From Heart to Social... anyone?

[Meat-Head]

Initially my anxiety has revolved around heart worry and palps.


But now, I seem to have developed some kind of social anxiety.


Going into dept stores is very uncomfortable. Lots of people and noise and lights starts making me feel crazy...

Anyone deal with these? Found any solutions?

[GwenP]

Stay away from busy times, I found going first thing in morning built my confidence again and oddly when my car broke down I had to get bus and that helped but made sure had seat to myself :roflmao: saying hi to people helps to even if they ignore you

[gobackjackdoitagain]

Hello,

I suffer with a heart health anxiety. I have been off work sick now for some time, but expect to work again in the new year.

I have been concerned that I may also develop agoraphobia, and really don't like crowds, particularly in shopping centres. I took myself to London a week or so ago, and although I struggled a bit with the crowds (and needed to stop off for a couple of pints), I feel that it has done me some good, and I expect to go again soon, and walk exactly the same route.

If you know of Dr Claire Weekes 'Self Help For Your Nerves', she says 'it's never too late to start again'. I think a wider point might be failure (or running away) is ok, as it's a strong part of the recovery process. Saying to yourself, 'I dare you to fail' might be a useful notion. It's like in business, you learn far more from failure than you do from success.

I think a good reference is people who are afraid to go in a lift. To a anxiety sufferer (I'm perfectly happy in lifts provided they don't stop between floors!) like me, whilst I can fully understand that a lift phobia is a real problem, it seems so petty by comparison.

The point is it would seem (potentially) easy to overcome a lift phobia by increasing one floor at a time (I know there's more to it than that), it would seem that it's a measurable recovery. i.e struggled with the 5 floors, go back to 3, then build up again.

I'm starting to ramble, so I'll stop. I hope there are some bits to pick out from what I've said that might help.

Richard