Ignoring what you feel like?

[Gryphoenix]

I have been wondering something--it seems the more I ignore what I feel like on the inside, the better I seem to do.

For example, when watching a movie in the summer I started dwelling on how fast my heart was beating during the exciting end part. Then I started worrying about it, etc. The next time I watched the movie I was really nervous.

A couple days ago I helped clean up the backyard of trees and stuff. It was a really good exercise and since it was normal for my heart to beat fast and be breathless I was okay and ignored it. I even climbed up one a ladder to help clean some gutters of the house and it was like 16-18 feet off of the ground, the metal ladder creaking away and shaking. If I had done this before I had gotten PAs, I honestly think I couldn't do it, but now I am used to tackling scary situations and just DOING it.

I think that dwelling on doubts is probably my biggest problem. When I just let whatever is going to happen--HAPPEN, whether it's good or bad, going with the flow, as it were, I feel so much better.

How about you guys? Do you have any similar thoughts or experiences?

(The reason I was thinking about this because I was watching the new Pirates of the Carribean movie that just came out and that was one of the movies in which I got really hyper over especially the exciting end part! I kept unconciously worrying about it. Ugh, I need to stop thinking this way!)

[maddman]

Hi Gryphoenix
I think you've stumbled on something there. The difficulty is training yourself to 'ignore it' (inner sensations/thoughts). I had the same prblem with films; I was getting anxiety attacks whilsts watching anything vaguely stimulating, even the News. I didn't used to enjoy horror films because they did nothing for me, they were pathetic, unscary and boring. Now I don't enjoy them because they can freak me out! I'm suddenly 'over-identifying' with situations/characters that I didn't before. I can end up very anxious and miserable which is a shame as I used to enjoy films. At the moment I'm sticking to comedies and avoiding the News as the TV is a pretty negative influence and the News is the last thing for an anxious individual.

I still don't enjoy the breathless sensation when exercising though as I associate it with panic I think. It would be good t get over that. The Psychologist suggested making myself deliberately dizzy by spinning around to 'get used' to the dizzy spells I was having so they became boring (ie not anxiety=provoking) I passed on that one as I've always hated getting dizzy. I can see his point though.

[Gryphoenix]

Yep, I'm still training myself to ignore it. It's been hard, but I do see some progress. I'm not so great with the breathless thing either but I try to see it as a 'good' thing, because it is. I don't really get that breathless during panics so I haven't associated it. Yet.

And I totally empathize with the movie thing. I've never really been one for much scary movies and usually they just kind of don't really do much for me but now it's like I can't watch them.

Hey, we should trade off with those kinds of people who want to get scared by those movies and are tired of the same-old-same-old. I can guarantee that they'll freak out. :D

I over-empathize with characters as well--the more emotionally invested I get with a character, the more anxious I get at the end of the film when their fate is undecided. I sometimes can't stand it at all and want to run away.

I didn't run away watching POTC, though, I just muscled through it even though my heart was pounding away like a jackhammer. It was hard but hey, I'm still here! :D

[Bill]

Hello phoenix,

I started dwelling on how fast my heart was beating during the exciting end part. Then I started worrying about it, etc. The next time I watched the movie I was really nervous.

2 valid points here Phoenix -

1) Dwelling on symptoms just makes anxiety symptoms much worse but if you can learn to ignore them as being "normal", they just pass in time. since it was normal for my heart to beat fast and be breathless I was okay and ignored it.

2) The next time you watched the film you felt anxious - not because of the content of the film but because of "learnt behaviour". Your mind was remembering the anxious symptoms you suffered the first time you watched the film so even just hearing the title of the film will start making you feel anxious.

It's a bit like going into a shop and suffering a panic attack. The next time you go into the shop you're already worrying about it happening again Just because it happened the first time you went in there.

I think you know all this anyway phoenix but maybe it'll help others.

You're very good at raising valid points and wording them well! You have very good insight which really helps with coping.:winks:

[BasilCat]

Hi, I have also noticed that when I completely ignore my symptoms and get my focus off how I am feeling, the symptoms get less. Its just getting my attention away from me thats not the easy part, but it does happen every now and again. As you say Bill, dwelling on how you are feeling just makes it worse doesnt it. I quite agree. But as Maddman says, the difficulty is training yourself to ignore how you are feeling and thinking. But we will get there.

Shirley

[Gryphoenix]

Thanks for your thoughts Bill and BasilCat! :hugs:

Guess what? I watched a movie I thought I wouldn't be able to make it through because it bled suspense and even normal people were nervous and adrenaline filled when watching it.

Yes, I watched Bourne Supremacy, straight through and it was great! :D I think also cause I didn't have any notion of when to be scared, I couldn't anticipate it and pump myself up to be scared.

Also during the very, very intense parts I knew that it was normal for me to feel that way and other people who watch it feel the same way too. :D

The only time I feel a little unsure is when I drift off thinking--what if I can't handle this and this intense scene keeps going on? But that's the kicker right there, isn't it? Random thoughts when I should be concentrating on the movie! :D