Advice?

[Jaimie]

Hi, I'm 23 years old. I've experienced severe anxiety all of my life but just recently started seeking professional treatment. The last 5 years of my life have been extremely stressful, I forced my mother and brother in to rehab after they were using heroin together and opiates for over 7 years. My mother is diagnosed schizophrenic so I have had to chase her manic episodes all across the country and that's summing up my history VERY briefly.

Anyway, my brother invited my mom down for a trip to Florida, however she is staying at our house for three days and they are leaving Monday, (I currently am unemployed and living at home with our dad where my brother is unemployed and lives too). A week leading up to this my brother was using LSD by himself multiple nights in a row, causing me extreme discomfort living under the same roof as him and extreme stress. Oh they planned this trip 3 days ago too might I add so it's all just been sprung upon us. Wednesday was a VERY stressful day for me, I didn't sleep at all, I threw up 8 times Thursday morning from my nerves and my stomach has ceased to stop hurting since. I haven't been sick again but I am worried I may have developed a stomach ulcer.... I definitely have some of the symptoms...

My mom hasn't been here 24 hours and considering she's a kleptomaniac, she's already hoisted our coffee cups, coffee pot, and the container we keep our coffee in and locked it in her trunk. Wait let me rewind. My dad went to work, my brother who planned this whole shit mess left for the day to go be with his new gf, over an hour away so I'm left with my mom. As soon as we were alone she instantly stopped being on her best behavior and started being weird!! She just talks to herself non stop and if you say anything to her about it she ignores your statement and talks over you, to herself, even louder. It's so nerve wracking. She's already going on and on about this and that and I just can't handle it. I wish I could love her and I wish I didn't feel this way when I had to deal with her or think about her but I feel scarred for life. I have been through so much of her shit that I don't know what to do with myself for the next three days. Especially when everyone just abandones me with her and our belongings. I can't leave her here alone because she has stolen my jewelry in the past, my clothing, my belongings. I just can't trust her. Last night she was 'nice' but I just can't move on from the past when it's obviously still present, even in her actions.

I can see how this is affecting my health tremendously. I feel paralyzed from stress and as I mentioned before have had a pain in the top of my abdomen for 3 days now... It is the worst today. I don't know what to do or how I am going to make it through the weekend. Does anyone have any advice, please?

I am currently not prescribed any medications because my first doctor's appointment is in April. I've been seeing a therapist for 6 months.. does anyone have experience with family members like this? Or stomach ulcers related to stressful situations?

[Chauntecler]

I'm not one for words, and chances are I'm-Suffering, Goomba or Nixon-Rulz will post something more extravagant.

But here it goes: The symptoms you're feeling can easily be created from severe anxiety. I had gotten to a point one time where I thought I had internal bleeding and the freak outs ensued. If your family and where you live is causing you so much suffering, I'd highly recommend seeking a new home. Tough, I know, not being employed, but you might consider staying with a friend until you can get on your feet.

Best of luck to you for the future. Things will only get worse if changes aren't made.

[Two One]

If you've suffered from anxiety most of your life, I believe all of your symptoms can be attributed to anxiety. It can have a profound affect on your body and given the circumstances you've described, that's more than enough to push you over the edge. If you are truly concerned about possibly having a peptic ulcer you should go see a gastroenterologist.

When my anxiety flared up in 2013 I thought I had an ulcer as well. I had all of the textbook symptoms. I had a gnawing pain in my upper abdomen, a general abdominal discomfort, mild nausea that was always worse in the morning, bloating, a feeling of fullness, excessive belching, and my symptoms woke me from my sleep and were relieved by Pepcid. I saw a GI but he refused to do an endoscopy on me until I lost a significant amount of weight.

[gypsylee]

Hi, I'm 23 years old. I've experienced severe anxiety all of my life but just recently started seeking professional treatment. The last 5 years of my life have been extremely stressful, I forced my mother and brother in to rehab after they were using heroin together and opiates for over 7 years. My mother is diagnosed schizophrenic so I have had to chase her manic episodes all across the country and that's summing up my history VERY briefly.

Anyway, my brother invited my mom down for a trip to Florida, however she is staying at our house for three days and they are leaving Monday, (I currently am unemployed and living at home with our dad where my brother is unemployed and lives too). A week leading up to this my brother was using LSD by himself multiple nights in a row, causing me extreme discomfort living under the same roof as him and extreme stress. Oh they planned this trip 3 days ago too might I add so it's all just been sprung upon us. Wednesday was a VERY stressful day for me, I didn't sleep at all, I threw up 8 times Thursday morning from my nerves and my stomach has ceased to stop hurting since. I haven't been sick again but I am worried I may have developed a stomach ulcer.... I definitely have some of the symptoms...

My mom hasn't been here 24 hours and considering she's a kleptomaniac, she's already hoisted our coffee cups, coffee pot, and the container we keep our coffee in and locked it in her trunk. Wait let me rewind. My dad went to work, my brother who planned this whole shit mess left for the day to go be with his new gf, over an hour away so I'm left with my mom. As soon as we were alone she instantly stopped being on her best behavior and started being weird!! She just talks to herself non stop and if you say anything to her about it she ignores your statement and talks over you, to herself, even louder. It's so nerve wracking. She's already going on and on about this and that and I just can't handle it. I wish I could love her and I wish I didn't feel this way when I had to deal with her or think about her but I feel scarred for life. I have been through so much of her shit that I don't know what to do with myself for the next three days. Especially when everyone just abandones me with her and our belongings. I can't leave her here alone because she has stolen my jewelry in the past, my clothing, my belongings. I just can't trust her. Last night she was 'nice' but I just can't move on from the past when it's obviously still present, even in her actions.

I can see how this is affecting my health tremendously. I feel paralyzed from stress and as I mentioned before have had a pain in the top of my abdomen for 3 days now... It is the worst today. I don't know what to do or how I am going to make it through the weekend. Does anyone have any advice, please?

I am currently not prescribed any medications because my first doctor's appointment is in April. I've been seeing a therapist for 6 months.. does anyone have experience with family members like this? Or stomach ulcers related to stressful situations?

Hi Jaimie :)

I don't have any advice sorry but I read your post and that does sound very stressful. Is your mum being treated for her schizophrenia at all? It doesn't sound like it. I lived with a paranoid schizophrenic many years ago and it was extremely stressful.

Anyway I hope you get some help here.

Bye for now,
Gypsy x