3 days at malvern spa! agoraphobic!!

[paula lynne]

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

[nomorepanic]

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!

[Anxious_gal]

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.

[paula lynne]

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.

[baileys]

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

[diane07]

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

[Hazel B]

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.

[paula lynne]

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

[suzy-sue]

Go for it Paula ...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

[paula lynne]

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