Struggling with anxiety and parents not believing me

[aj127]

cw: mentions eating struggles, anxiety and intrusive thoughts.

I'm 15 years old and have been struggling with anxiety for years. I have had counsellors and a therapist diagnose me with quite severe anxiety but my parents do not believe it. I have panic attacks often and am struggling with stomach pains when I eat that are possibly anxiety related. I am also overly fixated on my weight and am struggling to get help, I'm stuck in a cycle of eating well and then not enough and thinking I need to gain weight and thinking I need to lose it.

Although my parents don't believe me about the anxiety they try and help me by asking what I would like to eat and buying snacks I like and that are healthy to help me with eating. They seem to think I only feel like this because of covid and social isolation and assure me there is nothing wrong with me.

I've also been struggling with intrusive thoughts and thoughts of self-harm when I mess up or remember an embarrassing moment but I'm not sure how to tell them about this. I also really can't see the school counselor as I've heard if you mention self-harm or eating struggles they tell your best friend, your year advisor, and your parents, I don't need things to be talked about by so many people.

I'm just wondering is this an eating disorder or anxiety? I get pain while I'm eating am struggling to eat because of it.

[Sophie_M]

Hi aj127, 

Thank you for joining the forums and for sharing how you are feeling today. It can be really hard to talk about our thoughts when they turn to self-harm so we hope that you can feel proud of reaching out for support. Anxiety, panic attacks and eating disorers are complex feelings to be having and we are sorry that you are facing this right now. Thank you again for being brave and having the courage to share your story, you never know when someone else will read this and feel less alone in their own thoughts. 

We are concerned about these thoughts of self-harm and we think it wouuld be great for you to give us a call on 1300 22 4636 to talk them through. Our team will be there to listen and no judge. They understand how hard this is and only want to help. 

You can also call our friends at KidsHelpLine on 1800 55 1800. They get what it is like to feel like this at your age and are also kind, understanding and caring. 

Sometimes its hard to talk, so you can also give webchat a go here:

Beyond Blue webchat
Kidshelpline webchat
Lifeline text chat 
Lifeline webchat

If you want to talk to someone about eating disorders who can help you figure it all out, you ucan try The Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673 or their webchat.

It can be hard to talk to the school counsellor but we also really reccomend you do this. You can talk to them before you start about who they will talk to about it and who you would like them to tell. Sometimes, professionals are requried to share information if they are concerned for your safety - but this won't be with your friends if you don't want it to be. 

Please feel free to let us know how you are going and update us on this thread. Thank you again for being brave and sharing your story. We are here for you if you need us. 

Kind regards,
Sophie M

[Petal22]

Hi aj127,

Wellcome to our forums!

Im so sorry you are feeling this way I understand it would be difficult for you.

I understand anxiety and intrusive thoughts I suffered with this my anxiety was severe I was diagnosed with OCD I have now recovered thanks to the help I received from health professionals.

Im sorry that your parents don’t believe you about your anxiety.

Have you been able to talk to your parents about your stomach pains?

[smallwolf]

Sorry to hear what you are going through and the issues associated with your parents. I you allow me to make one suggestion I would get in touch with Kids helpline using one of the links from Sophie_M reply. I am sure they will be able to give you helpful advice on what to do to move forward.

And if it helps any, writing here can help.

Also being able to write your thoughts somewhere

Oh... and if you have a phone there are apps you can install to help you. And there are books as well. If you are interested in any of these please let me know.

Tim