How do you keep going!

[ANXIETY26]

Since I came off my Anti-Depressant Med's I have slowly slipped in to Agrophobia. It's not full blown Agrophobia like I have suffered in the past, but it is enough to stop me working and have any social life at all. I am cetainly not going to let this get the better of me and have been trying to get out as much as possible. At the moment I can manage to get to the shop and back by car which is about half a mile away. I have also managed to pick my Daughter up from School and take her back to her Mothers which is a round trip of about 2 miles. It's as if I am putting myself through absolute torture. I often get back home and say to myself, " right that's the last time im doing that!" BUT, I do the same thing again the next day. The only thing Im finding is that it's not getting any easier. I thought that the more I do it, the easier it will get. This is'nt the case somehow. I get the exact same feelings 99% of the time. When I first started getting panic attacks I used to get all the usual symptoms, racing Heart, shortness of breath, sweaty palms etc. Since I have been taking Vitamin B I dont get the racing Heart or shortness of breath, infact my heart does'nt seem to want to beat like it used to!!! This makes me feel lifeless and as if Im not actually in the moment .(what I mean by that is that it makes the Derealisation worse). any advice would be gratefully appreciated. I just want to get back to normal a.s.a.p. . I used to be able to drive anywhere, anytime before, now I cant even manage a 2 mile journey. Why? There must be something wrong somewhere!! It makes me feel so pathetic.

[tygwyn]

Have you received your Claire Weekes book yet? I've been having a few difficult days and realised that its because I lost my focus and hadn't read the book for a few days. Hopefully I'm back on track now and focusing again on recovery. I think the book will really help you. It sounds at the moment as though you are tyring to 'fight' this whereas Claire Weekes advises acceptance first. Difficult for me to explain but when you get the book I'm sure it'll help.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

[clickaway]

Hi Paul,

I'm wondering if you ought to try and beat this agoraphobia by doing a short walk every day.

I had this over the winter and my doc suggested a 20 minute walk each day, and possibly two. Try and make the walk have a purpose and of a brisk nature, rather than a stroll.

I must admit, it didnt work for me at first, but I was trying the walk whilst staying with relatives over Christmas lol

I'm wondering if your inability to drive very far without this distress is down to stress and going to far outside your comfort zone too quickly.

How long is it since you've been off the meds?

Ray

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance.
~Mark Sanders and Tia Sillers

[trac67]

Hi,
It is really all down to being positive, re training your way of thinking, and just keep pushing yourself.
Instead of getting home and thinking 'thats the last time i am doing that', get home and tell yourself, 'I did that and I am going to do the same again tomorrow'.
Positivity really is the key to success.
I think the reason you are not finding it easier each time is because you get back and tell yourself you are not going to do it again.
Try the positive appraoch and see how that goes.
Take care
Trac xx

its "just a thought"

[eeyorelover]

hi -
I agree with Trac - it's all in the way that you think about it. If you say to yourself that you can't or won't go thru that again then it makes it into something that you are still afraid of. If you say to yourself that you made it through and didn't let it get the better of you then it turns it into a positive thing that you have overcome and it will get easier. Believe me - I was stuck in the house for years and it did take me a while to be able to get to the point where I can go and do almost anything without the anxiety. I still have my days where the demons pop up and say 'you can't' but I have just got to beat it and say 'oh yes I can and I will prove it'. It helps to be stubborn and not want to let it get the better of you.
I know that with some positive thinking - you will make it through this!! If you need to talk - don't hesitate to PM me.


Sandy
(eeyorelover)

If the world didn't suck... we'd all fall off :)

[mum2four]

In stead of of telling your self your not doing it again try real hard to to tell find one thing even one small thing that was positive. Praise your self for going to the shop's in the first place of you have nothing els positive to say to your self think about what you did when you went to the shop did you look a people and smile even for a spit second did you manage to speack to one extra person what eva you did find that one positive and run with it when a negative thought come in tell your to stop and go back to the positive one if you have to right them down just to find the positive one then plaster the positive comment all over you house to remind you then do it that way you dont have to go threw all the negative comment's to remember the positive one that you did have.

I went threw a fue year's of not being able to be a part of the world and limited exposure to everything that casued my anxiety which was interesting in it self cause I get a trapped feeling at home and and the out side world was also to much to bare so I did every in power to balence my fear's in the end I start listing to music threw head phone so I could have a excuse as to why i forgot to say hello to a person that had said hello to me or just the sing the song's in my head to push out all my thought's for a while. I managed to keep the feeling to min and now I'm working on keeping them away and becomeing stong enought to get my licence and a job. I still avoid a lot part's of our world but I am now able to at least have the strenght to tell my self "I have to right to go the park and relax and have fun if no other positive thought come to me I will keep saying that to my self till a positive thought enter's my head. I struggle some day but iknow that it's rare so i focus on a good day which is easyer now cause I have a fair fue this last year or so. My life is over all positive for the moment and I'm trying to keep it that way and teach my head to stay positive more and more.

I hope you feel better soon you have the strength with in to feel good slowly dont expect to much to soon focus on positive's where eva thay may hide. Smile one extra time a day even if you dont feel like smileing cause it still release's the chemical that make's you happier. This is something I found hard to start with but I learnt to just try it and I do think it had a positive impact on me. I started by letting my self enjoy my kids in stead of listen to every one els's comment's that had stuck with me about my kids being out of control and needing more disaplin.

I alway's tell my friend's have fun and smile cause if beleive thay are the biggest thing that can have the biggest impact of your life.

[Meg]

The vitamin B shouldn't be affecting you but drop it down to one every other day or every third day and see if it helps.

For agoraphobia - you need to praise each days outings not say 'right that's the last time im doing that!"' which just tells your body that it doesn't have to try again and reinforces the fear each day. Instead take it gently and comfort yourself and praise yourself for each success.


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 ?

[tracyp584]

Hey Paul,

I can completely identify with you, and have been having CBT to try and overcome this.
I am told how you need to tell the brain the truth, so it can accept what is happening.
For instance, I have a BIG problem with the school and I have to constantly say to myself, "I Don't LIKE going to school,but i CAN cope with the discomfort."

Rather than reinforcing your brain saying 'I hate it,'' I can't stand this', etc...

I dont know if this will help you, but i have found it quite useful.


tracy x x



Every time you avoid your fears they become stronger,every time you face your fears they become weaker.

[Meg]

Tracy

umm what about going one step further

Try to keep the 'I Don't LIKE' bit out of the phrase altogether. Its best to avoid all direct negatives ..don't won't etc

so maybe 'I may feel uncomfortable going to school but I know I will cope and I will be fine'



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 ?

[Shay1213]

Hello,
First I'd like to start off by saying you are NOT pathetic! I have noticed myself becoming more fearful of going outside and I still continue to go out. I notice that I seem to get anxiety when I do go out. It is so difficult for us to convince ourselves of so many things. Its hard to turn off what our minds bring up. There is one thing that I've gotten a little better at lately...Its basically saying F*** it! I don't mean to use the bad language or anything...but its true! You just have to blow it off...Who the hell put anxiety in charge? You're your own person, you make the decisions in your life. If you want to go out, then leave! GO OUT! If you want to sleep! SLEEP! hehe think about it...really think about it. Thats what I have been doing, and granted its hard! but then you say it, and it actually does kind of work...you just have to say to yourself, and soon enough, you'll realize. It will work! You're a strong person. no matter what you think. We all have the same thing, the same issues...this site is amazing, and if you ever need to talk to anyone I am here ...Perhaps we can share advice, and ideas and cure this silly anxiety!

~Shannon~

[Meg]

Shay

Maybe you've already noticed that our wristbands have on them JFDI , You've already figured out the F and the I.

Just F Do It is our site mantra.

NoMorePanic Wristbands Now Available ! (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5097)


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 ?