Please Help Me to do this, I only have 3 days to figure it out!

[panicagain]

So i ordered tickets for my family to go to the circus cuz my 3yr old has been begging to go but i don't know if i can even do it. Its This Friday! Its not just a little circus thats comming to town, its a huge circus that is in a huge stadium. It worries me that i got myself into something that i can't get out of. I felt ok about it when i ordered the tickets but now i'm really having second thoughts. I really don't want to disappoint my kids, i also don't want them to suffer because they have a crazy mom. I want them to grow up in a normal household that can go out and do stuff without mom having to leave cuz she's having a panic attack. So what do i do? How do i get through this? I'm gonna do it even if it kills me! but i'd like to know how to get through it without going to that extent. Any experiences??? Suggestions???
Usually when i get in a small crowd of people i get sick to my stomach and shakey. I try to keep my head down and not have eye contact with anyone! I don't know what i was thinking:wacko: Well, i'll let y'all know how it goes, if i live through it

[doodah]

Aww - hello panicagain. I don't have any words of wisdom for you as I'm new here and about to post my own SOS post:blush: but I think what you've done is wonderful! You obviously want and need to do this for your family and I reckon it'll be a huge step forward for you too. I'm sure you'll get lots of replies to your post and I wish you all the luck in the world.

doodah xxxx

[Richie]

Good for you Panicagain, hope all goes well , let us know
Luv Richie xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[dianes]

Hi panicagain :D

It's great that you are taking the kids out :yesyes: Can you see your GP to tell him/her how nervous you are about going to the circus? You might be able to take some medication to help you.


Start telling yourself you CAN DO THIS, and you WILL DO THIS, nothing bad is going to happen to you.
I listen to my relaxation tapes before I go out. I take some chewing gum with me as my mouth tends to dry out when I am anxious. I sit in an aisle seat so I don't feel hemmed in. I know that if I have a panic attack it is not nice, but I stay with it as I know it will pass. I also use distraction techniques if I start to feel anxious.

It is great that you are going to do this, you WILL be O.K. and you will feel such a sense of achievement when you have done it. I hope you and the kids enjoy yourself and have a great time, let us know how you get on. I will be thinking of you. :yesyes:

Diane

'Your imagination is always much worse than the reality'

[Liverbird67]

have you got tickets for seats at the end of a row, I always prefer these at the theatre, also can you get Bach Flower remedies in the states, if you can try a few drops of that in some mineral water that you can keep sipping, hope all goes well.
Liverbird
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

[sheba2]

Hi panicagain.

The times I've done this sort of thing and then chickened out. Nowadays I do it anyway. I invite panic to come along too. It might enjoy the show. I expect to panic and if I do which is very possible then I talk to it and tell it as though it is a seperate identity that it isn't going to stop me from doing whatever it can join in and make its point but no way am I going to miss doing the things I want to do. We're having a meet up in a couple of weeks near where I live and to be honest I really want to go but am petrified at the same time. I have also printed off some of the tips that are on this site and have them with me. If I feel reallly bad then I take them out and read them it really helps me and it is like having the people on here with you.

sorry to ramble a bit but I really hope you go I hope that it is enjoyable too.

[panicagain]

Thanks So Much Everyone for the encouraging words:hugs: When i ordered the seats i did at least get the end seats, i could not sit in the middle, i know i wouldn't be able to do that at all. The last time i saw my GP she would only give me something for at night to sleep, she just thinks i'm a hypochondriac(sp?) she doesn't think i need anything to get me through the day:mad: but then again, i don't know if i would take it, i'm deathly afraid of taking pills, although there have been times that i've been so bad i might have taken them to just get through that time. I know i'm rambling, i'm nervous, i ramble when i'm nervous, i'll be talking a mile a minute by the time friday gets here:roflmao: My husband thinks i'm nuts cuz i thought of everything when it came to getting the seats,,,i had to get the "end" seats just incase i had to make a quick get away, i picked 2 stories up so that if an elephant or something got loose we wouldn't be the first to get stomped or eatten, i chose the seats closer to the exit for both of the above reasons, am i the only one that thinks of this kind of thing? I know it may sound alittle silly to some people but it makes me feel better to have made those choices. And of course if i told too many "sane" people of my reasons for choosing those seats i might just be taken away:wacko: But ya know what,,, i really feel sane here cuz most of have the same feelings about things, its when i'm with friends and family that i feel "crazy" cuz they think i am. Well, i will let y'all know how it went on friday, i'm sure i'll be here more and more the closer Friday gets, up until its time to go. Ya know what makes it worse,,,,the place is 1 1/2 hrs away in an unfamiliar place! YIKES:scared15: Thanks again for talkin to me:)

[honeybee3939]

Hi Panicagain

I just wanted to wish you luck too for friday im sure you will be having so much fun at the circus you wont have time to think about the anxiety.:)
This will be a BIG step forward for you hun so try and stay positive and you will be fine.:yesyes:

GOOD LUCK and have fun ,please keep us posted on how things went.:yesyes:

Love
:hugs:
Andrea
xxxxx

[panicagain]

So i told y'all i'd let ya know what happened at the circus and here goes. I did manage to go. I tried to hold back the tears the first hour of the show, i succeeded mostly (i did shed a few tears) but after the first hour i was ok, the best part was the place wasn't packed full of people, the area we sat in was pretty much empty! I was happy about that. All in all it was fun, my kids enjoyed themselves and we got there and back in one piece:yesyes: Thanks so much y'all for all the support. I feel like i really accomplished something,,,yay!!!!:yahoo:

[bubbleblitt]

yeay well done! You should be sp proud of yourself as this is a huge achievement, Bubble x

[Star]

aww well done panic again - just remember how good you feel when you acomplish something you once thought was impossible. I'm really happy for you :) xxx

[thedood]

you felt the fear and did it anyway...Well done. Its the only way, and things get easier as you build more confidence in yourself - You CAN do it!

[lwohlgemuth]

You might try L'Theanine. It is an amino acid you can get from the vitamin store nearest you. It is found in many foods, especially green tea. I get the chewable kind and I take a couple 200 mg tablets when I feel my anxiety level rising. I also take 100mg of 5-HTP, which is a metabolite of L-Tryptophan, another amino acid that calms the body down. You can also take some passion flower extract and valerian root extract. These usually come in dropper bottles small enough to fit into your purse and you can add an eyedropper of each into whatever you are drinking. I find these usually take the hard edge off at least and allow me to function.

Congratulations on your decision and good luck.

Larry

[dianes]

:D Oh, well done panicagain, I am really glad that you managed it and that you enjoyed yourself. WHAT AN ACHIEVEMENT :yesyes: :yesyes: :yesyes:

keep up the good work, I wish you and your family many more days out.

Best wishes

Diane

Your imagination is always much worse than the reality