From a 14 year old girl in the U.S.: i’ve become increasingly worried about my mental health. i don’t know what’s wrong with me, so i was wondering if you could help. here are some of my symptoms:
1. the feeling that everything is fake. i feel like i’m in a dream; everything is hazy. it feels like i’m playing a game as myself in 3rd person
2. twitching. gets especially bad in public/around others
3. developed a stutter and terrible speech issues. half the time, my sentences come out completely different than what i’m trying to say (ex: i tried to say “i don’t want to take the dog on a walk” but ended up saying “i don’t want to take a bubble bath”.
4. manic episodes that only last a few minutes? i’ve only had them three or four times but the one time my friend was around, it scared her so bad she cried and had to leave my house to get away from me
5. hallucinations. i see things like life-size stick figures and bugs. i also hear things like bells, scratching, heartbeats, and doors opening. one auditory hallucination happened from midnight to 2am and i legitimately thought my house was being broken in to. i hid in the bathroom for 2 hours, crying and shaking
6. random swearing? i never used to swear but sometimes it just pops out now for no reason. i could be silent and then boom, i cuss
7. irritability/short temper
8. suicidal ideation and tendencies. i tried to overdose three weeks ago
9. self harm
10. sometimes i space out for 10+ minutes and can’t stop. my mind is screaming to stop and snap out of it but my body doesn’t listen
11. huge memory issues. i forget/don’t recognize my own face sometimes
12. lack of motivation/interest in previous hobbies
13. insomnia
14. losing track of time by hours
15. self-esteem issues
that’s all i could think of off the top of my head. i’m getting a new therapist soon, but i’m kind of desperate as of now. please help me get some sort of idea so i can bring it up to them when it comes time. thank you so much.
I’m glad you are seeing a therapist soon. Your issues are beyond what I can responsibly respond to in an advice column. I can tell you that what you are describing is not usual in a 14-year-old. I think you are right to be concerned and that seeing a therapist for an evaluation is absolutely the right thing to do.
You wrote an excellent and articulate list of symptoms. I can tell that you’ve been doing some research. I hope you are sharing your concerns with your parents. Ideally, you will have their support while you try to get to the bottom of this.
Some of your symptoms (speech issues, hallucinations, memory problems) suggest that maybe there is a medical issue. While you wait for the therapy appointment, I suggest that you see your physician for a physical check up. Take your list with you to that appointment. If there isn’t an underlying medical problem, knowing that will give you peace of mind. If there is a medical issue, you can start some treatment to get some relief.
I also urge you to take your letter to the therapist. It will help you ease into a first session. It will also help the therapist know where to start.
I wish you well.
Dr. Marie
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