Showers

[justconfused]

For the past few months I have only been able to enjoy taking a nice shower a few times. Every other time I have rushed out in fear of something happening. Once I get in like literally when the water hits me I feel these sensations in my upper stomach/chest and back/shoulder like they are tensing up or have pressure. After I am out it all goes away. A few times I have forced myself to stay but end up getting so light headed and tingly becuase it frightens me so bad. It's quite aggravating because a shower is supposed to be a relaxation technique so to speak. When I close my eyes for shampoo or anything I just feel like my throat closes and it is hard to swallow, and most of the time if I feel water running down my chest or back my mind perceives it as unoridnary and throws me into panic thinking it is something bad. Do muscles react to warm water or what in the world is going on?

[sandyrdh1]

Oh my. I have the same thing. I can't believe you said this. I can get in the shower and feel the same way sometimes. I believe it's the pressure of the shower hitting our body and with our nerves going it hits those nerves in our body creating that feeling. I don't get it in the bath. So I mostly take warm baths and wash my hair in the sink. Lol.

[justconfused]

Are you kidding me? Ok this is one of the few times I can honestly say LOL in the past few weeks. I wash my hair in the sink too! But lately I've been forcing myself to take the shower because I feel like if I keep using the sink then I will let the anxiety win and I'll never want to take an actual shower.

[MegC]

Maybe try leaving the curtain or door cracked a little! Could it be a claustrophobic thing!!!??? Turn on a radio, distract your mind!!

[MegC]

Try leaving the curtain or shower door open a little. Could this be a claustrophobic thing??? I know I'm afraid of being closed in!! Turn on a radio and sing, try to relax your mind!

[sandyrdh1]

Are you kidding me? Ok this is one of the few times I can honestly say LOL in the past few weeks. I wash my hair in the sink too! But lately I've been forcing myself to take the shower because I feel like if I keep using the sink then I will let the anxiety win and I'll never want to take an actual shower.

When I do feel better I still take a shower and was my hair in the shower:) it's just when I am having a bad day and my nerves are shot, I don't get in the shower because it can make it worse. So I don't avoid the shower all together just when I am having a really bad day.

[Cara1989]

I'm so glad other ppl feel like that it seems like everytime I take a shower as soon as the water hits me I tense up and start panicing :( it got so bad id have to stand in there and my mother would help me its not so nad even though she stand in there with me lol :/ I use to take a shower everyday now I take one every once in awhile which sucks

[PanicCured]

Hi there. I am sorry to hear you have this. I too had this shower anxiety very severely. As soon as the water turned on I would go into complete panic attacks of horrific nature. It was a total struggle to take a shower. I still don't know why or how, but once my anxiety cleared it stopped happening. So treat the anxiety root. I used to have a friend in the other room close by, and my bathroom door open to get through the shower. If I was alone, since my bathroom was near the front door, I even kept my door open. Just slightly to take away the fear.
I know how weird or horrible this is. I didn't feel like I was doing it, but when a friend was nearby it didn't really happen. If I was alone, I would turn the water off and on and just struggle through it. Sometimes I didn't even shower. I was a complete mess! Elevators brought on panic too.

It really seemed I wasn't doing it. That is what is such the mind fuck about anxiety. You feel that you just got some crazy disease, but when you really break it down, there is always some inconsistencies. Like how it wouldn't happen when my buddy was nearby.

I know you can feel ashamed, but once I started telling people close to me the details of my problem, they were very helpful and supportive. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. You don't want to depend on anyone, but in the height of anxiety until it starts to settle, you can use a friend or relative to either be on the phone on speaker while you shower or right outside the door. See if it still happens. If not, you will have some more insight about your anxiety.

So the bottom line is treat the root cause which is anxiety and all those unexplained terrible symptoms go away with it.

[mw0929]

I feel like this sometimes too but somehow I manage to get through it without completely losing it. I think my problem is the air feels really thick when I take a hot shower and it makes me feel like I can't breathe.

[sandyrdh1]

I feel like this sometimes too but somehow I manage to get through it without completely losing it. I think my problem is the air feels really thick when I take a hot shower and it makes me feel like I can't breathe.

Yes. That as good assumption. I feel like that in a pool. Like I can't breath if I get the water to my neck.

[dazza]

For the past few months I have only been able to enjoy taking a nice shower a few times. Every other time I have rushed out in fear of something happening. Once I get in like literally when the water hits me I feel these sensations in my upper stomach/chest and back/shoulder like they are tensing up or have pressure. After I am out it all goes away. A few times I have forced myself to stay but end up getting so light headed and tingly becuase it frightens me so bad. It's quite aggravating because a shower is supposed to be a relaxation technique so to speak. When I close my eyes for shampoo or anything I just feel like my throat closes and it is hard to swallow, and most of the time if I feel water running down my chest or back my mind perceives it as unoridnary and throws me into panic thinking it is something bad. Do muscles react to warm water or what in the world is going on?

Anxiety & panic, at it worst, rules your every move.
I would feel fear building as I climbed the stairs toward the bathroom - let alone get in the feckin shower.

Looking back I can only laugh my arse off at the patheticness of it all, but at the time it was genuine fear.

Showers, cinema, indoor rides, busy shops, bath... & indeed any enclosed or busy space was a panic potential.

Jeez... so weird hearing others with the same.
My sympathy. I know what its like.

[justconfused]

Hi there. I am sorry to hear you have this. I too had this shower anxiety very severely. As soon as the water turned on I would go into complete panic attacks of horrific nature. It was a total struggle to take a shower. I still don't know why or how, but once my anxiety cleared it stopped happening. So treat the anxiety root. I used to have a friend in the other room close by, and my bathroom door open to get through the shower. If I was alone, since my bathroom was near the front door, I even kept my door open. Just slightly to take away the fear.
I know how weird or horrible this is. I didn't feel like I was doing it, but when a friend was nearby it didn't really happen. If I was alone, I would turn the water off and on and just struggle through it. Sometimes I didn't even shower. I was a complete mess! Elevators brought on panic too.

It really seemed I wasn't doing it. That is what is such the mind fuck about anxiety. You feel that you just got some crazy disease, but when you really break it down, there is always some inconsistencies. Like how it wouldn't happen when my buddy was nearby.

I know you can feel ashamed, but once I started telling people close to me the details of my problem, they were very helpful and supportive. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. You don't want to depend on anyone, but in the height of anxiety until it starts to settle, you can use a friend or relative to either be on the phone on speaker while you shower or right outside the door. See if it still happens. If not, you will have some more insight about your anxiety.

So the bottom line is treat the root cause which is anxiety and all those unexplained terrible symptoms go away with it.

There were a few times I had my girlfriend stand by and I was amazed at the difference it made.

[cat28]

Omg I thought this only happened to me. I've made my husband sit in the bathroom so many times just so I can shower. Sometimes I have to leave the door open and the shower curtain just so I won't freak out so bad

[PanicCured]

There were a few times I had my girlfriend stand by and I was amazed at the difference it made.

Do you see what a complete joke and a bluff this whole anxiety thing is? Ponder what you wrote here. There is a lot in it.

[MLeFay]

Do you see what a complete joke and a bluff this whole anxiety thing is? Ponder what you wrote here. There is a lot in it.

what is wrong with all of us?

lol

[Saldav]

what is wrong with all of us?

lol

We are preparing for war or something. WTF!

[justconfused]

It appears this shower thing happens to many of us. I'm a bit surprised at how similar all of our experiences are/were. I guess it is a time when you feel very vulnerable.

[dazza]

It appears this shower thing happens to many of us. I'm a bit surprised at how similar all of our experiences are/were. I guess it is a time when you feel very vulnerable.

Not 'arf!

I thought I was dying. Genuinely about to pop my clogs of a heart attack at any moment.

The shower situation was one of:

If i did pass out i'd be found naked in the shower - i hated this idea, lol.

and...

If i did feel faint i may not get to the phone in time.

[jhunter89]

So you're not afraid of being stabbed to death by a nut job who impersonates his mother then? lol!

[justconfused]

Not 'arf!

I thought I was dying. Genuinely about to pop my clogs of a heart attack at any moment.

The shower situation was one of:

If i did pass out i'd be found naked in the shower - i hated this idea, lol.

and...

If i did feel faint i may not get to the phone in time.

Yes being found in the shower is always on my mind as well, lol. It's like a constant if something happens someone will have to come in here.

[mw0929]

So you're not afraid of being stabbed to death by a nut job who impersonates his mother then? lol!

Well now.... hahaha

[captainkitty]

I seriously thought I was the only one like this. Good to know i'm not!
I usually have to take a quick shower to avoid the panic/anxiety. I don't know what it is but usually leaving the shower door open helps (not all the time of course)
I've just kinda learned to deal with it. I do believe the over stimulation though is what sets it off. Who knows..

[trinidiva]

Huh....the shower is the one place I actually do not experience anxiety.....I do shower with the door cracked open a bit, and of course, there are typically lots of distractions from my kids....so no element of surprise of the shower curtain being ripped open....its gonna happen in my case....lol.