I had a panic attack in front of my parents and know they know about my anxiety

[GreysAnatomyFan]

I have had anxiety for a few years and recently it has gotten so bad to the point of panic attacks. After a panic attack in front of my parents they wanted me to go see a GP. This increased my anxiety and I started to pick at my nails as well as getting heart palpitations and a sickening feeling constantly. Finally when I got to the appointment I started to cry and could not stop I think I may of had another panic attack. The doctor was really nice and handled it very well so I was not overly embarrassed. I did get worried when she started talking about my thyroid and getting me to get a blood test.

What does the blood test show? Could my anxiety be caused by a medical condition? And what is the doctor going to do when we meet next?

[Sophie_M]

Hey GreysAnatomyFan,

Wishing you a warm welcome to the forums, we are so grateful that you decided to join us here. We know it can be really difficult to write the first post, so thank you for having the courage. We're so sorry to hear that you've been feeling really overwhelmed and experiencing panic attacks, but we're glad to hear that you've confided in your GP about what's been happening for you. We're sure that a lot of our community members will relate to these feelings and hopefully some of them will pop by soon to offer you words of advice and support.

If you feel it may be helpful, you might also like to reach out to an organisation called Headspace, which is specifically for young people aged 12-25 and they offer a wide range of services including group programs which are a great opportunity to meet people. They also have a group chat on their webpage. The friendly counsellors at Kids Helpline are also available 24/7 to talk through these feelings with, and may be able to help answer some questions that you might have. Please feel free to reach out anytime on 1800 55 1800 or through their online chat which is also available 24/7: https://kidshelpline.com.au/

We hope that you continue to reach out here on your thread and keep us updated on what you're feeling and experiencing, whenever you feel up to it.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi GreysAnatomyFan

Thank you for reaching out and sharing this with us. I'm sorry that you've been having these panic attacks but at the same time I'm really glad your parents were supportive and your GP too.

The irony isn't lost on me on you being a Greys Anatomy fan and worried about medical conditions 🙂 It can be the best show but seriously the worst in making us worry.

To answer your question though, that depends on what things she tested. Thyroid changes can cause anxiety, as can other things - if you did have a thyroid problem more than likely it would probably just be a script (medication) of some sort. Your GP is really going to know more, but there's so so many simple solutions now that if there was something not quite right with the bloods, it's highly likely there's an easy explanation.

If not- your GP might want to talk to you about how you can manage your panic attacks. Typically that's a therapist but there are lots of self-help options to try. It's okay too to ask them all the questions - while you might be the patient you can also be in charge of your treatment.

Hope this helps!

rt