hamster lady
10-05-11, 13:16
Hello everyone
I have been really struggling recently with my anxiety, panic attacks and agoraphobia but I think I may have made a little bit of progress. I had a really stressful meeting up at my son's school on Monday to sort out his schooling because he is poorly with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and I managed to get through it without getting a full-blown panic attack. I have also had agoraphobia and have struggled with walking my dog, but in the last week I twice been around the block with her without getting a panic attack. I could only manage going a very short distance, just down the end of my road, round the corner and then back again a few weeks ago. She only gets a long walk when she goes out with my husband though! I do feel nervous when I walk her though because she can sometimes react badly to other dogs and if I really stressed on the walk it can turn into a panic attack. I had a terrible panic attack once while walking her and I had to walk all the way home with my heart racing and feeling like I couldn't breathe. I think I just need to keep going out, the more I avoid it the worse the agoraphobia gets.
I think my progress may have come by not panicking so much about my heart pounding and just learning to accept that it is just adrenalin kicking in and that it won't harm my heart. I am still waking up at night with my heart pounding and having terrible nightmares but at least it is not turning into a full-blown panic attack and I just calm myself down inbetween waking up and just saying to myself that it is just horrible old adrenalin again.
I'd like to say a huge thank you to Paula Lynne for the tips she sent me on overcoming agoraphobia, it has helped me so much, thanks Paula:flowers:
Overcoming anxiety and panic attacks feels like climbing Mount Everest, it is so hard! I hope all you guys are making progress too, wouldn't it be great to not live in fear any longer. Good luck to everyone else who is struggling with the same problems as me, we can do this!:)
I have been really struggling recently with my anxiety, panic attacks and agoraphobia but I think I may have made a little bit of progress. I had a really stressful meeting up at my son's school on Monday to sort out his schooling because he is poorly with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and I managed to get through it without getting a full-blown panic attack. I have also had agoraphobia and have struggled with walking my dog, but in the last week I twice been around the block with her without getting a panic attack. I could only manage going a very short distance, just down the end of my road, round the corner and then back again a few weeks ago. She only gets a long walk when she goes out with my husband though! I do feel nervous when I walk her though because she can sometimes react badly to other dogs and if I really stressed on the walk it can turn into a panic attack. I had a terrible panic attack once while walking her and I had to walk all the way home with my heart racing and feeling like I couldn't breathe. I think I just need to keep going out, the more I avoid it the worse the agoraphobia gets.
I think my progress may have come by not panicking so much about my heart pounding and just learning to accept that it is just adrenalin kicking in and that it won't harm my heart. I am still waking up at night with my heart pounding and having terrible nightmares but at least it is not turning into a full-blown panic attack and I just calm myself down inbetween waking up and just saying to myself that it is just horrible old adrenalin again.
I'd like to say a huge thank you to Paula Lynne for the tips she sent me on overcoming agoraphobia, it has helped me so much, thanks Paula:flowers:
Overcoming anxiety and panic attacks feels like climbing Mount Everest, it is so hard! I hope all you guys are making progress too, wouldn't it be great to not live in fear any longer. Good luck to everyone else who is struggling with the same problems as me, we can do this!:)