Alex's Answer

Hi there and welcome to Ask Alex.

 

Thanks so much for reaching out with your question. We understand that talking about what’s going on for you can be difficult, so thanks for taking the first step.

 

So, you’re asking why do you feel sick and anxious when you talk to someone, is that right?

 

Feeling anxious is a normal feeling to have at times and can happen for many different reasons, such as going somewhere new, having a class test, or speaking out in class. When we feel anxious, there are different feelings that we can get in our bodies, such as feeling sick, having sweaty hands, breathing fast, and feeling your heart beat fast. Some people will feel lots of these, and others will only feel one or two.

 

Feeling anxious when you talk to someone can be for many different reasons, such as not knowing what to say, not knowing the person very well, or being in a noisy/unfamiliar place. There is also lots of advice and strategies that can be used to help with this. There are lots of articles on Childline at www.childline.ie/how-i-feel/ that will give you some more information about anxiety. This one www.childline.ie/video-breathing-and-relaxation-exercises-to-help-you-release-your-worries/ is a video that talks through some different coping strategies that can be really useful for when we feel anxious. Other articles can be found at www.spunout.ie, including this one that talks about breathing exercises – spunout.ie/mental-health/anxiety-stress/using-breathing-exercises-to-help-anxiety.

 

Have you been able to talk to anyone about how you are feeling? You could share your feelings with a friend or family member, someone who you trust, that can support you at these times? Having someone to share your feelings with and who can support you is always helpful.

 

You can also contact us here at Childline if you’d like to chat a bit more about how you’re feeling. We offer a free non-judgmental listening service that’s available 24/7. You can contact us on the phone on 1800 66 66 66 or by Live Chat at www.childline.ie.

 

We hope you have found this helpful.

 

Take care of yourself,

Alex