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am i mad?? why can i walk down a normal side street but start panicking and feeling anxious when i have to walk in an open space?
i can walk in a small street as long as there is something for me to hold on to if i start feeling odd, ie a fence, as soon as im in an open space or there are lots of people about i feel weird again, like im going to fall over because i feel so wobbly and everbody will see me fall because my legs go to jelly and they might think im mad!
i literally have to sprint until i see something to block me and i can stand and hold onto it until it passes its awful.
its the same on the bus, im ok then if the bus starts to fill i start feeling weak and my legs turn to jelly, everything goes loud and i cant see properly, then i get off and run for safety so i cant be seen.
the citalopram sort of takes the edge off the panic and sort of kills it quicker than before which is great, but i still feel awfully anxious in these situations.
why cant i walk normally where its open? why do i have to run?
kate :hugs:
No, you're not mad Kate,
I think you feel insecure in open spaces but trapped in crowded tight spaces. You feel the need to run because you need to find somewhere where you will feel secure.
Its really just a general insecurity but it Can be overcome with practise. :winks:
Hi Kate, :hugs:
Your not mad at all hun, Please don't think this, you will only feed your anxiety.
It sounds to me like your scared of what people may think, its dame hard changing are thought patten towards this, to not give a hoot what other people think.
When I was acute, I uesd to grab onto wall and things like that, kept thinking I was going to fall, but I never did. What I think I was doing was at that time I developed a short tearn coping skill, by me leaning onto the wall it made me feel better, do you know what I mean?
**why cant i walk normally where its open? why do i have to run?**
When we hit full blown panic or high anxiety, the flight, fight response kicks in,you feel like you are in danger, now you will want to do one of 2 things, you will freeze and try and hide from the danger or you will want to run away from it.
With me, mine was to freeze, ohh boy, I felt like I could not move, my body would just freeze. I found if I could bring myself just to move, it helped alot, NOT, RUN, but just move. Even at one point in a shop I jumped up and down, ohh I know this sounds silly, but it worked for me.
Your feeling is the need to run, to get away, you think you are in danger and feel the need to hide. I know this sounds strange and is very, very hard to do, but try stay in the situation, stand your ground, try dame hard to distract yourself from all your feeling. There are plenty of post on here about distraction.. Learn all you can about panic anxiety and it symptoms, this helps too.
Hope this helps
YOU TAKE CARE :hugs:
LOVE JILLXX
Gryphoenix
20-10-07, 16:46
I've done something similar--when I get scared I have the instinct to sit down and wait it out, kind of freezing up. It doesn't do much good because it's actually better to walk PA's off and get rid of the excess adrenaline and by sitting down it'll just bottle everything up and make me care more about what's happening.
One time it was so intense it was actually funny, I was on the floor trying to change into my outdoors clothes because I was too scared to stand up, so I wrestled myself and got everything on and was okay in the end. It was so hard but it worked and I wasn't afraid of that anymore I just do it.
I guess the best thing that I did was face my fears about that--nothing bad happened to me then.
Say to yourself--nothing bad will happen. Becuase it won't.
Even if you do have a surge of panic, what will happen then? It'll end eventually. You've done it before, experienced it before--you're still here. You'll be fine. :D
thanks a lot for your replies its so good to know im not alone, i feel a lot better and have been walking today with no problem at all its just always in the back of my mind am i going to feel this way again is it going to occur again that sort of thing.
i just wish i knew when its all going to end, or is it something that i`ll have to cope with forever.
how on earth am i going to get to work if this horrible thing keeps rearing its ugly head.
you are all so helpful on here its very much appreciated, thanks again,
kate xx
Hello Kate,
If you can learn stop thinking "what if", then they won't happen because you'll no longer be afraid of them happening!
Be Positive! Remind yourself of All the times they Haven't happened.....and they won't!
If you worry about them happening then your fear of them happening Will make them happen But say to yourself you did ok when they did so you've nothing to fear! :winks:
Freaky Chick
26-10-07, 09:07
Hi Kate
I have similar problems. I get very anxious just out in the street, side streets, town centre (i live in a very small town - McDonalds left cos they didn't have the custom!!!! and our chain store is boots!)
I find it hard in opena nd enclosed spaces, and feel like i've got to get to a safe place. I have been ill for over a year now, and i've managed to gradually build up a few safe places where if i start to feel ill, i know i can bolt for them. Because of this i can only just manage my town (except market days are more stressful) but i can't manager the local larger town without someone with me. My goal at the moment is to manage a shop in sainsburys without getting ill. When I have to deal with people - i my legs feel like jelly, i want to throw up and i can't talk - so trust me you are definitely not alone or going mad.
My Psychotherapist has got me visiting sainsbuys everyday - and i have to stay there through the panic and out the other side - (imagine somewhere nice, close your eyes, talk nice to yourself (i find that one very hard!) She tells me to assess my panic on a scale of 1-10 and then stay until it has reduced by 2-4 points. so if i'm feeling panic 9 (very bad) i have to try to stay till it's reduced to (6 or 5) 0 being no panic.
My big thing is thinking that i'm stupid for panicking - because up until i got ill, i was able to do the task without a second thought, and so i find myself condeming myself for being stupid - what i am trying to learn to do, is to accept that i am panicking - and tell myself it's ok, it's just sainsburys, no one here is going to hurt me, they probably haven't even noticed because they're too wrapped up in their own shopping etc. It also comes with a learned thought process of if i was looking after someone who was scared like i am feeling - what would i tell them? would i tell them they were being stupid? - You tend to be harde on yourself than you would be on someone else who was experiencing what you yourself are.
The thing i find is i can tell others what to do - but my brain won't accept my own advice - which is very frustrating!
I do hope that you can find just one or 2 places that you can feel safe in when you are out and about - a cafe is quite useful, as you can get a cup of tea and that seems to cure everything!
As for the bus, you could try staying on for one more stop when the panic arises - so if you have to go for 10 stops and your panic starts at 5 - try and talk you way through it until 6 and then 7 and then 8 etc, and eventually you will learn that it isn't as threatening as your mind and body are telling you and you'll be able to do it! That's how i conquered waitrose and what i'm applying to sainsburys - just a few minutes longer each time.
Hope this makes sense -
Freaky
Some very good advice! Definately the good old "what ifs" kicking in :mad:
I used to get frequent PA's in Asda, but I started to stay and see them through and they gradually subsided. My last real panic in Asda was a few years ago now.
BUT, on Wednesday, I went to Sainsburys and had a PA, totally out of the blue (maybe was the change of supermarket that did it!). I rode it out but it really caught me unaware :lac:
We all have what we consider out safe places but my counsellor always told me that the only safe place was myself. Good advice I reckon!
Hope things get better for you soon.
Kate
thanks both, you made me feel like im not mad and arent the only one experiencing it.
does this sound silly but... i actually went into tescos to do the shopping, as i got towards the fridge area the lights were so bright and vivid i suddenly felt anxious for few seconds it was weird!
anyway i did the shopping without panic!!!! i was with my husband and he went off to look at the dvds and i did it!!!
i was so het up because i had just got back from the vets (i have 2 poorly bunnies at the mo) and i think in a strange sort of way it took my mind off being anxious, i knew id got lots of medication to give them and i wanted to get cracking on that so it distracted me.
i am thinking though, the bright lights seem to make me feel weird and anxious, does anyone else get this?
kate xx:)
Hi Kate, :hugs:
WOW, you did Tesco and without panic, ohh you did great you should be sooo proud of yourself :yesyes: way to go hun :yesyes:
**does this sound silly but... i actually went into tescos to do the shopping, as i got towards the fridge area the lights were so bright and vivid i suddenly felt anxious for few seconds it was weird!**
Ohhh no hun, this does not sound silly at all, please don't think that, nothing is silly with anxiety, it is very strange.
I have had this a few times in the past, to me, this is a lower level of anxiety, me noticing little changes in my body. When lighting changes, our eyes react to it, this is you noticing this, there are a few threads on here about lights, you are not alone on this one hun.
When I first came to this site, ohh many moons ago, I was tought to label my pa's, anxiety,10 being full blown panic and 0 being normal, when I felt like this, lights effecting my eyes, I would say Mrs anxeity was present, but on a low level, I labeld this a 2. I would focus more on the positive, that I did NOT, panic and be pround of myself, you should do this too.
Have you looked at Bills thread on Analyse, this is a good thread, try to analyse things, you used coping skills in the shop to keep your panic away, try dame hard to find them, you say you were focust that day on your rabbits, you mind was rapped up in trying to get things sorted, does this not tell you something? I think you have allready found the answer for yorself, If your mind is totaly thinking of something else it cannot think of panic, ohh do you know what I mean?
**We all have what we consider out safe places but my counsellor always told me that the only safe place was myself. Good advice I reckon**
Kate, is soooo right, this is dame hard to learn but not impossible, we can have what we call short tearm safe place, eg, car, home, people, but we have to learn to feel safe with ourselves, this is soo important.
Always remember that because we had a pa in a shop, this DOES NOT mean we will panic there again, remember, we CANNOT see into the future, its impossible to know how we are going to feel. The fact that you where distracted if you analyse, I bet you never gave panic a thought, you just got on with what you had to do, what do you think>
Ohh I hope the bunnies are ok and they get better soon.
You take care :hugs:
LOVE JILLXXX
Oooh Kate, I just noticed you have got bunnies! I've got 3 as well, I love them all sooo much :blush:
What sort have you got?
Kate
hi everyone,
thanks so much for the encouragement and support, you are wonderful, hope you are all ok and doing well, im just taking one day at a time if i can, im so inpatient i want it all to go away.
kate, i have two dwarf lops, daisymae and truffle, both are 4 year old girls, i also have a 9 year old rescue cat called smudge who gets into some right scrapes but all 3 i adore, they are all gorgeous, unfortunatley truffle has contracted a bad case of mites and has now got awful bald patches, she and daisy are both recieving treatment and both have to go back to the vets again in 2 weeks then again after 4 weeks then hopefully they will be clear.
we think the mites came from some hay i got from the farm shop, so i was worrying about clearing and disenfecting everything in sight, and buying pre bagged hay, as they are both indoor rabbits i just wanted to make a clean sweep so ive been boiling their blankets and hibiscrubbing the floors like a lunatic! it sure helps you forget panicking for a short while anyway.
what sort of buns have you got kate???
kate xx
Hi Kate,
Aww your bun's sound lovely :D
I've got Sooty, a black 6 year old mixed bun LOL She hates other buns and so lives on her own.
I've also got Tinkerbell, a 2 year old Nethie and Simba, an approx 2 year old Lionhead. They are bonded and are very much in love!
I've also got 2 cats, Barney and Molly.
I had a guinea pig a few years ago that got mites. Hope they clear up really soon!
Kate
hi kate,
your pets sound adorable ive always wanted a lionhead they are so fluffy and cute, ive got a spare hutch so maybe i might just give in and get one!! do they take much looking after with grooming etc?
truffle is now officially on a diet which hasnt gone down too well :blush: no more treats which is a hard habit to break, but the vet said she was a tad over weight.
i love the names you picked for your fluffs, i said thinking of new names last night incase i get another (how sad is that!!??) but i love them so much.
have you ha yours neutered kate? mine have both been seperated for a while because of squabbling i cant see them being reunited anytime soon, its a shame because they seemed very close in the years ive had them.
take care, lots of cuddles to your fluffs,
kate xx
Hi Kate,
I don't very often have to groom Simba cos Tinkerbell does it for him :D Occasionally though his mane gets a bit knotted but he hates being groomed. I had him off someone I knew who had 5 rabbits all kept in tiny hutches and not very often fed or watered :lac: He has never really been handled so I just leave him to his own devices, really. He seems really happy though. They have a hutch and run at night and freerange in the garden during the day. I know that is a bit risky with foxes but they are happy so I'll take the chance :blush:.
Yes, they are all neutered. I had Simba done within a week of getting him, and then got Sooty done as I hoped to bond them But, Sooty was having none of it, she doesn't seem to like other rabbits. So I got Tinkerbell done and bonded her with Simba. They got on right from the start,never fight or anything.
Are your 2 neutered?
Sooty is overweight as well. Cos she lives on her own we tend to overcompensate by giving her treats :blush: She is 6 now though so I'm not bothering to put her on a diet LOL
How are your rabbits mites now?
Kate
hi again kate,
your buns sound like they have a wonderful life, i used to worry about foxes when mine went out in the summer during the day but all seems ok they dont go out that often, sometimes i think im so cruel to keep them in constantley, but all they ever do is sit in their runs thumping at the slightest little noise and get stressed over it, too much cosseting methinks lol.
i was going to breed mine, my friend has 4 boys and we both decided to let them have babies on the understanding we keep them and not sell them ( id be too worried to sell them incase they were being neglected to be honest) anyway as it happened one of her boys was actually a girl so she ended up pregnant as you do, the sad thing was all the babies died and mum too, which devastated my friend, she got one baby out of the bunch and that was cocoa, she still has cocoa now but masie her mum didnt survive, the moral of the story was dont breed them so we decided not to.
anyway, i think i might just get mine done, sooner late than never, my usual vet wont neuter rabbits he argues that they dont get neutered in the wild so why should they when living as a domestic pet, he also said he lost quite a few does so he refused me.
i have now found a new vet and its a lot nearer, and when i took both my girls last week we ha a long chat about neutering so i think im going to do it.
im a bit scared they might not survive the anasthetic, infact im awfully anxious about it, but i take truffle back next thurs anyway to retreat her for the mite infestation and will chat about it then.
truffle is still scratching, daisy is fine, i will be glad to take her back and start on phase two of the treatment, she still has the scaly dry skin thing, and hopefully when she has her next 3 pippetes on next week we will see further improvement.
hopefully she will have lost weight too, lol although i doubt it somehow :blush:
kate xx
Hi Kate,
Glad you have found another vet! The fact is that although wild rabbits don't get neutered, they breed continually and die young usually from uterine cancer.
I'm glad you aren't breeding yours, especially as you wanted to keep them! They can have very large litters!
Tinkerbell has had 2 general anaesthetics and the other 2 one each and they were all fine. With the modern vet techniques available, losing a rabbit under anaesthetic isn't very common.
Glad Daisys mites have cleared up and hope that Truffle gets sorted soon as well :D
Kate
hi kate,
thanks for the advice, i agree too i was chatting to a young make vet last week and he said most female rabbits die from uterine cancer by 5 if not neutered, so im going to book them in when we return next week.
i rang our new vets this morning to reorder the pippettes and ask if it were normal that she should still be scratching and she said yes thats why she will need a few courses :lac:
anyway i asked how her much it will ve for both to be neutered and i wont get much change out of 200 pound so thats a shock, but it has to be done.
kate xx
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