Stress Center Peer Support

hello I have suffered with an anxiety disorder for 6 years and my biggest limitation and avoidance is sitting in churh on a sunday morning, therefore I have avoided church services,weddings,funerals basically I avoid situations where I'm in a crowded room and it's very quiet like a sunday morning church service. I remember the very first panic attack I had it was sunday morning in church and I thought to myself what if I have difficulty swallowing and I get choked up and embarass myself what will people think of me and since that moment I have been terrified of a church setting. I haven't lost my faith and I really want to be a productive and active member of church, but I can't in this condition is there anyone out there who can help me overcome this problem?

Hi JBess,

I just wanted you to know you are not alone in this struggle. I, too, have avoided church for about the last year due to anxiety attacks. I am believing and praying for the day that I can attend again. Sometimes we have to just "do it afraid" to overcome it.

What I know is God loves us whether we are in attendance at a church building or not. I also have the desire to be active and serving again as I did before. I used to beat myself up over not going and that only made me more anxious about it.

I have a physical situation that is keeping me out of church right now, but I still plan on trying to go when I am able. I miss it as I am sure you do too.

I really don't have any advice except to follow the program and pray. Don't give up hope. God sees your desire to be able to attend and participate in things and He will help you come to that point. Blessings.

Hi ,
I think that coming to the realization, that it is not the place or what one is doing is actually what is causing someone to have panic attacks helps tremendously!!!

Withdrawing yourself from the place is not the answer!!! The answer is not associating any certain place with a panic attack, no matter, how many panic attacks one has had in there, or if it was the first place one had the major panic attack!!!

I know when I began driving again; I had to look at my driving in a new light!!! I would just say, "I am leaving all of the panic stuff back home"...I would say, "I am free from panic and driving gives me much freedom to leave the stressors back home"

I used to think of "home" as my only safe place, although I had experienced many panic attacks in my own home!!!

I finally came to the realization that I was going to go with me, every where that I went in this life...I was never going to be able to run from my own self and win...

That really woke me up!!! There was no where to run, so I faced the fear head on, and said to it..."Give me your best shot, fire away"...That is a song and it sure did help me tremendously!!!

No place can give us panic attacks!!! We give our own self panic attacks, because we associate the places, where we had the panic attacks with "PANIC ATTACKS"...

I used to hate to attend church because of the panic attacks!!! I really did!!!

Then, I would feel guilty if I did not go to church!!! Now, that is major "circular thinking"

Kinda like going around a mountain over and over again and never getting anywhere!!!

All one needs to do is jump right out of that "circular" way of thinking, and realize that no place on this earth can give us a panic attack, unless we are in true danger!!!

We are the ones who scare our own selves!!! We are the ones who are believing these type of thoughts!!!

We do have a choice on what type of thoughts to entertain daily!!! We really do!!!

Imagine yourself going to church days before you actually attend the church!!!

Imagine yourself enjoying the service!!! Watch as your eyes light up as the choir sings and the minister preaches the sermon!!!

Imagine yourself being soooooo very safe in there!!! Imagine yourself free from all forms of fear!!!

Imagine yourself laughing out loud and talking with others!!!

Just use your vivid imagination for you, instead of against you!!!

We all have "vivid" imaginations, and that is why we had the first panic attack to start with!!!

I pray this helped you all!!! May God richly bless you on your journey to recovery!!!

Thank you for those encouraging words. I will use the advice you gave to help me next time. I know what you've said is true. God bless.

it has helped me tremendously ihavefelt the same exact way about not attending church i felt i would be punished if did not go and lierally pushed my self to get there i felt so much better after

Thanks for the help and support I use to think I was the only one with this problem, but with your advice and a little help from above I know I can beat this, thanks

I have to say that in the last few years I've become a Born Again Christian and to me it's the TYPE of church that's helping me to RID my anxiety about being amongst people.
For my "former church" which I grew up in , and I won't mention a "denominational" name, it was a small church with lots of social expectation and interaction....
I find, while I'm trying to have no disrespect to the smaller churces, that in a larger church, you don't have as many things/social interactions "expected" of you and it's easier (at least for ME) to attend in the bigger church!

You have described me. I say I am going to go them I come up with the great idea Oh! I'll go next Sunday or Wed night when it is a smaller group. Having a panic attack in a large group or where it feels like everyone can see you feels unbearable to me. Just driving to church starts the panic them it gets worse in the parking lot. Have to take a deep breath & I guess pretend all is well. I have not been in a long time. Its getting harder as time passes. Your in my prayers.

Thank each of you for your comments

As a side note I believe I'm finally getting confident enough to go to a Men's Bible Study that starts in Novemeber!