My 16 year old daughter is usually bright, bubbly, smart, funny, has a great bunch of friends, not a care in the world. It all crashed down 2 weeks ago when she had her first panic attack. She ended up in hospital due to chest pains. Tests ruled out a physical cause. Since then she’s had daily attacks.
She has had the stuffing knocked out of her. There is no joy, no happiness, no motivation. She is embarrassed and angry about why this has happened to her. She can’t eat, she cries all the time. She is a straight A student who is watching her grades slip away because she just can’t find the energy to do anything. This is making her more anxious.
She doesn’t want people at school to see her like this. She wants to be “normal” again but can’t see a way out.
She has spoken to her school counsellor. She’s spoken to the Beyond Blue counselling line. She’s seen her GP, who has ordered blood tests to rule out any physical cause like iron level or thyroid. It will take a week for results.
I’m lost as to how to help. Every day that goes by she is getting worse. It’s like a switch has been flicked off inside her and I don’t recognise her now. She’s lost her essence, her spark, in an instant. She says her mind and body have betrayed her and it’s like she’s just given up.
Anything that will help her will take weeks or months and I don’t think we can wait that long. We’re both just so sad.
