Holding on to something..

[ANXIETY26]

Since I have become Agrophobic the second time around I find it hard to go out of the house without having to hold something in my hand. It has either got to be my car keys or a mobile phone or something. I quite often hold on to myself aswell sometimes for fear of falling over or loosing control. Has anyone else had this problem?

[tracyp584]

Hey,

YES!!!! I am exactly the same. Whenever I am going somewhere that makes me feel anxious, I always seem to fiddle with my car keys and I always make sure I know exactly where my phone is too.

Its just like a bit of a security blanket!!

tracy x x

[Meg]

Think we all do this instinctively when we're nervous.

I certainly don't see it as a negative point.

Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[mico]

Yeah, I think phone and car keys can be a big security blanket since they act as a practical one.

Your phone, you can use to call people in an emergency, or if you're feeling low, or for any kind of contact in any situation you feel uncomfortable with. I found as my anxiety lowered I became less worried when I left my phone at home or when the batteries ran out.

The car keys, you can obviously use to drive away from any uncomfortable situation, one which I imagine probably comes into effect quite frequently.

It may feel odd to still hold onto these at home, but as you've used these two things around your anxiety, you will have built up some sort of security relationship to them, so they have effectively become your comfort blanket in all situations.

Besides that, when we get anxious, we also get restless and often need something to hold on to, or play with.


mico



'Security is mostly superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding Danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.'

[ANXIETY26]

Thanks for the advice guys!

[mum2four]

I'm new to this site but i have deeling anxiety since foreva but it was not till my friend dianoise witn social phobia that i really realied what I was dealling with and it wan't till recently that i start to really realised that it did rule my life to a certain degree.

I think my kids have alway's been my safty net but when i have to go som where with out them i cant handle it and i look at the ground and i will cross a road to avoid people or sit down and look busy or change direction anything to avoid not puting my self in a situtaion that might cause me to get anxious.

I will also keep my phone handy often where people cant see it so that dont get the idea that I'm scared of them bit somewhere i can keep touching it easy in order to use it. My purse or hand bag has to be in my hand's when people are close to me and I cling to it so tight or wrap my stap around my arm so that it's hard to steal and noticeable if someone touch's it or I drop it. I often walk place's more so because I dont want to deal with people but I tell me self it's a good excuse to exercise. If i do catch a bus I try choose a seat that has easy access to the door.

When i do go out with my kids i still have the same behaviour's but the feeling are no where as intence proberly due to be distracted by my kids.

[mico]

<b id="quote">quote:</b id="quote"><table border="0" id="quote"><tr id="quote"><td class="quote" id="quote">I'm new to this site but i have deeling anxiety since foreva but it was not till my friend dianoise witn social phobia that i really realied what I was dealling with and it wan't till recently that i start to really realised that it did rule my life to a certain degree.

I think my kids have alway's been my safty net but when i have to go som where with out them i cant handle it and i look at the ground and i will cross a road to avoid people or sit down and look busy or change direction anything to avoid not puting my self in a situtaion that might cause me to get anxious.

I will also keep my phone handy often where people cant see it so that dont get the idea that I'm scared of them bit somewhere i can keep touching it easy in order to use it. My purse or hand bag has to be in my hand's when people are close to me and I cling to it so tight or wrap my stap around my arm so that it's hard to steal and noticeable if someone touch's it or I drop it. I often walk place's more so because I dont want to deal with people but I tell me self it's a good excuse to exercise. If i do catch a bus I try choose a seat that has easy access to the door.

When i do go out with my kids i still have the same behaviour's but the feeling are no where as intence proberly due to be distracted by my kids.



<div align="right">Originally posted by mum2four - 23 September 2005 : 14:01:06</div id="right">
</td id="quote"></tr id="quote"></table id="quote">

In my experience, sicial anxiety is an all new kettle of fish, completely different to what I described to Anxiety26.

What you describe mum2four, is self-consciousness, which is typical of social anxiety. Going out, feeling as if everyone is looking at you, and you can't think of anything else other than how you're presenting yourself, by which time you beginning to feel that you're not walking right, or someone is laughing at you. If someone is laughing somewhere in the background, you may well be convinced that they are laughing at you.

When you take the kids, it serves as a distraction away from these thoughts. I always feel most self-conscious when out alone in public than I do when with people I feel comfortable with.

Carrying things in this case is common with SA, but often for different reasons to other types of anxiety. Most people with SA hate to walk anywhere without carrying anything because they are conscious of their arms flapping about, 'are they swinging right?'. It's still a comfort blankett of sorts, but a different kind. It's the same reason many socially anxious people hate to go out without a coat, you're not just self-conscious of what you're saying, but of your body language and anyting to cover yourself up will make you more comfortable.

Have a look into the social anxiety forums here and browse through some of the posts, you may find some help there.


mico

'Security is mostly superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding Danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.'

[mum2four]

I know part of my problem is social anxiety but i do have so many other anxiety issus as well. worry about not seeing car's and getting hit by one I worry about car's driving on to path and hitting me. I worry about be abducted ect I never there are so mant more thing that go threw my head other than just social issus's.

[Karen]

I do this too. I find I need to have something in my hands when I am anxious, something that I can fiddle with.

Karen



It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.

[mum2four]

my current home habbit when I get anxious is to scratch and often dont realies I'm doing till i scratch to mush or to hard till I hurt my self ect. I also find the scratching gets worse at night and more so when i get in to bed when my thoughtn have a habbit of taking over and then after i fall asleep i often wake up scratching as well. It become a very bad habbit there are some night my partner has to hold my hand's and other night that i can use counting to control the impulse to scratch.