Health and Safety

Humans are as alike as we are different. We each have our own preferences, interests, beliefs, talents and character traits. We also differ in the way we look - from the colour of our eyes to the size of the shoes we wear. And that's great! With our individuality and differences, we each contribute to the diversity and colourfulness of the world.

The way we look affects how others perceive us and how we perceive ourselves. It is a characteristic of adolescence that we become particularly sensitive and demanding about our appearance and for this reason we always find faults to worry about. Either we are too tall or too thin, we find ourselves fat or we don't like our curves.Often, by focusing on our flaws, we stop noticing our qualities. Our self-esteem begins to suffer, which affects our social activity and our relationships with others. This can cause us to wear clothes we don't like, put our bodies on unreasonable diets, refuse activities where our bodies are on display, or avoid socializing with peers we feel are physically superior to us.

Sometimes we make fun of someone's shortcomings or treat someone with disdain just because they look a certain way, without realizing that we might hurt their feelings. Or vice versa - we admire or envy someone just because they look good.

Part of growing up is realizing that there are no perfect people. Don't be afraid to be imperfect and be proud of who you are. Learn to love your body as nature created it. Work on your self-confidence and mindset. Pay attention to what you like about it rather than its imperfections. If you think you are attractive, then others will think that about you.

Of course, body care is very important. Our body is the home of our soul. And it will inhabit it throughout our lives. So take care of it - maintain good personal hygiene, eat healthy, exercise, take time to rest, avoid harmful substances like cigarettes and alcohol. This is the most direct route to maintaining good looks, tone, confidence and health.

If you're worried about your appearance or looking for ways to improve it, talk to your parents or GP. They can give you good advice.

Don't hesitate to contact the NATIONAL TELEPHONE LINE FOR CHILDREN by dialing 116 111 - free and anonymously! We are here for you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Often times everything starts innocuously - diet, workouts, supplements. You see the results in the mirror, your self-esteem improves, but you are still dissatisfied and you set higher and higher demands. Determined to achieve your dream image, you increase the hours you spend working out at the expense of meals and other activities. At some point, however, your body can't take the strain and collapses, betraying you, and you're left in the grip of disappointment and guilt for not achieving what you want so badly. You feel that you have failed, but this does not give up on you. And everything starts all over again...

In other cases, food is your only solace for the worries and adversities of life. You begin to lose control over the amount you eat. Food temporarily fills your emotional voids, but then you are overwhelmed with guilt, shame and disappointment in yourself. You look for ways to get rid of what you've ingested, or you turn to food again to comfort yourself...

At the root of eating disorders are low self-esteem, difficulty expressing negative emotions, substance abuse, an incomplete relationship with parents, traumatic and crisis events in life history that the psyche cannot "digest."

Eating disorders are divided into emotional overeating, anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Very often weight control indicates our desire to compensate and control other areas of our lives where we feel like someone has taken control away from us and we have no power over our destiny.

Unfortunately, eating disorders are often not recognized as a serious problem, which leads to serious health complications that are not rarely fatal.

So don't delay - overcome the worry and embarrassment and seek advice from a parent, GP, teacher or significant other.

You can always contact the NATIONAL CHILDREN'S PHONE LINE by dialling 116 111. Don't delay! We will listen and support you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

One of the most important things for adolescent children and young people is to feel accepted, to be part of a community, a group, a company. To be part of a social circle that is different from the family circle, where they can experiment, challenge themselves and discover new things.

It is in the quest to be accepted that we sometimes succumb to influences we would not otherwise listen to.

The situation is similar for adolescent substance use. Very often this happens not so much because of strong self-interest, but because of the fear of being rejected by the company, of being called "losers", "losers", "mommy's children who do nothing without parental permission". And such rejection can be very scary for a young child soul who is still exploring ways of self-expression and discovering the limits of his personal boundaries and possibilities.

It is important to remember that psychoactive substances (PSS) directly affect the central nervous system and alter the perception, mood, consciousness and therefore the behaviour of the person using them.

Often under the influence of PAH we seem to be happy, overexcited, we have a limitless reserve of energy, our thoughts rush very fast and in different directions, but at the same time, if we have the opportunity to look at ourselves from the side, we will notice that our body movements are uncoordinated, slow, undirected, and the way we pronounce words and arrange sentences sounds funny and incomprehensible. It is very possible that you have come across similar videos on the internet, which are circulated in order to ridicule and humiliate the person filmed.

You've certainly heard that PAHs are addictive, but what does that actually mean? This is the point at which our body has the physical and mental need for the substance we have been using. And when our body is deprived of it, a number of unpleasant physiological reactions begin, which are collectively referred to as withdrawal. Depending on the substance to which addiction has developed, the physiological reactions to withdrawal can range from emotional irritation and verbal aggressiveness, to severe and very painful muscle spasms throughout the body, dizziness, weight loss, panic attacks, including possibly fatal outcomes.

It is because of withdrawal as a bodily reaction that many addicts fail to quit using substances, despite their great desire to do so. They simply lack the strength to fight the body's reaction, and soothe these symptoms by getting the body the substance it is addicted to. And so the wheel of a vicious circle turns. Unbeknownst to them, the person is no longer thinking about anything other than how to get the substance so they don't experience the painful withdrawal.

If this topic raises questions in you, or you recognise yourself or someone you know, feel free to contact the NATIONAL CHILDREN'S PHONE LINE by dialling 116 111. Don't delay! We will listen and support you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

In a pandemic, it is normal to feel anxious, confused, even scared for ourselves and our loved ones. Keep in mind that if you spend a lot of time reading information on the internet and social media about the pandemic and the virus, it is possible for anxious thoughts and feelings to intensify, especially if you are not selecting credible sources of information, but stopping to look at every text and post written on the subject. In order for everyone to deal with the current situation more quickly, we will need to follow the general rules, namely to wash our hands regularly, wear a proper mask in school and indoors, keep our distance and follow the other requirements that are announced by the responsible government institutions.

If you suspect you have symptoms or have been in contact with a sick person, tell your parents immediately.

Above all, don't stop doing the things that make you grow and be happy. Don't stop communicating with your friends! And remember - online learning is not a joke, it's just a way to keep learning while the emergency lasts.

If you are feeling anxious, lonely and isolated because of the pandemic, you can always contact the NATIONAL TELEPHONE LINE FOR CHILDREN by dialling 116 111. Don't delay! We will listen and support you. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!