paranoid and over-reacting?

[kathrynfleming]

hello all its been awhile since i've been on here...

ok I've recently starting having panic attacks again over a few things which seem ridiculous to me but i can't help but panic even though i tell myself nothings really wrong and i was wondering if anyone could give me some advice? or something like that

ok i'll just list the few things which i get really scared about

the first one is the dark
I've always had a phobia of the dark since i was 5 and it started sort of easing up when reached 11 but i still can't be in pitch black rooms or else i...well panic. i've slept with my landing light on for ages now and some of my friends found out and have spread it so now people take the mick out of me :weep:

Another one is planes or helicopters or even cars that drive onto my street at night (or across the sky) i dont know why but when i hear them i really freak out especially if i cant see them. I don't really understand where this has come from because its quite recent that its started happening and it scares me quite alot cause i end up crying hysterically when it occurs :weep:

And the last one is being on my own. This one probably confuses me the most because i grew up being on my own quite alot due to the bullying i got when i was younger but recently when i've been on my own i start to get really bad thoughts in my head and then i freak out and have a panic attack.

the first one i can usually handle but the last two are really starting to worry me quite alot so any help or advice or anything would really help me :)

so thanks :hugs: :bighug1:

[Anxious_gal]

I'm afraid of the dark, I will always be , it's not something I want to overcome.
It doesn't really affect me, I'm ok with street lamps or walking in the dark in the country as long as I have a flash light I can cope :)
People only have the power to humiliate you if you let them, if you just own up say ya I don't like the dark, so what! Act/pretend like you are not embarrassed!
I was never embarrassed about this, so I that could be part of the reason no one has made fun of me for it.
In fact I know a few people who sleep with night lights!
Also those people really sound nasty!

Is it only at night?
Hmm it might be an extension of your fear of the dark.
what about it bothers you? The noise and the fact you can't see it?
Or do you think something bad is about to happen?

I'm much more anxious and jumpy at night time, I pick up on every little noise too.

what sort of bad thoughts? There's the usual weird crazy scary thoughts you can get with anxiety but they are normal you just have to take them for what the are,, just a passing thought.

Has your life been more stressful lately?
Maybe medication and/or therapy might the way to go.
Anxiety just gets worse if you do nothing about it, even working on it on your own can help , doing CBT and positive thinking has helped me a lot.
you would benefit though from support whether its a doctor or a therapist etc..

[kathrynfleming]

thanks for commenting :)

the dark isnt so much of a bother as it used to be and they can be pretty nasty sometimes but honestly i think most of the time its just innocent teasing that i let get to me a little.

yes i think its only at night...what bothers me most is that i can't see it and i don't know what it is or whats going to happen for example is it just a police helicopter flying overhead in the sky or is it a car with a drug dealer outside my house...i never know and it honestly terrifies me :(

the bad thoughts i have when i'm alone...there along the line of am i always gunna be alone? has everyone abandoned me? will i die alone? does anyone atually care enough to txt me or come and visit me etc...

well it kind of has and it kind of hasn't...i mean its summer holidays right now but its approaching the end of them and when i go back i've got my exams college applications and everyone on my back asking "oh what college are you going too? what do you wanna do when you leave? you probably shouldn't do that" and so on...

I'm not usually one for asking for help...I'm kind of a shy and very nervous person...whats CBT? xxx

[lucasway89]

CBT is basically training yourself to see things and behave differently, I'm currently undergoing it.

Panic is all 100% in the mind so it can be tackled with understanding, logic and most importantly...willingness.

Don't be ashamed of the strange things that freak you out I have/had them too, very weird ones, you can't help it. But you can, with some understanding.

The main thing to try and do, and believe me, I'm not saying this like it is easy or enjoyable. Is to try and lose your fear of feeling anxious/panicky.

As I'm sure you know by now from reading about it etc panic attacks are not in any way dangerous, they cannot harm you, they cannot kill or or make you go insane. It is a cycle, your body or mind feels anxious and the other follows, this makes you hyper aware of your body and you focus in on it and try and fight it...this only makes it worse, and the cycle continues and gets worse until..eventually it burns itself out. Note: It ALWAYS burns itself out, t always ends, after maybe 5 minutes after maybe 5 hours, but it always ends and you never come out with any damage.

What you need to try and do is be willing to let the anxiety come, just it happen because it is going to happen anyway, on its own terms. Let it happen, let your body do what it wants to do and just remember that no matter how horrible and uncomfortable it feels (and I know, it feels f**king horrible) it is not going to harm you and that it just needs to run its course.

By not being afraid of it, you're already not giving it more fuel to continue and it will end sooner...but, and it's a fine line, don't 'accept' the panic just so it will end soon, because then you;re still obviously scared of it. You need to be willing to let the anxiety do its thing on its own terms and for as long as it needs.

Over time, if you're no longer scared of feeling anxious, then you won't feel anxious as much and life will be a lot easier.

It is hard, I know, I struggle with it, it id out natural instinct to try and fight the feelings or to run away, but they are just telling yourself that something deserve running away from or fighting..when in reality, it is far simpler to just let it in and accept it.

[Anxious_gal]

Try and see your fears as your imagination! Because that's all it is.
I guess when you hear noise out side you imagine the worst case senario , this is in a way a habit and you can learn to talk your self out of it.
I used to be same way, when my anxiety was bad I would panic at any noise outside ,I would worry someone was trying to break in.
So I'd end up looking out all the windows. Being super paranoid in general .
What's the area like where you live?