Why does this site give me more anxiety?

Members, Take things one step at a time. Don't rush into things and take little steps, try not to get overwhelmed. Sylvie, Bilingual Health Educator

Intrusive / obsessive thoughts.. OCD like??

DazedMommy, Have you been journaling your thoughts and feelings? It's always a good idea to share your journal with your health care provider. He/she will be able to make appropriate suggestions specific to you. It's also not recomended to come off your meds without seeing your doctor first. Try not to be too hard on yourself and take some time to regroup now and then. Sylvie, Bilingual Health Educator

We are stronger...

Michael that's a great realisation, so glad that you are able appreciate ones positive and negative attributes. Minnesota, great post! Thank you for sharing with us! Sylvie, Bilingual Health Educator

could this be an anxious habit?

Minnesota, If you acknowledge that you speak ahead, then you're already half way there. Try your best to let others finish if you believe that this is a problem for you. Take deep breathes while others are speaking and this will give you time to collect your thoughts. Sylvie, Bilingual Health Educator

Avoiding Panic by Doing nothing.

Hi flo, Thanks for checking in with us today. Take things slow and don't overwhelm yourself. What is it that you don't like about showering. Identifying your fears and the reasons bedind them may help you to overcome them. Sylvie, Bilingual Health Educator

How Can I Help?

Members, Some of you may be lurking through the site looking for ways to help a friend of loved one with their panic. When a member of a family has panic disorder or agoraphobia the entire family is affected. Family members may be frustrated in their attempts to help the affected member cope with the disorder, they can be overburdened by taking on additional responsibilities, and they can often feel socially isolated. If you are a family members of someone who has panic disorder it is essential that you encourage them to seek the help of a qualified mental health professional. Also, it would also be helpful to both you and your loved one to attend an occasional treatment or self-help session or seek the guidance of the therapist in dealing with their feelings about the disorder. Certain strategies, such as encouraging the person with panic disorder and/or agoraphobia to go gradually or at least partway toward the place or situation that they are afraid of, can be both very helpful and rewarding. By your skilled and caring efforts to help, you can really help the person with panic disorder in making a recovery. Remember that panic disorder is very real to the person who is affected by it. It is very frightening and a little understanding and encouragement can go a very long way. If our members have any other tips for family members, please share them here! Sylvie, Bilingual Health Educator

Disputes III

Members, Disputes are often caused and maintained by problems with communication styles and communications skills. Previoiusly you learned about some of the most common types of communication styles (passive, aggressive, passive-aggressive), problems with communication (anger, blaming, self-blame, denying your needs, yes-butting, timing, kitchen sinking, counterpunching, mind reading, digging-in) and some ways to improve your communication (experimenting with being assertive, perspective taking, taking a time-out, timing, asking questions, listening, starting to experiment in relationships in which you feel relatively safe). Communication Analysis is a technique that helps you to take a close look at a specific situation, argument, or discussion and better understand how problems with communication style or communication skills may have gotten you into trouble. It allows you to take a careful look at exactly what was going on in a specific situation so you can figure out what went wrong and how you might try to do it a bit differently the next time. One of the important reasons that Communication Analysis works is because when people are having problems in a relationship they tend to have the same argument over and over again. The content of the dispute like finances, parenting, intimacy, etc. may change but the pattern of the argument such as how people react to each other and how things go wrong when people disagree generally tends to stay the same. So, if you can figure out what the pattern of your arguments is you can then work on changing it. You may never have the exact same argument again, but you€™ll likely have a very similar one. If you can figure out where things went wrong last time, you can try something different next time. There are some similarities between doing Thought Records and doing a Communication Analysis. For both exercises you want to describe a very specific situation or slice of time. In a Thought Record you write down exactly what the situation was and what you were thinking, feeling and doing. A Communication Analysis is a bit different. In a Communication Analysis you write a detailed description of what happened during a specific interaction with another person. You start describing the interaction from the beginning, and keep describing the interaction until it ended. You try to remember exactly what each person did and said, and exactly how you were feeling. You then take a look at the entire interaction to see how you could have improved, or changed, the outcome. Start by identifying the other person and the dispute and then write a detailed description of the interaction including what each person said and did, and what you were thinking. If possible, try to understand what the other person could have been thinking at each step. Using Communication Analysis is a powerful technique to help you understand and change the patterns in your disputes and arguments. Remember, no matter who you are or what you do for a living, everyone can improve their communication skills and the even the best communicators never stop working on them. Maybe that€™s what makes them the best! Stay tuned for Sunday when we will be exploring how to put your needs in perspective. Sylvie, Bilingual Health Educator

Panic attacks when speaking in front of people

Hi Pick, Welcome to our support community. You've certainy come to the right place. You'll be able to find a lot of information so when ready start working through the program. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to post, we're here to help. Sylvie, Bilingual Health Educator

Am I just being too tough on myself?

Hi Diva, You're going through a lot right now so don't be too hard on yourself. There is nothing wrong with taking meds when needed. You should speak with your doctor or pharmacist to learn more about the dependance level of the medications that you're on. They will be able to answer your questions and put your concerns at ease. We are very happy to hear that you're doing well. Sylvie, Bilingual Health Educator

Advice

Hi Cornish-dee, It's very normal to experience anxiety when going into a new experience. You could try doing relaxation exercises before going into your procedure like going for a walk or doing like Yoga. If possible, it may be helpful if you listen to music from an mp3 player, or you can bring a little stress ball for you to hold and squeze. Hope this helps:) Sylvie, Bilingual Health Educator