anxiety at a young age

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I was wondering what peoples anxiety levels were like when they were younger, like around 5 years old. I had a lot of anxiety and even panic attacks when I was 3 or 4 years old. I didn't realize I had the panic attacks until I was 21 and started getting them again. The anxiety was to the point that my parents had to be careful where they took me. I always got sick easily from the heat, carsickness, persist loud noises, being hungry, being away from home, people coming over, getting up earlier than what was normal, watching certain TV shows including cartoons, school, and too much of an excited atmosphere.

I guess I might be able to say that I always was anxious, since I was told that I was a difficult baby. When did the anxiety first pop out for you?

I was eight years old, when I've started feeling the anxiety. There were days that I wouldn't go to school, because there was this one boy, who kept teasing me, and he wouldn't leave me alone.

There was also this other time, when I was the same age, when I watching a documentary, about an eight year boy, who's heart was growing so fast, that it kept on falling out of his chest. I was afraid to run around the back yard, for a very long time, after that, because I was afraid the same thing would happen, with my heart. Fun times...NOT!

I have pretty bad anxiety. I have panic attacks. Sometimes I can't go to school. I would just go mentally insane. I'm 12. I get picked on all the time at school. I've been suspended a couple of times. I don't know why.

My daughter is 7 and has debilitating anxiety. Like you mentioned she gets carsick in rides longer than a few blocks, becomes extremely agitated/anxious in new surroundings, hates chaotic places like the grocery store, etc. I have tried various meds with her, some work for a short while then stop, some make her anxiety worse. She is off all meds now and I try to help the anxiety as much as I can. In a controlled environment such as home she does ok.
Her anxiety is at its absolute worse at school. The summers are a respite for her. Even just having finished first grade she hates school, begs and pleads with me not to make her go.
I wish there was a way to make the anxiety better, instead of just trying to avoid the triggers. My life is basically at the mercy of her anxiety, if she panics I definitely have to drop everything and try to calm her. Anxiety at such a young age shouldn't occur. 7 should be a happy, carefree time in life (because it all gets harder from there). I wish there was something I could do.

I don't remember when I started having issues with anxiety because I didn't realize that was what it was and nobody else seemed to connect it. I would have miniture panic attacks in the middle of my primary school classes, crying and breaking down because of what seemed like nothing. It continued throughout grade school and onto high school -- though after about 8/9th grade I spent a great deal of effort keeping these to myself -- going into a bathroom when I felt one coming or going down into the basement or my room at home. But all in all, I have had anxiety issues and panic attacks since I was AT LEAST 9 (I can't say I remember much earlier).

I had constant full blown panic attacks at 5. They dragged me down the street to school. In fact they dragged me grades K-4 and then I got embarrassed. I'd start off walking to school and then take off in the woods and stay all day. I did it over and over and never had good attendance. I'd make it an hour or so and then leave. I finally had to drop out of school I missed too much. When I went back it took double, triple time to finish. I still have dreams I am counting my credits and trying to graduate from HS. College was worse. I ran away from campus constantly, sometimes right after registration and then got all Fs. It took forever to get my degree. As a kid I couldn't go anywhere without freaking out, in the car or anywhere. We never went on vacation, I couldn't stand to be away from home more than 2 days. I felt crazy inside, completely out of sorts and loosing it, wanting to bolt. They knew if I got upset enough I would run away from wherever we were and go find a woods to hide in. I still want to run but it solves nothing and makes huge problems. I've learned to do positive things to cope, but I want to run until my feet bleed. Try to believe there is nothing to be afraid of, no reason to panic and have faith it is in human nature that in a crowd 10 people might walk away, 10 people might stare, but 10 people will come to your rescue and you will be ok. I promise they will.

Last edited by alone on 25 Jul 2010, 7:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I had frequent panic attacks as young as three and wonder if I had them even earlier. My brothers had a video game that had a certian scene and if I saw it I would have a panic attack so bad my mom thought I was having a heart attack. Certain cartoons could even induce them. I had a huge phobia of a certian one and as a way to cope I developed a special intrest with it. I think it was about these alien mice that rode motorcycles. I learned to deal with my panic attacks and never took anything for them until they came back with a vengence in adulthood.

I got extreme motion sickness and still do now and then. I hated school but manily because of the bullies and cruel teachers. I had severe seperation anxiety as well. I am extremly sensetive to heat and get dizzy and sick if I have to stay in it. I've almost fainted several times since we've moved to Texas. I vomit pure stomach acid (or something yellow liquid) if I can't eat in time.

LOL!

One of my most anxious moments was when I had my 5th birthday at Chuckie Cheese (it was called Showbiz Pizza then) I had a huge meltdown, everyone there was just laughing at me. I'm not sure what caused it, but it was very ,uh, audible. I learned at a young age that I couldn't necessarily trust mom and dad.

Another time later, my family and some of their friends were going on a haunted trail for halloween. But before we left I had a sudden bout of headache and upset stomach. My mom and her friend were left to stay with me while everyone else went. I was asked what was wrong with me, but all I could say was that I was sick. I had no idea what triggered it. I felt like people questioning of me was intruding or belittling.

After many similar situations, my mom did take me to the doctor. He basically said that I had an over-active imagination and I needed to refrain from watching some television shows that I might have problems integrating. He also said it might be useful if I had counselling or it might just be something I'd grow out of. My mom never sent me to see anyone, hoping I guess that I'd grow out of it like he said. When I was older, she told me that she felt that it would have alienated me further if I was seeing someone.

The legend of Zelda did it for me, I don't know why. The creepy dungeon music maybe? But again, it made me feel weird and couldn't explain it. It did kind of creep me out, like I had some kind of not obvious connection to the game. Even though I was a young kid, it reminds me of "magical thinking" that describes schizoid personality disorder, but with sensations like mine, it's no wonder I had them.


BTW, the cartoon your describing is Biker Mice from Mars.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt-aib0zqDY[/youtube]

When I had to start school (kindergarten) that was it. I was physically ill nearly every day, dreaded being dropped off at school, late all the time because I was sick in the bathroom, couldn't eat....you get the idea.

The kids were actually nice at my first school. In kindergarten, if I threw up on the rug, no one cared. Most of them had younger siblings who were always doing stuff like that. Years later, I met up with some of those kids and all they remembered is that I read to them (for some reason, reading to the class calmed me down).

When I switched schools (district line shift) it was WORSE. Bullied constantly (by kids and teachers). My attendance record was horrendous--the truant officer actually called my mother. I went to a few therapists and none of them did me any good.

I have to say that fifth grade was the best, at least relatively speaking--the teacher liked me and hated everyone else.

By 8th grade it had subsided for the most part.