Pat's Answer

Hi there, you are very welcome to  Ask Pat.

You say you are feeling stressed and angry at the moment, as you have your Junior Cert assessment coming up.

It is totally understandable that you are feeling this way. You have a right to get help in dealing with your stress and anger.

We understand that things are very difficult for you at the moment, what with not being in school and having to deal with the lock down and the huge changes we have had to adapt to in our daily lives to keep ourselves safe.

It is very important to look after your mental health while all this is going on and you can get some useful information on the HSE website at www.yourmentalhealth.ie. Alternatively, on the Childline website www.childline.ie, you may find some useful articles on how to cope during the Covid-19 crisis.

You have the right to talk to a trusted adult who knows you well enough and whom you feel comfortable talking to. Talking to someone we know can often help us to decide what to do. That person could be a teacher, family friend, parent or another relative

The Childline phone service is open 24 hours a day at 1800 66 66 66 and we are here to offer you support and to help you explore the options that are available to you. You can also contact us by text on 50101 or by Web Chat at www.childline.ie. You would be more than welcome to get in touch with us anytime. Our service is free, non-judgmental and we would love to hear from you.

We wish you the very best of luck with your exams.

Take care,

Pat.