I’m really not coping

After being affected by crime, you can feel all sorts of things.

Emotionally and in your head you may feel:

  • scared or angry;
  • depressed or lacking confidence; and
  • lonely and like you can’t tell anyone.

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Physically and with your body, other signs that you’re feeling down may appear, such as:

  • being sick;
  • having headaches;
  • struggling to concentrate;
  • not being able to sleep out having nightmares;
  • wetting the bed; or
  • if you have been attacked, you may be in pain.

There’s no right or wrong way to feel – all of these things are ok and perfectly normal. Most things bet better in a matter of time. If they don’t, that’s where Voice comes in – we’re here to help you with anything after crime, big or small. You can talk to us, here.

How can I feel better about myself?

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  • Spend time with your friends: Being around people you like and trust and who care about you will make you feel better. Also making new friends may help. The more people you know and say hello to, the better you will feel;
  • Be active: Playing sport and being outside are proven to help you feel better about yourself. Try to be as active as possible whether it be on your own, with friends or playing sports; and
  • Try to build your confidence: Try something new for the first time or take on a challenge help you focus awn new things.

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Is there anything I shouldn’t do?

  • Use drink or drugs to to try to forget.  While these may help you to block out or ignore your feeling, the long-term problems could become more serious – damaging both your physical and mental health. These also don’t help to solve any problems, more just making them go away away until the next day;
  • Self-harm: It might make you feel better to have a physical sign of emotional pain but this will leave scars and is dangerous for your help. Talking to Voice is always a better way to try to deal with things.
  • Keep it all to yourself: The more you talk about things with people you trust, the more you can start to move on, feel better and leave any bad feelings behind you. Were here to help and you can talk to us about anything.