My dad doesn't believe me.

[almondjoy]

I'm 16 and I know I've been suffering from SA for a bit over a year. I feel like a prisoner. I feel as though everybody is critisizing me. I can speak in public and a get extremely nervous in a large group of people. I know I have SA but my dad dismisses it, saying I'm just being a teenager. I don't know if I can live like this any longer. I've talked to my school counselor but that didn't really help.

Any advise?

I've tried every way to get my dad to listen.

[blur]

he needs to witness your social anxiety first hand , not just hear about it.
my mothers the same way.. but she cant watch me at work, can she...
i think shes in denial

they just laugh .. right?
so ..they think they are better than you

[Fear]

PEople just tend to think we're just over shy.My parents and my bro do.That's ugly,coz you you think you are going mad or you think you're just inventing everything,but you know there's something wrong.I don't speak to anyone out of here coz I don't want them to think I'm mentally ill,as well.I don't know.I'm confused,I don't know what to expect from myself,and more scares me what others,especially my father,could expect from me.

[Wren]

I'm having the exact same problem with my mom. It's not exactly that I think she doesn't believe me or she dismisses it, but it's like she doesn't want to deal with it or face it or whatever.

I wish I knew how to help you with your dad, but I'm pretty much in the same boat. I'm going to try to write out everything I'm feeling, etc. in a letter to my mom, just because it's hard for me to talk to people and this way I can get everything out without having to get nervous or second guess myself, and I can really say and explain and address things the way I really want to without things coming out wrong, or having someone speaking back to me. I'm not sure what your situation with your dad is or whatever, but maybe doing something like that could help you too. It seems like when you try to tell him he just kind of brushes it off that you're just shy and it's normal, you're just a teenager, but maybe if you really took the time to explain everything and let him know everything your feeling he'll recognize that it really is serious and important and that you really need him.

[doomsday]

I have the same problem with my dad, he seems to have a lack of understanding about it. When I say that I feel uncomfortable or basically come out with how i'm feeling, he'll act like i'm an idiot rather than just listen and accept i'm very nervous and just want out of the place. On some occasions it causeed like a confrontation, at the end it just blows out of all proportion and makes me feel 10 times worst and then i feel stupid for even saying anything.

Whats worst is I used to talk to my mum about stuff what had happened but now my dads working at home so hes always there and I feel i don't have any support right now. When I used to go for a walk with my mum i talked to her about stuff it made me feel better because she never started like looking down on me and start saying you doing something wrong she was just so supportive, i guess thats the thing thats missing now.

[chanel07]

I remember when I told my mom I had anxiety, she said "everyone has anxiety... get over it." She just laughed it off.

That made me very mad.... it took her awhile to accept the fact that I was suffering from anxiety.

[Fear]

You see!?!I don't want people to think I'm weak,so I do all by myself.!! :evil: Fuck off to all of them!!! :evil:

[louisrapisarda]

pretend you are having a huge panic attack.

thats how my dad got to undestand i have anxity ( he used to think i put it on he would punch me and yell at me)