Rugby match tomorrow...please help...

[Nat84]

Hi all,

I just need to post on here to get this off my chest.

I suffer anxiety and tomorrow I am going to a big stadium with about 40 of my family and friends to watch Swansea V Scarlets. Before I started getting panic attacks I would go to these matches almost every week. Since I have had panics, I have stopped going and tomorrow will be the first match I have gone to in about 5 years. I am terrified. I am worried I will freak out in the crowd in the stadium and outside of the stadium as there'll be lots of people about in the sales and stuff. And the stadium is quite far from where I live, I'm scared as I can't go home if it gets too much as we're going on an organised bus trip. I wasn't fussed on going, but the tickets were bought as a Christmas present by my Grandad and now I feel I have to go. I am freaking out so much, I am panicking before I even get there. I have all my family with me, but as I have been doing ok in recent months with my anxiety they will get really p****d off if I have a panic attack. I am so worried. Please reassure me, what can I do to get me through tomorrow?

Nat x


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[EmmaJane]

I would say, rememeber that a panic attack cannot and will not harm you. If you feel one coming on take some deep breaths, rememeber how you feel inside, is not how you look to people on the outside. So if you can focus on the game and where you are, not on the panic, you can ride a panic attack out, without anyone realising. Tell yourself you are going to be ok, you wont let yourself panic and you are going to enjoy yourself. You have been before and nothing bad happened, you have had panic attacks before and nothing bad has happened to you. Panic attacks will not harm you. You can control this, with making sure you are breathing properly, make sure you are breathing out properly, as well as in or you will hyperventilate.

Good luck, enjoy and let us kow how it goes xxx

[Nechtan]

Hi Nat,

I remember a couple of years ago going to a big football match and I had not been in years. My dad had bought tickets so I couldn't get out of it and at the time he didn't know about my anxiety as I was trying to hide it. Looking back I think that was a bad idea on my part- not saying. It is important people round about us know and they will understand if we have to leave even just to get a break from the crowd to a less busy place.

In my own case I spent the day shutting my eyes and playing the game over in my head- what I would like to happen. I kept doing that over and over. When I was travelling to the game I tried to block out everying and just in my head concentrated on the game- the goals and the win. Inside the stadium, of nearly 50,000, I did the same. I just kept repeating it over and over to keep it stuck in my mind. I don't know if that is what got me through but the first 20 minutes were pure hell and then I seemed to calm. If you can try to ride out the initial waves and tell yourself they will go.

All the best and I hope it goes well for you,

Nechtan