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Mon 11 Jan, 2016 10:04 pm
Okay, so I am 16 years old and a sophomore in high school. I know it is normal for teenagers to be moody or feel weird or whatever, but ever since I was able to talk I have been very odd (skip this paragraph if you want to get to the symptoms part). I am not autistic, as I can pick up on social cues and such, but I guess it starts with an ADHD diagnosis at a young age. For a majority of my elementary and middle school experience, I was told I had ADHD, and quite a severe case at that. I don't care if you believe ADHD is real or not, because after medication for about a year or two I broke out of it. Back then, I could not pick up on social cues, up until 8th grade, where it began to matter. I matured, and wholly believed I was free of any mental restraint. But to this day I have an extremely minuscule amount of memories of my "ADHD phase". That was bothersome, but more issues presented themselves. I went through a time after that where I began to make friends (since I had no consistent friendships before due to previously stated reasons). During this time my social awkwardness was at a high, and even a slight touch from a peer in any way made me uncomfortable. I later grew out of this, but as my social abilities very slowly increased, it seemed to get harder to interact with people. I don't like talking about my past at all, sorry. It feels like someone else.
Now let's get to the present. I feel like I am inside a vessel of some sort, looking out to the world, carried by my body. I have a lot of trouble maintaining eye contact, and I am jittery and am frequently tapping, bouncing (subtly), or shivering. My mind is ALWAYS active though ironically in contrast, I have extreme trouble thinking. This includes memory (I forget entire parts of my life until they are recalled, as I cannot recall them myself), or simple thinking, about anything.
Sometimes I pretend there are friends (I know in real life) with me and I will show them things, act differently, or talk to them (usually just in my head) as if they are there. I very well know they aren't there, but I will do these things anyway. I have trouble finding words sometimes, and I will get lost and zone out for long periods of time either when talking or when being talked to. I am what many would consider lazy, as I will know I have to complete tasks but often procrastinate them (in fact I am supposed to be doing homework right now).
Emotionally, I am somewhat unpredictable. I am very internal, as I don't express my negative emotions often. If anything I will act distant, which is not uncommon and is noticeable. I am not suicidal but do experience depression somewhat, more often lately than usual. I have mood swings for long periods of time, similar to bipolar-ness but probably not that severe. I am almost always emotionally confused, unsure of how I feel. I am confused about myself, who I am, what my personality is, what is wrong with me, even my gender (I was born male, but please don't make this about transgenderedness lol).
I do suffer from some kind of episode whenever presented with overwhelming stress (though it has happened for no reason before). In these episodes I have difficulty breathing, a near-inability to think, a heavy head, sudden extreme attention to visual details, and a terrible feeling in my mind. When severe I will see brief green spots in my vision as well.
I hate this feeling so much. I can't describe what it feels like, I just want to know what is wrong so I can fix it and be normal, like everyone else. A major stressor is simply hiding these symptoms from those around me, which I do well for almost all of them other than subtle social awkwardness (typically in large groups or in direct conversation).
The weirdest thing is that whenever I recall any memory, whether it be short or long term, it is dark and blurry, as if I were trying to remember a dream I had the night before.
I do not think I have had any traumatic experiences, although I have seen several father figures come and go, some nice, some not so nice (one as recent as last year). I do not think those would lead to any PTSD, though I am no expert.
I obsess over people and love most everyone. I develop crushes at some point on almost everyone I get close with, regardless of gender. I do not feel much sexual attraction save for very briefly every once and a while. My mind is filled with those around me and I hate almost no one. I am very loving to humanity but very confused about myself. My general state of mind is confusion. My inability to remember things clearly makes it hard to remember what I act like, which could also by contributed to by my feeling as if I were a spectator to the world around me, not the same as my body.
I generally feel uncomfortable at all times and home doesn't feel like home. I think about running away to start life over quite often, and I think about death a lot. Usually my death, though sometimes death in general. I am not a harm to myself or others though, that is definite. I am a really confused individual and my usual coping mechanism is writing and music (guitar). The only way I have ever stopped an episode from happening is through writing. I am quite good at writing. I am not good at many things. I don't really want to repeat myself and I can't really think of anything else. There are definitely other things but I can't remember them right now, so that's how I close it.
Please help if you can, and sorry for the wall of text. Please respond!
You shouldn't have a gun.
@McGentrix,
Haha no worries, I do not intend to harm anyone or anything. I am looking for constructive responses though.
@Grayalien,
May I add that I do sometimes smoke weed and drink alcohol (once a week with pot, once a month or so with alcohol) but there is no substance abuse. If that affects me in any way though then please tell me.
Ok, serious response then. I have a son 18 and a daughter 14, lets pretend you are right in the middle.
The best thing for you is a therapist. Not a psychologist, not a psycho-therapist. You need someone outside of your life with whom you can talk and who will give you direction. You don't mention your parents so I can't judge your relationship with them. I am sad to report though that a healthy relationship with both parents really helps a child in your situation. Being able to talk to them about some stuff and have them give you advice.
I suggest a therapist because sometimes it is difficult to talk to parental figures about certain topics. Most of your problems seem to be social oriented. If you do not want to go or can't afford a therapist, start by setting very small goals for yourself.
Talk to a person today about something.
Say hello to 3 strangers.
Talk to a friend about something significant.
Things like that. Small, achievable goals. If you set your goals too large, you will not meet them and then start to feel more depressed because you consider yourself a failure. You're not a failure, you just haven't figured it all out yet. Most 16 year olds haven't.
You accomplished the first goal of recognizing you have an issue. Now figure out a way to correct it and keep a journal about what you learn and what strategies work for you and what doesn't.
STOP DOING DRUGS! They are not good for you and will only spiral you down hill. Stay away from them and people doing them.
@McGentrix,
That is actually very useful, thank you. The small achievable goals thing sounds like a great idea.
@jespah,
Something you never thought you'd say to McG, right? Go buy a lottery ticket.
@Grayalien,
Recognized a lot of common ground there Gray, especially the experience of being an 'observer' rather than a participant. Still that way in my 60s.
I don't have a solution but maybe a way to cope. My advice is not to fight it but rather - Lean In. Don't let the fact that it makes you different bother you to the point that it paralyzes you. Take advantage of any and all beneficial aspects of who you are. For example, I was never able to focus on anything that I was not intensely interested in. Multitasking was and is an impossibility for me but I seemed able to follow a single threaded problem to it's solution better than my peers.
Find your own key to dealing with the world you were dropped into.
Wishing you all the best.
@Leadfoot,
That definitely seems to work actually, especially during any episodes. Thank you much!
@Grayalien,
may i suggest asperguer? you reminded me so much of my girlfriend.--- relaxing drugs helped her interacting easily with people and talking was easier.... she got addicted to them but her particular brain functioning made it easier to her to quit that it is to the rest of us.find someone qualified to discern whether your going throug a difficult but average phase on your personality evolving process or something needs to be solved so you can live happier afterwords
@momoends,
May I suggest that you do not come up with such very serious medical symptons when you do not know nor have a chance to get to know and even less test a person.
This young person has just been adviced to stop taking drugs and then you suggest taking relaxing drugs. You do not know this person, you do not know how s/he would react to these relaxing drugs.
You should have more in yourself rather looking from others.
@saab,
read my comment carefully... i talked about how dangerous drugs are (the important person got addicted) and after stating they reminded me about that person i tell them to find somebody qualified to help them know what was happening
@usmanbin,
you should focus more in reading carefully than rushing to wrong conclusions