do your family know?

[kirstielu]

my husband knows but that is as far as it goes , i havent got a mum or dad ,i have four kiddies and dont want them to know , to the outside world i am a livley outgoing woman who likes to have a laugh , on the inside im a wreck and its very lonely !

[magic girl]

all my family know including aunts and uncles,im quiet open about it as its so common i don't think we should be ashamed about it.my family are really supportive even though they dont fully understand but i see it as my job to educate them,iv even told my sons teachers and they have been so supportive allowing me to pick him up earlier so i dont have to face standing in the playground with all the other parents

[gaz1983]

They know the basics like I suffer from panic attacks but not the extent to which these attacks have sometimes affected me if they had id probably be free of attacks by now

[hopeless]

I think that feeling able to be open and talking and admitting ones anxiety panic, fears etc can be a bit of a generation thing..My parents who are now in their late seventies have never used the word anxiety and i am not even sure that they know what the word means because people just never talked about subjects such as this.I never realised until i grew up and left home that my mums nervousness and my dads moods and agressive episodes were infact their anxieties.. I always thought that my mum was just a nervous wreck and my dad was a miserable bad tempered so and so..Its only in the last few yrs after suffering several debilitating episodes of anxiety that my parents/family do know because they have seen me at my worst. Strange thing is though they still do not seem to recognize or admit to having anxieties themselves and my dad has even made comments such as i do not know where she gets it from.. Hey ho there is no such thing as a perfect parent but an undersatnding one is worth their weight in gold..

[margaret jones]

Dear Mummy
Please try and find a way to tell your family and friends , you will feel so much better and prob less panicky when the know .

I took to long to tell mine and it delayed my recovery , and caused loys of arguments with me and hubby .
I dont think he understands why or how i feel but i am afraid that is his problem i need to get myself better and if telling my family helps thats what i had to do

Take Care Margaret
Hope you enjoy Disney i have been 3 times

[BunnyMazonas]

Weirdly enough my in-laws know, but my own family doesn't. I'm close to my family, we're very open about stuff and I've never felt unable to talk to them, but for some reason I just can't bring myself to talk about this. Part of it, I know, is my mum. She's very loving and tends to worry - if she knew what I was going through it would be hard for her - she's living in another country so couldn't physically be there and would want to. She's financially very strained right now - can't even afford a phone line - so would not be able to keep in touch and would worry constantly. She'd probably want to try and support me more (as much as my partner tries to help, him being unemployed and me being the sole income source is a strain) but there is no way she could financially cope. Its hard, because I want to talk to her, but I don't want to cause needless hurt.

[bellabessnjet]

My husband told my Mum and Dad, when I was at rock bottom. I can only say what I had was similar to a mini-breakdown, I was sobbing my heart out, getting more and more panicky because I didnt want my son to see, My husband put me in bed, and then rang round. I was quite angry but also touched as he doesnt get on well with my Dad. After hed rang them thats when I stated getting their support, I'm glad he told them because he told them how I was, not the picture I presented to the world. So maybe thats a way around the problem.
All the best
Angela

[paulcooper02]

My mum knows and to be honest she does my head in. I tried to take my own life just before Xmas and my mum lives in Spain. for the 1st few weeks after the "event" I cut myself away from everyone, including phone calls. Now I have started communicating with people again, but my mum keeps calling me everyday and telling me "we will get through this", no mum these are my problems and I will get through it. I know she means well and she is worried about me, but boy its hard. I did have a GF before I did what I did and she couldn't cope with it, so she ended it with me, so maybe that's another reason why mum is being like she is.

[Alicat]

[QUOTE=paulcooper02;599930] my mum keeps calling me everyday and telling me "we will get through this", no mum these are my problems and I will get through it. QUOTE]

Paul, I know it's hard and you don't want people taking over but you don't have to do it alone and if people are there to support you, I'd take the support. But that's just my advice x

[mummy4]

wow thats so much for all your replies!

fishy, thats the sort of thing my dad and bro would say!

kirstie, you described me!

its odd as i feel too ashamed to tell my mum but at the same time i think theres nothing to be ashamed of. its such a hard situation. no one knows apart from my hubby.
i remember when i was 17/18 and i was out with my mum a few times and i remember 'feeling faint' (as always) and having to leave the shops. i remember being in asda and saying to mum im scared as i feel really dizzy and she said quick lets go and sort of held me up as we walked out the store fast. as time went on she would ring me and say do you fancy going here or there and i would always say no and my dad would be in the background saying 'get on out you recluse' :( this really upset me and has always stuck in my mind.
when i was 18 1/2 i went to my doc and he prescribed anit ds and i told my mum this and she said dont even bother taking them silly things but i did but as far as she knows iv= have never touched one and have been on and off them ever since! also around this time i spoke to my health visitor who suggested i tell my mum so when she left i rang mum and said mum i have been having panic attacks and she said ill be round in a min when she turned up she asked why i been getting them i said i dont know and its never ever been mentioned again! just feel very sad and lonely inside and like i have no support and would not even know how to approach her now to tell her x