need advice please

[titchjd]

Hi again went 2 my councellor yesterday as having very ruff time ...My agoraphobia and panic has escalated ...I have been advised 2 take small steps and go out for walks and not just once but frequent I understand I have 2 do this but I have a mind block and just panic at the thought ........has any1 any advice on how I can get passed the mind block and help me get out xxxxx

Hope everyone is doing well xxxxxxxxx:yesyes:

[kellie]

Hiya hun. I know what you counseller has suggested is a very scary thing to you but you realy need to belive that you can do this
your postitive thinking and the power lies within you hun
Your counseller and the ppl on here can help and guide you but you are the real power in all this
when he says small steps he means baby ones it dont have to be anything major.
start by just walking to the nearest lamp post or tree close to your house
stand and take some deep breaths and then go back in doors
give your self a big pat on the back for that.
do that for a few days and then try to go a little futher, when you get a little futher and that feels ok you then try a little futher and so on
Yes hun you may get scared and even have a slight panic but you can control this
remember the panic is just a feeling and it can not hurt you
breath through it and will you body to calm down
this may take 2 or even 50 trys befor you get there
but if you continue to do so and never give in to the feeling you will beat this
Start a diary on here and we can all help and encourage you as you go
At the start expect to feeling sick dizzy and even panicy, its normal, but they are just feeling that your body has learned to do and you can retrain it

i wish you all the best
and look forward to hearing about your little try everyday

kellie.xxxxxx

[titchjd]

Thank you Kellie for your message .
I know I can do it its just scary when I get the feelings I know they are learnt feelings but they can be so intense I just want 2 run back home .....
How are things with you have you ever suffered with agoraphobia and severe anxiety ? Hope you are well and Thank u again for your message .

I would love to start a diary ..how do I do that ?
Take care

[kellie]

Hiya hun
i know its scaryand you want to run and thats ok
when that intense fear hits try to stand for 5 more seconds and then go back in doors
then the next time try to ride it out for 7 seconds and so on and so on
all the time saying this will not hurt me
I have not got agro but i have and do still get intense anx
about the diary
there is a lady on here called trac who is agro and started one for herself
here is the link

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=24387&highlight=diary (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=24387&highlight=diary)

have a read it may help you

you can start one on the mics section as well

good luck

kellie.xxxxxx

[Nechtan]

Hi,

Yes I have been through this many times and it is good advice. It's very difficult to begin with and there will be setbacks but if you stick with it you will see progress. I have to hold up my hands and say that I am back at the start again and currently this week starting my walks again so I'm not the best example but I have made progress in the past. It's only my own complacency that has let me down. In the past I've got to a good stage and then not tried as hard or couldn't be bothered going out- before long I was back at the start again.

The only advice I can give is not to rush it and not to push it. Get yourself a target of where you want to go. Break it up into about 10 segments and keep a note of these. Then you try to get to the first point and hopefully with time the next point till eventually you are going far enough to get to your target destination.

I found that if I went out and started to feel panic set in I about turned. Then I'd leave it a bit and try it again. I just kept at it. You have to be patient and persistant. Don't get down if you don't go very far because I know from experience that in time you will start to progress if you take your time with it. Also don't push ourself too hard because if you push yourself to the point of having a panic attack then it makes it even more difficult next time to get yourself out the door.

I hope this helps.

All the best

Nechtan

[titchjd]

Thanx Nechtan .....Its just hard 2 push myself but Im going to do it ...my councellor said it will get harder before it gets easier and that I have 2 see through a panic attack and not run home this way she says I will see that they cant hurt me ..but its hard 2 put yourself in to a situation knowing i'll have a panic attack .
Im the same Ive been here before but not as bad as I am at the moment .
How are you anyway are you managing to go for walks .
Hope you are well and I wish you all the best .

[Nechtan]

It's extremely difficult to know you are setting out to give yourself a panic attack and motivate yourself to do so. I certainly wouldn't argue with your councellor's advice. Mine told me the same thing. And ultimately they are right in that it is the only way to cope with panic attacks in the long term.

In my own case though I felt that it was wrong to rush in until I was comfortable enough to do so. I felt that with taking frequent walks I was able to build up a confindence and go a little further each time. Then I suppose I would have been in a better position to invite the panic in but I never did. I knew that if I didn't handle the panic attack then I would be back to square one again.

I think we all find though some days are better than others. There was a time when I managed to around a shopping precinct 3 or 4 times a day. Then one day on a whim I jumped into the newsagents and bought fags and a paper. It felt great as I had not bought anything in well over a year. But it felt right at the time and I felt confident just in that instance to do it. If I had set out with that goal I honestly think I wouldn't have done it as the anxiety would have built all the way there.

It's valuable that you take your counsellor's advice though but also that you feel comfortable with what you are doing. If you are not then it's only going to end in one way. It is important to know why your body is reacting this way, that it won't harm you and exactly why it's beneficial to ride out the panic attack. I feel personally that some people ask us to do things without knowing exactly how difficult it is for us to do them.