just opened door again

[June L]

Thanks Paul. So nice to read your doing well yourself too. I have two lots good news. Firstly a lady came to my home two weeks ago to assess if I was eligible for a support worker to do the gradual exposure with me. I have just heard I have been assigned the support worker and they will be calling at my home next week to start work with me. Secondly I have taken the plunge alone and boarded a bus. Started with one stop yesterday going Southward and today went two stops Northwards. Needless to say I intend to keep going.

[June L]

Hi to everyone. In my last post I was going one or two stop alone on a bus today using gradual exposure, thought challenging and controlled breathing techniques I am now travelling over a mile from my home on buses in both directions alone. I am also getting off the bus and at times walking the mile to mile an a half back to my home. Where as in January I could not even get in my doctors with help or in my dentist. With the help of a friend I have since been to see my doctor and completed a course of dental work involving 3 x rays 2 fillings a dental inlay plus scale and polish and even gone and had my eye test alone. I am not saying its easy - its not. To achieve all of this I have had to experience panic at times but I have seen if I stay in the situations and use the C B T techniques mentioned earlier the anxiety starts lessening. I also find what helps is distraction. I take my mobile with me and where ever I go I take photos of the road signs and places I visit. I later download them onto my computer. I find it not only distracts my thoughts away from the anxiety it also motivates me to keep going. In that when I look at them I cannot believe I went to all these places alone. I also try and tell myself what I fear is not going to happen whilst doing my breathing exercises to aid me to calm down. In my last post I mentioned I was to have a support worker. I now have this lady and she is aiding me with travel therapy. This also helps as instead of her coming to my home and talking to me she gets me to meet her on a bus. So I get the bus to a place I can get to at present and then she boards the bus at this place and we stay on the bus a few more stops and hold the therapy session outside. When we get the bus back she gets off at the stop she got on and I continue on the bus home alone. The thought of doing this at first frightened the life out of me but I find it so much more helpful than just talking therapy.