

Poison Control 800-662-9886

National Drug Abuse Hotline 800-662-4357

Cocaine Anonymous 800-347-8998

Running Away

Runaway Hotline 800-231-6946

National Runaway Hotline 800-621-4000

Runaway Switchboard 800-621-4050

Rape and Sexual Assault

Rape Hotline 1-800-656-HOPE

Sexual Assault Crisis Line 800-643-6250

Domestic Violence

National Domestic Violence Hotline 800-799-7233

Medical

Ask a Nurse 800-535-1111

Anorexia & Bulima Information 800-762-3334

Anorexia & Bulima Crisis 800-227-4785

STD Hotline 800-227-8922

Other

Grief Recovery Helpline 800-445-4808

Shoplifters Anonymous 800-848-9595

OverEaters Abuse Hotline 800-888-4680

To find other information on the web, search for key words related to your problem in several of the search engines on the web. You will discover that a lot of what a search engine finds will not be useful. However, you will often be surprised, if you look through the lists of links returned, that you can find something that exactly fits your needs.

Many problems have newsgroups that gather concerned people together on the Internet. Search the newsgroups list for an appropriate key word and then see what kind of messages and responses people are posting.

The books page offers a number of books that are helpful in times of crisis.

If none of the above information works and you feel like you have nowhere to turn, then please send email to BYG publishing (see below) and we will do what we can to help.

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