Originally posted by Grumpy37
Maybe at a younger age the drama of the situation ratchets up the anxiety a little higher?
At a younger age many higher level anxiety defense mechanisms have not had a chance to develop yet. This doesn't increase overall anxiety per se, but makes it much harder to deal with the anxiety and can very easliy lead to a mental breakdown. (I should point out that getting older doesn't necessarily give you higher level defense mechanisms, it merely allows you the time to develop them.) In the case of a mental breakdown anything that increases anxiety will be seen as "bad". In this case there are obviously mixed feelings on the Disney trip that are causing anxiety. Disney may or may not have been the source of the original anxiety that is causing the mental breakdown. School or relationships with parents or friends could be the source of the original extreme anxiety.
I should point out that while I have used the term mental breakdown I am by no means being negative. It is a completely normal thing and happens to everyone at one or more points in their life. Without knowing exact personal situations I can only offer the following general ideas for dealing with this situation:
1) Try to figure out the source of the original anxiety. Write down anything that is weighing on your mind right now and what your feelings are on that subject. Start out with a simple sentence to describe the topic and then write a single word that best describes your feelings. Go into more detail from there until you figure it out.
2) Repeat step #1 with the Disney trip. Split the trip up into dinstinct parts such as "planning", "flying", "staying at the hotel", "being away from home", "being away from my friends".
3) After you write down what is weighing on your mind and what your feelings are, look for solutions to remove any sources of anxiety. For example, if you are worried about missing your friends while you are down there, buy a phone card before you leave so that you know that you can call them at any time while you are down there. If you are having trouble coming up with solutions I'm sure there are many people on this board that will be happy to help you.
4) If you are unable to resolve these issues on your own, you need to turn for support to whomever you feel most comfortable with. If you aren't comfortable talking with your parents about your anxiety, don't talk to them quite yet (you do however, need to let them know that you are having reservations about taking the trip). You could try seeking support from friends on the internet (which provides a very safe psychological environment) or from an actual pschologist/psychiatrist. If you have difficulty speaking with your parents you will eventually need to go to them if you are unable to resolve your anxiety through other support groups.
Please remember that the feelings you are having are perfectly normal, perfectly acceptable and are treatable. If your parents are unwilling or unable to help you it is not your fault, and there are other sources of support.
-DH