It can be hard to focus or to enjoy anything at all when your mind is preoccupied with something serious.

And the young man who wrote this story on Reddit’s “Am I the *******?” page knows all about it.

He asked readers if he was wrong for how he behaved on a family trip.

Let’s see what he had to say.

AITA for not being ‘present’ for a once in a lifetime trip?

“A while ago my family (mom, dad and older sister) and I (19M) went on a trip to Europe.

We had been planning it for the better part of a year, watched all the travel vlogs we could, researched places to go, made itineraries, the works.

My mom and sister especially put a lot of effort into planning the trip and did a really great job at doing everything.

He got some alarming news.

A few days before the trip I had an appointment with my doctor. Without going into too many details, he referred me to a specialist because he thought it might be cancer.

He said that it was probably nothing to worry about, but it was better to be safe than sorry in the case that it was cancer. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get an appointment with the specialist until after the trip.

My family was great and super supportive, and promised me that everything was going to be okay. I really didn’t want it to ruin the trip.

I like to think that I’m a pretty chill guy. I don’t let a lot of stuff get to me and I can usually put things to the back of my mind and not think about them.

And he had a hard time with it.

This time, I was worried. Even though the doctor said it was probably nothing, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was really wrong. I was okay when we were busy because I could distract myself, but in any downtime I kind of spiraled.

Whenever we weren’t talking and were waiting in a line, or on a bus driving somewhere, or at the hotel or something I couldn’t stop spiraling.

It started with convincing myself that it absolutely was cancer, then to what treatment would be like, then to that I was probably going to pass away and before I knew it I was planning my funeral. I know, it was super dramatic, but that’s where my mind went.

Here’s where I might be the *******.

To distract myself, I downloaded a bunch of books onto my phone and read any time I started to think about it, any time I was left to think.

My parents noticed I was reading and asked why and I told them, so they left me to it for a little while, but then my mom and sister started to make comments about how I wasn’t ‘present’.

He had to keep his mind occupied.

I tried to tone it down, but I couldn’t get it out of my head so ended up reading like six books in the couple of weeks we spent in Europe.

Eventually, my mom and sister took to clicking their fingers in my face and saying that I was not present again.

I want to stress that I would only do this when we weren’t doing anything, so I put the phone away for all of the activities and tours (or when my parents were letting me have a beer because the drinking age is like 18 in Europe) and stuff.

I also made sure to put it away when someone was talking to me. It was just when I had enough time to think.

We got back and I had my appointment and it luckily wasn’t cancer. My mom drove me to the appointment and on the way home she said something like “I bet you feel stupid for not being present on our trip”.

I told her how scared I was, but we got into an argument and she said I ruined the trip.

AITA?”

Now let’s see what people had to say on Reddit.

This person chimed in.

Another reader said he’s NTA.

This Reddit user agreed.

Another individual spoke up.

And this reader chimed in.

His mom sounds pretty insensitive about his situation.

But he could probably chill a bit, too.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.