When did your anxiety start?

[littlelilacs]

Hi, gosh I'm anxious just writing this! I was just wondering when other people's anxiety started, what triggered it off.

Mine started from a trauma that happened when I was six and then continued on due to a really shitty childhood.

I was then bullied when I was a teen so now I also have quite bad social anxiety too.

I have memories and awareness of odd behaviour from the age of 7. A couple of things happened just before then, we moved house - several hours away so new school, away from family etc and I had a minor accident and needed a general anaesthetic, can still remember the terror of going under and long believed that this was my trigger. No actual diagnosis or help until my late 20's but it quite heavily impacted me growing up, through my teens and into adulthood.

The signs were there, primary school called my parents in to discuss'behavioural issues'. I was also taken to the doctors numerous times, but for some reason was always diagnosed with a throat infection and issued antibiotics (remember being baffled as I didn't have a sore throat).

lemoncurd were your parents supportive of your anxiety?

Oh gosh, well despite the frequent GP trips, it wasn't really recognised as a child. How were yours?

My fears were dismissed as 'an overactive imagination' and I was always told not to be so silly. I learnt not to say anything where possible and was told off for my anxiety related behaviours. I just internalised it all. I was always very shy and quiet, never wanting to step a foot wrong so tried to always do the 'right' thing.

My parents insist that they never knew there was an issue. Strange as my mum also struggled with her mental health from childhood.