Is there a worst case scenario??

It a fear of fear of the fear. Its fight or  flight mal functioning so you reside in the land of over survivor mode. Horrible place by the way. We all know that. Looking and assessing for danger. But there isnt any so you internalize it. Manifests a mess. Creates anxiety rules that do nothing but close in your world and push out happiness. Its a bully. Its a liar.

What are you doing to help yourself to challange this disorder? To retrain yourself to over ride it?  

I think you realize your worst case scenario is a lie. You are basing functioning miserably on a lie. So now what?  

 

Yeah, deep down, I know it's a lie. So when I feel the symptoms, I tell myself there's no reason to feel this way. Kinda mind over body. I feel like I've gotten better. I don't have a good support system, so I'm pretty much on my own (can't go to a therapist because my parents just think I WANT something to be wrong, so they won't take me. I can't go by myself as I'm 16.) I get relapses, but I work through them, mostly by distracting myself. I don't let it take control of my life. I do what my usual activities regardless of how bad it is. I guess that helps me.

Hi there,

This is something that has worried me. The AGE some of the members of the Anxiety Forum. Lord, there was a girl of TWELVE a few weeks ago, terrified to go anywhere in case she had a cardiac arrest.

Emerald, do you know, or have you any thoughts, on why such young people are having such terrible, disabling thoughts?

You sound like you'd like to see a therapist but are frustrated by your age and your parents' reluctance to accompany you.

What is happening here? All these young people thinking of these nightmare scenarios and dwelling on them, day in, day out?

It reallt puzzles me.

It has become epidemic with young teens. Also they dont even accept the term shy anymore. shy in my day has become a social anxiety disorder now. These labels are making these poor kids believe they are ill. Some of it is just as simple as finding your way and growing up. 

I blame the internet, the media and their  crappy reality shows and fake food these kids eat on whats happening. I saw the girl you were talking about. Its disturbing and scary. That i agree.

I think when i was twelve i was more focused how fast i could go if i tied a big wheel to someone riding a bike.i dont think i had any knowledge at all about pains or symtoms. Extremly different now.

Woah, a twelve year old? I never thought that something like this could happen to twelve year olds 😕 This must be hard for him or her because a LOT OF PEOPLE even people MY AGE dont take twelve year olds seriously. Whenever theh complain we're all like " you're like twelve" "you're like a baby go outside and play" we even call them "twelvies". It really sucks. I never bothered a twelve year old because we were ALL twelve at some point. Who is this twelve year old btw? Because i would love to help him or her out! And explain cardiac arrest and how i can feel empathy for them.

I wish that I could remember her user name, but I can't. you would be Very helpful to her.

She is absolutely terrified of having a stroke, a cerebral aneurysm or some other bleed in the brain, to the point where although her doctors and parents have told her to take more exercise (even though she is slim) probably to occupy herself........she just can't. She won't go to a gym in case she has a stroke.

At twelve years old, this is beyond sad.

You think of her as a child, Cristina, but she is only four and a half years younger than you, honey.

She has also got your ability to soak up medical information from the internet.

I wish it has never been invented! Having said that, it has many good uses. To be honest, I would not be without it now, even though I am sixty years old and have to call one of my children every now and again to ask what they think is a DUMB question - but I remember thinking that my parents were DUMB about videos etc. when they first came out.

Thaat is human nature. Are we going to get people younger than twelve years old with AD, especially concerning their health? Oh, I hope not so much.

Totally agree, as a mum, that many of the social media sites should either be shut down or not be available to young people.

But what do we do about all the medical information online?

As a still-working nurse, I do quite often look things up - but for my patients, not for me! Unless I get diagnosed with something I know little about, which has yet to happen, I only use it to check on symptoms and meds regarding my patients.

It is no secret that I have been addicted to benzodiazepines for forty years, until three weeks ago!!! I have been prescribed gabapentin, which somehow has switched off my craving for them. Amazing.

I am eternally concerned that young people are being prescribed Klonopin (clonazepam) and Xanax (alpraolam) and other benzos, especially in the US. In the UK it is difficult to get a prescription for these meds now.

And so we come, naturally, to the online drug sites. I have spent thousands of pounds over the years on these drug sites. Thankfully I no longer want to.

But gabapentin is also classed as addictive. However, it does not cause me to want ludicrously high doses of benzos any more and it keeps me totally calm. So, for me, as my specialist addiction doctor and I have agreed, it is a brilliant solution.

I am fascinated as to why a lot of drugs which were originally intended for something else, turn out to be life-savers for other things.

Gabapentin was originally manufactured as an anti-epilepsy medication!

Oh well. Rambling again.

I will look through my old messages and find this twelve year old for you, but it will take some time, because she posted several weeks ago. When I find her I will send you a PM, ok?

Being a teenager in the US is difficult. I dont know how it is in the UK. But when you're a teenager.. Maybe even a pre-teen.. Things start to change. And you experience so much peer pressure. Its like you feel like everyone around you is having fun and is doing something.. Meanwhile, im at home binge walking orange is the new black on netflix for the most part AND greys anatomy.

We have a LOT of labels here. Hot, ugly, fat, nerd, dumb, goody-too shoes and blah. Where i live.. Im considered a goody too shoes because i've never done anything like smoke.. Drink or have sex. I like to focus on my school work because im trying to get second honors at least in my junior year of high school. And i believe you're absolutely right!

Us teenagers tend to eat loads of junk food because the majority of us dont take our health seriously. But when we get to college.. Thats when it comes back to bite us back in the butt. We have what called the "freshmen 15". This is when you gain 15 lbs or more during your freshmen year in college.

The media has a BIG impact on teens. Especially girls. In America, we have extremely high beauty standards. Every girl is expected to be skinny, have big boobs, big butts, big blue eyes.. Long eye lashes etc etc. And its extremely depressing when you see these girls killing themselves or starving themselves or getting plastic surgery because they dont feel good enough and i happen to be a very insecure girl.. I never thought about killing myself! But i always had a low self esteem. This could be a problem for boys too. But they're taught not to cry or show any emotions about it or they would be labeled a "wuss" or a more vulgar word.

I think it has to do with the Internet. Lots of kids spend a lot of time on there. I guess when they don't feel well, they'll think looking on the Internet is more convenient than going to a doctor.

As for me, I think my anxiety started when I was around 10 I guess. My only fear was vomiting. Everything I did revolved around my fear of vomit. And I guess it just sorta progressed? Funny though, I'm not that afraid of vomit anymore. I mean, it doesn't plague my mind. I'm still scared of it though. Just not to the same extent.

And yeah, I'd kinda like to get help, but my parents are really iffy about that for some reason. My mom doesn't want me to end up like my depressed aunt who can't even function without meds. I'm like, THEN WHY DON'T YOU GET ME HELP NOW BEFORE IT COMES TO THAT. Not that it ever will. I'm determined not to let anxiety rule my life like it used to. I feel like I've gotten better control of my thinking, and I feel like my anxiety has gotten better.

Your mom doesnt realize this stuff is genetic as well. lucky her she doesn't have any if it. Hopefully youll be able to pick uo enough tips on here to give you some good advice and self calming tools. You seem like a bright person.

I've heard so many people on here being prescribed beta blockers for their anxiety alone. This sort of concerns me because beta blockers are meant to reduce heart rate and cardiac arrythmmias. I feel like when these people are prescribed beta blockers when they dont need it.. It could mess with their heart rythym. A lot of patients complain about how these beta blockers would make their heart palps ( if they already had them ) worse. So they end up taking magnesium instead. And they say magnesium completely does the trick! But peoples bodies are different and some people probably just dont react well to these medications. In fact... Some patients take beta blockers and have no problem with their hearts whatsoever and just go about their business.

The beauty standard thing is pretty true. However, I'm naturally really thin and am given a hard time for it. I guess because I don't have big boobs or butt. I've been told my clothes are too baggy for me (I need larger clothes for my height, but I'm very petite and have small shoulders and hardly any boobs to fill up the space in my shirts, no butt or hips to fill in my pants...). This generation seems so superficial to me, it's almost upsetting. Our peers will grow up and raise their kids to be just like them, assuming most don't grow out of that superficial malarkey.

Oh, and then people tell me that I have no reason to complain about getting crap for being thin because, well... I'm thin! Apparently I'm attractive. I'm like, sorry, I couldn't tell by the way people tell me how much I need a burger. Seriously, if I had a penny for every time somebody commented on my weight, I'd have enough money for all those burgers, lol. K, rant over.

Ah, you stir memories!

I can eat like a horse and never put on an ounce

I'm 5foot 3 with small boobs, no hips and a tiny butt.... used to get the same crap comments about being slender...but not so kindly worded, ignorance at it's best

Know what? My bmi is bang on. Healthy. I don't eat crap food but I do eat. I have a healthy appetite. I learned to respond, " You can't fatten a thoroughbred! "

Stopped them in their tracks

We live in a world of increasing obesity. Be happy that you are not overweight. Body fat is hard to shift and for many people, they face a life of struggling, and more often than not, failing to diet

I found it incredible when people commented upon my weight. The sheer bad-manners of it..yet no one would dare make a personal reference to someone overweight.

Be happy you are nice and slender. It is far healthier than being overweight.  Clothes look awesome on thinner people! That's why models have clothes hanger figures.

You don't need big breast like some cow. I breast fed both my sons, that's what breasts are for, not to flaunt for all to see.

You are not defined by the size of your mammary glands, a jutting butt or hips. Beauty is an illusion, in the eye of the beholder. As people we come in all shapes and sizes. all colours. We should embrace the differences not scorn them

And on a lighter note, when you grow older as I have, no flesh heads south, so to speak. You will have the same girlish shape you had as a teenager. Now,.I often get comments  on how good I look for my age...and it's not that I try to hold back the years by attempting to look young either..it's not that I'm pretty either. It's because I'm slim not matronly shaped

So you see, for every negative there's a positive!

Hold your head up, honey, be proud of who and what you are and to hell with the snide opinions of others who in all likelihood are secretly jealous

Hugs Helen

This is without doubt, the most interesting and useful discussion I have ever seen here.

We have people from the US and the UK posting, we have teens posting, we have mums and grandmas posting, and everyone is very open.

We haven't solved the problem of Health Anxiety but we have certainly explored it - and other things.

Cristina - regarding beta blockers - they are often prescribed in small doses, for short periods of time, for people who are afraid of flying, for example.

It is not usual for people in the UK to be prescribed them long-term for anxiety, although it is not entirely unknown.

Young doctors are told NOT to prescribe benzos. Maybe 10 days' worth at the most. They are supposed to offer support and therapy.

Older doctors here will be familiar with the dilemma that THEY caused the benzo addiction which people of my age daily struggle with.  So they are much more likely to issue prescriptions forever!

What a conundrum.........what do we do?

Aw honey

You shouldn't have low self esteem because you don't have to be one of the herd!

Pursuing so called "beauty" makes for a life of unhappiness at a time when life stretches invitingly before you, when you should be at your happiest.

Everyone looks the same these days!

Bleached hair, plastic breasts, yuk. everything hanging out on display.

Natural attractiveness is just that. A clever woman retains her individuality. She finds a hairstyle that makes the best of her features, subtle make up to enhance, clothes that look good not look 3 sizes too small. She stands out from the crowd not loses herself in it

Allure is just that. An illusion. The Barbie doll image is everywhere and believe you me, it is not attractive nor fascinating

A woman should look like a woman, make the best of herself, as opposed to attempting to emulate a plastic doll. Being "natural " is far more beautiful! Hair that shines, not bleached to a haystack.

Be yourself

It will make you far happier in the long run

You're so right ! But having big boobs and butts arents really a solution either, and its crazy because thats what society is looking for. Im a thin girl who has some bust and according to a lot of people i have a nice butt even tho I believe i dont have one 🙃 But its hard for me too because i can never find the correct bra size! And whenever i put a dress on my hips always end up tearing it or something... People tell me that i really skinny.. But thats waist wise lol. Im only 5'6.

I used to be pretty insecure, but I actually love my body now. I like having that ballet look as a result of my recent ballet obsession lol. The only thing, though, is that I still can't stand the stares and comments. So I usually wear long sleeves to hide my skinniness.

One time I was on a mission trip with my youth group. It was super hot, so I decided to be brave and go short-sleeved. So we were eating breakfast, and I got bacon (as I usually do since I'm not hungry in the morning). My friends all thought that was ridiculous and that I was starving myself just because I didn't want frickin five blueberry pancakes and hash browns for breakfast. They were all, "Please eat, you're so thin!" I refused because I felt stuffed after my bacon (I wasn't even hungry to begin with, but it's important to eat breakfast anyway). So they told the youth pastor that I wasn't eating. He sat down and told how unhealthy it is not to eat, and blah blah blah. I didn't explain myself because apparently there's no way around eating just four slices of bacon -.-

So I just said okay. The entire frickin week they monitored every meal I ate just to make sure that I do, in fact, eat.

Thank you for replying Helen! Its harder to be yourself these days.. Because one.. On instagram there is such thing as instagram models... Even tho they are not from a real agency.. And are only famous for being pretty. Lots of other girls see them and they knock our self esteems down.. Because everyone is like " you're so perfect!" "Can i be you?" And so on. Sometimes you'll see a girl get comments on her pictures full of heart eye emojis 😍😍😍😍 and stuff. Then you wonder gee why do all the boys want her? What does she have that is so fascinating that i dont have? You know?

And two.. No one seems to be satisfied with anything anymore. All these relationships and people are with the person that has everything they could ask for... Yet they STILL cheat !! You can never satisfy anyone in this generation.

Aw honey

Listen, we know our own bodies, nobody knows them better. We know when we are ill, tired, sad, happy, hungry...on and on

You don't have to "eat" to appease the opinions of others who decide your food intake is inadequate. Your tummy, your common sense decides that

It's very hard to ignore comments, stares and suchlike. It's very hard to have confidence in one's self when we are very young

But

You have to steel yourself to rise above it, to smile and let it all pass over your head.

You are you as you are, and being you as you are is the most important thing. It's not about how other perceive you. It's about being happy in your own skin, so to speak

Just be you

Be proud

You sound truly delightful. and I have no doubt that you are

Hugs Helen

That should tell you everything, that people still cheat

Artifice is superficial. It's all well and good, looking great on the outside, making one's self into something you're not. But if there's nothing going on in the inside, if one is obsessed by perfection, then it all goes pear shaped

All shadow, no substance

Being yourself is the path to being happy and confident as opposed to comparing yourself to some bubble headed bimbo whose only goal in life is to look like a porcelaine dolly, and finding yourself wanting

 

I must add, ballet is great! We had ballet lessons at school. It teaches one to stand correctly, is great for the muscles and legs..especially the legs. My legs have gained many, many nice comments over the years. Makes me blush to this day,  even thinking about it  I've still got good legs though I do say so myself

I used to be a ballerina when i was 3. I kept doing ballet on and off until i was 12. I also used to be a gymnast for roughly six years. But my mom took me out because i was complaining that i was tired and she ASSUMED that i didnt like when i actually loved it. It still breaks my heart to this day. My favorite part of gymnastics were the uneven bars! Those were fun. And my gymnast teacher was so nice!! 😭😭 she would give us stickers for effort everyday

It will stand you in good stead throughout your life, Cristina. You were doing this through your "growing years " the best time of all to strengthen bone and muscle and adopt a good deportment that will last forever