fight or flight

[mirry]

I have alway wondered why do i panic in shops/cars/meetings/school runs or anything new.
I read somewhere this is why it happens;

Basically we are not afraid of all these places at all,
Instead we are afraid of

THE FIGHT OR FLIGHT FEELING ! (this is our fear)

ive given it some thought and realised its true, thats why i can go in a empty shop no problem but as soon as someone lines up behind me i panic (scared they will see my panic) thats not a fear of shops!
THIS IS A FEAR OF MY BODILY REACTION AND THEN THE SHAME[:I].

ive found this thought very comforting,
what do you think ?

mirryx

[wendy]

Hi Mirry

Thanks for sharing this, I agree, for example when I am mid panic at work I dash because am ashamed that people will notice and think Im crazy yet when I get to the car I start to calm down, On the other hand tho I have times when am scared to be alone even though the person I want with me is my mother not strangers so yep totally agree!

Wendy xx

[Granny Primark]

I have this terrible fear of going in a shop and having to queue. Ive walked out of so many shops because of this. Another thing ive done is gone in a supermarket got what i needed stood in the queue then left my trolly to go in search of other items to put in my trolly just so that i wouldnt have to stand in the queue. Thus coming out with a load of things i never really needed to buy. I really cant make sense of it.

[Alexandra]

Hi Mirry

Thanks for sharing.

Im the same too. In a quiet place im fine ie, Shop,street,park but put lots of people there i freak & need to get the heck out of there.

Alex

Many People Will Walk
In & Out Of Your Life
But Only True Friends
Will Leave Footprints
In Your Heart

[mirry]

Wendy to be scared to be alone must be being afraid of your feelings....(fight or flight) i imagine.

Lynn, I do that in shops lol, i stand in line then find it too much like im going to panic so i walk out the que to look at other things then when it gets to my turn i just turn up with my money ready in my hand......I cant stand any delays at all.
You can imagine how i was in Iceland when they had a power cut and the till stopped working whilst i was being served (just my luck).

mirryx

[mirry]

oooooo Alex Im just the same, when me and my hubby go caravaning im fine - no would ever know because i talk to people one to one basis.

My cbt told me its performance anxiety however I am thinking ive always been anxious as a child and adult in front of people but it never stopped me doing anything at all.........then i got the panic attacks and i stopped doing many things , WHY ?
I got panic attacks in places I love, clothes shops/pictures/ with friends infact everything i loved doing!

This all makes sence to me, When i had my first panic attack in a shop I was concerned about the feelings i had, thinking something was wrong with me and that everyone must of seen the state i was in ?
I then worried about it happening
again , that horrible suffocating feeling in public!
So my subconcious told me dont go out to stop me having that ((((FEELING)))))

mirryx

[marie ross]

Hi Mirry

your're right i'm not scared of going into shops if i know i can just dash in and out, but like a lot of people here if i have to queue or someone inf front of me uses a credit card and it takes ages, i just panic, i know i look normal on the outside but inside i've got a million and one things going through my mind. At the moment i'm making myself stand in the queue at my local shop (used to walk around looking at anything until the queue went down!!!) and it's working, the panic is still there, but you know what i hav'nt fainted yet!!!!! Not quite ready to queue in IKEA on a sunday yet, but getting there ever soooooo slowly!!!!!!!

Take care

Marie XXX

[kayes life]

Hi mirry,there will be a time when you can go into any shop and not get stressed in any way,sounds a million miles off i know but you will get there i promise.You know its not the shop or anything else for that matter,its YOU thinking the dreaded is going to crop up.Try to practise going forward into it instead of frighteningly withdrawing from it and the symptoms will then subside,you'll still feel like crap but so what? If you do this just once you'll feel a massive sense of achievement when you do get outside but if you can't do it the first time don't be dissapointed,just try again the next time and it will get easier.Its a sad reality but the more you run away the more it will grip hold if you.Remember the cure from panic lies on the other side of panic.Lots of love ,Kaye xxx:D

[Piglet]

Mirry this is totally me too hun :([}:)][:I]:D!!!

Piglet xx

"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" said Piglet.
"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh after careful thought.

[MrMonkey]

YEs! You're spot on there! Once I got over my health anxiety all that remains is my social anxiety about people NOTICING me anxious. I get anxious they might see me anxious which just makes me more anxious blah blah.

I used to love going to the cinema but i've not been able to sit there comfortable for years because I'm afraid I'll get restless and keep getting up and annoy the other people there.

The last time I went was for 'Spider-man 2' in Summer 2004. I got up three times, hid in the toilets twice and watched the last 45 minutes of it from the sidelines! But at least I stayed!! :) Its also exaggerated by going to see things I like and am excited about because excitement is very close to anxiety and, like someone was saying about music, it can influence your emotions.

Anyway, there's my 2 bits :)

* * *
It's just my high anxiety getting to the best of me. I call him Bingbongilypoop. Then I can laugh at him cos he has a funny name. HAHA! [points]

[mirry]

Mr monkey lol,
I dont know when im in the mist of a panic if i could remember his name lol. But its interesting to think of as a silly name.

Today i went to my local market and started to have a panic whilst being served by the old man on the fruit and veg store......
when i started to panic I told myself "your not afraid of the man or this market, you are afraid of whats inside you the FIGHT/FLIGHT responce.

well the panic stopped straight away:D and i walked away feeling slightly strange but ok, then i realised the strange feeling was just he adrenalin trying to clear itself from my body (something ive learnt in cbt).

mirryx

[tara]

I've never thought of it like that mirry...we are frightened of the feeling inside us..thats so true...it's not the suituation we're in it's reaction we give it..thought provocing..thanks xx

[MrMonkey]

try a different name if it works for you, but it has to be silly! :) Yes, its a big step when you recognise the fight or flight response, you can then attribute all the nasty feelings to it and it makes it a lot easier not to panic

* * *
It's just my high anxiety getting to the best of me. I call him Bingbongilypoop. Then I can laugh at him cos he has a funny name. HAHA! [points]

[Wenjoy]

You guys are all soooo right - i HATE queues and I walk around and go back to my shoppingbasket if I feel panicky - its crazy when you explain it for what it is but its so true!!
Wenjoy x

[mirry]

Mr Monkey ,
please start a new post called something like.........
whats your called and lets see what silly names come up ;)

mirryx

[scoobygirl2005]

Hi.

I know what you mean, especially what Loopylynn said, I don't really like staying in big queues, for some reason I just get really embarrassed and feel like everyone is watching me! Its not nice. Loopylynn - Do you still feel like this? Do you have any techniques to make you stay in the que?

Scooby2005
x x