Helpful Ideas For Anxiety and Panic

[overit]

I have trouble with certain places. For some reason, I have most of my panic attacks in Wal-Mart. If, for some reason, I have to go to Wal-Mart without my husband, I make sure I can park close to the entrance/exit of the store and I call my mom from my cell phone and talk to her as I shop as a distraction method. Of course, I have had panic attacks so severe that I felt I would either vomit or faint right there in the check-out line and I would have to abandon all of my stuff and get out to the car. The car is my "safety zone".

LOL...I just posted about it....and we aren't the only ones I know. What is it about the freaking place. I've had several there b4, now I can't even go unless I'm with somebody else and only once/twice a year on average. My kids get horribly upset there also. I absolutely DESPISE that place. See, and I do fine at Target. Seeing the Walmart sign makes me cringe. For now I"ve vowed it off completely and plan NOT to return as long as I shall live lol. There are ALWAYS other alternatives to shop. And yes, car is my "safety zone" a lot also. Funny, my cousin also has mild/situational anxiety, that is almost the only place she gets worked up and has for years like me. If she's there, she can go alone but has to be on the phone w/me so I can distract her and talk about silly stuff.
I'm telling you, that place is cursed! lol

 

[rosenherman]

LOL...I just posted about it....and we aren't the only ones I know. What is it about the freaking place. I've had several there b4, now I can't even go unless I'm with somebody else and only once/twice a year on average. My kids get horribly upset there also. I absolutely DESPISE that place. See, and I do fine at Target. Seeing the Walmart sign makes me cringe. For now I"ve vowed it off completely and plan NOT to return as long as I shall live lol. There are ALWAYS other alternatives to shop. And yes, car is my "safety zone" a lot also. Funny, my cousin also has mild/situational anxiety, that is almost the only place she gets worked up and has for years like me. If she's there, she can go alone but has to be on the phone w/me so I can distract her and talk about silly stuff.
I'm telling you, that place is cursed! lol

The ones I've been in are crowded, noisy and dirty. A perfect setting for "eek, arg, get me out of here".

 

[chloeobrien]

Finding an anxiety group will help. I know it helps me. Feel the fear and do it anyway (read that book or just feel the fear (say [wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth] it to the fear) and do it anyway). Make a list of all the things that make you anxious and then list them from most anxiety producing to the least anxiety producing. Then work your way up the list. Sometimes you have to make a small list of things to do to work your way up to each individual anxiety producing situation. It takes a lot of time and hard work, but it helps out a ton. And if you complete the big list and still feel anxious try to find out the triggers and do the same. It works for PTSD too but a little bit differently. I have PTSD, OCD, generalized anxiety and social anxiety and specific phobias.

 

[ItalianAngel]

A few ways I combat anxiety:

~praying. I have a prayer journal and I write to God. Talking to The Lord is probably one of the best things I can do to help relieve my anxiety.
~exercise. I love to walk, weather permitting.
~petting my cat. Just holding her, I feel better.
~listening to soothing music. I have a lot of instrumental music which really helps. Or I'll find an inspiring Christian cd to listen to
~watching something funny. I find that watching a comedy (whether a tv show or a movie) and having a few good belly laughs really helps relieve anxiety
~doing something nice for someone else. Sometimes when I take the focus off of myself that will help tremendously.
~thinking of the "worst case" scenerio: When I'm anxious about something, I'll stop and ask myself: "Ok, so what is the worst thing that can happen?" When I realize that the "worst" that can happen isn't all that bad in the grand scheme of things, my anxiety lessens.
~allowing myself to feel the feelings. Sometimes instead of fighting the anxiety, I let go and I give myself permission to feel scared, and I tell myself it's perfectly ok to be having the feelings I'm having. Many times just "letting go" and accepting the feelings is comforting enough to ease a lot of the anxiety I feel.

blessings,
~Michele