Claustrophobia and Agoraphobia

[foghlaim]

TL: one thing is for sure,, i'm gonna get a spare cut ? and would u believe i actually did that as well.. all the doors and windows, and itt was flipping freezing!!? (after i found the keys.)? ?you may not be claustrophobic.. but u do know how to help.. and i thank you. *s*

 

[David Baxter PhD]

TL, I think what Notsure is saying is that she was locked in (with a deadbolt I presume) and thus couldn't get out the door until she found her keys. I'm further assuming this is an apartment so no back door and the option of getting out through the window not a great one.

On the other hand, if all those assumptions are correct, that means the keys had to be in the house to lock the door in the first place, so it was just a matter of time before the keys were located.

Or did I get it all wrong, Notsure?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

You could go one better and put it in a Venus flytrap near the door and teach it to open it for you

 

[foghlaim]

TL i owe u an apology.. i was putting in tt when it should have been TL. i'm sorry.. i have no excuse!!

David;. Mostly right.. yes i was locked in. keys were in hse somewhere, windows not an option,? and believe it or not i live in a hse with a back door and couldn't remember where that key was either.? so in a way.. both keys gone at same time.? ?.. looking at it now.. i feel like such an idiot!?
but there it is.. i was locked in and had no way out..? till i found the keys.?

*embarrassed now as well*?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

So you're saying my train the Venus Flytrap suggestion is a bad idea?

As I said earlier, if any of us had a dollar for every time we've done something that embarrassed us, we'd all be rich.

 

[foghlaim]

i'm gonna go get one tomorow.... have u a book on how to train it tho,, or does that come with it.. LOL!!


guess we would be too... think i'll pass the hat around... lol.

 

[foghlaim]

had another panick attack today.. worse than yesterdays.. but hey! another to chalk up.? ?I got thru it. have to make some apologies tho.? I was in an office at the time. Fastest meeting i ever had. LOL.? i know i'm making fun of it.. I didn't wind up in hosp, nearly.. but didn't. and that's what matters to me at this min.? My head feels funny tho.?
anyway doesn't matter..

later ....

 

[foghlaim]

after affects???
got up today, had to go to town again,,, went up for the bus,, waited for it to come along and then.. Couldn't get on it.. my chest was pounding!! and my breathing started to go awol. stepped back from the bus and let it go. I remembered!! the breathing exercises and was working on it as i walked in. got drenched lol! skipped the physio too. as i got near the hospital same thing.. an all i was going to do there was speak to the physio.. (re, no energy today, after walking home last night and walking in today) i was wrecked!! I left msg for her with another physio, (mine was in meeting) and left.

but the day had a good enuff ending.. i deliberately bought some shoping that would be too heavy to carry all the way home so i had to get on the bus. and I did! I occupied my mind with my mobile.. but it worked!.. to a point. ( couldn't wait to get off again!)

I'm hoping this morning experience is just after affects (sp) from the week\end??

 

[foghlaim]

rang (johndoe) ? I apologised for monday...? the poor chap did get awful fright.. he had never witnessed a panic attack before. he told me he thought he should have called an ambulance. he was shaken for a few mins after i left. i reassured him i was okay after i left.? ?he was really nice about it tho,,?

saw my psychiatrist this evening..? ?we discussed the panic attacks, why i think i shouldn't getting them etc etc especially in familiar places.? I know that i can't control when i get one, but how i cope with them is what matters.? ?(still taking me along time to put post together, which is why this is looking more like my own diary than a post for here. sorry)? ?anyway.. i'm now on xanax (as well) to help with the panic attacks, hopefully it will bring down the anxiety level.?


this lack of focus\concentration is driving me nuts!!!?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

One step at a time, one day at a time...

 

[foghlaim]

today is not a good day... i feel tired, lightheaded, frustrated in pain and low.
i know i didn't get enuff sleep. (approx3hrs) so that doesn't help.? had to go to an office earlier, but as i got closer all i could think of was the actual office you go into. ? i did my best to convince myself that i'l lbe okay, not to think about it..etc.. but i couldn't do it!?
I feel like i made the effort for nothing.. ? ? I feel beaten again.

 

[foghlaim]

these days i don't go out much........ if i can help it.
panic starts rising if i have to go anywhere... especially if it involves a car... i have become a very nervous passenger and it's not helping when all i can think of is how long more till i get out of the car.
i keep distracting myself by talking to "whoever".. this helps me to get where i am going but when i get out of the car.. i find i am disorientated (realise i am panicking.)... takes a long time to even get to the point of why i am at"where ever" in the 1st place!
so avoiding ppl, places, etc is the only thing that is keeping the panic atacks at bay now. i know this will only work for so long tho.... then what???

 

[foghlaim]

ihave to go out shortly and i'm dreading it.. i don't know what to do.. there's no way for me to avoid going out.. i have xanax but can't decide if i should take one ... this is driving me nuts!!
sorry i'm thinking out loud again.

 

[Cat Dancer]

Sometimes what helps me is to look back at when I've been in a similar situation and I can see that I got through it before and that I did ok.

I am sending good thoughts your way.

 

[foghlaim]

thank you Janet

i understand what u said.. and last yr.. this used to work for me too.. i have been trying this again but right now.. all i can see is the latest times when i thought i could do something, go somewhere.. get thru it etc.. and still had axiety\panick attack...
maybe this is what ppl mean when they say it's the fear of the fear.. maybe i don't know..
but i do know i am afraid......

thanks again for your reply.. i appreciate it.. *s*

 

[K9]

these days i don't go out much........ if i can help it.
panic starts rising if i have to go anywhere... especially if it involves a car... i have become a very nervous passenger and it's not helping when all i can think of is how long more till i get out of the car.
i keep distracting myself by talking to "whoever".. this helps me to get where i am going but when i get out of the car.. i find i am disorientated (realise i am panicking.)... takes a long time to even get to the point of why i am at"where ever" in the 1st place!
so avoiding ppl, places, etc is the only thing that is keeping the panic atacks at bay now. i know this will only work for so long tho.... then what???

Hi Notsureanymore,
I know you are offline now but I was reading this and wanted to let you know that deep breathing and self talk helped me quite a bit.? My problem is not claustrophobia but the opposite. I have had a few car accidents and don't like driving on open spaces - prefer small narrow streets as I feel safe and secure.? I also don't like stairs and heights, so don't do too well on planes.? I have had my problem since I was about 5 years old (I am 40+) not giving away my age though.

The only reason I wasn't having panic attacks every day was because I was avoiding everything.? I have had EMDR (helped to bring up a few things) and hypnotherapy. I am good at visualization (at least I am good at something) and this has helped me quite a bit.? I have tried to work with my therapist and now have nearly got that word "I CAN'T" out of my head and replacing it with "I CAN, I CAN DO THIS". When I first went to therapy 2 years ago I didn't think it would work and although everything is not perfect and ideal, at least it is better than it was and I keep trying even though I have had a few setbacks and another car accident. (not my fault)? You can do it too, it takes time sometime.? I'm still working at it.

Don't know when I will be back on; have a couple of busy days coming up, but will catch up.? ?Please take care of yourself.? ? K9?

 

[foghlaim]

thank you for your reply K9.. with the support i get here from you and the others i know i will get back to where i was before all this "blew up".. sometimes i just see this as a consequence of "where i am" at the min.. was able to handle lots of spaces before this.. never even thought about them or if i did.. i managed not to panic. kinda like i controlled it not the other way round.. but in time it will sort itself out again.. the forum here and being therapy will help.

(by the way i also hate planes... heights *s*)


thanks again.

P.S what is EMDR??

 

[K9]

HI Notsureanymore,

i am not sure how to explain EMDR -

maybe David might be able to explain it. Also I know there are some sites with info - just type in EMDR. I am typing one handed tonight so i am a bit slow. K9

 

[K9]

I have not actuaslly been diagnosed. My psycologist prefers not to use labels and I haven't been to a psychiatrist but GP diagnosed major depression - was on verge of breakdown a few years back. i also seem to always be anxious and have some ocd tendacies. How is that for self diagnosing. Sorry forgot the panic attacks. K9

 

[K9]

Hi,? Notsosureanymore

Been away from computer a bit. If you want to and are interested, check out these sites on google.? They have info on what EMDR is.? I only had it twice - kept going into a trance (sort of self hypnosis I think) but it did bring up a few things, like where my problem was stemming from originally.

www.councilforrelationships.org
www.emdr.com

K9 ?