Supermarkets - How do I overcome this!

[wendy]

Hi All

Having a bad day but managed to assure myself it is anxiety and not go into the whole dying experience again!

Well was doing ok until my son let me know he'd lost his school jumper, which meant he either he freeze tomorrow or me Face asda to go to george or get the knitting needles out!

I drove there ok, got in the store picked up the jumper at top speed then got to the till with what felt like 100,000 people in front of me then the panic began, Why do que's do this and how to I get over it??? Im ok in the store but as soon as I have to que I do to pieces, am still shaking now and am trying my best not to give in to online shopping!

Wendy x

[honeybee3939]

Hi Wendy

I know exactly how you feel hun, i have been dealing with this for the last 6 months, and the only thing that i find that works for me is to face the fear.
I have spent years trying to overcome the fear of supermarkets and queues, and before xmas last year i went everyday until it just became second nature and the thoughts in my head of dread just disappeared. I actually managed to get a whole trolley full of things and pay for them, something i hadnt done in years.
I find it easier to make a list of about 6 items before i go, and instead of rushing around like a bull in a china shop i concentrate on my list ,that way my thoughts are distracted from the panic.
Just keep doing it Wendy everyday, even if it just a little supermarket or corner shop to start with, it will then become second nature hun.

Heres another link that may help too
WHY SUPERMARKETS ???

Good luck

Love

Andrea
xxxx

"If you have a worry turn it into a problem, you cant solve worrys but you can solve problems"

[domino]

Well i would shop on line, but then i would not get my discount!!! you see i work at asda, and if i,d live d nearer to you i would have picked it up for you hun. I hate going into supermarkets,although do,nt seem to mind working in one.

[Piglet]

I totally agree with Andy in that knowing what you want before you go in is a great help. I started in Nov with the local Marks and Sparks food hall just going in to get potato cakes and then working up from that.

I still cant do and don't want to do the big Tescos but I can do Superdrug and that used to be a hard one for me for some reason.

Start small to get your confidence and also think even if you do have a panic in the queue so flippin what - let the fear wash over you and go on its way (very hard I know).

This year I am taking a slightly different tack with my panic attacks in that I've decided to tell people rather than try and pretend I'm ok from now on and funnily enough it seems to be helping me already. I managed the dentist on Fri with not too much of a problem.

Love Piglet

"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" said Piglet.
"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh after careful thought.

[loopyangel]

hi there
i used to suffer with this problem alot myself
i found that if i ran my cupboards down an had no food i had no choice but to go in
i went at the quietest times an only got what i needed

also for me morrisons used to be the hardest
i think its got a lot to do with smell
i was reading an article somewhere that we assosiate a smell with happy an sad thoughts i think asda allways smells of doughnuts which used to meake me feel sick and being sick was another fear of mine try finding shops that u like the smell off i know it sounds strange but its somewhere to start
oh an also i never go with lots of layers of clothes on because when im warm an i get slightly anxious ifind i woprk my self up quicker

good luck xx

[seeker]

Hello, this used to get me down. I found taking an MP3 player (or walkman, as it was then) in with me helped. Queing irritates everyone, and makes everyone feel anxious - just people watch next ttime you are in the queue! You will see everyone shifting from foot to foot and checking their watch etc. And even some people putting their purchases down. No-one will be looking at you, though - just imagine you are all on your own, and it should become easier. Seeker

[shoegal]

You are not alone. I also have the same problem. I am fine in the shop, but panic at the till. I think it is because I feel trapped. I don't know how to make it stop because I have been doing my own shopping and fighting this fear for two years and it still hasn't got any better. The weird thing is, I don't even know what I don't like about it, the attacks just happen. Oh well, gotta keep trying!

Hope it gets easier for you.

Love shoegal xxx

[kate]

Unfortunately, the only way to overcome the problem is to keep exposing yourself to it. Running away at the first sign of panic, only reinforces in your mind that there is something to be scared of.

I used to either avoid going to the supermarket at all or run when I felt the first waves coming. BUT, after a long time of this happening, I started to just let the panic come, don't fight it, and it will eventually pass. Many a time I've been slumped over the shopping trolley in Asda in mid panic!

Even now, I sometimes have a panicky moment in the supermarket but seeing it through is the only way to overcome it.

Kate x





"Everybody's changing and I don't feel the same"

[wendy]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I was sure it was just me who shops at 1oomph! A relief in its self to know others have this problem too! I have decided that I am going to be extra brave and face asda again tomorrow

Thanks again

Wendy

[nomorepanic]

I used distraction.

Talking to the person in front/behind, talking to the checkout person or grabbing a magazine and reading that whilst queuing.

Above all just stay with the feeling and you will soon see that it goes away and won't get any worse.

Once you stop doing it then it gets worse.

Happy shopping and queuing.

Nicola

People will forget what you said
People will forget what you did
But people will never forget how you made them feel