Dear Abby: Dear Abby: Teen grieves alone after secret miscarriage

DEAR ABBY:

I'm 15. I have dated since I was 12, but never told my parents and sort of went out of my way to hide it from them. I had sex when I was 13, but was always careful about using birth control. I'm on the pill and always use condoms. I got pregnant anyway, five months ago. I always had irregular periods, so I didn't realize it until two months ago. I was scared out of my mind, but I was planning to tell the father and my parents. Then early last month I got a terrible pain. I went to the clinic and had a miscarriage. I only told a couple of people, and none of them can ever know how I'm feeling. I can't tell my parents, and I have no idea how to tell the father. Please help me.

- Lost and Alone in Wisconsin

DEAR LOST AND ALONE: I urge you to talk to a trusted adult who can listen and support you, because going through all of this alone is doubly hard.

Remember that grief is a natural response to a miscarriage. Don't make light of it or deny the feelings. The length of time it takes to process them is different for everyone, but you should feel better as time passes.

If you decide to tell the father, understand that he may need to grieve, too. He may not be able to express his emotions the same way you do, but communicating your feelings may help both of you to cope.