am I normal?

[ana]

hello! I am an 16 year-old girl and I suffer from anxiety, which is a bit strange here in croatia. people are not supportive. no one exept my parents know about my problem. i am having panic attacks every day and i find it terrifying going to school every day. the stress is enormous. i soimetimes feel disoriented and very dizzy. i sometimes hear voices. i don't know what to do to stop my panic. do you have any tips? should I tell anyone? please help
ana

[Lottie32]

Dear Ana

Maybe when you know what normal is - you can tell us all! There is no such thing as normal, we are all individuals.

I think you will find there are many, many people in Croatia suffering from anxiety and panic. It is just that they do not talk about it. There is sometimes a stigma attached to anxiety and panic. Sufferers can be seen as weak or attention seeking, but let me assure you, it is perfectly normal. Most people suffer from some degree of panic or anxiety at some point in their lives. Unfortunately, some of us suffer like this for a lot of the time.

Please take your time and read the advice listed on this site (go to home and select a topic). There is a wealth of advice from healthy eating, to breathing exercises. These really do work.

Also check out he forums, you will see that you are not alone and that many people suffer from exactly the same symptoms that you do.

The main thing which you must never do is "give in". We all find it very hard sometimes to stay positive and to keep going. It is very easy to stop trying, but much harder to start again once you have stopped.

You have taken the first step to feeling better by realising you have a problem. Use the site to learn more about your condition, and ways to deal with it. There are also lots of books available which you can use to help yourself. I have two which I use a lot that help combat anxiety and panic, and give you exercises to do to overcome these feelings.

Do you have a sympathetic doctor? If so, book an appointment and discuss things with them. They may offer you drug therapy to break the cycle. There is a very good section on drugs and what they do, and how they work.

Some people find that telling others helps, some people prefer to keep it to themselves. I really think that it is your personal choice. But be careful if you do tell people that they are friends or aquanintances that you can trust.

Please do not feel alone - there are lots of us out there that know exactly what you are going through


Charlie

[HB]

hey ana! helen here, I decided to take a look at aome of the posts you wrote, i completely agree with most of what you are saying.
You are most definitely not alone, i've had panic attacks since i was little and i am still here still smiling (most of the time!). stay happy. x

H

[seh1980]

Hi Ana,
It must be difficult for you to be having panic attacks in a place where no one understands!! Especially when you have to go to school every day and face the world. I've been suffering since last summer and know how difficult it can be. If there's nothing available to you in Croatia, then try to log onto this website as often as possible. Panic attacks happen due to low esteem so I find that doing things that make me feel good about myself really helps.
Take care.
Sarah (seh1980)