please help feeling trapped in the world panic attacks

[hihello]

Hi

I have had anxiety for as long as I can remember, I am 21. But have always been able to deal with my feelings and phobias by avoiding the situations that cause me to panic. Recently (last 2 years) I have had extreme anxiety about feeling trapped in large buildings specifically the mall. I cannot go into any stores that I cannot see an exit from. When I get too far into the mall I start to feel dizzy, my heart pounds, Im nauseous, and my legs feel weak. I understand this to be a panic attack. When I feel this way I simply leave the situation and i feel fine.

Now here is my problem...I started feeling trapped in the world...almost like earth its self is a giant mall that I cant escape. I cant leave this situation so i dont know how to make it go away. I had feelings of panic for over four hours yesterday and still feel very nervous. I just feel trapped where I am and very overwhelmed with the size of the world and the universe and how tiny I actually am. I understand that there is nothing I can do about it but why do I still feel this way? also the attack came on in the shower at my own home which is a first for me. Im just feeling very overwhelmed with the whole world and the fact that I will be stuck here for another 60 years.

Has anyone else felt this way? Please help me. I cant live like this.

[paula lynne]

Hi, I feel for you.
You dont need me to tell you that avoiding places and situations is NOT the way to recovery. We/you need to FACE these situations, or the anxiety will NEVER go away.

If you havent already done so, have a read of the info on panic/anxiety, and agoraphobic behaviour in the left hand column.

Youve associated the world with a giant mall. You need to undo this faulty thinking. Remember back to the time you didnt feel this way. What were you doing/feeling? How were you interacting? You learnt this association, you need to unlearn it.

I think it would be a great idea if you saw your MD and explained how you feel. CBT (Cognative Behavioural Therapy) may be really beneficial for you. Underneath all these thoughts, seems to be the anxiety. As soon as you start learning about it, how it makes us think and feel, you will see that the anxiety begins to lose its power over you. Id recommend any books by Dr Claire Weekes.

You wont feel like this forever, but you need to put the work in now, before these thoughts get out of control. I wish you well. Dont let anxiety win, youve your whole life ahead. You can do it! Take care, P x

[hihello]

Thanks alot. I would love to go to a doctor about this but unfortunately my health insurance expired once i turned 21. Im trying to deal with this on my own and keep busy so I dont get swarmed by these overwhelming thoughts.

do you have any tips on how i can "unlearn" this association?

thanks again

[paula lynne]

Im not qualified in this regard, but there is so much info out there about learnt behaviour, Im sure youll find something that can help you. You know this is not "normal" thinking, and because you recognise that, thats a great first step youve aready taken. There are several members here who are going through steps to unlearn/change their behaviours, but it wouldnt be right if I posted their names, hopefully if you use the "search" facility about behaviour, youll get some up to date answers. Im sorry I cant be more specific, but Im sure youll find the info you need. The internet will be of help in general. Best wishes

[ladybird64]

Hello. :)

Paula has given you lots of helpful info to be found on the forum, there is also a free online CBT course which I think may be helpful to you.

http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=78297

I have been where you are now and I understand those feelings oh so well. :hugs:

Unfortunately sometimes we can succumb to anxiety and phobia issues with no apparent cause but the one thing that is certain is that by avoiding what we fear we then make the fear worse.
It isn't coping, although it seems that way as can manage to function but we are kidding ourselves, if we are put in a situation where we HAVE to do something, or go somewhere that frightens us, we are terrified.

And there is no quality of life in being terrified. :)

The more we avoid, the more we become trapped and our already small world becomes smaller and smaller until we are trapped but trapped in a prison of our own making.

One of the symptoms that I have is the fear of the earth itself..don't worry you're not alone in this! Feeling tiny and insignificant in large building, when out looking into the sky, trying to walk in a park..I always felt that somehow the world would spin on it's axis and I would disappear skywards. :blush:

Our minds play some awful tricks on us but we aren't crazy it is all about our perceived lack of control over ourselves and our environment.

It is possible to deal with this meds free but not easy. The first thing you have to do is to acknowledge that you WILL have to face your own individual fears a little at a time, that is how you reprogram your mind.

There are also books you can buy that don't cost the earth, quite a few are mentioned in this forum.

Please be wary of programs (often well known ones) that offer a cure at a price..anyone who has been through it and got better doesn't try and make a quick buck out of others misery.

Take care :flowers:

[StarryBlueGal]

Wow, you're like me. I am not that bad like you. I know what you mean. I am surprised that you are only 21. I remember when I was 21, I was so happy in life and so many things to look forward to. Now I am nearly 32, and I have lost my job through redundancy. Lately I feel that the world is closing into myself and that I realise that my family are not supportive to me and they don't understand how I am feeling about my job loss, and they think it's not a big thing. It's actually stressful.

I am not sleeping very well lately because of my anxiety, and panic attacks. I feel that I am insignificant in this huge world and the universe. What did trigger this all on? Did you have something bad happen to you recently? Hope you feel ok enough to go to the doctor, and I haven't made an appointment yet but I'm thinking about it.

Feel free to PM me if you want to talk about it all.

Starry xx

[hihello]

Hi thanks everyone for you help. Ive only been thinking like this for three days now. but its all i can think about I can barely eat anything. Im at a constant level of anxiety between a 3-10. and i feel like an attack is on the edge of every moment. I just want to feel better today I think I am going to try to have a normal day and ignore all my feelings and just push through it. I hope I can make it through. If not I am going to try and go to a doctor. I do have some xanax that I have been taking that y sister is perscribed and they seem to be helping.

[hihello]

I'm going to the doctor tomorrow morning. So now just to get through today...

[Meewah]

hello

Get help from the fact that we are all experiencing the same feelings as you. The best thing is YOU WILL pull through, it just takes time. The fact that you can come on this forum and talk to people who have gone though what you are going through now is testament to feeling better.

What you need to do is stop fighting it. The more you fight it the worse it becomes. Look for the benefits of the condition you have. Go out an experience the intense feelings of panic. Take a note pad and detail what you are feeling. If you can get a supportive friend to go with you you can share the experience.

Trust me when you stop fighting the anxiety it will ease. Take it a step at a time. Rome wasn't built in a day.

The key is to treat the feelings as just that feelings and it is not you. The problem is at the moment you want the feelings to go away. Well start embracing them sit quietly and feel them and watch as they spill over you like a wave. Sit with it and they will disappear. I sometimes find that I can close my eyes in my "safe place" and imagine the worst scenario and keep imagining it and I can build the anxiety wave up and I can watch and wait as it washes over me and then dissipates.

Don't forget don't fight it. Fear loves fear.

Health and happiness.

Mee