Bipolar Disorder Forum - Mutiple Anxiety Disorders With Bipolar Questions!

Hello! My son who is 16yrs. Old suffers from just about all that you mentioned, except the fear of leaving the house. He does, but goes to school, then right back home. It all started about 2yrs. Ago I started to noticed that he was becoming increasingly shy. But at his age (hormonal and all) I though it would all pass. But it started to become more difficult to get through each day. He never wanted to go out with his friends or to family gatherings. He worried about everything, and when he didn't have anything to worry about, he's worry thinking there was something he had forgotten. He'd only go to school and that would be even after the best attempts to stay home (he stated he felt ill, had a headache, sore throat, stomach, anything he could think of) then it became obvious when I saw it in black and white. His grd. 9 report card stated that he had missed 65days of school.I couldn't believe it. He also started to have outwarded symptoms--vomiting and/or diarrhea before having to go somewhere--anywhere (this was now about end of summer before grd 10).So I sat down with him and discussed what I was starting to see and feel with him. He finally let me know all his feeling physical and mental. The heart palpations, sweats, knees buckling on and on as you pretty much described. So his md referred him to a psychiatrist and he started him on paxil cr. This is in the antidepressent class, the same as prozac but every med. Is processed by the body differently and differently by everyone,but is widely used for several disorders- successfully. He also (the psychiatrist) believe that something in my son's life triggered this, weather something happened to him and he can't remember, and now it's coming out this way. But either way he suggested therapy. My son is now in grd 11, and he ;is doing wonderfully. Don't get me wrong, he is still shy, and still hangs around the house alot, but not all the time. His inner feelings (heart racing and palpations etc) are less dramatically, but he still has problems if he were expected to give a speech for example. The diarrhea and vomiting has stopped totally. He is still in counselling, talking out a few issues, and learning what is call cognitive methods to learn how too prepare for and deal with social issues (like breathing techniques for one and imagery is another). I don't know of any doctor online, so you may have to go "out" which I realize is difficult for you--do you have any support groups in your area--maybe someone from the group can accompany you- i'd go with you if I could, and so would my son because he knows what it's like- so do i. I watched my son's life being consumed by this disorder. But there is help, and your reaching out, and that's good. I wish I could be of more help (go with you) please make a call to your local hospital, maybe they can tell you of a support group or phone support group. Maybe even your md will have this info. I really hope things get better. Let us know.