That is a really good idea Sunny. That's one of my issues with the exposure, my safe person is also my husband, he's a busy guy, goes away a lot... At my job there's an elevator that's hardly used in the evening and I can stand by it, etc. without anyone around. The building is only 3 floors. I've always tried to work in places that I can easily walk the stairs...
the funny thing..well, its not so funny...beside every elevator in the place there is a big sign that reads" if anyone gets stuck in this elevator call the number below!" Just what I love to read! I was thinking about tearing them down! haha, but then I thought "what if I'm stuck in there and no-one knows the number"? lol
Just an idea: A lady in my support group who had an elevator phobia tried it this way. She would ride up one floor with a support person. Then that support person would ride back down to the first floor and wait for her to take the elevator back down alone and find her support person waiting for her.
Don't give up! I've been working on my elevator phobia for over a week..and I haven't progressed far..I had hoped it would be easier..but I get panicky when the door opens and I look inside...so that's where I'm at..but I'm not giving up..(yet)
I am so happy to hear you are going to keep trying. It really does get better in time. It just doesn't happen overnight. I am still a work in progress myself and have a long ways to go.
Davit,
Thanks for helping me explain exposure work. It was a tough question for me to answer. I do have a long ways to go still. There are so many things I still want to do and enjoy and exposure work is something I have to do with each and every one of them. I still struggle to leave the house as you know. I am getting out once or twice a week now. I got out more last week to exercise but it was tough. I am still working on this week. I am not about to give up on myself though. I know it takes time. It took me a long time to get this way so I do not expect to get well over night. I am making progress slowly but surely and I am very happy about that. I just try to take it one day at a time and one small step at a time.
Exposure is just that, exposing yourself to a situation you are uncomfortable with and dealing with it by using coping skills and relaxation techniques. Exposure itself does nothing but bring on anxiety or panic. It is what you do with the anxiety or panic that makes exposure work or not work. Jumping ahead to exposure if you don't have coping and relaxation skills in place will set you back. If you have basic coping skills and relaxation techniques in place then exposure will reinforce them. Without them all that will happen is you will panic. This is why exposure is done in small steps in a pre planned set of steps working up to full exposure. Red is doing exposure but in small steps and working up to where she can do the things she wants to do on her own. She is also doing very well but admits she is not there yet.
You have to take one small thing and expose yourself to it over and over till you can do it without consideration or preparation before adding to it. An example is elevators. First you stand by the doors. later you open the doors. later you enter and hold the door open button, working your way up until you can ride the elevator with no trouble. Never taking the next step till you are ready, no matter how long it takes. Each accomplishment reinforces your coping skills. skipping any steps will only make it harder if not impossible.
Most people can tough out a single unpleasant situation if they never have to do it again. This is NOT exposure even if it is a necessity. Doing it under the influence of medication can be exposure if done right.
Exposure is supposed to be pleasant with rewards for every accomplishment. If it is excessively painful then you are going to fast.
I hope this explains exposure to you. Best of luck with it. Look at the posts and see what others use for coping skills.
Yes I too find that the panic goes up and down. I started working in the depression sister site in December of 2008 and then moved over to the Panic site in January of this year. That is about a year and a half now. I have been working on the exposure for about 5 months now. It does take time and it has been slow moving but it does get better. You just have to take your time with it. With each exposure it gets a little easier. You may not even notice that it is getting better and you are making progress but you are. Like I still have a safe person who drops me off at class and I still have to go thought the steps of getting there like get dressed to go, walk out the door, and get in the car. I also have some other exposure I am trying to do like get dressed and go out and walk every other day. Sometimes it is harder than other times and sometimes I don't make it at all. The one thing I do remember is how good I feel about myself when I do go out. Also I give myself a pat on the back for every step I take forward no matter how small. They are all big accomplishments when you have Anxiety/panic and especially if you have become Agoraphobic because the anxiety/panic. One thing I do it post my accomplishments under the thread called accomplishments and other positive things its list under goal setting and exposure planning and also their is a thread called Pledge for the week under mod's corner which I have found helpful when setting goals. This posting is a way of rewarding myself and it helps motivate me to move forward. It is replacing the negative thoughts with positive ones.
I hope this helps you in some way. Go easy on yourself, reward yourself for your accomplishments no matter how small you make think they are, they are huge steps forward, you just don't know it yet, you are making progress, you are getting there.
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