General Topics Anxiety problems

[Dapplesky223]

Hi everyone, nice to meet you all
I'm new, and I'm not sure if this is the right place to post about anxiety issues since I couldn't find an anxiety forum.. I'm a teenager who has an anxiety disorder. I would like some advice. I have been having anxiety for some time now, and the most recent attack made me realize that it's been steadily getting worser rather than gradually disappearing like I thought it was. I saw a clinical psychologist about this. After the consultation, I think I know what could've caused this anxiety in the first place. I believe it was because i did a test about schizophrenia predisposition in the past and the results were positive. ( people who daydream a lot, dissociate a lot, act eccentric ) I believe this was an unresolved issue for me, which slowly grew worser as time passed. All of my triggers were related to mental illness, so I believe that this may be it. I've always been a pretty wierd person who daydreams a lot, has eccentric interests, and was prone to depressive thoughts. This never bothered me because I just thought I was unique. But after reading about predispotion to schizophrenia and doing a test on it which yielded positive results, my view of myself changed drastically. I told myself to get over it, but I guess I never really did, since anything mental illness related that I can identify with in some way triggers anxiety within me ( ex: scared of getting sleep paralysis, I know it's not a mental illness, but it's the hallucination component of it that scared me at the time I think)
Last year I experienced Sometging extrmemly unsettling. It was like an intrusive thought thst kept repeating itself for the whole night. It was a phrase of a song that I had been listening to in repeat. This had never happned before when I listen to songs that I love on repeat, and it was frightening too because it lasted the whole night and I felt like I was going mad. My axniety got triggered again and for half a year, I felt terrible.
I went to a youth mental health clinic, and they diagnosed me with severe GAD. But the therapy didn't work out for me. Right now I'm feeling slightly better, but I'm reluctant to listen to music and I have lost a great amount of confidence in my mental health. I really thought that I was recovering from anxiety. But like I said before, I think my anxiety stems from the fear of being predisposed to a severe mental illness. I want to see a psychiatrist to discuss my fear with. The clinical psychologist I saw said that I should, and I think that it will be good for the long term as well. The problem is that it might be hard getting a referral from my family doctor. Since I'm not psychotic, and my anxiety is currently at the moderate range, my case might not be serious enough to warrant a referral. I live in B.C. Has anyone encountered a problem where the family doctor might not refer you to a specialist? What do you do? Do you try to convince him or her to refer you? This is my only chance to talk to a doctor and probaby get some help that will lift a large amount if burden off my shoulder. My parents aren't very supportive or sympathetic. It's the fear that i am predisposed to a severe mental illness that triggered everything.
Thanks, sorry if this is the wrong place to post it.

[AJ]

Welcome to the forum Dapplesky223. This is the perfect section to introduce yourself, but don't worry about which section you post to.

When you went to the mental health clinic did you see a psychiatrist? You have every right to ask to be referred to one. If your current family doctor won't refer you, see if you can get the mental health clinic to refer you. You don't have to be severely mentally ill to get a referral, and GAD can be very difficult to deal with. The fact that some of your anxiety has to do with concerns about mental illness and you have GAD are reasons enough to be referred.

When is the last time you had a physical? It's always a good idea to have one. Things like anemia and low thyroid can affect mood. It's always good to eliminate those as factors as playing a role in your mental health.

I'm sorry to hear that your parents aren't very supportive. Unfortunately some people don't take mental well being as seriously as they do physical well being.

Did you take the test on line? The trouble with on line tests is they're very limited. Even seeing a psychiatrist is no guarantee of a correct diagnosis. Sometimes it can take awhile and several diagnosis later to get the right diagnosis. Mental illness is not like many physical illnesses. There are many variables, hence the difficulty in an accurate diagnosis.

Persistence pays off. Unfortunately when we are not at our best it can be difficult to advocate for ourselves. Good for you for taking steps to get the help you need.

[paul m]

Hello Dapplesky223 and welcome. AJ has covered a lot already. I will add that schizophrenia, while it can be a scary illness, it does respond well to medication in some people and with other people it responds well to therapy.

As a generality , but not every time, the sooner it is treated the better. Perhaps the person best known for his long battle with schizophrenia is John Nash, who was in and out of hospitals for many years but went on to win a Nobel prize. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Forbes_Nash,_Jr.

As AJ has said, be persistent about seeking treatment. Take Care. Paul M

[Dapplesky223]

Thank you aj and Paul m for your help.
I did ask the mental health clinic if I can see a psychiatrist. They said I didn't need one because therapy would be enough. The clinical psychologist I consulted with said that it would be good if I speak to a psychiatrist. I think I should see one too. The gp I'm seeing says he has a background in psychiatry, but I feel like I should see an actual doctor to be sure. I hope he refers me to a psychiatrist. I'm not too keen on taking medications now when I'm still young. I feel like talking about the issue with the psychiatrist will help just as much. I have done physicals, the results were normal. So I guess it's actually mental illness.
I did the test online. im thinking of showing the results and some of the scholarly articles online that I found to the gp and the psychiatrist, so that I can get a clearer picture. The last time I went to the GP, he told me that I just have anxiety and depression. I understand that I might be overthinking too much, but I still want to see a psychiatrist to be sure.

Thanks for your help

[Fighting back]

Hi Dapplesky223,

Something about your situation rings a bell here. Maybe it's because of your relative youth. Where you have maybe 20 years under your belt, I maybe have 20 left. So often, I hear people of my generation say to those of yours something along the lines of just wait and see how tough life gets. There is a certain amount of truth to that, but I also felt rather anxious in my youth and with inevitable hindsight, I now often wonder if my life would have been better should my fears have been recognized earlier and dealt with before they became the problem they are today. I recall one particular incident where a study was advertised that was recruiting persons with symptoms of depression. I felt I had those symptoms and volunteered only to be told I was far too animated and engaged to be depressed. If only they knew what a mask I was putting on!

I too lived in BC for a time and I had a very supportive doctor there. By the way, a GP is an "actual doctor" although I think you likely meant to refer to a doctor who specializes. Whatever the background, the GP is an important part of the diagnosis and becomes the front line for the health care system. We all wish resources were unlimited, but this is the reality that the GP faces and they have the unenviable task of trying to get care to those who need it most. Sometimes, the GP may seem to ignore your symptoms. It may be a personal bias and that is why we must sometimes seek another opinion. Unfortunately, we also run the danger of developing symptoms born of our own determination that something must be wrong. It's a case of being careful of what you wish for, you just may get it! My sympathetic doctor in BC was left behind when I moved back to the prairies. Environment is an important part of your well being and I am one of those prairie chickens that just can't stand being hemmed in by those big unsightly piles of rocks! (It's true!). My current GP is a very good doctor, but when confronted with mental health issues, he will readily admit that he is not comfortable with the subject. Still, I have seen others receive help from this doctor and I know he will help should things become worse. My regret is that I may be missing out on a better quality of life should I receive more attention, but I also question whether or not it is equitable for me to expect this? For me, it becomes a question of selfishness.

I found your comment about the repetitive thoughts interesting. I think we all get stuck on that one song from time to time. Some people call it an earworm. Music can and should transmit thoughts and ideas. Recognizing the pattern and taking appropriate action is what Cognitive Behavior Therapy, (CBT), is all about.

All this perhaps sums up what is wrong with our health care system, particularly in the field of mental health. There can be so many triggers that will affect our well being and happening at an early age will affect you for years to come. Avoidance seems to be the easiest route for both the medical profession and those who suffer from the symptoms of depression and anxiety. I actually had one doctor advise me that "You don't want to go there" when I confided my concerns about my mental health. In hindsight, I now know that I have a genetic predisposition to anxiety and that I developed many behaviors that aggravated that predisposition to the point where I could no longer function effectively and safely. Medication was not an effective course for me, but CBT has been. That is not to say that I may not require additional help in the future, including possible medication and fortunately, I have enough of a support mechanism among family and friends that I stand a strong possibility of getting help when I need it. Of course, I am still capable of putting on a good act and that is where the CBT comes in. I must recognize the symptoms in myself and this has now become a lifelong obligation to monitor myself. So far, so good.