I Don’t Care is living a lie. I Don’t Care pretends that nothing matters because apathy seems more appealing than the crushing disappointment that will come from trying and failing… failing to do well in school, failing to have good friends, failing to feel accepted by parents, failing to achieve self-respect. There can be many reasons for I Don’t Care to have given up hope. Whatever the reason is, I Don’t Care uses this apathetic exterior to guard against facing those painful feelings. I Don’t Care will often use things like video games, social media, drugs and sex to help avoid dealing with life.

A counselor at Child & Teen Counseling first builds trust with I Don’t Care in order to create that safe place to face the uncomfortable feelings that I Don’t Care is trying to avoid. I Don’t Care will eventually recognize that the more I Don’t Care hides from those feelings, the more they will hurt I Don’t Care… creating a horrible cycle of avoidance and self-hate. The healthier option is to face those emotions with support to overcome them through self-acceptance and build the confidence to be more present in life.