[Moxie.]

Hey there,

When I've skipped school, I generally just tell people that I wasn't feeling well or that I had an appointment. That being said, I definitely don't condone skipping school. I know how difficult it is to find the energy to get out of bed and do everyday things when depression kicks in, but it really is necessary. One thing that I've found to help me is to remind myself that if I give in and skip school, then I am letting my depression win and further control my life. Even though going to class can really suck sometimes, I do my best to put a positive spin on it and look at it as a victory. Perhaps you can come up with some kind of reward system for decreasing the number of days that you skip school. For example, if you only skip one day a week instead of two or three, treat yourself to an ice cream cone or a new shirt. Having an external driver can sometimes help give you the motivation that you need. If you go to school often enough, you'll eventually find the internal desire to do it as well.

As for your friend, I'm really sorry to hear that he broke your confidence. It sounds like this is a big reason for you continuing to skip school, so I would definitely advise talking to him about it. It's possible that he is telling people because he actually thinks that it will help to have more people know and be there to support you. I know I've encountered people like that. Regardless of his reasoning, it isn't okay for him to spread things you told him in private without his permission. Try talking to him about this and explaining how it is affecting you to have your business spread to people you don't want knowing it. If it turns out that he really was just trying to help, explain to him that you appreciate it, but that he needs to come to you next time before sharing what you tell him with anyone else. Perhaps you can provide him some suggestions of other ways he can be helpful to you. If, in fact, he was spreading your secrets to be malicious, I strongly recommend cutting him out of your life completely.

I hope this helped a bit. Feel free to PM me if you need anything.