I have a panic attack every night and usually cry myself to sleep. I spent ages revising for my exams but i just dissapointed my mum in the end. My sister is perfect and never gets upset and always tells me im in the wrong. My parents always blame me for things i didnt do but if my sister admits to it its no big deal. Im always trying to show my mum in not a disappointment but she always finds a reason why I am. Im 100% not talking to her and i dont want her to find out about how i spend my nights. I have have really bad trust issues and im unsure who to tell. There is a teacher in school but im not sure how to tell her. All my friends never help with my panic attacks anf just act like its not a big deal and they just leave me alone. Im starting to do badly in school due to my lack of sleep as i can never sleep. What should i do?
Sam
Hi there,
The things people do and say can sometimes affect the way we feel – which might lead to thinking negative thoughts about yourself. It’s difficult to stay calm if you’re feeling lots of pressure and if people are not being supportive.
Panic attacks and anxiety can be caused by lots of things, and everyone is different. Sometimes anxiety can become a feeling you have all the time, and this might be because of what it’s like where you live and where you go to school. If things are not right at home, it can have a big effect on everything else.
It’s not okay for your mum to say you are a disappointment. No family is perfect but saying things like this to you is wrong. It’s also not okay for parents to favour one of their children over another. This kind of home environment is really stressful to be in.
To help you cope with stress and pressure from school it’s important to have people around you to support you. It doesn’t seem like you have much support from anyone, which might be one of the causes of your anxiety.
Getting the right support can make a huge difference. Talking to the teacher you feel you can trust is a great start. If you’re not sure how to begin that conversation it can usually be good to start by telling them how you feel. You can then talk about what things are like at home and see what they think you should do.
Something you can do with Childline counsellors is to practise difficult conversations. You can call us on the phone and pretend to talk to your teacher about what’s going on. The more you practice saying it out loud, the easier it can get.
Take care
Sam
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