Members,
When we avoid things, we miss out. As you probably already know, escaping the situations you find yourself in when you have a panic attack can lead to other problems.
Problem 1
Some situations are more difficult to avoid than others. For example, many people have a specific phobia to snakes. For people who live in the city, having an extreme fear of snakes is not really a big problem. If you live in a city, the chances are you’ll only find a snake at the zoo or pet store. However, people who fear being at home alone, being away from home, being in open spaces, visiting shopping malls, traveling over bridges, or riding in public transportation have a much bigger problem because these situations are common. For someone who lives on the island of Manhattan, a fear of bridges and tunnels may mean that they can never leave the city.
Problem 2
Escaping and avoiding situations works well to reduce anxiety in the short-term. However, in the long-term avoidance makes things worse. The problem is that escaping and avoiding works too well. When you escape or avoid a situation you get immediate relief - as soon as you escape, you begin to feel better. The result is that you learn to be really good at escaping and avoiding. When you think about it, not dealing with problems isn’t really what you want to be good at.
Problem 3
The more you avoid, the less you’re able to lead a full, happy, and productive life. As a result of escaping and avoiding you don’t do a lot of things that most people enjoy, such as going out with friends, driving, going downtown, going to a movie, going to a park, going to a sports event, going to concerts or museums, relaxing at home alone, or going away on vacation.
Problem 4
When people aren’t able to enjoy life because of their avoidance, they beat themselves up. People with panic disorder and agoraphobia usually say that escaping and avoiding makes them feel better in the short-term but much worse in the long-term. As soon as the immediate relief of avoidance behavior wears off, people usually start looking back and blaming themselves for not being strong, good, brave, or smart enough. In the end, avoiding and escaping leads to feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and less confidence in their ability to challenge fear. The end result is negative thoughts about the self, the world, and the future. This often leads to depression.
Are you experiencing anxiety? How are you coping?
Let us brainstorm solutions together!
Danielle - Bilingual Support Specialist