haven't been here in a while...

[brittany32888]

So, I stopped coming on here a while ago because I found that it was becoming a trigger. I started panicking if I couldn't logon fast enough, or if certain people I liked taking to weren't online. It was getting a little crazy, but I was dealing with my anxiety on my own so things were getting better. Then today, my lovely little mind decided it appropriate to freak out about a much anticipated trip I will be taking in less than a week. I had been able to stay calm about it for the most part, but now I believe the panic is starting. Last month I cancelled a trip with my husband because I just couldn't do it, it was making me ill. Now I have commitments that I must follow through with. This particular trip wouldn't normally make me so anxious except we're going a much different way to drop the husband off elsewhere. Sometimes I resent that he decided to make plans that coincide with mine, making it a much more difficult trip for me. He just doesn't get it. I honestly believe I would be totally fine right now if it wasn't for that fact. I feel like I'm forced to deal with my issues in a much more complicated way because of living with people that don't understand me. Every time I'm anticipating something that makes me uncomfortable, it becomes a cycle. First I get anxious like I am now. Then I start thinking about/dwelling on the worse possible scenarios. Then I start feeling sick which causes 3 things, irritability, sleeplessness, and loss of appetite. Then those 3 things branch out and cause lots of other problems, including me feeling more sick and causing tension between my husband and I, which then usually causes an argument. So by the time this event actually takes place, I'm starved, sleep deprived, and not talking to my husband. And this is why I have bad experiences doing things differently.... any advice on how to break the cycle now, before all the other craziness starts???

[L85]

I'm going through a bad patch at min. I feel ill. Don't know if it's anxiety make me feel sick or I really do feel sick and it's making me anxious. I feel like I can't be left on my own and that im going to be really ill. My hubby says things like pull yourself together and so what if your going to be sick it nothing bad. But I'm petrified. I'm scared of going on holiday incase I feel sick and faint. I was even to scared of going shopping today. Feeling really down :-(

[Lord Jazzinho]

So, I stopped coming on here a while ago because I found that it was becoming a trigger. I started panicking if I couldn't logon fast enough, or if certain people I liked taking to weren't online. It was getting a little crazy, but I was dealing with my anxiety on my own so things were getting better. Then today, my lovely little mind decided it appropriate to freak out about a much anticipated trip I will be taking in less than a week. I had been able to stay calm about it for the most part, but now I believe the panic is starting. Last month I cancelled a trip with my husband because I just couldn't do it, it was making me ill. Now I have commitments that I must follow through with. This particular trip wouldn't normally make me so anxious except we're going a much different way to drop the husband off elsewhere. Sometimes I resent that he decided to make plans that coincide with mine, making it a much more difficult trip for me. He just doesn't get it. I honestly believe I would be totally fine right now if it wasn't for that fact. I feel like I'm forced to deal with my issues in a much more complicated way because of living with people that don't understand me. Every time I'm anticipating something that makes me uncomfortable, it becomes a cycle. First I get anxious like I am now. Then I start thinking about/dwelling on the worse possible scenarios. Then I start feeling sick which causes 3 things, irritability, sleeplessness, and loss of appetite. Then those 3 things branch out and cause lots of other problems, including me feeling more sick and causing tension between my husband and I, which then usually causes an argument. So by the time this event actually takes place, I'm starved, sleep deprived, and not talking to my husband. And this is why I have bad experiences doing things differently.... any advice on how to break the cycle now, before all the other craziness starts???

OK I understand this and this has worked for me so in my experience after the thinking and dwelling stage your screwed. It is at that stage that you must stop the thoughts by not allowing them to form, at first when I started doing this I had to actually say out loud No! I won't pursue this line of thought now to be fair my actually words were F@£k off but you get the picture, another trick for perspective is that instead of letting the thoughts slowly build to panic, take it right to the worst case and the worst case is that you will cancel the trip again, no-one is dead because of this just disappointed. The other thing I did was to say for example I'm getting anxious about getting older (I had Chronic Phobia that kept me house bound for 12 years) I'd think what if this is all there is Then say So What if this is all there is. For me What if was the question then described anxiety perfectly, 90 percent of my anxiety started with What if, the answer was So what if and to live life one day at a time. Hope this helps

[Penguin]

I can relate in the sense that going on trips make me anxious. I freak out about something going terribly wrong and i also just panic about being outside of my daily routine which i'm so used to. It's hard to push yourself to finally go through with plans and get on your trip/vacation but once you finally conquered that, everything falls into place and you can finally relax. I find that everything leading up to your away-from-home trip and all the thinking/anticipation is what is the hardest part of it all. I find that planning way ahead in advance helps and creating check lists of everything you will need to stay comfortable really helps me.. of course the process of making this list and worrying of forgetting things is stressful but that's why i like to plan in advance.

Hopefully you can somehow overcome your anxiety and enjoy your time on the trip!