How do I tell my stepmother?

Whew, that's a tough one...I don't know what to say, right off the bat, so I'm going to have to think about it for a few minutes. . . Okay, first things first--I don't really see where your uality is any of your stepmom's business. Do you feel a need to tell her, maybe to get her to open her mind up a little bit or something? (Because if I were you, I would keep it to myself--this is the sort of thing that tends to change once you are out on your own, anyway--trust me, it does!!) I would absolutely tell her about the threats you are receiving at school. This is something that an adult should deal with for you. (She ought to contact the school & report this & demand some action on it, against the people threatening you & also protection for you!) & everyone thinks they are fat when they are a teenager, and for the most part, they are right: I mean that in puberty & adolescence, it is normal & healthy to put on a few extra pounds--this will drop off when you leave your parent's house, trust me!! (Partly because you won't have access to all the groceries that you do now, and partly because once you get out in the real world, without your parents to hide behind, you start to take things like body image, etc, alot more seriously) You also need to get some counseling, to work on the issue of cutting yourself--I don't understand this phenomenon, for real--I never heard of it when I was your age (about 30 years ago--OH GOD I'M OLD!! When did that happen?) But I'm sure if it had been more prevalent back then, I would have been doing it, because I was the poster child for a screwed-up teenager in the 70's. However, from what I have heard & read, I realize that it is very common among teenage girls these days, and used as a way to release pressure, am I right? (BUt you need to stop--talk to someone, your stepmom first, then possibly a counselor or someone life that? Talking is a much better & safer way to release tension, don't you think? Really, I think you just need to be honest with your stepmom--she is an adult, which means that presumably she has had more experience of life than a teenager, and I would hope that she loves you enough to keep an open mind about what you are going to tell her. Have a little faith in her, and in yourself, too (You sound like a good, open-minded, honest, intelligent person to me, and I would be proud to have someone like you for a step-daughter) Maybe you should preface your talk with her by telling her that you love & respect & admire her, and tell her why you feel these things, (because it is clear to me that you do) and tell her that you are having some problems & you need some advice. (But I wouldn't neccessarily tell her about your uality at the same time--#1, it's really none of her business, is it? & #2, it's not germane to the issues, which are the bullying & the fact that you are cutting yourself. One last word of encouragement: teenage years are supposed to be confusing & difficult & all that--it's partly just due to puberty, and partly (I think, anyway!) to prepare you for the stress of the real world that lies ahead of you, but if you are already feeling so stressed that you need to cut yourself, I really think you ought to get some counseling from a professional to help you learn how to deal. & don't feel like you have to settle for the very first therapist you talk to--shop around until you find one that you truly feel is simpatico with you, ya know? GOOD LUCK!!