Houille
Junior Member
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2016
- Messages
- 19
- Reaction score
- 2
Hello!
I started displaying signs of anxiety when I was a child, around 10 or 11 years old. I still vividly remember sitting in a darkened room with my classmates, listening to some radio show that was required for class, and I found myself feeling intense dread. I hyperventilated soon after, and that was the first time. It became more frequent as the years went on - during high school I would hyperventilate and have panic attacks at least four times a week, and no one really knew what was wrong with me. People kinda just assumed I was too sensitive and hysterical (and I started believing that myself too).
Things got worse when I turned twenty, I dropped out of university because anxiety had taken over my life. Everything made me nervous and panicky, I was filled with dread at the slightest thought of illness (perhaps it should be mentioned that I am a hypochondriac as well... nice combination!). I lost a lot of my friends because they couldn't sympathize with what I was going through - they thought I was just putting up a show to garner attention... I started having daily panic attacks when I was 21, we thought I might have a heart condition because I palpitated all the time... parents never took the thought that it might be psychological/mental seriously.
All of that was a result of growing up in an abusive home... and later on, in high school, being an outcast... (try growing up as a "white person" in the Philippines...)
I'm 24 now, it took me a lot of time in the past 3 years to get to where I am now. Used to feel like a cripple... couldn't even go to the mall alone. Now I'm going to university again, I have a small circle of friends, and I can travel alone without turning into a mess. I hope to share my experiences with other people and hope to learn from others, too. Thanks for reading
I started displaying signs of anxiety when I was a child, around 10 or 11 years old. I still vividly remember sitting in a darkened room with my classmates, listening to some radio show that was required for class, and I found myself feeling intense dread. I hyperventilated soon after, and that was the first time. It became more frequent as the years went on - during high school I would hyperventilate and have panic attacks at least four times a week, and no one really knew what was wrong with me. People kinda just assumed I was too sensitive and hysterical (and I started believing that myself too).
Things got worse when I turned twenty, I dropped out of university because anxiety had taken over my life. Everything made me nervous and panicky, I was filled with dread at the slightest thought of illness (perhaps it should be mentioned that I am a hypochondriac as well... nice combination!). I lost a lot of my friends because they couldn't sympathize with what I was going through - they thought I was just putting up a show to garner attention... I started having daily panic attacks when I was 21, we thought I might have a heart condition because I palpitated all the time... parents never took the thought that it might be psychological/mental seriously.
All of that was a result of growing up in an abusive home... and later on, in high school, being an outcast... (try growing up as a "white person" in the Philippines...)
I'm 24 now, it took me a lot of time in the past 3 years to get to where I am now. Used to feel like a cripple... couldn't even go to the mall alone. Now I'm going to university again, I have a small circle of friends, and I can travel alone without turning into a mess. I hope to share my experiences with other people and hope to learn from others, too. Thanks for reading