Health Nut
Dazed and confused
I spent ten years in therapy because my school forced my parents to take me, but I never found out what was really wrong with me. They stopped taking me four years ago, because they thought that therapy was stupid. I'm not quite sure if I actually have anything serious enough to go see a doctor, or if I'm just overreacting. I've tried asking for help, but it was quite hopeless. Everyone keeps telling me that I am unpredictable, because at one time I can be all hyper and happy, and the other sad, easily annoyed, and want to kill myself. As soon I am not that sad anymore, I think I was being ridiculous for thinking that I needed help, but everything is just getting worse, and I have nobody who is willing to help me. Am I just overreacting? Is it normal to hear, see, or feel things that scare you? Sometimes I feel like something else is controlling me. I know there is something wrong with me, but I also think I might be overreacting. Also, since nobody will help me, how would I get help? I am scared that I will take away my life or someone else's. Ever since I started school, my grades always went up and down. I would be asked why, but never knew exactly how to explain it, but it had to do with how I felt. Also, where I come from makes me feel even more hopeless. I am confused.
Savant's comment: This is certainly the right page for mental health issues. I do cover them on occasion, along with other health issues. Since topics vary week to week, you need to read the page regularly to catch updates that look at mental health issues. Getting to your submission, you certainly have issues that need to be resolved, you are not over-reacting. First off, you say you have spent 10 years in therapy, and since you are 17 that means you have been in therapy from a young age. For parents to take a young child to a therapist, there had to be some issues that they felt you needed help with.
Reading your submission does bring to mind some issues that really need to be dealt with by a psychiatrist. I am not a doctor, and this is not a diagnosis, but much of what you have written sounds very much like a schizoaffective disorder of some form. (For more information, read this.) Your illness is a complex one that cannot be treated by a therapist, which is likely why your parents stopped taking you - they saw no improvement, which makes sense since this kind of illness can't be fixed with 'talk therapy'. Let's be clear here, you have complex mental health issues, and you need to seek professional help. You listed your country as Kuwait, so my advice would be to contact the Kuwait Psychological Medicine Hospital in Safat. They have a basic website - click here. Click the contact us link and send a message to a doctor there. (Click 'for English' to mail in English, or you can send in Arabic if you prefer.) Or you can call directory assistance and get the number for the hospital if you want to talk to someone in person.
I strongly suggest you don't suffer in silence. Contact the hospital and ask to see a doctor. They have done a lot of renovations to this hospital in recent years, and it is much better now than it used to be. Don't worry about a doctor thinking you are over-reacting. They are there to help you, there are not there to judge. Just be honest and ask for help. Lastly, should you ever feel like you want harm yourself (or someone else), please call 777 and ask for help.
Commentary
Sex in Canada - May 1st brought a change to the law in Canada with respect to teens and sex. After a neighbour girl asked me for help understanding the details of this new law, I felt it would be wise to go over these changes to clear up any confusion. Since we have a large number of Canadian readers, I hope this is helpful to them.
The basics: Canada's age of consent is now 16 years old. What does this mean to you?
Can you still have sex if you are under 16? Yes. The main purpose of this law was never to ban sex among youth, it is to ban sex between youth and adults. The minimum age to consent to sex in Canada is 12 years old. That means, if you are 11 years old or younger, you cannot legally consent to sex, and anyone who has sex with you is guilty of a crime. If someone says that you can't have sex at all if you are between 12 & 16, they are wrong! The minimum age for sex in Canada among youth is 12 , not 16.
Can you have a boyfriend that is 16 or older? Yes, but with restrictions. If you are between 12 and 16 years old, you can only consent to sex with a person who is less than 5 years older than you. The only exception is if the person is in a position of authority, like a teacher or a coach. In those cases it is illegal to have sex with someone who is under 16 at all. In short, if you are between 12 & 16 years old, take your age and add 4 years - that's the maximum age your boyfriend can be if you want to have sex.
The primary purpose of this new law is to deal with pervs, since the old law allowed girls as young as 14 to have sex with adults of any age if the girl consented to it. If you read over what I have covered, this new law really will have no impact to 99% of girls between 12 and 16 years old. For the 1% of girls between 12 & 16 who are dating a guy that is 5 or more years older than them, it's time to consider what kind of guy dates a girl 5 or more years younger than him at your age.
Just as an aside, there is a separate age of consent for anal sex, which is 18 years old. (It was the same before this new law came into effect though, so this is nothing new.)
...and now you know.
In The News...
Binge drinking girl suffered liver failure at just 14 (DAILY MAIL) - She started drinking heavily at the age of 12. And by the time she was 14, Natasha Farnham was told by shocked doctors that she was the youngest patient they had ever seen with liver failure caused by alcohol abuse. She was drinking up to six bottles of wine a day - and now, at 18, she has been warned that if she drinks again she will die. Her descent into a life of ruined health and petty crime again illustrates the perils of cheap alcohol and the culture of binge-drinking that grips Britain. The teenager wants to tell her story to warn others of the dangers. (Read more)
Many Teen Drivers Don't Think They're Inexperienced (HEALTH DAY) - America's teen drivers often underestimate their level of driving experience, putting them at risk for accidents and injuries, a new study finds. And while many teens recognize that drinking and driving don't mix, many don't recognize other hazards, such as the distraction posed by having friends in the car. "We listened to teenagers all around the country to try to get a sense of what they believe made a difference to safety in cars and what they were actually exposed to," said lead researcher Dr. Kenneth R. Ginsburg, from the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "People don't normally go to teenagers and get their viewpoint," he said. (Read more)
Book teaches teens how to raise parents (TODAY) - When you were born, your parents read stacks of books, watched videos, and got tons of advice on raising children. But you got squat about how to handle them. That was fine when all you really needed was a few good meals and a regular diaper change, but now things are different (even though you could still use a good meal). Just like they relied on What to Expect When You’re Expecting, you need some advice on how to survive the fights, earn their trust, and get them to treat you like an adult. Let’s face it: Parents should come with an instruction booklet. What if the cable guy just dropped your dish off on the doorstep without giving you any directions or help? You wouldn’t have a clue how to hook it up, much less actually get it working. It’s the same with your parents. (Read more)
No fair! Readers’ tales of sibling injustice (MSNBC) - Anyone blessed with a sibling has a story about how their parents treated them unfairly compared to their brothers and sisters — but now, first-borns have some research to back that claim. After reading an msnbc.com story about the plight of the older sibling, first-borns, middles and babies e-mailed us their childhood stories of stuff that just wasn't fair. "I was the oldest and my parents were WAY different on me then they were on my sister," writes Valerie. She's 26, and her younger sister is 21. "She's still getting better treatment! ... Two years ago at Christmas, I got a card and she got a laptop! She has broken it and now they're going to buy her another one." (Read more)
Study: Bans Curb Teen Smoking (TIME) - A Massachusetts study suggests that restaurant smoking bans may play a big role in persuading teens not to become smokers. Youths who lived in towns with strict bans were 40 percent less likely to become regular smokers than those in communities with no bans or weak ones, the researchers reported in the May issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. The findings back up the idea that smoking bans discourage tobacco use in teens by sending the message that smoking is frowned upon in the community, as well as simply by reducing their exposure to smokers in public places, said Dr. Michael Siegel, of Boston University School of Public Health, and the study's lead author. (Read more)
Many Moms Unwilling to Have Younger Daughters Get HPV Vaccine (HEALTH DAY) - New research shows that only half of American mothers intend to have their teenaged daughters vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) if the girls are under the age of 13, despite government guidelines that suggest the opposite. HPV, which is sexually transmitted, is the primary cause of cervical cancer. The first vaccine against the virus, Gardasil, was approved in 2006. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends that 11- and 12-year-old girls be targeted for this vaccine, as most girls of this age are not yet sexually active, have not yet been exposed to HPV, and will therefore achieve maximum protection. However, this study suggests that many mothers aren't willing to follow those recommendations. (Read more)
Video/Audio & Pictorials
Cramming and caffeine don't mix (MSNBC) - As final exams approach, health experts are warning that too much caffeine, and cramming for tests, can increase stress. (Watch video)
X-rated flirting (MSNBC) - It's a disturbing trend: Teens indulging in racy flirtation online, often with revealing photos. Cooper Lawrence, author of "The Cult of Perfection," and sex therapist Laura Berman report. (Watch video)
News Briefs
Health Tip For The Week
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is an illness that causes people to obsess over daily activities. While everyone has daily habits and behaviors, when they interfere with daily life, it's a possible warning sign of OCD.
The American Academy of Family Physicians lists these potential examples of OCD:
(HEALTH DAY NEWS)