Bill
30-06-08, 03:49
My wife was laying on the sofa last night around this time, 3am. She'd fallen asleep as usual but when she woke she had a pain in her chest. I told her it was just because of the way she was laying or indigestion but she was convinced the sofa was to blame so started going on about getting a new sofa.
However, she totally missed the obvious that instead of falling asleep on there at this time, she should be asleep in bed! When I said that to her though she said she was too tired to move. It was easier just to sleep there!
It reminded me of how we treat our anxiety. When I use the word "obvious", I mean that anxiety stops us seeing the "actual" cause to our anxiety so when we suddenly experience an anxiety episode or panic attack we immediately start thinking we must be ill and hoping medication will "cure" us. Anxiety makes us miss the obvious that it's circumstances going on in our lives that have created the sudden onset of anxiety.
However, if then the actual reasons are pointed out, we often then feel too afraid to confront the actual causes so instead turn to medication or find ways to live around our anxiety by avoiding the situations that cause the attacks.
I'm exactly the same I know but my wifes sofa episode just reminded me of what I do and how I think by missing or avoiding the obvious.
For instance, panic attacks are normally brought on by a build up of too much stress in our lives perhaps at home or at work. Anxiety episodes can be created by past experiences that have created fears that we've left undealt with.
There is always a cause behind our symptoms but often anxiety tricks us into not seeing the actual cause and even if we realise what the actual cause is, fear often prevents us from tackling the actual cause so we instead avoid the obvious by looking at alternatives that are not effective so the anxiety keeps repeating in cycles until the actual causes are sorted. :hugs:
However, she totally missed the obvious that instead of falling asleep on there at this time, she should be asleep in bed! When I said that to her though she said she was too tired to move. It was easier just to sleep there!
It reminded me of how we treat our anxiety. When I use the word "obvious", I mean that anxiety stops us seeing the "actual" cause to our anxiety so when we suddenly experience an anxiety episode or panic attack we immediately start thinking we must be ill and hoping medication will "cure" us. Anxiety makes us miss the obvious that it's circumstances going on in our lives that have created the sudden onset of anxiety.
However, if then the actual reasons are pointed out, we often then feel too afraid to confront the actual causes so instead turn to medication or find ways to live around our anxiety by avoiding the situations that cause the attacks.
I'm exactly the same I know but my wifes sofa episode just reminded me of what I do and how I think by missing or avoiding the obvious.
For instance, panic attacks are normally brought on by a build up of too much stress in our lives perhaps at home or at work. Anxiety episodes can be created by past experiences that have created fears that we've left undealt with.
There is always a cause behind our symptoms but often anxiety tricks us into not seeing the actual cause and even if we realise what the actual cause is, fear often prevents us from tackling the actual cause so we instead avoid the obvious by looking at alternatives that are not effective so the anxiety keeps repeating in cycles until the actual causes are sorted. :hugs: