Social Anxiety and panic attacks

[G-spotter]

Social is scaaaaaary

 

i'm not crazy

you're the one that's crazy

you're driving me crazy...

[ckiely]

I get extreme anxiety and sometimes panic attacks in large, social situations -- airport security lines, malls, pub clubs, etc. When it gets really bad, I pop a benzo or two and that seems to keep me from crawling out of my skin for a while, but it's still pretty spicy sometimes.

 

 

So I imagine you would not like public speaking Don't you find it interesting that you can post freely on a message board and not have too much problem? You've been around here awhile, and I enjoy your posts.

 

Maybe you can picture the crowd in the room as avatars?

 

 

 

[bstach]

Maybe you can picture the crowd in the room as avatars?

 

That would increase the number in the room tenfold...given how many different Avatars some people have here.

[quazimoto]

regarding pinks comment above about not giving a fuck-

i do belive that not being able to fuck is probally a better diagnosis.

[catbirdseat]

I would assume that panic attacks come amidst large groups of strangers. If the crowd was mostly friends and acquaintences, does it have the same effect on you?

[rob]

Well, it is definitely worse with strangers than with close friends....

 

It's not really the proximity to crowds that does it -- it's when I feel like the crowd is looking at me. Case in point, I went to NYC once and stayed in Times Square. I was really worried about it, but once I was there, even though it was crowded, it felt like nobody noticed me, and I didn't have any trouble.

 

But when I go to Bellevue Square mall, for example, it feels like everybody is looking at me, and everybody is so close and crowded and judging me and in my face....

 

I have absolutely no control over it. There doesn't seem to be any analytical reasoning behind it or anything; it's like an allergic reaction that I can't stop. My brain is wired funny or something.

 

CC.com doesn't really do that to me, you guys feel like family

[TREETOAD]

 

But when I go to Bellevue Square mall, for example, it feels like everybody is looking at me, and everybody is so close and crowded and judging me and in my face....

 

Sounds like you are on acid

[TREETOAD]

The first time I felt anxiety was when I walked into a Costco store. The high ceilings, the bright ugly lighting, the consumer goods stacked high. All those fucking sheeple with their fourty five gallon drums of BBQ sauce and pallet loads of frozen burritos, and giant tubs of hair care products made me want to wretch on the spot. After a short time I persuaded myself into going down some of the isles. My heart rate climbed and I could feel my face flushing as my blood pressure rose to nearly normal. Eventually I stumbled upon wide assed maven with a hair net and cheap plastic bag gloves offering little chunks of sausage cooked up in an electric frying pan. "Would you like to try one?" she said as she reached out to me with a bony hand and a crooked smile. The beads of sweat slide down my forehead, I turned and ran right past the guy that frisks the customers and didn't stop till I got to my car.

Other than that I am usually OK

Edited April 28, 2007 by TREETOAD

[sk]

Anybody else get them? When? How often? How do you handle them?

 

I get extreme anxiety and sometimes panic attacks in large, social situations -- airport security lines, malls, pub clubs, etc. When it gets really bad, I pop a benzo or two and that seems to keep me from crawling out of my skin for a while, but it's still pretty spicy sometimes.

 

So far, the best remedy I've found is to just stay away from people. But this is hard with a family and kids who like to go to movies, the mall, the park, seattle center, etc.

 

Anyody else have similar problems? What do you do?

 

 

lorazepam. i love that stuff so much.

 

i do well in places i have been before. i look at it this way. there are 3 elements that freak me out:

new place

new activity

new people

so if i can mitigate that by having one or better yet 2 things that are not new i am in great shape. i can not go places with people who will leave me, or not be where they said they would be. I have a travel buddy, and when i go places with her i am totally okay because i know she will not leave me and if anyone tried to hurt me or fuck with me she would take them out (she is rougher and tougher than i am) somehow having a cell phone has helped. if i know i can call someone i know is safe i am okay. therapy helped a lot and so did getting on the correct medication for bi polar disorder. but for reals after Thing 1 was born i didn't really leave the house much for 4 years. i went to the store and to my moms but i couldn't even take him to the park to feed the ducks. that was what finally got me headed back to counseling. the mild agoraphobia was exacerbated by sever depression.

 

 

Edited May 2, 2007 by Muffy_The_Wanker_Sprayer

[catbirdseat]

Marzipan does it for me.

[sk]

Marzipan does it for me.

 

there i went and got the bottle and fixed the spelling.. happy now?

[catbirdseat]

But you ruined my joke. Marzipan is great stuff. It can make you happy. Try it.

[sk]

But you ruined my joke. Marzipan is great stuff. It can make you happy. Try it.

 

[G-spotter]

Marzipan is often compared to a broom.

[Chad_A]

Social is scaaaaaary

 

i'm not crazy

you're the one that's crazy

you're driving me crazy...

 

All I wanted was a Pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me.

 

Just a Pepsi.

 

Institutionalized.

[rob]

yeah, lorazepam is what they gave me. I don't take it often, cause it makes me depressed the next day. It's sort of a "in case of emergency..." thing.

 

Got any good refs for a therapist?

[sk]

yeah, lorazepam is what they gave me. I don't take it often, cause it makes me depressed the next day. It's sort of a "in case of emergency..." thing.

 

Got any good refs for a therapist?

 

I don't know anyone anywhere but here in Eugene. my best sugestion is just start going to see people. you dont have to marry them. I have seen upwords of like 5 maybe 6 differnt theripists. i saw them for a while and then move on to someone else. it is kinda like starting over agian but you get good at giving your run down. I finaly found the perfect theripist about 9 years ago. she booted me though cus we got to the point where i didn't need therapy as much. i still check in with her from time to time it's like my 30,000 mile check up

 

other things to try

yoga or thi chi

massage

meditaion

 

i do most of those things to one degree or other. they keep me grounded and the only way i know how to describe it is "inside my body"

 

it's like anythign else. the only way to get better at it is to practice. you learn new skills find ways to cope and do the best you can. be kind to yourself. no one is perfect, we all have our little challenges

[archenemy]

Social is scaaaaaary

 

i'm not crazy

you're the one that's crazy

you're driving me crazy...

 

All I wanted was a Pepsi, and she wouldn't give it to me.

 

Just a Pepsi.

 

Institutionalized.

It doesn't matter, you'll probably get hit by a bus anyway.

[selkirk]

CC.com doesn't really do that to me, you guys feel like family

 

That's only because we're dysfunctional.

 

Or because we're all Dru's avatar's.

 

Either way we're dysfunctional.

[scottbot]

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is basically empowering one to control thoughts and behaviors without using meds or other external motivators. Check out this site for a nice description: http://www.nacbt.org/whatiscbt.htm

 

As you probably know, benzos can be addictive, and can also be difficult to wean off. If you can learn to change your emotions via your rational thoughts - because thoughts cause emotion - then you can "outsmart" your fears and phobias. I'd lived for my adolescent and adult life with social phobias and anxiety. CBT has been an enormous help - and the right therapist is key.

 

Good luck!

[Clavote]

Try this book.

 

Panic Away

 

do a search. You will not find anything unique in there, but he does a good job in putting all this together for you so you can take action when you get a panic attack.

Seems to work for a lot of people.

 

Or you can smoke a lot of weed and climb some scary shit. That seems to end panic attacks nicely too.

 

Try the book first.

 

Good Luck

[Dechristo]

1rst book: Panic Away

 

2nd book: Chronic Da Way

[CrackBaby]

One of many of my shrinks gave me a "List Of Possible Distortions" So far it's been the most helpful thing I've found.

 

(Probably since I'm too impatient to actually sit and do Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and I'm getting sick of pills rather quickly. Actually I saw my psychiatrist this evening and am staring at the bottle of antipsychotics debating with myself whether or no I should actually take them. **Grumble Grumble**)

 

Here it is, some will most definately apply more than others:

 

Possible Distortions

1. All or nothing thinking: Looking at things in absolute black-and-white categories.

 

2. Over-Generalizing: Viewing a negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.

 

3. Discouning the Positives: Insisting that your accomplishments or positive qualities don't count.

 

4. Jumping to Conclusions: Concluding hat things are bad without good evidence.

 

5. Mind-Reading: Asuming that people are reacting negatively to you without good evidence.

 

6. Fortune-Telling: Predicting that things will turn out badly without a good basis.

 

7. Magnifying/Minimizing: Blowing bad things out of proportion or shrinking the importance of good things.

 

8. Emotional Reaoning: Reasoning from how you feel: "I feel like an idiot, so I must be one."

 

9. Making "Should" Statements: Criticizing yourself or other people with "shoulds", "shouldn'ts", "musts", "oughts" and "have tos"

 

10. Labeling: Instead of saying, "I made a mistake", telling yourself, "I'm a jerk" or "a loser"

 

11. Inapropriate Blaming: Blaming yourself for something you weren't entirely responsible for, or blaming other people and overlooking ways that you contributed to a problem.

 

I hope this helps