Where I stand

[Prue_2002]

I am 12 years old and had a border line of anxiety for my whole life, but since year 4 I have had it really bad. For example I could not go outside without a parent or go to the kitchen ect. I told many family members and been to many counsleirs, I am better know but still have it and still have many battles in a day that I might lose but I know that I am going to win the war... They were my thoughts a few months ago. But knows I look in the mirror and see no Beauty or no sparkle in my eye. I feel slow but surely I am heading back down the dark path again. I try and try but it gets harder when friends ditch you, I know what to do but I wanted to get it off my chest thank you for letting getting my thoughts out but I would like a few pointers and how to get more self confidence.:)

[Francesco]

Hi Prue,

Welcome and well done for seeking help here 🙂

I have also had anxiety since about year 4 as well so I understand the feeling that its been around for ages. I am glad that you are doing better than you have. Yes those battles can be quite challenging but I applaud you for continuing to try hard. that shows that you wont give up without a fight.

Please dont see these negative thoughts as a sign of you ging back a down path. You mentioned you are losing friends, that would make anyone upset so its normal to feel that. Why do you think those friends are going?

Confidence boosters - I like to list each day two good qualities about myself, then increase it by one each day and read them every morning and night.

Another booster is to start listing all the good things in your life that you really enjoy and maybe get creative eg. i made a collage of my favourite singers. 

You are very strong!!

Do you currently see a counsellor/GP?

[Felicity308]

Hi Prue,

Thanks for sharing and welcome to the forum.   I know that people who haven’t gone through something similar to you will probably never know how incredibly strong you are and how exhausting it is just to make it through each day. The fact that you have not let the anxiety beat you for such a long time should remind you of how truly strong you are and to be proud of the fight you have in you. I’ve had trouble with self-confidence as well so hopefully some of the things I tried help you to:  

• The main thing that always helps me is music, I have a playlist of songs that helps me to feel strong, happy and confident when I need it.  
• Try and write a list of things you’ve achieved and things you like about yourself. (I find this hard but it’s good if you can do it) Then keep it somewhere you can get it when you're feeling bad.  
• Write down how someone else that loves and supports you would describe you. Try and see yourself from their perspective. 

I hope that some of these work for you like they did for me. You’ve done such a good job dealing with this for so long!

Felicity

[kelalou]

Hi Prue_2002, thanks for reaching out here on the BB forums. As you can see you're not alone and there are lots of people who want to help you get through this, and keep fighting!

I loved some of the suggestions above to help you keep feeling confident and hopefully get that sparkle back in your eye 🙂

I learnt something really important this year after a particularly tough semester at uni. I learnt that sometimes you need to talk to yourself as if you would talk to a friend who is going through a tough time. Often, we are really good at supporting our friends, but then our inner voice turns on us and we give ourselves a rough time. Try to imagine what you would say to a friend if he or she was in this situation, and say those positive, uplifting thoughts to yourself as well. You already sound like an incredibly strong young lady, so keep the positivity going and you will only get stronger!

You are almost a teenager now and I do remember that around that age there can be some difficulty with friendships. Everyone is starting to change a little and your friendships will change. Its important to keep those friends who are important to you close to you! Sometimes it isn't about having lots and lots of friends, but having a few very close, very special friends. This is something you might notice will change as a teenager - it was the same for me!

Good luck and keep opening up to your family and close friends when you're feeling overwhelmed. They love and care for you and are there to help!