Anxiety is all about how we perceive situations?

[pearpickinporky]

Here is my theory, I was talking to a friend yesterday, He works in a grocery store, we where talking about drinking, He said the following "I can remember one day when when I had a hangover and went into work, I was staking the shelves and it was like the isles where closing in, and almost like the tins where going to jump of the sleves at me, it was totally mad" He saw this as cool, if that was me i'd be in total terror and a panic attack would be guaranteed.

Another one being, a work mate was telling me a bout a spliff he had recently, he said is was mad, he was so out of it it was like being in a dream, he loved it. I had a similar experience on cannabis a few years back and it was that experience that triggered my panic attacks and anxiety, I didn't see anything fun about that situation yet he saw it as fun.

I think we experince all the same feelings in certain situation yet some of us perceive it as fear yet others see it as fun.

[Guest]

Very good point to bring up and in essence this is what we are learning here in the program. If we see a panic attack as just an annoyance that goes away we won't be so inclined to fear it and have it escalate. If we perceive it as life threatening and devastating it can take over our life. Changing our thoughts and perceptions are what we are learning here in the program. How we view things in relation to what our thoughts are makes a huge difference in how we feel.

[Carolyn Dickman]

Just thinking as I was reading your posts about how we stop reacting to or change our reactions from anger to I just don't or won't let it or them get the best of me. I have a person that each day is just so rude and does nasty things to me because she is angry at me for quitting my job as her backup worker. She delivers our mail. I quit because she had such a nasty way about her and was bringing me down every time I was with her. She is the kind of person who can be so sweet when she wants something from you and then say horrible, uncalled for things that I couldn't nor wouldn't ever say to someone. I have lived my 54 years treating people the way I want to be treated. I can't change her but want to change how her behavior affects me. My husband is also a victim of her as he worked with me. He witnessed much of the rotten things she did and in fact wanted me to quit my job to get away from her toxic energy that was not healthy to be around. She thinks she is better than most people and has no problem saying it. If you cross her...watch out. More or less how she thinks and talks about her customers on her mail route. Any suggestions or thoughts on this?

[Guest]

Funny how such a simple concept can be so difficult to grasp. At least for me. But in reality it truly is the way we perceive things that causes us so much suffering.