Question on Just Getting Out There
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peaceandjoy7
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Wed Nov 26, 2008 8:55 pm
I used to have lot's of panic attacks, I could actuallly have one by just thinking about them. Now I don't get them, but I have heightened anxiety or panic in certain situations that might be close to a panic attack, but not quite. For example if I go to the Doctor's office my heart rate goes up, I sweat, and my blood pressure goes up into abnormal levels even though I check it regularly and it is normal. I also fear going into the temple on a holiday when many people are there and having trouble escaping if I have a panic attack. So I don't go. I dread the panic at the temple because my blood pressure goes up, heart rate up, and I feel like I have to run and get to my safe place. It makes it even harder because when people go to pray you aren't supposed to walk in front of them it is rude, so I feel trapped. I have tried praying before forcing myself to stay there feeling my heart palpitate and goes so fast I was scared. Session 8 says to just get out there and start working on my limitations, but I am scared. Should I start slowly, and get myself there, but in a place where I can leave if need be? And then work myself more in more into the crowd each week, any suggestions?
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Guest
Hi Lynn,
Yes, it's all about baby steps. The whole idea is to set yourself up for SUCCESS, so you can pat yourself on the back afterwards for getting out there and facing your fear. Just the fact that you GO is a huge accomplishment in itself, so don't beat yourself up if you have to leave. Rather, commend yourself for getting out there and challenging yourself. Just go, and give yourself an "easy out", should things get to be too much to handle. The other trick is to just ALLOW yourself to get panicky. It won't hurt you!! The last thing you want to do is fight the fear - that only fuels it. For now, you must allow it. Talk to it - tell it to give you its worst. I know it's hard to believe. This is where you just need to have faith. Good luck! You can do this!
John
Yes, it's all about baby steps. The whole idea is to set yourself up for SUCCESS, so you can pat yourself on the back afterwards for getting out there and facing your fear. Just the fact that you GO is a huge accomplishment in itself, so don't beat yourself up if you have to leave. Rather, commend yourself for getting out there and challenging yourself. Just go, and give yourself an "easy out", should things get to be too much to handle. The other trick is to just ALLOW yourself to get panicky. It won't hurt you!! The last thing you want to do is fight the fear - that only fuels it. For now, you must allow it. Talk to it - tell it to give you its worst. I know it's hard to believe. This is where you just need to have faith. Good luck! You can do this!
John
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Guest
It's funny, because when I started this program initially, I always assumed that my anxiety would just magically go away after listening to these tapes and doing the workbooks. Now, I understand that we must take a proactive approach. We have the coping skills and ways of managing our anxiety, but we must get out there and apply it. We must use systematic desensitization or in other words we must face our fears slowly, but surely and eventually what initially was making us anxious will be extinct. I understand now that the bodily systems I may feel will not go magically away, but will lessen the more and more I expose myself to my fears.
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Guest
yes Crave is right, baby steps. I didn't really understand what that ment and would get really overwhelmed about it but I actually looked up what desensitization ment and found this really good website.
Just like the program they suggest to impliment the relaxation response into this process. You take the diffrent things involved with the situation...ie getting ready to go to the temple, driving to the temple, praying at the temple..etc and you rate the level of anxiety you would have from 1-100 for each of them.
You then take the first one (the one that causes the least anxiety) and you read it, you put yourself into the relaxation state and then you imagine yourself in the situation for 30seconds. Next you rate the level of anxiety and then you relax yourself again. You picture yourself in the situation and again rate and relax yourself. Do this anywhere from twice a day to maybe less like twice a week. You slowly desensitize yourself in the saftey of your own mind FIRST and then go about facing the actual situation.
Anyways if your interested the website is...http://www.guidetopsychology.com/sysden.htm
Mike
Just like the program they suggest to impliment the relaxation response into this process. You take the diffrent things involved with the situation...ie getting ready to go to the temple, driving to the temple, praying at the temple..etc and you rate the level of anxiety you would have from 1-100 for each of them.
You then take the first one (the one that causes the least anxiety) and you read it, you put yourself into the relaxation state and then you imagine yourself in the situation for 30seconds. Next you rate the level of anxiety and then you relax yourself again. You picture yourself in the situation and again rate and relax yourself. Do this anywhere from twice a day to maybe less like twice a week. You slowly desensitize yourself in the saftey of your own mind FIRST and then go about facing the actual situation.
Anyways if your interested the website is...http://www.guidetopsychology.com/sysden.htm
Mike