View Full Version : How many people
When they get that initial surge of adrenaline to signify a panic attack automatically without hesitation stand up and head for the closest exit?
I do it without knowing and then I'm up thinking 'what am i doing?' even when I'm in my room i'll head for the door
That's the "fight or flight" Jamie mate.
When we was cavemen, that "feeling" helped us catch dinner (or run away from potential dinner ;)) but nowadays with anxiety sufferers it kicks in when not needed and your body and mind react to it by initially thinking "I've got to get the hell out of here".
The trick is to challenge that initial thought on why you have to leave, like good ole Dr Weekes says, "recovering lays in facing the fear and not running".
It's a hell of a thing to do, stand there and take the panic, but trust me, after a while of "practising" it works ;)
Good luck
Jaco
i used to be legging it for the nearest exit when ever i got that feeling and then stopped going atall just incase. I have even left my dinner on the plate in a pub and left my trolley in the middle of the frozen food isle (lol), but slowly i taught myself to stay in situations i felt uncomfortable with and i wont lie it wasnt easy but im so glad i did. I always take a bottle of water and some boiled sweets with me now and find some some reason they help. When you first start this you may still feel you have to leave but once you have calmed down go straight back in even if its for 5 minutes dont rush home as you are feeding the little devil and he only survives on your fear
good luck you can do this
Its almost an imediate knee-jerk reaction to stand/walk away when the big burst of adrenaline happens.
I can relate for sure,
:)
Oh yes, completely relate to this. Hence when ever I go anywhere in a crowd where I have to sit <gulp> I sit at the edge, so I can make that exit.
I've been doing this for as long as I can remember.
fight or flight..
but i would suggest to try in baby steps, to not give in to this urge
just sit, feel it, allow it to be...know that its a 100% natural feeling that wont harm you...breathe and let it pass on its own
im always doing this if im in a supermarket and i feel panicky i run out the the door to my car leave everyone i take there standing while i bolt.
thing is bolting out the door doesnt help it causes more aderlinging and more panic.
i was told to stand and let it pass but i still cant do that.
yup know this feeling very well,,,but im doing the 10 minute thingy with myself now,,if i go into a panic,,,i say ok ,,this is to myself:), if you still want to leave the situation in ten minutes then i can,,if ive calmed a bit i say ok add another 5 minutes,,,but i do check i can reach the exits easy,just incase i cant bear it ,,but most times i do manage the ten minutes even the extra five, i feel i can cope better if i dont say to myself no your staying ,,because then i work myself up:roflmao:
ilovetoast
22-08-09, 13:35
I can relate to this.
I used to have the exit well logged, even my excuses (if I hung around long enough to blurt them out), pre-empting the panic attack...lol, which probably set off an attack that wasn't going to happen in the first place.
Don't worry though, this is as someone mentioned above, the fight or flight reflex in action...litteraly getting yourself out of there.
It's a bit like, you wouldn't sit there in the middle of a bruning building asking yourself "should I leave I wonder?" more like you're already outside without even thinking about it.
I can relate to this also, sitting at the end of a row, end of the table for a quick exit from a restaurant. That was back in 1996 and with the help of sertraline not only recovered but felt better than ever for years. But it is so easy to forget the pure hell of it when you have been recovered for so long.
I am struggling now with depression and anxiety and i am sure side effects from the AD's. I don't even want to go out, it is a real effort. But I am trying to be positive and remember that this will go and i will be back to my old self again. I've just go to try and believe me!
So, i know what an automatic reflex fleeing the feared area can be, but you will overcome this, it just takes time and some hard work.
Wish you well
Sue
Yup..Thats me..I can completely relate.
fight or flight..
but i would suggest to try in baby steps, to not give in to this urge
just sit, feel it, allow it to be...know that its a 100% natural feeling that wont harm you...breathe and let it pass on its own
Exactley, when you push past the urge to go or sit back down it gets less and less over a short period.
Example i have is when i was shopping on the edge of town and it happened, i imediately turned heels and as i walked i thought "i always do this, what if?", so i sat down on a shop step and did square breathing and thought to myself as it slowly passed "never gonna let it MAKE me walk out/home again".
ilovetoast
22-08-09, 17:41
Exactley, when you push past the urge to go or sit back down it gets less and less over a short period.
Example i have is when i was shopping on the edge of town and it happened, i imediately turned heels and as i walked i thought "i always do this, what if?", so i sat down on a shop step and did square breathing and thought to myself as it slowly passed "never gonna let it MAKE me walk out/home again".
On this note, can I say that I have found shopping in an open fresh air row of shops and stalls much easier than shopping in say a big mall like the Trafford Centre, you can casually walk out of a store back into fresh air and collect yourself before walking into the next.
The day I dsicovered Christmas shopping was much more enjoyable in Manchester town centre, rather than in the Trafford Centres was a revelation! I actually found some element of enjoyment!
Fight or Flight, the proble
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.