Frustrated!

[sesler]

I thought after getting good news from the cardiologist a couple weeks ago I would be feeling better. Last night I woke up in a panic, feeling like I was suffocating. Today my chest, shoulders and back hurt. I'm wondering if this has anything to do with the elementary shooting? I just can't stop thinking about those innocent lives taken at such a young age. As a teacher I'm finding it very hard to go to work tomorrow. My son also attends the same school and all theses scenarios are being played out in my head. I know there is a very, very slim chance that would happen to us, but as a person who suffers from anxiety, would I be able to follow our safety plan? Would I remember what to do? Would I be focused on the well being of my son? I just really need to get through this week, knowing we will be starting our Christmas break soon.

[mindblock24]

I feel the same, I had to turn off the news at one point I couldn't stop crying and felt so anxious. I have a six year old who I wish I could keep home
and close to me all week.

[sesler]

I wish I could turn off the news. I just keep waiting to hear information on why someone would commit such a heinous crime.

[laurandisorder]

I feel the same. I can't escape this horrible event... It's clogging the news, my Facebook newsfeed - all I can see are the adorable faces of those precious children. I also feel horrendously guilty because what right do I have to feel this way when this was not my school, my community, my family, my students? But it would be inhuman not to feel anything. Not to grieve for little faces you would have never have known otherwise.

For those worrying about what would happen if this happened to them, how they would act/react, the chances are that it is never going to happen, but I have been involved in some potentially dangerous/traumatic situations and I am usually able to push aside the anxiety in stressful situations.

My body just reacts without me dwelling on it. Recently, I was walking my dog and two dogs ran out from a house across the street - my first thought was that the dogs would get hit by a car, so I slowly led my dog into the middle of four lanes to stop the traffic so the other dogs wouldn't get hit whilst their owner rounded them up. There was no rational thought process behind this. I walked into the middle of traffic on a busy road to help two dogs that could have been vivacious for all I knew!

I have also helped out kids (at work) who have been badly injured without freaking out - I'm surprisingly good with calming kids having anxiety/panic attacks and treating/dressing nasty wounds - it's weird because I can lose my sh*t watching TV.

When I was in a really bad car accident a long time ago, I climbed over my sister with 2 broken arms, a fractured back and two badly sprained ankles and pulled her out of the car (she was less injured than me, but too scared to move) because we smelled petrol. I fainted after doing this, but didn't feel a thing other than worry for my sister and the driver of the car who was trapped...

You'd be surprised at how rational and calm people with anxiety can be at a time of crisis. There was no fight, flight or freeze, I just didn't think and my brain went into some kind of primal mode and acted methodically and rationally for me.