Dear Daniel C:

You are not bothering me. The opposite is true: I am glad you posted and hope you will post again and again.

You stated that you feel anxious when your mother or father walk into your room, especially if you are at your desktop. This means to me that in the past it happened that your mother or your father (or another care taker if let’s say you lived with a grandparent before you lived with your parents) entered your room and something bad happened, you felt you were in danger. It could be that a parent entered your room and asked you accusingly: “What are YOU doing?” Or something. In your brain a connection was made between a parent entering your room and a danger entering your room. This is the explanation to your fear.

The fact that you were diagnosed with GAD means that you experience excess, ongoing fear. It does not mean you were born with excess, ongoing fear (anxiety), but that your life experiences lead to this being the case.

Would you like to share about what happened in the past when a parent entered your room? And is the door to your room closed? Locked? Do they knock before entering?

anita

Dear Daniel:

Why is your bright yellow note generally ignored? And what other assertions on your part get generally ignored?

anita

Dear Daniel C:

In your original post on this thread you asked: “IS there some way I could help myself so I don’t feel as nervous?”

My answer would be: yes, there is some way you can help yourself in the circumstance you described: make it clear to both your parents that it is very important to you that they knock and wait for your reply before entering your room, that they must get your permission to enter the room, ask for and wait for your permission.

Tell each one (together or separately) that it makes you anxious when you see either one of them in your room not knowing or permitting them to be inside your room. And assert what I suggested.

If your parents are interested in your well being, they will feel empathy for you and will be interested in respecting your assertion regarding entering your room.

anita

You are welcome, Daniel C. And please do post again anytime!
anita