Going to my parents' house is a major trigger for me. I've been trying to figure out why, because I've been around my parents all my life... I should be comfortable around them, but I'm really not. Last time I was at their house I had an attack, and left. So now I have that memory as well as the guilt that I avoided instead of trying to let the anxiety pass. I have to go there for dinner, and I'm freaking out just a little bit.
I am telling myself that at the end of day I have two ways of looking at how it went. Either A: I get through it, and be proud of myself for sticking it out. Then that gives me a positive memory when I look back to say "hey, I can do this!"or B: I end up leaving and then I'm left with the last memory being the same one I have now. Which obviously is not helpful at all.
What I really want to know is: is this sound thinking before an event that scares you? Or is it bad to overthink it this much?
This is just how I would deal with it, but it may or may not work for you. You said that it seems plausible that you could lose bladder control during panic, but I would just remind myself that plausible does not make it a sure thing. I would ask myself has this ever happened to me? If not, then ask myself what are the odds of that happening? Probably low. If it has happened you just need to ask yourself what the worst is that could happen? We get embarrassed and move on. It's not an ideal situation, but if that's the worst outcome I can think of it helps to understand it wouldn't be a complete catastrophe. I have learned many of these little mind tricks, and they work about 90% of the time. I hope you can find one that works for you.
Well I went to the dinner, and although I was extremely uncomfortable for like the first hour, I did eventually become more relaxed. I was able to engage with everyone instead of sitting there trapped inside my own head, which is what usually happens. It's a great feeling to actually leave a place you were avoiding and know that you can do it again. The positive thoughts, and challenging the negative is really working for me.
I was first told I had panic disorder in August of 2012. This was a diagnosis by a therapist. Later on I went to a psychiatrist, and he said that I did not have panic disorder, and he thought I had GAD. This is very confusing when the lines of multiple disorders tend to be a little blurry. Personally, I decided to continue treatment as if I have both, because, well ...healthcare professionals are experts in what they do, but only I am an expert on me. I do have strong fears at times and worry about having panic attacks. I do still avoid places in which I ether had an attack or where I might have one.
Hi Taylo.
I know exactly how you feel. I have been feeling the same way lately. When I try to describe it to my husband I say it feels almost like I hear things the way I would if my head was underwater. It's very strange, but once I did some research and saw that it happens to other people that seemed to rest my mind a bit. I hope that knowing you are not the only one that feels this way may help you, too. You are so right to tell yourself this is temporary.
Wow, that sounds pretty horrifying. I'm glad you are okay now, and did not have to go to the hospital. Nothing like this has ever happened to me, but when I started meds I looked online for others' experiences, and have seen some things like this. I saw them post about their meds giving severe panic attacks, but I have no experience with this.
What you're saying definitely makes sense. I can see how being assertive would help improve your confidence. I wish I could be more assertive sometimes, and gain confidence, but I'm working on it. It sounds like you are in a really good place and I'm happy for you. :)
Thank you for the welcome and compliment. I love my pupper. In a way we are a team, because we rescued him from the shelter and found out he has pretty bad anxiety as well. We are good at comforting each other. :)
That's interesting that you change subtly. Now that you've said that I'm thinking of myself a few months ago (at my lowest) and seeing the changes...I really did not notice many of them! Thanks for the insight.
As far as the program goes, I'm doing whatever it takes. I have read the first 2 sections so far, and I do the homework each night. :)
I agree with Ashley. This is really exciting news for you. Making new friends has always been tough for me, but there are some things I can suggest. I'm not sure of your location or age so some of them may not be good for you, but i'll try.
Where I live my local library offers a lot of fun little classes for free. They are a great place to meet friends. They do anything from cooking classes, to yoga to learning computer skills. They also offer a book club, and I'm really into reading so I may join that one eventually. Maybe you can see if there is anything like this available in your area?
Again I'm not sure about where you live, but I also met some really nice people at my local pool. My hubby meets many friends at the YMCA/gym. Also some websites where people join for a common interest can end up a good place to meet people. For example I joined a website for weightloss and found a group of ladies that I now go walking with in real life. There are lots of ways to get out there and meet people now that you actually want to do it. Best of luck! :D
Thanks for sharing that coping tool. I found that I often confused myself and had a hard time telling the difference between nervousness and excitement. I realized now that I shouldn't bother trying. I will just tell myself that it is exciting. I'll see how that works for me, because I am always open to something that will turn a negative into a positive! :D
It’s been a while since you were active on this site. Please extend your session below
You have been logged out due to inactivity.
Please sign back in.
We use cookies to help us learn about how our platform is used and how we can improve your experience. To
learn more please see our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
