Help needed!

[Godzilla]

Hi all :)

I have started to travel again. When I say travel I mean I can drive say 10 miles away from home without getting the mass urge/panic to get back home.

What I am in need of is a bit of therapy/advise on what I should say to myself or distract myself so I can pass these 10 miles. I have suffered for 10 years but this time last year I could easily travel 40 miles from home. August last year came and my daughters went on holiday for 2 weeks, my wife and I moved house and my fantastic German Shepherd passed away after me owning her for nearly 12 years. This has really put me back and now I am stuck in this rut and need to break free. I have tried almost every medication and therapy out there. Current medication is..... Diazepam @ 20mg per day, Klonapin @ 0.5mg per day, Citalopram @ 30mg a day and Amitriptiline @ 10mg per day..........All this and still cant travel!! Please help, anyone with any ideas or suggestions I should try, or any books I should buy that work.....most are just rubbish and never had and results.

Thanks in advance

Paul :)

[Vixxy]

I used music on my ipod that I found really empowering. I listened to "don't stop believing"
I would also say to myself "I'm a legend, I can do this". Sounds silly, but it did help. I'm sure you can think of something that will spur you on.
You know you can do this, you've done it before. You just need to believe in yourself again :)
Good luck!

[Godzilla]

I used music on my ipod that I found really empowering. I listened to "don't stop believing"
I would also say to myself "I'm a legend, I can do this". Sounds silly, but it did help. I'm sure you can think of something that will spur you on.
You know you can do this, you've done it before. You just need to believe in yourself again :)
Good luck!


Thank you.....I will get my Ipod charged up and put some songs on there (was given to me so full of rubbish songs!)

I will also try the 'I'm a legend, I can do this' I cant believe how hard it is, shocking how anxiety can grab you and pull you under :weep: I cant understand why I now cant travel now and could this time last year. forgot to also say that my daughter finished primary school in July and that made me feel horrible, maybe because she is now growing up? Then my daughter and step daughter went to Malta with my Mum and Dad as I cant travel so I had to look after Mum and Dads house, I depend on my Mum a lot as she had very bad nerves many years ago and I am an only child. then my German shepherd, had her since 8 weeks old and took her everywhere, she was my rock. Whenever I was anxious she would be by my side in a flash.....she knew I was not good. She was put to sleep at the end of August. Then a few days after that my Fiancee and I moved house from a 3 bedroom house on Milton keynes where I have lived for the past 20 years to a town just outside Milton keynes called Bletchley. I dont know Bletchley at all. Since August the travelling troubles started and now I feel I am trapped and will never be able to travel again. I cant even collect my daughter from secondary school which is about 12 miles away......feel so low and hopeless. Sorry for going on here! I started typing and it all just came out.

Paul.

[Vixxy]

Hi again Paul. You've had a big year and it's completely understandable that youre suffering a bit more with your anxiety. At the beginning of 2010, I wasnt even leaving my bedroom let alone the house! Now a year later, I've moved to a new home, 45 mins away from my old house, and I'm able to go out and explore this new town.
The way I did it was to set myself a target. To start with I drove around the village I used to live in, and I repeated it daily (very important to do it each and every day!) until I was feeling ok about it. Then I would pick another target, and keep repeating that until it felt ok. It's always nice to have a reward waiting at the end, so I usually went to a shop and got myself a treat.
Dont be hard on yourself and focus on what you cant do anymore. Look forward to where you could be in a few weeks time. Looking back wont help you.

[Utility]

Hi

Have a look at this site you may find it helpful

www.glasgowsteps.com (http://www.glasgowsteps.com)

[Vixxy]

How did you get on finding some music?

[Godzilla]

What great support.......Thank you all so much.

Vixxy..... Music works so well when on a walk.

Utility..... Thank you for the link

Paul :)

[Vixxy]

Glad it helped :D