This is a great thread, thank you for making it 
this is going to be longgg
I want to be a kid. I was a young carer, abused and bullied until I was 12, and then as a result of that, I got mental illnesses and my childhood has been completely stolen from me. I’m so different to all my friends. I’d never been to a theme park, I’ve never done a jigsaw puzzle, I’ve never had nutella, I’d never been anywhere with my family. All the little things that my friends took for granted, I never did because instead I was at home being screamed at. I missed an entire academic year of school because of my mental illness. I’ve missed so much of this year too. I want to be able to go to school, go out with my friends, eat whatever I want, laugh, smile, do gymnastics again, do ballet again. But I can’t. I have to grow up so fast and I’m scared that I won’t ever be able to be a kid, ever. I want my childhood back. Everyone complains about homework and boring classes but I would do almost anything to have that normal life like everyone else. But instead, I’m screaming and crying at home, or in hospital under constant supervision because I tried to end my life again. I’ve missed shows and performances, had to quit the sport that I loved with all my heart, I’ve hurt my family because I was blind with pure heartbreak and depression and lashed out, physically and emotionally. Every time I take a shower I scream and cry because of my chronic illness. I’m staying up all night having panic attacks or scratching at my skin until there’s blood all over the sheets because my stupid skin has an allergic reaction to any type of water. And then I cry about it and my skin reacts to my tears. I don’t even know what people my age do. I don’t know how to be normal. I wish I did.