Peer Talk

You ask… ConnecTeen answers.

Do you have questions but don’t know who to ask? Are you ready to reach out for support but you aren’t sure how? At Peer Talk you will find information and real life answers on the top concerns we hear about at ConnecTeen.

If you have a question, or want information you can’t find here, ask a teen volunteer today!

Submit your question here. Our teen volunteers will respond to your question within 3-5 business days and answers will be posted back to the Peer Talk section of the ConnecTeen Website. Peer Talk was designed in this way because we believe that if one person has a question, there are many more people who may also have the same question. For this reason, questions posted to Peer Talk may be answered in a manner similar to a blog post that is accessible to the public. If you feel as though your specific question wasn’t answered we highly encourage you to contact us. For the most immediate response please call us 24/7 at 403-264-TEEN (8336).

Please note that not all submitted questions are answered on the Peer Talk page.

Why aren’t some questions answered?

Sometimes we get questions requiring an answer beyond ConnecTeen’s abilities. Our volunteers are just that, volunteers. Our volunteers are trained in crisis intervention and peer support, but they’re not mental health professionals. Questions needing the experience and knowledge of a professional won’t be answered by our volunteers. If you’d like information about how to contact a mental health professional please contact ConnecTeen through text, email, online chat or phone. Also, you can also call 211 anytime and ask the information and referral staff for information on how to get in contact with a mental health professional.
Some questions need a quicker response than Peer Talk can offer. There are many types of risk people can face in their lives like suicide, abuse, drug overdose, and many others. Risk related questions are extremely important, and so is your safety. These types of questions need to be answered fast, with a conversation between you and a volunteer/professional. If you’re in a situation where your safety may be at risk, please contact us through text, email, phone, or online chat.
A question like yours has already been answered. Take look through some of the recent posts to the Peer Talk section. Often a question similar to yours will have already been answered.

If your question hasn’t been posted to the Peer Talk page within 7 business days of when you sent it, a response is not going to be posted. If this is the case, we highly encourage you to contact us via email, text, online chat, or phone.

Make sure you check back regularly for new insights from our teen volunteers.

I do not feel safe mentally in my home. I’ve already moved from my mom’s place due to extreme lows all the time, but where i’m living right now triggers my anxiety and PTSD and there’s no way to escape it. I don’t know the laws here in Calgary but I’m 16 and still in highschool.

Hi, Having troubles at home can be extremely overwhelming and it can affect other aspects of your life due to the stress. […]

How do I go about finding a therapist? Do i need to go to a doctor and get a letter saying I can go or can I just book an appointment at a therapist’s office? I really want to talk to someone and work out my feelings

Thank you for reaching out! If the therapist you are looking into is a part of a private practice or a community […]

How do I get over my fear of dogs?? I already tried to express myself to my friend but they aren’t very willing to help me and just brush it off! It’s making me very anxious!

Hey there, I feel that. I used to be afraid of dogs too. Sometimes it’s hard for people to see that something […]

How do I get over my fear of dogs?? This is preventing me from going to friends houses more often because they have dogs. I already tried to express myself to my friend but they aren’t very willing to help me and just brush it off! It’s making me very anxious!

Hey there, I feel that. I used to be afraid of dogs too. Sometimes it’s hard for people to see that something so […]

Why do I feel like I’m supposed to be sad? And why, when I’m sad, do I not want to make myself feel happier?

This is a great question. Sadness is one of the basic emotions we feel. It’s normal to experience feelings of sadness in […]

How can I deal with a stressful family environment? My family members constantly trigger my anger, and crosses my emotional boundaries (where my emotions are wasted trying to manage life at home). I’m saving to move out but that won’t happen anytime soon.

Hi, Thanks for sending in your question. I understand that it can be very hard to deal with family especially when they […]

How can I get over the jealousy, anger, and frustration that my older sister has a bedroom that is probably twice the size of mine and has her own bathroom while my little sister and I have smaller rooms and have to share a bathroom??

Hello, Thank you for your question. It can be really frustrating to see your siblings have luxuries that aren’t available to you […]

Do you have any supports that speak Spanish?

Hi there, Thanks for emailing us! We do have some volunteers who speak Spanish but we cannot promise that these volunteers will […]

How can I choose to stay alive over choosing to kill myself?? I’m having a really hard time seeing the point in living, please help!!

Hello, First, I want to start by saying that we take thoughts of suicide very seriously, and I want to make sure you […]

CONFIDENTIAL CHAT

You ask… ConnecTeen answers.

If you have a question, or want information you can’t find here, ask a teen volunteer today!