Anxious and really feeling alone. :( Must read

[05_feel_the_rhythm_196]

So I've always had anxiety issues. Many times, my mom has actually threatened to take me to counseling. I get myself so stressed out that I run myself into a panic attack. I seem to just not know how to relax. Sometimes I have days where I just think I'm so ugly....I have great skin and all. My teeth are okay but not perfect and my smile is probably the ugliest thing I've ever seen. I constantly feel so insecure and anxious and it's making me exhausted. I don't know what to do.

[Thirteen]

Take your mom's advice and go to counseling. If you want, you could even take your mom in with you.

Anxiety can have different triggers (whether situational, or even biological), so talking to somebody could help you figure out what causes your anxiety, and different ways you can calm down.

[PSY]

Therapy doesn't have to be seen as "punishment" for "bad" behavior. There's a sticky in the Mental Health forum where other members talk about their experiences:
http://www.teenhelp.org/forums/f14-m...ur-experience/
As you can see, it's not nearly as scary as you probably think it is. =) In fact, many members have concluded that therapy is a good thing.

So I agree with Thirteen: take your mom up on her offer! Make sure the person you see is a specialist in anxiety disorders, though. You wouldn't go to a dentist for brain surgery, so don't go to a counselor/therapist/psychologist/psychiatrist who has never worked with patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, etc.