Anxiety Management Course

[Chelle1]

Hi all,

I have had a letter today inviting me to start an anxiety management course at the local college next Wednesday (its a group course). I am excited (to be doing something about it) but im really panicing about it. I am agoraphobic but not totally housebound, i can go out with my partner or mother, but havn't had to be out alone for a few months and when i am i have panic attacks. I am panicing even thinking about going to a college, i dont know if i can do it, I really want to go and feel i should but think i will panic on the way before i even get there. My mom cant come with me as she is going to look after my children and my partner is at work, also i would feel pretty stupid at nearly 30 having to bring someone to "look after me".

I need anxiety management to get to the anxiety management course lol!

Can anyone help me please!!!

I have phoned the college to speak to the tutor about what it entails but im no nearer understanding what will happen. Has anyone else been on one of these courses? The tutor was helpful in saying that she will meet me in reception so i dont need to wonder around a big building alone! so the tutor seems nice and quite understanding but im so anxious.

So i suppose my questions are:-
1- how do i get there without panicing and going back home,:unsure:
2- how do i cope when im there, :unsure:
3- what will happen there -has anyone else been on a course like this :unsure:

Chelle xx

[alias_kev]

I had a group CBT course aimed at Stress, Anxiety and Depression. It was a small group and most of the attendees really gained from it. To the point where 6 of us promised to stay in touch. Naturally this didn't really happen despite my best efforts and only two of us - who had phobias in common - have stayed in touch. One person left during the first session with an emergency at home and another only came to the first session. We only got 3 sessions!

The great thing about the group is that everyone is as wacky as everyone else. Even if its in very different ways we all know the extremes of stress or panic or fear. Even if one person gets stress and another gets anxiety (and maybe a apparent stress) they both know that they get an unnatural and unnecessary response - so they still have something in common.

This course was designed to tell you about your condition and your body and mind. CBT (if thats what yours is, mine was) is about helping you to recognise the faulty thinking and ideas that underlie our conditions. The idea is that this helps us to fight them. Improved thinking equals better responses equals some recovery. I'd compare it a bit to when I was at school and was terrible at swimming. I was never really confortable in the water. Only during the final term of mandatory lessons that they taught me to: float, scull, tread water. This made me physically much safer in the water AND far more confident. Then the lessions stopped. CBT cannot directly change your feelings and experiences BUT it can teach you to stay afloat and deal with it.

My course also included various stress/panic management tricks such as square breathing and a few relaxation techniques. Again these are practical aids to boyancy(!).

It really is worth giving it a go. You could get someone your trust to accompany you to the college although usually they would not be allowed in the sessions because of the mutual confidentiality that is established/required between sufferers.

Much of the course was led by two counsellors. We also had tasks and conversations between small groups of 2-3 people. Within these small groups we were encouraged to share our problems most openly. We'd then take things we'd observed and learned out into the whole group. Over the three sessions the group got pretty open with each other and that's why I for one hoped it would keep going informally afterwards. Like these forums there is a lot to be said for interacting with people who know how bad you feel and share some of your experiences or concerns.

Hope that helps - if you want to know more please ask.

[missacorah]

I attended an anxiety support group at a local church about 2 years ago. At the time I hated it, as like you, I was agoraphobic so just getting myself there each week and making myself stay was a massive ordeal for me. Mine was upstairs in a conference room too which for some reason made me feel even worse lol :D

About half the people there brought a friend or family member along for support so dont feel silly if you feel you need some. My group was led by 2 people, one of whom had actually been agoraphobic for years at one point which was a great incentive as he was now there taking this course! They gave us a talk at the start and then we had to get into groups and discuss whether the topic had affected us etc.

I must say I would have preferred something one to one as at the time I felt i couldnt take everything they were saying in as I was just so stressed being there and trying to deal with 'looking normal'.

There were many different reasons why people were there - some just couldnt do stairs, some queues, some couldnt go out incase they needed the loo and couldnt get to one - it'll certainly make you feel youre not alone anyway.

Good luck :)