Am I justified in being upset?

[garbhach65]

I've been really depressed lately because of the situation with my dad. He's suffering from a severe head injury and my mom and stepdad are suing him for full custody of me. It's been a very stressful time and I confided in one of my friends about it. My friend ends up telling other people about me and this one guy that bullies me found out and now I'm getting picked on by him because of my dad's situation. He said really hurtful things about my dad being retarded and how he should be locked away somewhere. They he called me a bastard because my parent's were never married and now that my dad is sick I'm fatherless, etc. I was really hurt by these comments. I asked my friend why he told and he said he only told one person and that I shouldn't be mad at him for it getting around school. I think I have the right to be mad about me. I told him something personal in confidence and he should've kept it to himself. Am I justified for being upset?

[tate8]

yep u have a right to be mad....i would be if i were u....

[therron57]

I don't blame you for being upset at your friend, but that kid who bullies you could have found out those details about your personal life in other ways. He might have even heard it from his parents, who heard it from someone who knows your parents. So honestly, this might not be totally your friend's fault... though I wouldn't share confidential information with that particular friend in the future. Some people, however well-meaning, just suck and keeping things to themselves.

I'm so sorry you're doing through this, and I know it may not help much to say this because I know how awful bullies can be (I've been there, I know how it feels), but that kid who is saying bad things about your dad is ignorant and immature and you should try not to let him get to you. Some day that kid will be a grown man and will look back on his teenage self and how he's behaving now, and he'll be embarrassed that he was such an idiot. He'll hopefully also feel really bad about the things he said to you, because someday he'll have a sick parent and he'll understand first-hand how scary it is to worry about where your parent is going to live or die. In the end, his father might die many years before yours does, and he won't wish that pain on anyone. Life makes most of us mature and grow up eventually... some of us faster than others. You just happen to be facing adult stuff sooner than he is, so you understand some things quite a bit better than he is currently capable of.