no shops

[anastacia-72]

Hello Everybody,

A couple of weeks ago i posted my first message on this forum and i told you that later on i would tell my “story of panic”. I suffer from it for about 20 years and I have very good times and very bad times like to the most of you I think. A few weeks ago I still had it under control however I was feeling that it was coming back. But at the moment it is back completely and I am exhausted. That is why I decided not to tell you my story (for now) but just let you know what is wrong with me at the moment. Perhaps I can get some good help or advice from you how to coop and how to get better again. Because I think like the most of you, I cannot use this panic now I am in the middle of lots of things and if I have to stop these things than I will loose a lot of chances. At the moment I completely freak out if I walk or ride somewhere where there is no place for me to go inside. Like in a street and there is no shop where I can go for help (if needed of course, but that is my thinking). So mainly during the day from about 10.00 am till 6.00 pm everything is almost ok (because shops and things are open) but before and after these times it is almost impossible for me to go outside because if I am in a street and there is no opportunity for me to go inside somewhere than I get the feeling that I become crazy. I really do not know what to do than. I sometimes start running very hard to reach a spot where I can go inside, sometimes I also want to ring someone’s doorbell just to ask for help. What kind of help I do not know, but I just want someone near to me that moment. Because you know, all these panick starts when I am alone not when I am with someone; And it does not have to be someone I know, it can be a stranger. When I am at the office during the day everything is allright, but I think the whole day about how to get back to the metro, because than I have to walk a street in which there are no shops or companies. And sometimes I think I cannot even walk, because it feels like my legs are crossed!


Ok , this is it for now; I just wanted to spill it out somewhere people can understand me and also have similar problems. I hope someone recognise this and maybe can tell me how he copes with it.

Kind regards to all of you,

Anastacia

[andrewc]

Hi Anastacia (nice name by the way)

I know this may sound stupid but you say you have suffered form this problem for 20 years have you done something about it? e.g told your doctor, Therapy, medicines etc. Please let us know and we'll see if we can offer some advice.

best regards

Andy

[anastacia-72]

Hi Andy,

thanks for your reply. I certainly made some work from it. i use medications for about 15 years already. One time i almost did not use any medication anymore. I have good times but also very bad times; At the moment i am only using medication (to many if you ask me). I also had some therapy. I go to the doctor regularly.

grtz,

Anastacia

[Tony1980]

Hi Anastacia.
I have a similar problem to you I think. When in a big shopping centre, sometimes I have to walk quite quickly to get to the entrance to a shop, even if the shop is something I wouldn't normally go into, just to get out the way of the open spaces outside.
I am getting better at this by adjusting my posture so that I'm physically more upright - rather than looking at the floor - and being more confident in myself. I think it may be a distance thing...if I'm looking at the floor, the distance between two places seems far greater than it would be if I was looking straight ahead at the "target". This, coupled with relaxation CD's, exercises and positive thought are making me feel a bit better about myself.

I think when you're in the office, try not to think about getting to the metro and try not to think about the street you have to walk down. Distract yourself the moment you get a thought like this and do something else like doodle a picture, text someone, talk to the person next to you or make a drink etc. The more you think negatively about the metro and the street, the more power you give to your brain at thinking negatively.

[andrewc]

Hi Anastacia
I totally agree with Tony and all the tips he gave you. I am sorry you have been battleing with this for years. I too had this phobia and found that hypnotherapy helped me.

Please keep posting

Regards

Andy

[honeybee3939]

Hi Anastacia

I can understand what you mean as i used to be exactly the same, what you are doing is using shops etc as a safety behaviour which is classic of lots of people who suffer with panic related problems.

I used to be the same, if there wasnt anywhere i could run to if the anxiety used to show its ugly head i wouldnt go to these places.

A classic example with me was walking into town to the shops,my mum lived in town and i knew if she was going to be in her home i would be able to run there(safety behaviour) if i didnt feel right. But if i knew she wasnt at home i wouldnt even attempt to go shopping.

I have had therapy for this, and with some good distraction techniques as mentioned in the previous posts you can and will over come this.

Its a matter of exposing your self to these sittuations over and over again to prove to yourself that nothing bad will happen.

It is hard at first, but keep distracting yourself i used my MP3 player to listen to while i was walking and theres times when i have had a magazine in my bag so when im feeling panicky i just get it out of my bag and start reading it, also i dont go anywhere without my mobile phone that gives me comfort thinking "theres no need to worry, if i need help(which i never have) theres always someone at the end of the phone"!

Just keep doing things over and over again and it will then become second nature, you wont even think about it then. Thats what worked with me.

You will get there:hugs: :hugs: so stay positive:)

Love
:hugs:
Andrea
xxxxxx

[anastacia-72]

Dear everybody,

Thank you so much for your quick replies. you know this is the first time in my live that i have contact with people with similair problems and i almost have to cry to know that there are people who understand me and are also dealing with it. i am really so happy :yesyes: that i found this site and the people on it. I hope we can be a lot of support for eachother and i will certainly work on my problems so i can help other people to cope. You give me lot of power!!!

thank you soooo much!!!!:bighug1: :bighug1:

Lots of love from Anastacia