A Letter from a Teen 

A Letter from a Teen

Sarah Rivkah Kohn

A brave teen wrote me a letter:

I have panic attacks. I actually didn’t know what the feeling was until a friend of mine was describing her own panic attack and I realized, “Ohhhh, so that’s why taking Tylenol for this pain wasn’t helping!”

When I asked my parents if I could go to therapy, they told me I was blowing this out of proportion, and that I  was only asking because this friend of mine was in therapy.

My mother said she’d teach me good breathing techniques.

My parents are good parents, but very not into therapy, and so now I’m stuck. No therapist will see me under 18 without consent. Is there no hope for teens like me?

TO be honest, I wished this email had landed in spam. Or in someone else’s inbox.

My heart hurt so much, I wanted to flee.

But here I am.

Firstly, dear teen, you answered a huge piece of your question by writing: When one avenue was shut to you, you looked for another way to find a resource. This skill will help you profoundly, not just in your challenges with anxiety, but in life. Don’t give up just yet. If my ideas aren’t helpful, keep searching till you find a path that is right for you.

Panic attacks aren’t fun. And no, Tylenol doesn’t help!