3 days at malvern spa! agoraphobic!!

Hi friends. :) a good friend of mine just told me shes booked us in for Therapy at Malvern Spa! Its costing nearly £500 cos shes paid for all the treatments! Leave next Fri, return Monday. What a wonderful thing for her to do for us, she says I need a break. x Now...she is aware of my agro and panic problems...Im scared/excited/panicked..can feel it building again. She is a very caring person, and has spent all that money but...oh dear, its a long way, and a strange place. Everyone will be chilling in the blooming steam rooms being spanked by saplings and I'll be running round with a tatty paper bag on my face!! Relaxing?? NOT.
Ive told her to take someone else who can enjoy it more, she wont listen...I dont want to make the whole thing miserable for her...what to do? Im not ungrateful, in fact, I would never have been able to afford it in a month of sundays...but...well...you know. Im going to spoil it, I know it. Dont tell me off now, just tell me what to do/say to her..Im not ungrateful, but dont think I can do it. aND PERIOD will be due, so vertigo up in the air x:weep::weep:

Oh wow can I come

You will have a fab time there and be pampered and looked after and all those massages will so help the anxiety etc.

Once you get there you won't have time to think about the agoraphobia

Go for it I say!

She wants to take you, even if you have agoraphobia and panic attacks :-)

how far away is the spa from your house?

I think you should seriously consider going but at the same time be realistic about it.

maybe write down a list of pros and cons?

it can be hard to make decisions as we tend to let anxiety take over, so try not to let the anxiety tell you what to do.

Hiya its about 120 miles from my house!
Having slept on it, I can see that I will just have to take the chance.
Opportunities like this dont happen everyday!
If Im ill...I will just have to deal with it.
It wont kill me. Ive had hundreds of panic attacks, and...well...still here!
Time to take some of my own advice and stock up on the rescue remedy and lavender I think x Trying to tell myself this jumpy stomach etc is excitement, not panic. :wacko:

I quite often find that when i do take the plunge and do something different that i surprise myself with how normal i feel.
I sometimes think that the predictable boring life i lead keeps me in this anxiety circle.
Your friend knows all about you so you wont be trying to hide how you feel.
Go and enjoy yourself, but if you really feel that you cant do it then im free that weekend :D

The thought is always worse than the deed.

Don't build things up in your head like "what if i panic" "what if this happens" "what if that happens"

Chances are none of it will be anything like you imagine, you will have a fab time, go and enjoy yourself and kick that agora right up its backside, i am agora too and i would jump at this opportunity, what an absolutely fab friend you have as you must be to her for her to want to do this for you.

I can't wait to hear all about this when you return.

di xx

I think you should aim to go, it will be bliss once you get there and start the pampering. You know how to cope and look after yourself, you have all the coping tools you need and you can look after yourself so well, I am sure you can do it.

Bailey..do you fancy it? Look at my profile pic, any chance you can impersonate me for a while? Although this may be illegal! haha. Thank you all for sound advice as always, need to calm down and think logically. Read some clare weekes yest, 1984 ed though, not keen on the housewife insinuations and her constant advocation of tranquillisers though, and ECT !! some bits still relevant though, and touched a few nerves with me so going to read again tonight. x:blush::wacko:

Go for it Paula ...:yesyes:You will really feel great afterwards ..What a wonderful friend you have .She understands your problems and you wont be on your own ,take lots of things to occupy yourself on the journey . Im sure you will do great .Have a great time ,and enjoy all that pampering ..All the best luv Sue x

Thanks Suzy-Sue, voice of positivity as always x Im going, I cant let her down, just dont want to spoil if for her. x Actually, come to think of it, if she wants to be spanked with saplings by a 19 year old swedish guy, while Im in my room doing my paper bag, whats the harm? xx Haahahah, making light of it...I guess laughter doesnt hurt!! xxxx

Thanks Hazel B, as always xxx:hugs:

Ange splutters in disbelief..:scared15:

Saplings? Young men? Steam?

You're even thinking about it? Get your arsium there woman!!

You said you're feeling scared/excited/panicked. Let's drop the last one out of the equation..in fact the first one too. What does that leave you with? Excited. :D

In fact I shall allow you to be nervously excited cos that's normal for us. :winks:

It is going to be great, I just know it. And I'm jealous as hell. :whistles:

Go for it missus :bighug1:

Aww Ang...xxx can YOU impersonate me?? managed to get a pic on my profile yest...God I feel so ungrateful. She always has the best of intentions, I suspect she booked this ages ago, but only just told me. It still doesnt help...feel like I have no choice in the matter...how can I say no? cornered like an animal...x bloody amygdala...most people would be grateful for having an extra bit of brain!! hahah xxx :weep:

Love the photo, just as lovely as I imagined!

It shows what a wonderful friend you are that someone would do this for you, it's a testament to being a great person.

The anxiety is trying to take over your mind, we're all with you and hoping you can do it.

You have my full support regardless of what happens.

P.S. I am not able to impersonate you as I have brown curly hair!!

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH PAULA...THAT SOUNDS SO WONDERFUL....HOW I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO JUST GET AWAY....AND TRY AND SWITCH OFF...AND RELAX AND BE PAMPERED!

my love....you are with friends....they will look after you xxxxxx we will be all with you and sending you such lovely vibes xxxxxx

aaawww stop it now....BAWLING MY EYES OUT WITH ALL THIS BLOODY POSITIVITY AND NICE COMMENTS!! stop it now,,,......................no....I mean...thanks...Ive stuggled for ten years, and now suddenly...YOU GET ME...the relief is overpowering....let the tears flow then...BRING IT ON X IM SO LUCKY TO HAVE YOU ALL SOB SOB SMILE SMILE SOB SOB SMILE SMILE XXXXX

Quote:

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Originally Posted by paula lynne

Actually, come to think of it, if she wants to be spanked with saplings by a 19 year old swedish guy, while Im in my room doing my paper bag, whats the harm? xx Haahahah, making light of it...I guess laughter doesnt hurt!! xxxx

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:roflmao:Hold that thought Paula ...I m not sure about the spanking and Saplings :ohmy:but the rest sounds pretty good to me.:winks:Wot sort of place is it again ???? :whiplash::roflmao:Yes and laughter is a great distraction ,it helps to be able to see the funny side, and learn how to laugh at ourselves too .Youre gonna be just fine ,,you,ll see :yesyes: Sue x.

HAHAHA just laughed out LOUD at your little miss whiplass, thats happening a lot now, me laughing...hubby must be wondering whats going on!! Check it out on the web/.........MALVERN SPA...and bless her, I think shes booked EVERYTHING..not sure if I be up for the hot steam thing, Im hot enough...bloody flushes...Thanks love xxx miss whiplash even...WHERE are my glasses xxx

Paula Lynne,
now I am getting seriously jealous here - it is the birch twigs doing it!!!! :ohmy:
You go, she must be a good friend. Meanwhile try not to think about it too much - I know that sounds silly.:doh:

Go for it - ur friend sounds really special so tell her that your worried but don't want to disappoint her. Maybe she is trying to help you by encouraging you to relax and pamper yourself.

Take a deep breath and aim to have fun - ull be glad in the end.

Let us know how you get onx

Well friends...Im going this evening to Malvern, gonna miss you all. Behave yourselves til I get back ok........wish me luck. Ive stopped saying WHAT IF?......and keep telling myself SO WHAT IF!.......be good now xxxx:scared15: Im back Monday night. xxxxx:wacko:

Have a lovely time, thinking of you. x

Well done for going Paula,

can't wait to hear all about it when you get back.

have a fab time.

di xx

Have a lovely time Paula ..If you think of something funny when you feel your gonna panic :winks:,it will distract you enough for it to pass ..Cant wait to hear what a fab time you had You lucky girl..luv Sue x:hugs: .

PAULA....have a truly amazing time...will be thinking of you xxxxx

lots and lots of love xxxxxx

Have a lovely time. :)

Have a great time............and well done for going :hugs:

Carol xx

Hi gang...Im back! I loved the pools, and food was amazing. I couldnt do any of the amazing steam rooms as I felt faint, but did have a wonderful facial and pedicure. For someone like me, hypersensitivity to light, sound and smell, it wasnt the best place to be honest! Little corridors with 'funny' lights, made me dizzy all the time. x
But I didnt have a panic attack!
I didnt run off, and just got through each moment by accepting the vertigo, headaches and tingles and going with it............
I want to thank all of you for your supportive posts.....next stop...going to try and keep up swimming and shift this donut around my middle.

Thanks guys, glad to be home x (bear with me if any of you send me messages, my laptop is running slowly, its taking 10 mins to download a page!) :yesyes:

Well done Paula you did it, that's a fantastic achievement

Well done Paula :yahoo:..Glad you had a nice time .I cant stand steam rooms or saunas either ,they make me dizzy and claustrophobic ..You did so very well and you didnt even have a panic attack .So proud of you .Good luck with the Do-nut ...:roflmao:luv Sue xx:hugs:

Well done Paula, that's fantastic :yesyes:

Well done hun. I am sure there were times that tested you to the limit but you can do it!!!!

I am so pleased you enjoyed yourselfxxxx

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Originally Posted by paula lynne

Hi gang...Im back! I loved the pools, and food was amazing. I couldnt do any of the amazing steam rooms as I felt faint, but did have a wonderful facial and pedicure. For someone like me, hypersensitivity to light, sound and smell, it wasnt the best place to be honest! Little corridors with 'funny' lights, made me dizzy all the time. x
But I didnt have a panic attack!
I didnt run off, and just got through each moment by accepting the vertigo, headaches and tingles and going with it............
I want to thank all of you for your supportive posts.....next stop...going to try and keep up swimming and shift this donut around my middle.

Thanks guys, glad to be home x (bear with me if any of you send me messages, my laptop is running slowly, its taking 10 mins to download a page!) :yesyes:

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Well done, really proud of you! :D

Well done that's so good!

Woohoo!! :yahoo:

Told ya you could do it! So missus..what's next on the list of things to tackle? Hmm? :winks: