Hi, everyone! Anxiety in Teens is starting a new section, every Monday, called Mention it to Morgs. Mention it to Morgs will be a question and answer section, where I will post the questions that I receive via email each week and answer them to my best ability!
In case you are wondering who you’re writing these questions to, my name is Morgan (but everyone calls me Morgs), and I am 21 years old. I am originally from a Chicago suburb, but I’m now a student at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities majoring in Communication Studies with a minor in Design and a minor in Leadership! I am very creative and love to do arts & crafts and to bake. I am all about my friends and family! Most importantly for this column, I am super passionate about raising mental health awareness, so ask away!
Happy April!!! Meet the new member of my family! On the right is our new puppy, Henry!
QUESTION:
i’m 18 right now and two years ago i went through my first panic attack i couldn’t breath or stand up or think and i couldn’t stop shaking. that was also the first time i cut. after about a month i sought help i talked to the councilor began seeing a professional and got onto anti depressants and anti anxiety medicine (which I’ve recently gotten off) as well as learned that i am codependent in that i NEED to be needed. this allowed me to get better now my panic attacks come with months between them and they don’t lead to self harm. still i find myself worrying and while i don’t self harm i chew my nails until all my fingers bleed and sometimes i find myself using jagged objects to scratch my arms because these actions are the only thing that help me calm down and get out of my occasional bouts of melancholy. also this low level stress is almost worse than the panic attacks i feel like I’m standing on a cliff just waiting to fall only I’ve been here for nearly a year. I’ve gotten better but now i feel stuck. do you have any advice because i’m afraid that this might be as good as it gets.
ANSWER:
Thank you for your question! Great job on overcoming your self harming and for seeking help. That is something to be proud of. Often with panic attacks, there is still underlying anxiety that can drive you crazy. I experience it on a day to day basis. The first thing I want to address is you extremely biting your nails and using jagged objects to scratch your arms. These are just small habits that will eventually turn into self harm, so maybe when you experience this low stress levels, you can go for a walk. Do something to release endorphins to make you feel better – singing to a song, dancing, going for a walk, going to workout. Another thing I would recommend doing is find an outlet. Whether it’s your hobby or just watching your favorite TV show or meditating. Find something that will enable you to relax and find peace with yourself and that makes you happy. Some other things to think about is what makes you anxious and what makes you anxious about this? Figuring out these things can enable you to better cope with small annoyances or even to avoid them. Finding ways to cope with anxiety will help you, but maybe something to consider is starting counseling again. It’s always helpful to have that person to talk to and to learn even more about yourself. Just a few more questions to ask yourself, why did you get off medication? Did you just not like how it made you feel or do you not really know why you stopped medication? The thing you said to me, is this as good as it gets? It DOES get better than this. You just have to figure out what works for you and allow yourself to learn what makes you happy and what relaxes you. But it WILL get better.
For any question, big or small, email MentionItToMorgs@anxietyinteens.com!
Keep smiling,
Morgs