Ive seen someone for cbt for the 1st time today. She asked questions & I told her about my anxiety, panic attacks, night terrors ( every night for the past 4-5 months I wake up in fear), and claustrophobia, my fears of aeroplanes, trains, lifts, buses, anything that means I cant escape in an instant, electric doors etc.
She seemed to understand what I was saying, and drew up the cycle of fear thing. She said we need to break the cycle and I need to stop my safety thoughts eg I can go to the theatre if my seat is at the back and at the end by the door, I can go into a room if the window is open & large enough for me to get through if necessary. I wasnt expecting this drop the safety thing, but maybe she has a point in me stopping the thoughts altogether.
Then we did the list of frightening things in order,& I have to try & desensitise myself to the things at the bottom of the list first ie shops with electric doors. She said in the 2 weeks before I see her next I need to go into a shop with electric doors and stay in there for 1.5 hours at a time as often as possible in the 2 weeks. I need to stay there so the panic will rise then fall and each time it rises it will be less until soon the panic will not come at all.
Wow how simple it sounds I mean I could have told anyone that, I think we all know how it works in theory. But come on! I have not been given any coping techniques ie breathing, distraction. Just basically go & face your fears until the fear goes away. If it were that simple these forums wouldnt exist would they. And lets face it I am going to get thrown out of the shop for loitering, its just not practically possible. Is this really how it works, I mean the next stage for me would be buses, then trains & lifts and there is just no way I will get in those.
I feel like - I have a problem I am terrified of going on a train, I have had this for 8 years. Ok just go on one lots of times and stay on one for 1.5 hours and you will be free from claustrophobia.
