anxious about 30th birthday

[Smallie]

Hi everyone, my 30th birthday is coming up, next Wednesday. I'm just so anxious about it! In fact i'm been dreading it for months.

I really want to celebrate it as I never really celebrated my birthdays in the past due to my anxieties and lack of confidence which made it hard for me to make friends.
I guess one reason I don't want to turn 30 is the fact that I never enjoyed my younger years. I often hear of people saying how they partied and had a lot of fun when they were younger, something which I never really experienced which make me feel sad

I do have a few friends now, not many but its better then nothing. so i'm planning to go out to a restaurant and bar this Saturday. I haven't booked it yet, I even feel anxious about doing it. But I really hope it will be a nice evening. A few years ago, when I organised a dinner for my birthday, it turned out to be a real disappointment. Everyone wanted to leave early and I was barely there for 2 hours

And for my actual birthday, i'm going to Eurodisney and Paris with a friend.
At first, I was looking forward to it, but now i'm kind of dreading it. But it's a catch 22 situation as I want to do something nice for my 30th birthday but I do feel anxious about going away and fear I may not enjoy it. I paid and booked it all now so I have to go as I definitely don't want to lose my money.

I just wish I could find a nice partner, but people who I like aren't interested in me and i'm not interested in people who are interested in me

Sorry to rant, I feel quite embarrassed posting this. Has anyone here felt the same or similar to how I feel? And has anyone here been to Eurodisney and how did you find it? Thank you

[lizzie29]

I went to Eurodisney a couple of years ago and loved it! So much to see and it really is magical. If you never had much fun when you were younger then now's the time to start! It's never too late, 30 is still young.

[Sparkle1984]

I turn 30 next February, but when my anxiety is really bad I worry about it. It links in with my fears about getting older and eventually dying!

Here are my threads about the subject, you may find them useful:
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=119670
http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=135894

[NE21 worrier]

Hi,

Being away from my usual surroundings is something which has often given me terrible anxiety in the past - just a feeling that I won't be able to cope. Believe me, though, you can cope, you can do this, and you'll probably enjoy yourself if you give yourself the chance. Trust in yourself and not in your anxiety.

In terms of some practical advice, I would advise on reading 'Feel the fear and do it anyway' - it's a wonderful book by Susan Jeffers, who pushes you to break the boundaries against which anxiety inevitably restricts you - but actually not in a particularly scary way. Also, anything by Claire Weekes is essential to gaining an understanding of how panic works and persists.

Btw, I've been to EuroDisney twice and absolutely loved it there. I was a bit younger than you at the time, but - from what I remember - there's so much more to it than just the scary big rides!

Finally, I would like to add that I've also just turned 30, and I went to Prague in the Czech Republic to celebrate. Other than some inevitable anticipatory anxiety, which really wasn't very nice (I won't pretend it was), I was absolutely fine when I got going. Please give this a go, and your meal at the restaurant. I have confidence that you will be fine too!

Thanks,
Peter x

[Sparkle1984]

I've been to EuroDisney a couple of times and I really enjoyed it. I especially have lots of happy memories from the first time I went there when I was 8 years old. That was actually the first time I ever went abroad, so it was all a new experience for me.