I can't be the only one, right?

Hello everybody~
I'd just like to try to figure out how to deal with this. I am fifteen right now, but ever since I was nine-years-old, I've has absolutely horrible anxiety when it came to staying over night at other people's houses, or anywhere other than my house to be honest. It's literally crippling, and I've had to miss out on a bunch of fun because I'm too scared to go.
When it happens, I get really physically ill to the point where I will throw up. It's horrid, and I can't control it. I've tried literally almost every calming method, but it just feels like something's wrong. I know nothing is, but it's so frustrating because my brain continuously tells itself that something is wrong, and my body reacts horribly to it.
I want to know what kind of anxiety this is, and how to stop it. My mother has suggested Xanax or Klonopin, but I don't think we can afford those just yet.

mercuryfumes, Hello and welcome to PsychCentral.

Please ask your mom to take you to a doctor to discuss your mental health concerns. She/He should also be able to recommend free or low cost assistance?

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Anxiety, Panic and Phobias - Forums at Psych Central

Depression - Forums at Psych Central

Eating Disorders - Forums at Psych Central

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welcome to you.... sorry to hear about your battle (not uncommon).

With all due respect to your mom - have a DOCTOR prescribe a medicine.

Welcome to PC--I can relate completely!

I wasn't physically able to sleep over ANYWHERE until I was 18, and I went off to college.

I struggled with sleepovers all my childhood and adolescence, and I would get so nervous I would throw up, too. What my big fear was that I wouldn't be able to fall asleep, and I would be the only one awake, and something bad would happen.

I still struggle with this, but it is much more mild. I have panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, and I found my miracle med when I was 16, that helps with both. But I still was only able to overcome it by going away to school. College is not a fix--I think my overcoming the fear was all about finding the right combination of meds and a good therapist, and understanding my fear and anxiety more.

If you can, talk to your mom and a doctor about it. They will be able to address the situation properly, and get you the right kind of help

Many people struggle with these types of fears, Mercuryfumes. Certainly one way to approach this may be medication. But typically I think the approach is generally one of progressively exposing the person to situations that are fear inducing. One goes just far enough to begin to feel the fear, then stops. Then the next time, one goes a just a little bit farther, etc. There are programs that treat this type of phobia. I would suggest looking on the internet for information regarding these. You could also ask your doctor or therapist if you have one, or both, of these. Another good resource may be California therapist: Kati Morton. She is on YouTube, Facebook, & Twitter, as well as other social internet sites. www.katimorton.com.

drugs is NOT the answer! Take if from me, I was hooked on that crap for 15 years. The ONLY answer is to seek counseling and for them to dig deep into your past to find out what the fear is from. If it is too expensive, remember to accept yourself for who you are and love yourself. Your anxiety is normal. You just need to find out that lie you believe about yourself and replace it with the truth. You are a good person!

For me, it was fear of sucking my thumb at the approximate age of 11. I was afraid I would do this and embarrass myself, so I was very nervous about staying over at a friend's house. I solved this by telling my friend in the morning that I dreamed that I was sucking my thumb! I was a bundle of anxiety all of my life and I think it had much to do with the horrid way I was raised. Thumb sucking was a sign of my awful insecurity. I do NOT mean to imply that this is your problem at all, Mercury Fumes.

I agree that you should seek counseling and find out what causes you have this problem, where it originated from in your earlier life. Best of luck!
Big Hug