Q…but am unable to tell if it may be a disorder: I am 15 and have been diagnosed with PTSD, GAD, BPD, and depression. I recently went through a move, but it went very smoothly. I am writing because of intense irrational fears. I have been slightly afraid of deep water, parked cars and cars at night, spilled salt, being kidnapped, strangers sneaking up on me and/or hurting me. Since the move these fears have intensified quite rapidly. I am on the swim team because, despite my fears, I love[ed] to swim. Now I am so afraid of the deep-end that I exhaust myself trying to get away from it and instead of seeing tiles at the bottom I may see a hand or a person reaching up to grab me. This also occurs if I brush my foot against the land-lines. I also have to check things out of the water 2 or 3 times because I tend to see things that aren’t there (like mistaking the same pylon for a man over and over again). Every time someone spills salt I have to throw it over my left shoulder or else I will turn into a bunch of nerves afterwards, some people have taken to exploiting that to have a laugh and it hurts me emotionally because I still don’t know many people very well and takes away time. I can’t walk around at night because everything seems to turn into a kidnapper or stranger, the same thing sometimes happens in my room even with the lights on. It is very disturbing and is really starting to affect my daily life. Does this sound like any type of mental disorder? I have been unable to properly decipher the DSMV-IV and haven’t been able to properly apply explanations of it to my life. HELP!

A. Obviously what you are experiencing is not normal nor is it acceptable in your life. These things degrade the quality of your life and stand on the verge of worsening to the point where they may become quite dangerous to you or to those around you. I am unable to determine the exact source of your fears. The fears may be coming from a variety of sources and quite possibly are a combination of symptoms originating from the disorders that you already have. The fact that you are having these symptoms indicates that maybe the treatment you are receiving may need adjusted. It would be a good idea to discuss these symptoms with your doctor or mental health treatment professional. Take care.

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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 24 Dec 2006