phobia and panic attack [Archive]

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Nathaly

25-02-13, 22:06

I'm a new user , and i like to share my problem hope i get any help:(. I have a phobia from going far from home,when i go so far from home i feel that my heart start beat so quickly and i do have then a panick attact , this problem start since 4 years ago and this killing me and kill my daily life , i always wonder when we plan with my friends to go out i fear and wonder if we are going so far cz i fear to not handle my situation even that i faced this situation many times and i overcome it when i practice to overcome and go far because i know that it's just an adrenaline in my body that push to the limit and i will not die sure but this make me feel worry why this problem can not go , i tried many hard things to overcome by facing the far places but always a new attack and phobia , i do need any advice what is the best choice to solve my problem

Daisy Sue

25-02-13, 23:28

Hi Nathaly, welcome to the forum :)

I know what you mean, I have this too, but not all the time. Some days I can go on long trips away from home, or even local ones, and feel absolutely fine.. other days if I'm feeling a little fragile, I know I'm going to get the "I don't feel well" feeling the further I get from home.

For me, I get through it by recognising it for what it is, and I know I'll be feeling ok again by the time I get near home, so I just carry on and go where I need to go. Sometimes we need to play mind games with ourselves, if you know what I mean, just keep on reassuring yourself it's only anxiety and you'll be fine soon, that you're safe, not vulnerable etc..

Nathaly

26-02-13, 18:53

Hey Daisy Sue ,
Thanks you ,it feels better when i see that i'm not the only one who face like this kind of problem , i searched alot on google to know what is exactly the name of this phobia but a few of people have this kind of phobia and i didn't exactly know what is the name of this phobia, but it seems that it's close a little to agoraphobia but not to much. Also I'm like u said sometimes i don't feel that i'm in a panic attack when i go far and also sometimes when i go many times to the same place i don't feel any more the anxiety but when i go for the first time to a far place that feeling surround me , so that i always practice to challenge my situation and go far because when i face my phobia this feeling well be less than the first time, but the problem that this phobia don't disapear it's still exist even when i chalenge it many time, so that i think of going to a psychologue but i'm afraid to not get a good result that i expect , can i ask you how you live with ur situation ? how long time u had this phobia? have you ever visit a psychologue ? how u get used on this situation , i always try to know on google the reason to have this phobia and i do have an explanation and i knew my true problem from what now i have this phobia so you know you the reason of you phobia ?
Take care
Bonne journee

Daisy Sue

26-02-13, 20:36

Hi again :)

I'm not really into labelling which kind of anxiety I have, I think (as I've said somewhere else on here) that anxiety crosses over from one kind to another with a lot of people anyway... so whether what you're describing is agoraphobia or general anxiety, panic attack syndrome.. I don't think it matters. What does matter, and helps, is to really truly believe that what you're feeling is only triggered by thoughts... yes we get the physical things such as feeling faint, sick, shaky, sweaty etc., but these are just thought-induced reactions. Believing that, and understanding how my body works when it's having these reactions, helps me deal with it enormously.

I don't think I challenge it, I think I resign myself to it a lot, knowing it's there, feeling very unsettled while it's there, but I know it's going to go.

When it's a full panic attack, I can't carry on as normal, but I've never had one whilst driving - I think because I'm in control then.

My anxiety came from very ill health many years ago, and that whole episode scared me a lot, more than I think I realised. And yes, back then, I did see a CBT therapist for about a year.

Are you getting any help with yours? If not, I definitely recommend CBT... and having a chat with your GP - you may find that meds help you on their own, or in addition to some therapy.

Nathaly

27-02-13, 19:28

chicaplatense

27-02-13, 23:26

Hello, I find that with panic attacks many times the physical sensations come before the thoughts even pop into my head. However, once I feel the sensations, my thoughts begin to run wild which worsen my physical symptoms, and then my thoughts get worse and so on. I have found that sometimes I am able to dismiss my physical symptoms (that's to say, not have some scary thought as a result of my physical sensation). When I am able to do this then the symptoms fizzle out.
However, other times the thought comes first: I will get some scary thought and I will react with fear to the thought and then my sensations will begin, and the thoughts get worse and so on.... These are called automatic thoughts and are quite difficult to control. Some have suggested, especially in Buddhist literature and Mindfulness advocates, that when these automatic thoughts come, trying to control them makes things worse, like the case "don't think of a white bear" and now that's all you can think. So the disturbing thoughts continue to come... Instead they have suggested acknowledging the thought and deciding that its nothing but a thought and it will pass on its own. Continue on to the next thing you were going to do and do not judge yourself or your thought as something bad or terrible but as human: we all have thoughts that are sometimes silly, scary, bizarre and they mean nothing, just that your brain is very active and imaginative.... The more you judge and react to your thoughts and try to control them the harder it will be to keep them out (Don't think of a white bear!!!). Of course it takes practice to master the skill of observing your thoughts and letting them pass without overreacting to them but with practice we can get better at it. Sometimes finding something to do that you enjoy a lot and that requires you to focus helps get your mind off of your panic.

Daisy Sue

28-02-13, 00:44

Hello :)

I will check the site you already sent to me " CBT" hope i get any help online .

Thank You :hugs:

---------- Post added at 19:28 ---------- Previous post was at 15:41 ----------

Hey Again , can you help me by sending a website for CBT ( any help online by a GP) i searched but it seems i didn't get what i truly want and need , Thank you !

Hi Nathaly... I'm not sure where to direct you for online help with CBT - mine was arranged through my hospital. This link takes you to the forum's help page on therapies, including CBT. However, I think most people ask their doctors for a referral for CBT.

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/therapy/