Panic Attacks about Turning 18
I have severe anxiety and panic attacks about turning 18.
Anxiety Question:
I'm 17 but I will be 18 in December. Every time I turn around I hear "You're going to be 18 soon, do this, that and the other thing" and I'm like "Whoa, I wasn't doing that 6 months ago, you didn't teach me how to do that and now I'm supposed to figure it out for myself?"
I don't feel like I was prepared for some of the things that come with adulthood and now a few months before my 18th birthday everyone just expects me to just go out and do it.
I'm the baby in the family and everything was always done for me but now people are suddenly telling me I have to do these things for myself. It's freaking me out;
I’m literally having panic attacks thinking about it.
Also adding to my most likely unnecessary stress is the fact that when I tell my mom about these anxiety and panic attacks she laughs it off. What can I do?
Anxiety Answer:
It seems you're the only one not laughing, eh? When you think about it, nothing really happens when you turn 18. The "catastrophic" significance is partly only in your head. The world doesn't change, and the only change you'll surely experience is the normal aging from November to December.
Don't sweat it. Your mother laughs your worries off because, well, every adult is expected to live and learn; stepping into adulthood, people don't really expect you to magically be "good at it" from day one. But you already know that, don't you?
Whatever your doubts may be, your family, your intelligence, and instincts will be all you need. And it's perfectly normal to stumble along the way. Don't let your anxiety, panic attacks and expectations scare you from welcoming a new chapter in your life. Everything's gradual, really. There's no point fearing the inevitable.
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