I would rather die then go though this

[Shammy]

I cant do this anymore.

I am in a constant state of anxiety and I hate it. I cant eat and I cant sleep anymore.

my parents just give me dirty looks and tell me to "snap" out of it. They threatened me today that if I dont get better soon they will be moving me back to their house (Most stressful thing I can think of, I hated it there)

I cant cope with their phone calls every day shouting at me that I should be shamed of myself because other people have cancer and THEY can cope fine and function normally so why cant I?

I keep getting told I am selfish and only thinking about myself (referencing to the fact I cant visit them or see them because of my extreme agoraphobia and anxiety)

I also keep getting told that because I am on medication I should be "fine"

I keep trying to explain how anxiety feels but they keep responding with the "other people have it worse"

Its making my life hell and honestly I just want to end it as soon as possible

[Janey86]

Hi Shammy,

I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this and that your parents are being so unsupportive. Telling somebody in your - our - condition to "snap out of it" and "people have it much worse" is one of the most counter-productive things anyone can do.

I obviously have no understanding of your relationship with your parents but they are obviously causing you a terrible amount of stress and heightening your anxiety. Is there any way you could take a "time out" from their threatening phone calls? Do you have any understanding friends you could talk to? We're here to help you get through it.

[luc]

Hi Shammy,
Ditto, ditto, ditto to what Janey86 is saying!

Lucia.

[MyNameIsTerry]

Hi Shammy,

I also find the "other people are worse off" argument quite annoying. Yes, there are people coping with cancer but lets face it...their situation is far more favourable than those in developing nations that are in states of unrest. Cancer is also only one of many conditions that can cause death. Look at the situation in Iraq!

So, if someone says this to me I tend to point out that the world is full of bad things happening if they want to go down that route.

I find this issue hard to advise on because it's all about education and some people are set in their ways and will never understand. You could try pointing them in the direction of Time For Change where there are stories of those suffering from mental health conditions. I would suggest you contact your GP immediately if you feel you could harm yourself due to all this. You can always call such as The Samaritans who are trained to deal with these situations and I'm sure could offer advice on coping with family members with these views which they must see often.

You really have to experience these disorders to understand how ever the strongest person in the world can be reduced to a wreck unable to do the most simple things in life.

[Zodiac]

Echoing everything that has been said. It's very hard to explain to others how we feel, especially to those close to us. I have had 'tough love' comments like you, and they are not helpful.

But please know that you can get through this. It is hard, but everyone here on this forum understands, is going through what you are going through, or has conquered this illness. We are here to help. Please keep talking to us, to your GP, to sympathetic and supportive people. It's bloody hard at times I agree. I feel that I am physically trembling all of the time and I hate it. But I won't let it beat me.

Take each day at a time, have you tried meditation? I am going to start it today as I have read so much about its benefits and how it can help turn off the constant chatter. Try it with me. You CAN do this x