Thank you sincerely, everyone. I can honestly say that my excitement to share this achievement with you was a great help whenever I began to feel afraid and had thoughts of turning around to be nearer to the car.
Regarding the cell phone and water bottle, I did have the idea that I would have to leave them behind for my exposure homework. In the module on avoidance, water bottles and cell phones are referred to as "safe objects" I always have a cell phone and water bottle with me and I almost always have the bottle of Ativan with me, too.
I think that the other runners and walkers around the cove must know me by sound. I think that one can always hear the slosh, slosh, slosh of my water bottle as I approach. In the summer months, there are water fountains all along the path. In fact, I used to run back and forth between water fountains, back in my more anxious times. Anyway, this is why I felt it was important to give running without the water bottle and cell phone a try.
My next goal is to attend our company's town hall meeting tomorrow. I really want to avoid it because there can be 3000 people in attendance and during the last one, I began to panic. Fortunately I was able to use CBT to make it through because I really did want to make my way through the crowds to get out of there.
Thank you again to those of you who read this and/or responded. I really owe my success to your support and community!
Carmie
