Is this Progress from anxiety and panic attacks

[sarahg03]

I had my first panic attack in June of this year, I have three small children so stress is involved there.

It got so bad that it got to the point where the day after I had my first attack I went into the town centre with my husband and children and felt like i was going to collapse right there on the floor of Game in derby's new westfield centre, So hence I stopped going to the shopping centre and to supermarkets. I got my shopping done online so I didnt have to got to these places.

Anyway its that time of year and I needed to get into town to get xmas prezzies that I couldnt get online and a friend asked me about 3 weeks ago if I would like to go into town with her in the evening for dinner and to get some shopping done I agreed cause I knew that I had to do this otherwise I would end up a recluse for the rest of my life and I am only 26 shopping should be my life :D.

So I went took a Kalms before I left we went from 6pm until 9pm had tea stood in queue's, i felt a little anx and kept thinking WHAT IF i pass out, die in the middle of the shop how embarrasing etc as you do.

But it turned out that I was fine, anyway the next day I needed to go to mothercare and I was standing in the queue and all of a sudden bang anxiety attack, dizzy, sick, sweating you name it i had it, felt like i was going to pass out but I never did, I stayed in that shop and stuck it out.

Same happened again went to B&Q Bang again anxiety attack ended up bent over the customer service counter wouldnt let my husband leave my side incase I collapsed on the floor of B&Q, I didnt needless to say, but I still felt horrible.

I havent had a full blown panic attack for about 4 - 5 months now but I still have anxiety and worry about stuff get obsessive thoughts about death, suicide, not that i want to die thats why its stupid, really stupid, If anything I am scared of death, one of my friends at 26 died the other day of a heart attack and now I think that I am going to be next so at the moment that is in my every though.

When I go to bed at night and hear the planes go over the house I think that one is going to drop out of the sky onto the house, I know stupid irrational and i wouldnt be surprised if you did laugh, even I think its stupid and I am writing it.

But I think that in a way I have made progress cause I have gone to the shops felt anx stayed there fought it and won.

Just wanted to share with you all about this cause someone out there may be exactly the same as me looking through here and need some reassurance they no you are not crazy you are anxious and it can be beaten yeah its going to take time, but you can do it.

Sorry for the rant but if this helps one person to know that they are not alone in the world thats a good job done.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL AND A GREAT 2010 XXXX:bighug1:

[PanicOver!!]

Great post and well done

Sounds like you ahve taken the first and definately the hardest step to overcoming the anxiety and panic

Have a great Xmas

Marc x

[Downsinthenorth]

It takes a lot of courage to work through a full-blown panic attack. especially in a public place. You should be very proud of yourself.
:yesyes:

[messianictalmud]

Well done

[margaret jones]

Sarah Hi great post sounds so positive through all the panic and anxiety i also suffer from anxiety panic and HA . Had felt a lot better but yesterday / today been having panics and lightheaded but i have had them before and they did not really harm me SO I AM NOT GOING TO GIVE IN TO THEM Like you i want my life back Take Care Margaret :)

[sarah jayne]

What a lovely post. You sound like a fighter thats not going to let the dreaded anxiety win ! Like you i once had a panic attack whilst out shopping so avoided going there for nearly a year, it just made me worse. Now i try to fight it and not let it take over my life. Its hard but im determined to get my life back. Now i have a health anxiety and im finding it really hard as im always ill but im determined to get better x

[mummy4]

fantastic and inspiring thank you xx

[sarahg03]

Hi

Just thought I would let you know that I have just got back from the supermarket after doing the weekly shop I have got the churning in the stomach but I did it and its getting better after almost 7 months of having anxiety.

Just finished tea and have got to start getting some christmas wrapping done now that the kids are in bed.

It just goes to show that you can get better in time.

Take care all x

[Bunty]

Hello

You’re doing great with the panic attacks but I wanted to tell you what my counselor told me about horrible unwanted thoughts. I used to have ones like you. One I remember was that I used to imagine the bus I was in crashing over the side of the bridge we had to cross. I would look at the passengers and work out who I’d save first and who would need more help than anyone else! My counselor told me that the more you try to block the thoughts out of your mind the stronger they become. To show this is true she told me not to think about camels for a whole minute. She said 'start now!' Well, the first thing I thought about was a camel!! I burst out laughing as I realised that I thought by pushing the thoughts out it would help. It does the opposite. I was told to just acknowledge the thought, and say something like ‘ okay I’m thinking about crashing, that’s ok’ and carry on doing what your doing. Every time you have an unwanted thought just acknowledge it and let it go. It’s only a thought and can’t harm you no matter how horrible it is. Most of the time I don’t have these thoughts now and I feel much more relaxed.

[ronski]

Bunty gives very good advice and one from me is that do things in small steps as overdoing it can kick in the attacks. So go to the shops for a short time and work up with the length of time, as soon as you start feeling tired make your way home and do not stick it out. It is repeated visits to the shops with no real anxiety that will cure you not trying constantly to push through the anxiety attacks but as others have said you did well to ride them out in view of the general public. Well done and have a great Christmas and a panic free 2010.

Ron