Hi, I'm Haley. I guess you can say that my story is not like most peoples. As my hell wasn't in school, it was in my home. I never really was the center attention of bullying in school. Actually, I glorified the hours I was in school. School days were great, I had a friend, decent grades, and always a smile on my face. But, when I would leave my sanctuary to enter my home, my smile would turn upside town. I was a victim of verbal bullying by my own mother. She would call me horrible names. It was almost as if I wasn't wanted by her, that I was a huge mistake, if I wasn't around, not even my mother would care. I mean, she provided me for all of my essential needs like food, water, shelter, clothing, but something was always missing. As the story goes, one thing leads into another. After realizing the hatred my mother had towards me, I began to question what I was doing wrong and slowly started hating myself. I hated everything about me. Everything. I would never leave my room but when I would for obvious reasons, I'd be tormented and harassed by my mother because of how "fat" I was, or how "dirty" I looked, or how "stupid" and "worthless" I was.  It came to the point where I was willing to hurt myself in hoping of taking the pain from the inside and focusing it on the outside. School was now a place I'd never want to go to. My only friend, in which I shared everything with, moved across the country. I was alone. Scared and alone. Scared that I would end up doing something so horrible to myself. Scared that my mind would eat away at me and fuck me over. Scared that my mother would not only insult my appearance but now my mental state. No, I never got help, and I regret that so much. I would go to school everyday, with a smile on my face, and come home to a selfish, penurious mother. Finally, I had enough and did the best thing I could for myself. I confronted my mother. I told her how I felt and how she ruined me. She didn't take my "bullshit" the first time, but after the next couple of times, she opened her mind to it. Now, my mom and I's relationship has never been stronger. Although she still does have those breakouts where I'm once again worthless and fat, but she's still working on it. I'm so proud of my mom. I never thought I'd be able to face her the way I did and I never thought I'd be able to call her my best friend. Please, do yourself a favor and get help. If you're experiencing the same thing I went through. Get help. See your guidance counselor and/ or just confront your parent or guardian head on. I know that if I had never told my mom about the way I felt, I wouldn't be here today writing my story, living my life. You are loved. It may not seem like it, but you are. Please don't let bullying take you down. You are stronger than that. God bless.

-Haley.