Shirley Moloney
09-21-2014, 10:40 AM
Hello everyone. I'm new here but would be grateful for advice.
I've suffered panic attacks/panic disorder for over 20 years. Although not happy I'm on little medication. In general I would be considered to be functioning. In the last few years I've avoided more and more things and now only really leave the house for work and briefly for essentials. All other things require too much planning and distress.
I went to my GP a few months ago and pleaded for help as I can't go on living like this. So he said go to this counsellor she's great for panic. So for weeks weeks I've been telling her how I have hardly any friends left and how I can't even go out for a walk near my house. We've gone through my past. Raked up stuff which I didn't need reminding of with no reasoning as to how this may help me.
Exasperated the other day I told her how I freaked out at the top of a stairs I have to go down twice a day and how I felt so stupid for having to go an alternate route (this was at work). Her reply - but what's the harm in going a different route? If you can avoid a situation then do so.
Am I over reacting? Isn't that exactly why I'm seeing her? It is because I now avoid everything that I needed help. When I said this to her she asked had my doctor ever prescribed medication for this? It was like she had missed the whole point of my attendance over the last 3 months.
Now I'm worried that if I stop seeing her my GP will think I didn't try. He may be a friend (he had her cards on his desk at the office).
Sorry for the long rant but I needed to get this off my chest. My question is - can avoidance ever be a reasonable suggestion for panic disorder?
I've suffered panic attacks/panic disorder for over 20 years. Although not happy I'm on little medication. In general I would be considered to be functioning. In the last few years I've avoided more and more things and now only really leave the house for work and briefly for essentials. All other things require too much planning and distress.
I went to my GP a few months ago and pleaded for help as I can't go on living like this. So he said go to this counsellor she's great for panic. So for weeks weeks I've been telling her how I have hardly any friends left and how I can't even go out for a walk near my house. We've gone through my past. Raked up stuff which I didn't need reminding of with no reasoning as to how this may help me.
Exasperated the other day I told her how I freaked out at the top of a stairs I have to go down twice a day and how I felt so stupid for having to go an alternate route (this was at work). Her reply - but what's the harm in going a different route? If you can avoid a situation then do so.
Am I over reacting? Isn't that exactly why I'm seeing her? It is because I now avoid everything that I needed help. When I said this to her she asked had my doctor ever prescribed medication for this? It was like she had missed the whole point of my attendance over the last 3 months.
Now I'm worried that if I stop seeing her my GP will think I didn't try. He may be a friend (he had her cards on his desk at the office).
Sorry for the long rant but I needed to get this off my chest. My question is - can avoidance ever be a reasonable suggestion for panic disorder?