Been Really Panicky This Morning Re: London

[Gordon]

Hi All

A few weeks ago I arranged to visit friends in London for a long weekend.

I'll be travelling down (I live in the North East) on Thursday 5th and coming home on Monday 9th.

I was really looking forward to it.

And then I woke up this morning to the news that a massive car bomb terrorist attack has been foiled in London AND it's coming up to 7/7 again.

I've been shaking like a leaf and wondering if I should go down or not.

I don't normally suffer bad anxiety these days as my illness isn't as bad as it was a few years ago, but this has got me totally worried sick again.

I'm really nervous about whether to go or not now.

Take Care

Gordon XX

[clickaway]

Hi Gordon,

I can understand your reaction, but step back and consider a couple of things.

Millions of people live and work in London and they have to face this "risk" every day. When I go to London, everybody else seems relaxed and just seems to be me that's not!

As for 'now', you could argue that vigilance will be increased and that as this attempt failed, it will take a while to re-plan.

Incidentally, I know someone from Manchester who has severe anxiety and made a stand by coming down to London on 7/7/06, including travelling on the tube.

Just go down and enjoy yourselves mate.

[MissChampers]

I totally understand how you're feeling, i'm also meant to be going to London next Saturday for the Live Earth concert at Wembley stadium and it will be exactly 2 years to the day since the tube bombings. With what's happened this morning i'm seriously contemplating not going now :ohmy: as a stadium full of 90,000 will be the prime location for an attack.

[Gordon]

I'm still gonna go down.

The police have foiled all recent attempted attacks and the place will be crawling with police hopefully.

Take Care

Gordon X

[Lozzie]

Gordon,
I am sure even people without anxiety problems will be a little bit anxious after hearing about that.
Please dont worry, I know it's easier said then done.
You will be fine and once your there with your friends you wont even be thinking about it! :hugs: :hugs:
AND ul only be like about 20miles from me! :ohmy: lol

Take care hunny, ul be fine!!
Laura xxx:flowers:

[kazzie]

You go Gordon!!!!:yesyes:

We must not let anxiety or the terrorists win:lac:

Luv Kaz x x x:hugs:

[Moose.]

Hey Gordon,

How'd it go yesterday? Bet it was fine! :yesyes: I too worry about things on the news, so I try to avoid the news as much as I can (although it's almost impossible!) to avoid hearing about something to make me anxious. Perhaps not the best solution to the problem, but certainly a practical one. What you don't know can't hurt you (or something like that!):)

[Dying_Swan]

Hey Gordon.

Sorry to hear you're getting so worried. It is alarming, but thank goodness they found them.

Here's something you might consider......well, when the last bombs went off, they were strategically placed to cause maximum disruption to the transport network. They were also timed to coincide with weekday rush-hours.

I lived in London when the last lot happened and it really got to me. I remember talking through it with people, and someone commented....They tend to go for places and times which are going to have the biggest effect on the infrastructure. This person reckoned it isn't loss of life they are after, but major, major disruption to the transport, which ultimately leads to disruption for the government.

London, Madrid and Mumbai - all transport networks in rush hour.

So, in a nutshell, I reckon it isn't weekends and wembley stadiums they want. They want to bug the government. You'll be right fine :)

Also - remember the failed bombings of 21/7? They caught them all! Now that they've found these new ones, I would hope no terrorists would be stupid enough to do it again so soon. The Police will be extra-vigilant at the moment. Last time they were literally everywhere.

I know it's horrible. It makes me feel sick to my stomach, but please listen to what others have said. If they scare us into stopping doing things, they have won. We mustn't let them win!

Good luck with it xxx

[Gordon]

Now there's been a possible failed car bombing at Glasgow Airport :(

I'm still going though, they will NOT win.

Gordon XX

[Dying_Swan]

Just saw this on the news. Horrible :weep:

Keep your chin up Gordon and get on that coach. Don't let these *******s
win :lac:xxx

[Piglet]

:hugs:

Piglet :flowers:

[groovygranny]

Gordon

I so admire your spirit and your courage.

You are an inspiration to us all - so go and have a lovely time with your friends.



:hugs: :) :hugs:

[celestial]

Hi Gordon

I am *so* feeling your pain. I am trying to work out a way to cope with this myself, and I live and work in London (with SEVERE anxiety brought on often by this kind of crap) so imagine how I'm feeling!

So far, these are the best strategies I've found (some taught to me when going through CBT for this very reason):

- How often have you been right about thinking something terrible is going to happen? (for me, this is almost every hour of every day, so I've got a pretty low hit-rate. I'd guess that's the same for many anxious people)

- who says it's going to happen in London? It's been the other end of the country now. Not exactly comforting I know, but it could help you go through with plans you've already made

-this bunch seem like pretty poor amateurs.

-the more you avoid these situations, the worse your anxiety will get.

I'm currently holed up in my flat on the outskirts of London, and am going to bite the bullet and go in for a meal today. I have to do this for my own sanity, as I will be working there tomorrow, and losing my job would be the end of the world for me.

Can I also say, though, that I would be (and have been) feeling exactly the way you are in your situation and really do sympathise. I was shaking like a leaf and unable to sleep on 9/11 despite drinking a small bottle of neat whisky to calm my nerves - and I was thousands of miles away. These maniacs really do succeed in ruining lives.

[celestial]

P.S on a lighter note, your nickname on here has really made me giggle, as I was visualising our new PM quaking about terrorists 'kicking off' around his new residence, and resorting to using a message board for reassurance. ;)

[Lindalou64]

thats right gorden you go and have fun like ive said on other post dont let them win........i wish you the best and your doing a great job.....take care ,,,,,Linda xx

[Charlottie]

I'm flying to Spain on Tuesday, what a time for the country to go on "critical" alert ¬.¬

[clickaway]

I have read we are on critical alert just because of the attempted car bombings and not because of any specific inteligence.

So if you are flying off somewhere, you should feel just as 'safe'.

Have a good holiday :)

[alexis]

Hi Gordon, I travelled to London, from the north East not long after the bombings, i travelled alone and stayed in a hotel with some other sufferers from this site,slept alone for the first time in 24years,attended a conference with mostly strangers,I also flew to Egypt a few days after the incidents last year, and whilst i was extremely nervous i tried to keep re assuring myself that security was higher then than at any other times,I am terrified of flying, never enter into my home town, and dont even like leaving my house, other than work, but life is too short and we must not let these people beat us, a bit rambling but hope you get the gist?
Please enjoy your few days away, take care.x

[celestial]

A good friend of mine (with a military/political background as it happens!) said something that really reassured me with regard to this whole "critical" level of alert stuff - that now is probably far LESS critical than usual, the time it was critical was thursday night when all this kicked off, but they didn't know about it then...they're saying it to cover their backs.

[Dying_Swan]

Oh that's so true. Now is probably the safest time to fly/go to London etc.

I love what Celestial said - 'This bunch seem like pretty poor amateurs'!

How true is that?! However evil their intent, you almost have to laugh at how miserably they have failed.

I guess Saturday's blazing Jeep kinda destroyed my weekday rush-hour theory, but the only person that ended up getting hurt was the bloody idiot setting fire to himself.

Here's a question for you all, just to continue the debate.....

That guy who burnt himself is now in Hospital being treated. I wondered whether you folks think these people should be entitled to emergency treatment on our NHS? Sure they are human beings, but since they are kicking the U.K. in the teeth, I wonder if they should be allowed to use our services. Not sure about this one. What do you think?

Gordy - I hope you are still being brave and going ahead with your trip.

Celestial - I do hope you brave it and go into town for your meal. I avoided the tube for a good couple of months after 7/7 and was like a scared rabbit when I finally started using it again. Please don't let them take your liberty away.

Keep smiling folks xxx :blush:

[celestial]

Dying_Swan> I think I'd be keen to keep him alive and well if only to provide information. I'm not sure I could bring myself to be pleasant to him, however...

Thanks for asking about the meal yesterday - I did go out, and am so glad I did it now. Today at work has been absolutely fine, and I know I'd have worried if I'd avoided central London all weekend. My boyfriend was great - he made me stick around, walk through some crowded bits etc even though he knew I was having a freakout, and it did help to get through it and know I was ok. I have to admit I was flinching every time I heard a loud noise though, and this in itself was pretty nasty (and not to mention embarassing).

I already didn't use the tube before 7/7 - I can't get in any enclosed spaces like that, and unfortunately this only makes it harder for me to think about ever getting over that fear. The sad irony is I'd just started to try again last week. :(