Fear of fags and coffee!

[Peru83]

Since I started taking the panic attacks I have quit smoking (blessing in disguise I suppose, lol) because I have a fear that I might not be able to catch my breath back. Stupid I know, I wont even let my partner smoke in the same room as me incase it brings on a panic attack. Also I have quit drinking coffee because I have this fear that it will bring on a panic attack!

I just find it totally mad that I have smoked for almost ten years and drank coffee for a long time also yet now they install fear in me. Just a couple of weeks ago I couldn't get through a day without having my morning fag and coffee! Has anyone else had this?

"Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most!"

[seh1980]

I quit drinking coffee too as it made me panic a lot more. I stopped smoking for ages and then started again [Oops!] but am planning on quitting again soon (hopefully). Good for you though hun - it takes a lot of brainpower to be able to do it!! :D

"Life is too important to take seriously" Corky Siegal

[jill]

Hi Claire,

I am 41 years young LOL and have been smoking since I was 15.
I also like a drink now and again.
My first PA happend when I was going on my hols with my family:(
Because I was in fear 24/7 and having lots of Pa's and anxiaty attacks
not a fag touched my lips and NO alcahol:(
For me the fear of the fags did not last for long:( about 4 days and I was back on them. I do sooo much want to pack in, but find it very hard.
Mrs anxiaty is very strange she can make us fear anything.
What you must remember Claire that although these things don't help anxiaty suffers, it is NOT these that cause us to panic.
Change your thought patterns towards these two things.
I wish I did towards smoking, tell yourself that you have always wanted to pack in, tell yourslf that smoking has nothing to do with having a panic attack. Mrs anxiaty works in strange ways. She is making you think that if someone smokes in the same room you will have a PA.
This is SOOO NOT TRUE.
I do hope you stay of the fags but do stop your fear towards them because alot of people smoke. and as the saying goes on here,
you must face your fears.
I'm not saying go and have a fag because as we know smoking is no good for are health, what I'm saying is stop telling yourself that fags
and your partner somking in the same room as you will cause you to
panic. If you think this you are programming your mind to do so.
Every time someone lights up and you smell smoke it will trigger
the negative thoughts in you, then in turn cause panic.
Put as many positive thoughs as you can into your mind as to why
you have stopped doing these things. Re-programming our minds towards these fears do not happen over night, but with time as you put more and more positive thoughs into you mind, you WILL find that you do not fear them anymore.

TAKE CARE

LOVE JILLXXX

Confront your fears, list them, get to know them,
and only them will you be able to put them aside
and move on.

[kairen]

HI,

I have always been a big coffee drinker, i still drink loads but buy decaf now, and stupidly i got to 33 and started smoking as i thought it would calm me down, 2 years later and i have not had a cigarette for 7 weeks now, HURRAY,



kairen x

[carlin]

Hi there,
was a very heavy smoker for 30 years? but 3 years ago had a couple of 'real bad turns' didn't know if it was panic, grieving for dad, menopause, or ill with a cold, but since then never had another ciggie,it was one of the best things i ever done, and i suppose i did do it 'cos i was scared of not being able to breathe, but to me that doesn't matter. i had panic/anxiety when i smoked and after i stopped, still had anxiety the same with coffee, when i drank it i still suffered, when i stopped i was the same, i'm not trying to say giving up is silly, best thing i ever done, it's just my mind that panics me, not ciggies or coffee, although i know they don't help, gosh i have gone on again. What my point is, don't let the list get any longer, that's when i think, in my opinion, the trouble sets in, and we avoid eating, drinking certain things, maybe because we had a panic that one time when we ate/drunk it. xxx

[henri]

hi claire,
i had this, and still have it to a lesser degree. for me it's coffee and alcohol. i discussed it with my cognitive behavioural therapist and he said pretty much what jill has said here. for my homework that week, he made me drink one glass of wine with my dinner, just to prove to myself that although drinking loads of booze would make me feel worse, one glass isn't enough to induce a panic attack.
it's the same with coffee. i'm at the stage now where i can drink one glass of alchohol, maybe two on a really good day, but it still doesn't feel quite right.
on the plus side, i used to be a real drinker and have dropped down a dress size since i stopped drinking! silver cloud to every lining lol.
maybe you should start by letting your partner smoke in teh same room as you and take it from there?
henri x

[Meg]

Claire

There you have it !!

Jill has put it beautifuly and there are several back up confirmation experiences too.

Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[Peru83]

Just thought that I would let everyone know that I can now sit in the same room as my partner when he smokes. It still doesn't feel right though I still feel a little anxiouse but at least I'm not in full blown panic!
I still wont touch them myself either, I though about one the other day (I was having a bad day and was really stressed) when I went fot the packet I felt a butterfly feeling in my stomach that made me feel sick! Also haven't touched the coffee again either.

My family keep saying how proud they are of me for quitting, I feel like a bit of a fraud though as I don't feel as though I've quit, this was something out of my control. Won't stop me lapping up the praises though,lol,:D

Take Carexx

Claire

"Of all the things I've lost I miss my mind the most!"

[seh1980]

You HAVE quit Claire - it was all you no matter who or what made you do it!! :D

"Life is too important to take seriously" Corky Siegal

[zena]

Well done for quitting the habit.
I had the same thing with coffee...if I drank it I would have nightmares and couldn't sleep for a couple of days. I now drink caffine free coffee and get on with it better.
Also not drinking to much tea either, I have got different herbal teas ( especially the good faithful camomile) and fruit teas and I do admit I feel better drinking that than ordinary tea.

with good wishes

Zena