Born Anxious?

[Oddfish]

Most children get anxious and hysterical at times but I've been thinking (my favourite hobby:lac:) and I can certainly remember incidents from my childhood that weren't the general fits and tantrums of growing up.

One was at school when I went to the toilet and noticed
one of the wash basins was blocked and full of water with the tap dripping in it. I burst back into the classroom crying, panicking and hysterical, thinking the school was going to flood and everyone was going to die :scared15:

Another time one of the street lights in our street was broken and flickering. For some reason this made me hysterical. I could not stand it being 'wrong' and would not calm down until my mum had pretended to ring the council to come round and fix it.

Burglar alarms too. If one went off and the owners were out and it wouldn't switch off I'd start to panic - not at the thought of burglars, but because nobody could switch it off and stop the noise.

In general I was not a worrier as a child, but I can see the seeds of anxiety problems in these incidents, the feeling of things being out of control, ready to flourish in the future. Can anyone else relate?

[paulaf]

Thinking back, I definately recognise early signs of OCD, anxiety and even depression as young as very early childhood. I was always anxious about not being allowed to go to the toilet at school and remember my mum had to write a note to my teacher asking for her to ensure I was always allowed to go when I asked. OCD wise I remember having certain words and sounds I felt compelled to make and pulled out my hair in early teenage years. I have asked my Psychiatrist whether there is something chemically wrong with my brain and he said it could be this or it could be learned behaviour. Right enough my mum did have panic attacks when I was a small child and I remember her having to always sit near the door in church and things like that. So I really don't know but I have a strong feeling that in my case I have been born the way I am.

[Oddfish]

It's interesting as I can't remember learning this behavior either. If anything my parents were always trying to reassure me and never showed any anxiety. I've since discovered though that my mother has suffered panic attacks on and off and had a breakdown, and my dad has had depression and agoraphobia. Never knew this until a few years ago.

[Baggie]

This is an interesting question.

Although I'm not an overly anxious person, I realise that I have a tendency to feel anxious and, in my case, I think that it's been brought on by some events in my life recently that I've found difficult to come to terms with. Also, looking back, my mum was quite anxious and fretted a lot when I was little (and she still is very much a worrier), so some of it may be inherited or even learned, who knows? Both of my parents have a tendency to think negatively at times, it's just how it is. What I do know is that as a mum myself now, if I am feeling anxious about something, I try very hard not to 'pass' this on to my own kids. I try wherever possible to use humour or distraction while helping the kids to see things in a more positive light. Glass half full etc.. It takes a bit of practice but I'll keep at it. :D

[sketchyboots]

I had early signs of OCD when I was younger. My dad has OCD but doesn't acknowledge it. It could be an inherited thing? I was definitely born anxious and like you used to panic over flickering street lamps, lie awake for hours panicking about the size of the universe and think that aliens were in the garden -all sorts of little things. I have slight OCD now but am still a very anxious person - my dad is too. I think it is an inherited thing. Also if your parents keep telling you that everything is dangerous out there in the world etc, it can make you even more anxious. I'm 37 and haven't had any kids yet and won't until I get to grips with my nerves - I don't want to pass on the panic genes!!

[louiseevans222]

If youre trying to that you could be born with it, thats actually not true, probably something shocked you really bad as achild,something that you may not even remember,and it has affected you ever since, its defientely not a thing you are born with...

its not a part of you, you can actually get rid of your anxiety, by changing your mind and the way you think, because anxiety only comes from the mind...

check out the link below, powerful stuff

hope you like it :)

[absentia]

I remember reading that a stressed parent can produce a stressed child in their genetic make-up. Not sure how true this is, but you can imagine that if a pregnant mother is stressed it will almost certainly affect the development of a baby in some way since your body does not perform the way it should under stress.