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Hi there,
Thanks for your letter. It sounds like these episodes have become a real problem for you and I can hear how difficult it makes things being scared so much. Even if you dont feel this way all the time, it sounds like not being able to predict when the episodes happen means it affects all different parts of your life. It sounds like you feel your family would be shocked and ashamed its important that you know these feelings are not something you need to feel embarrassed about.
Talking to a doctor would be a good place to start if youd like to get to the bottom of this, though I can hear that you feel this is a risky thing to do in case your dad finds out.
Without knowing where in the UK you live (e.g. England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland), I wasnt sure about exactly what the NHS policy was on this as it can vary from place to place. It might be helpful for to take a look at the information on the NHS website.
The NHS has guidelines on the confidentiality of young people and they say that anyone under the age of 16, who can understand their treatment, has the right to confidentiality, unless their life is in danger. If you are over 16, the NHS treats you as an adult and you are entitled to make your own decisions about medical treatment.
That is a lot of information to take in and I cant say anything for certain but it seems like you may at least be able to ask your GP yourself and see what they say about confidentiality without having to tell them whats wrong straight away.
I hope that helps you to decide what to do but if youd like to talk to someone about it then you could talk to one of our counsellors either online through 1-2-1 chat or by calling free on 0800 1111. We would be happy to hear from you.
Take care,
Sam
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.