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My wife is terrified of birds and while I don't really understand it, I can sympathise (beady eyes, beaks and feathers.) When confronted with a "bird" situation she freely tells everybody and they nod and sympathise. However, I can imagine that if I was in a "panic" situation, a crowded bar for instance, and I said "I'm not comfortable here, because I suffer from panic attacks" my freinds would look at me as if I was mad. I'd be better off saying "There's no seats and I've got a bad back. Let's go somewhere else."
Bryn
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I tell practically everyone I meet about my panic attacks! Granted I wouldnt tell colleagues in a meeting as it may lead them to (wrongly) think I couldnt do my job but I tell most people.
I tell those I work with day to day and all my friends and pretty much even strangers if I know I am going to feel anxious in a situation!
So far people have always been fine and most then unburden themselves with stories of their panic attacks! Give it a try sometimes you might be surprised!
Emily
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Emily, you must be the kind of person people can relate to! I don't think people would be so kind to me (it's not self-pity, just what I think.) I mentioned before in this post that a colleague (Richard) confessed and he was ridiculed. I remember being in the pub and the office gossips got into full swing, they said he was a wimp, a coward, a weakling etc. One person even questioned his sexuality.
Having seen that happen, there's no way I could ever do it. Lying's better, I think. But mental strength is even better than that. So I'll keep it under wraps and hope to improve day by day.
Thanks
Bryn
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Maybe it is to do with age or culture? Everyone my age in london seems to have had panic attacks!
I work in a very boisterous boysey office and when i was off for 3 weeks noone said anything negative to me. If they said it behind my back then I couldnt care less!
Emily
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Age or culture? I don't know, maybe I'm a bit long in the tooth (the big four - oh has just passed) but this was five years ago, an office just off Oxford Street and the gossipers were aged from 18 to 40. They were mostly women, but the person who made the sexuality comment was a guy of 25. Culture? Probably not, we were all Londoners. Unfortunately for Richard (who was not a Londoner - Isle of Wight,) some of the comments were said to him. He left the company about a month later.
In the world there are good people and bad people, Maybe it was unfortunate for Richard that the office was mostly filled with bad people?
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Oh I thought you were in Madrid. I work near Oxford Street now! About 5 mins away.
Emily
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I'm in Madrid now, but then I was in Berners Street, just north W.H. Smiths.
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I was in Mortimers on Berners St today!
Emily
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I had my leaving do there - two and a half years ago!
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