hello

[catherine]

hello , i'm catherine. I'm not really sure what name would be given to this, but for 4-5 years i have been terrified of transport. It could have been a number of things...the feeling of being trapped, of not being in control, of being in a small spcae with large amounts of people, but my main fear was that the car/vehicle or whatever would go too fast and i wouldn't be able to stop it, and no matter where we were or how fast we were going, i would feel that i had to get out right away, or that we would have to stop moving. There were only a few people i would trust enough to get in a car with, and since i couldn't drive myself that was my only way of getting to places.
My mum sent me to a psychologist who helped me deal with the fear, and suggested exercises for making me feel safe whilst travelling. She thought it was most probably linked to the time when i was run over by a car when i was much younger (5 or 6 years old).
Recently I have been experiencing the type of feelings i got in vehicles in everyday situations like -the cinema, gigs, parties,crowded streets,locked rooms or places that are hard to get out of(ie attics, ledges). I feel like i have no control at all of what is happening to me, i feel sick hot sweaty and dizzy. Some days i will eat and eat and eat when i'm not even hungry in hope that it will make me feel better, and other days i can't eat a thing because i am so nervous. I often find myself shaking and panicking in these type of situtations, and since my situation has gone from bad to worse i am desperate to try and sort it out!
I also feel guilty since my whole family think i am over this, and keep saying how proud they are of me, and i just haven't the heart to say that its all coming back again.
Any help and advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks.
Catherine x

[Meg]

Welcome Catherine,

Use the search facility for hunt for previous threads on transport and also on hypoglycaemia....

It sounds like anxiety taking more control. You can get over it ,have a good hunt around the site and post further later.


Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[kate]

Hiya Catherine,

All of us who suffer from anxiety find that it manifests itself in different ways. Some place their anxiety in a fear of transport, like yourself, some in crowded places, the list is endless.

As psychology worked for you previously, would it be possible for you to have some "refresher" sessions? Or, alternatively, re visit the successful techniques that were given to you previously.

I can understand that you feel guilty about telling your family about your reoccuring symptoms, but if you could overcome the guilt and confide in them, I think that you will feel a whole lot better in yourself. People are a lot more understanding than we give them credit for!

Kate x

[benoo5]

quote:Originally posted by kate_r

Hiya Catherine,



As psychology worked for you previously, would it be possible for you to have some "refresher" sessions? Or, alternatively, re visit the successful techniques that were given to you previously.

I can understand that you feel guilty about telling your family about your reoccuring symptoms, but if you could overcome the guilt and confide in them, I think that you will feel a whole lot better in yourself. People are a lot more understanding than we give them credit for!

welcome catherine,youve just had some great advice from kate,and i wont add to it...a lot of people on this site,have a problem with using transport..so perhaps you can post about the exercises you were given,to cope with this,as it might help others....bryan.

[catherine]

Thanks everyone for your help and support, i guess since you're all going through the same things this might not seem very big a deal..but i'm only 15, and this is really getting me down, its ruining my life : ( and i want to sort it,i just keep letting myself get caught up in my feelings, and its getting harder and harder to escape the same thinking patterns that i've been having for so long.....
Anyway, this is what my psychologist taught me to do when i was feeling scared. You imagine a safe place (basically somewhere where you feel completely comfortable and know nothing can hurt you)-for me it was my bed. Often it helps if you take a photo or something? or write a descrition so you can remind yourself of what it looks like any time you want. Then you just breathe deeply, close your eyes and imagine you are there in your safe place, where nothing can hurt you. Obviously in some situations you can't really close your eyes....but if you have a vivid imagination this shouldn't be too hard. It sounds obvious but it really does calm you down! I remembered little details,like the colour of my curtains or what books i had laying next to my bed. Once you're calmer its so much easier to think about whats going through your head logically....i used to think about all the other people who are here in the plane/car/train whatever, with me and see how they are all managing to cope, and if they can do it then i can. I would mark points along the journey, and if i got to them (for example on the train think of a stop along your route, and once you get there think of it as a great ahievement and maybe treat yourself to something) every time you pass one of thes points, think how there isn't much time left to go, and soon it will all be over. And once its all finished buy youself some new shoes, a chocolate sundae anything really to show that you can do it, and it wasn't so bad in the end. A lot of you will have tried techniques like this, but if you concentrate hard then it does help a lot (or at least it did for me). I found trying to talk to people just made me worse, and feel a lot more sick and scared. This may not be the case for all of you, but it really helped me so if it works for any of you, then i'm glad its done some people some good!

[uryjm]

Hi Catherine
Finding a mental "safe place" is good advice, and combining it with breathing and relaxing can reduce panic considerably. Having discovered this, you're already well down the road of dealing with the symptoms. I also agree talking to people can make you worse, espescially when you realise they don't really "get it". That's what's so good about this forum - everyone here will immeadiately understand what you're going through.

Jim

[nomorepanic]

Hi Catherine

Welcome to the message forum. My biggest problem is with transport. I won't go in the car with anyone except my partner and don't do buses, trains, taxis, tubes etc.

I still panic most when driving myself so I know how you feel. I don't like going fast so that is one reason I avoid going in the car with others as they don't appreciate my feelings.

I am currently trying to conquer my driving problems cos I don't like traffic jams etc. I am getting there slowly.

Thanks for the advice on what to do - I will try it next time and see if it helps me too.




Nicola