Looking for answers

[jaciecasper]

My name is Jacie and I am 17 years old. I have been struggling with anxiety for the past few years without knowing what it was until about just one year ago. I tried medicine and it stopped working so I stopped taking it. I am on here because I was hoping that other people with anxiety would understand where I am coming from. When I have a severe anxiety attack, it feels like I can’t breathe. Lately I just feel like I am not strong enough to overcome anxiety. I am so sick and tired of dealing with this mental disease. People who don’t have this illness do not understand what it feels like inside when a panic attack occurs. It feels like the end of the world (not exaggerating). At the age of 17, I hate that one small mental illness can cause setbacks in daily life. I just don’t understand why I have to have anxiety and other people don’t. I think at this point I’m just angry with life and I don’t know what to do anymore.

[Dabela]

I Jacie, I'm sorry you are struggling with such bad anxiety. I know what that feels like. I have been struggling with it as well. I'm sorry the medicine has stopped working for you. I used to give up on medicine too when it stopped working and sometimes the dosage needs to change or another medication can be added. Maybe you can talk to your doctor and let them know it hasn't been working for you and they can adjust it. I relate to how you feel about not being strong enough to overcome it and how tired you are of having to deal with this. I look at other people and I get angry because I don't understand why me. I see other people living there lives and being "normal" and I just want that so bad. It can fill me with so much bitterness and anger and I feel like what's the point of trying I'm never going to be like that. I do think you are wrong about one thing though. This is no "small" illness. It takes a lot out of us. It can bring our daily lives to a halt. And it takes great strength to carry on. I know you are angry and I know you don't know what to do anymore but you are here. And that alone took a lot of strength and courage. I don't have an answer as to "why us", but I can say you are not alone. You are in a good place with people who understand and won't judge. And if you ever need or want someone to talk to please know I am here.

[Hidden]

My panic attacks started when I was twelve. It got to a point where I had to leave school because of them. I eventually became agoraphobic and completely home bound for fourteen years. My parents could not afford to pay a doctor to come to the house to help me. They wanted nine hundred dollars per session. My parents bought me every conceivable self help book they could find. This was back in the 1990s. They also bought relaxation cassette tapes. That’s right cassette tapes. They hadn’t put them on CD yet. Gosh I feel old now. Anyway long story short through reading and applying what I learned I was able to overcome my panic disorder. I no longer get panic attacks. I am almost forty. My advice to you is don’t give in to the fear of getting panic attacks. Don’t avoid the situations and places that cause them. Your world will shrink till you become homebound. Trust me you don’t want that. You have to take the time to learn about yourself. Learn about what self talk you tell yourself. Then challenge the self talk. Their is no easy way to overcome panic disorder. The old saying no pain no gain holds true. You have to face the panic attacks. That is the surest way to overcome them. For example: You are in a social situation and start to notice you are having panic symptoms. Instead of leaving the situation completely you retreat and regroup. You then re-enter the situation. You have to show them who’s the boss.