You Know You Have Panic Disorder When...

farmchick · Post by **farmchick** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:28 am

Actually, any bird I hear now I'm thinking it's welcoming me to it's perfect retreat.

Thanks for this thread--hilarious and oh, so true!!!

lovewolves · Post by **lovewolves** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 12:53 pm

You know you have panic disorder when you eat something new and then start feeling like you're having an allergic reaction...so you keep jumping up to look in the mirror for signs that you are swelling up like a blowfish..you keep sticking your tongue out to see if it's really three times it's normal size or if it just feels that way. Then you haul your spouse/friend/parent/sibling into the fray by repeatedly asking "Do I look swollen to you?" and you keep touching your face so that you really do have a red mark here and there and now that looks like a rash doesn't it?????

InfernoKiwi · Post by **InfernoKiwi** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 2:54 pm

Quote from farmchick: Actually, any bird I hear now I'm thinking it's welcoming me to it's perfect retreat.

I lol'd. I'm probably going to notice that tomorrow when I hear the birds, and I'm going to laugh. Thanks! XD (not sarcasm)

thinker · Post by **thinker** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 2:55 pm

Sure, I was stung by a bee this summer and I sat there worried about how I would handle going to the emergency room WHEN II had my allergic reaction...Heres the kicker, I am not allergic to bee stings-never have been! You have to be able to laugh at the stuff..It is all part of the wonderful imagination we are blessed with.. I usually listen to the relaxation tape either when I am freaking out, or wide awake-so there is no slipping "freggrent" by me.. I was born and raised in the Stress and now live in the west, and I get comments on the way I say "mom' and "pop' instead of soda and all kinds of things..So the toooooes sounds familiar, but "fregrent?" I am not sure what kind of accent that is..I am just happy to have a laugh during my relaxation..maybe Lucinda did it on purpose to lighten things up!

horsey*cowgirl · Post by **horsey*cowgirl** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 6:23 am

hahaha.... oh my gosh! thats wicked funny!!

LynnLuv · Post by **LynnLuv** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:12 am

I am so happy to find a threadline about the humor that actually DOES exist having agoraphobia, anxiety/panic disorder. Cause there really are some beauties, and it's good to be able to laugh about just how ridiculous our mindsets are, especially in the clear light of day, when we stop trying to hide what is truly going on with us, especially the faulty thinking.

Did any of you ever see the movie, "What About Bob?" with Bill Murray in it, both before, and then after you had been well into recovery? Well, I remember, and when I was really agoraphobic, and having real trouble functioning period, and with my mobility, (i.e. really scared of elevators, stairs, and well, just about anything;) I rememeber very well not seeing the humor in it at all, and not being able to finish watching it, and getting really upset about how other people were reacting to it; which of course they were laughing hysterically at it.

Then of course, later, after I was well on the way to recovery, I watched it again, and just busted a gut laughing. I loved the whole way they portrayed the doctor/patient relationship, especially when he found out that the doctor was going on an extended vacation starting right away, after all the hell he went through to get there to meet him for the first time! That actually did happen to me!And I still use the words "babysteps" in my mind to help me slow down when I need to. In fact, I think those of us that have had these disorders can appreciate "What About Bob" on a whole other different level, than the rest of the population can. And it means more to us, I think. I would really enjoy hearing from my other peers about this, and what they experienced. Thanks for the laughs!

Lynn Luv

LynnLuv · Post by **LynnLuv** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 5:54 am

And this one happened yesterday. I had a doctor's appointment with a specialist whom I don't really have much respect for, but since I was referred by my family doctor, I went. I certainly wasn't looking forward to it, though. And of course, the avoidance mindset started off great guns. But this time, I was actually able to observe it, ( and I did write the negative thoughts down in my journal, also ) and then I really had a big laugh. I was thinking stuff like,k" What if I have a full-fledged panic attack in front of him, or while I am in the waiting room?" "What if I have a heart attack before I go, or on the way there, or at his office!" And then it hit me just how warped that thinking really is! Because if you truly were believing you were having an actual heart attack, you would want to get to a doctor's office, or already be there when you actually had one!It would pretty much only be people who have panic/anxiety disorder who would want to avoid going there, and mostly because why? I am too concerned about what other's might think if I had a panic attack in front of them? It's bad enough having them in front of those people who know you, but in front of complete strangers? And I was able to see it for what it really was, and chuckle about it.

Lynn Luv

Chilloutcathy · Post by **Chilloutcathy** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 1:08 am

I don't know if any of you relate to this one, You know you have panic disorder when you have to sit in the emergency room parking lot to take new meds, Just in case.
Cathy

thinker · Post by **thinker** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 11:30 am

I love it! I dont have an emergency room close enough-but the hospital and driving there would make me more nervous than the pill taking, probably! I think I saw "what about Bob" a million years ago- but my therapist says to me, "you have my emergency number if you need me" at the end of our sessions and i reply "Oh come on, I am not going to be a "what about Bob" I think the more we laugh at our ridiculous thoughts, the faster they go away..For months I was convinced that everything I put in my mouth was poisoned..Lately I have been really looking at the thought and going "why would someone waste thier time poisoning my stuff?" and my husband very eloquently put it this way "what makes you so special?, why would anybody want to poison you?" After i got done being mad, I had to laugh.. Really, no one cares about us- they have grocery shopping to do, driving to pay attention to etc.. What do we do when we see someone acting weird? We look at them and go "hmm thats weird" and move on with our day!!

there-is-light · Post by **there-is-light** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 2:56 pm

You know you have panic disorder when you have 9 out of the 10 possible reactions to the med. you have to take.

Or when you are convinced that even though you have ate shrimp your whole life and never had a problem, you now would halucinate if you ate just one. Including mushrooms.