I went passing out throughout my whole childhood and teens without getting helped. I also had unchecked anemia. I ran cross country from 11-14 and was skinny but was always running in the back with the chubby kids. My dad would say "You need to practice more!". The problem is that I'd have ringing in my ears and I was always in pain. By age 18 the family doctor did blood work on me and I had anemia, level 7, I believe which is dangerously low. As for the fainting, family doctor said "I was more prone to fainting than the average person" my parents believed it and that was that. Found out at age 25 I'd been having panic attacks all these years. Oh and unchecked Bipolar too. My parents were very in denial about my mental and physical health.

Father was ashamed and apologised though that all those years he'd chewed me out about my running skills that it was actually my anemia, low iron.