My parents are really disappointed in me and hate that I have anxiety. My brother has it too and they are really supportive with him and with me they hate it so much, they refuse to support me and everything. I want to go see a counsellor but I cant ask them that. I need someone to talk to and I cant keep on telling my friends. I don't know what to do...

Hi Sienna Kate,

Thank you  for sharing here. We're so sorry to hear you're feeling like this, and that your parents aren't making you feel very supported. That must be really hard, but we're really glad you could share this here.

You mentioned you've been able to talk to friends a little, that's good. Is there a school counsellor that you feel comfortable speaking to about this? Remember, you can always call the Beyond Blue counsellors if you’d like to talk this through on 1300 22 4636. A few more options are KidsHelpline on 1800 55 1800 and Headspace on 1800 650 890. All of these options are also available through webchat, if you'd prefer: 

• Beyond Blue 
• Kids Helpline 
• Headspace (9am-1am AEST) 

Thank you again for sharing. We’re sure some more of our lovely community members will be along soon. In the meantime, here's some strategies for managing anxiety you might find helpful. 

Kind regards,

Sophie M

Hi Sienna,

welcome to the forums and thanks for reaching out. I’m sorry to hear that you are going through a difficult time and that you are not finding much support from your family.
It must be difficult to go through anxiety, have you spoken directly about your concerns to your family? Have you mentioned the severity of your condition to your family and that you might need to talk to a professional about it?
If you are at school, there is usually a counsellor that can help you. It is worth booking an appointment and explaining the situation to them. They can provide you with some useful information and guide you. It is good to reach out to people when you are feeling anxious, especially if you have good friends that are there to support you. Hope you find this helpful.

Dear Sienna, im sorry you are feeling this way. It must be very hard. Are you the oldest child? Parents sometimes favour the youngest sibling because they feel the oldest should be more stronger and resilient. How old are you? As a young person you can come under what is called "Gillick competence" if deemed a mature minor you would be able to make your own medical based choices. Therfore if you are able to go to a medical clinic or have telehealth call with a doctor you would be assessed for maturity to make your own choices in seeking treament for your anxiety. The GP would out you on a mental health care plan to speak to a psychologist and also perscribe you with medication. As per privacy and confidentiality laws a Dr and psychologist legally cannot discolse to your parents that you are receiving treatment.

Alternitavely, there are free services you can call such as beyound blue and lifeline to talk to a councillor. When you call beyond blue you will be talking to trained councillors for free and anonymously so you dont need to worry about your parents finding out.

I hope this helps, and you can manage to speak to a councillor about your feelings and anxiety.

Hi Sienna Kate,

Wellcome to our forums!

Im sorry your parents are behaving the way they are, that’s really sad.

Its not your fault you have anxiety .

Are you able to see a gp and explain to them how you are feeling?

Do you have any other close family that you can talk to about your anxiety?

A phycologist could really help you with your anxiety they can teach you many strategies so you can learn how to manage your anxiety.

We are here for you

Hey Sienna,

I am so sorry to hear this is how you've been treated. Firstly, it is so important that you have a professional or someone trusted to speak to about your anxiety, whether this be a school counsellor, a teacher, close friend or another family member. Your mental health is very important, so please don't feel like you are any less important than your sibling. You are so loved and cared for.

yes i’m the oldest child. i’m 16

Dear Sienna Kate,

At 16 you would have alot going on. Would you like to have a chat about what causes you to have anxiety? If we can determine what triggers you, together we can think of some coping strategies you can use at home to help calm you down.