Phobia to overcome this weekend
Hey everyone, just looking for a little encouragement. I have developed a few phobias over the years due to my anxiety/ panic attacks. One of the biggest is riding in elevators and heights. I have to attend an awards banquet for my son this weekend and the banquet room is on the 9th floor of the building. I practiced Tuesday at our local hospital and was able to go up to the top floor (which is 8 stories) and was able to control my anxiety fairly well. This is the first time I have been above the 3rd floor in an elevator in 20 years, so obviously I am excited and happy for myself, however, as you know those negative thoughts and self doubts have begun to creep back in. I just wanted to vent a little, share my anxiety with someone and get some positive encouragement. Thanks!
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Update. Well I made it, it didn't go perfect but the important thing was I was able to do it.
The last couple of weeks have been agony with anticipatory anxiety and a lot of what if thinking. I have really been concentrating on turning a negative thought into a positive thought, I had so many negative thoughts that it made it easier to realize them. So the day of the banquet I kept using positive self talk to keep the anxiety level down and amazinly it worked. It didn't get rid of it completely, but I was not a nervous wreck.
I went to the banquet building an hour early by myself so I could check out the building, see where the elevators were, and find the staricase. I walked up to the door and there was a greater who opened the door and a bell hop standing at the elevator with the door open ready to take me to the 9th floor. Immediate Panic "Oh my God I can't get on that elevator yet, I need to know where the stairs are in case I need to escape" so I make an excuse about waiting for the rest of my party. While waiting I try to find the stairway but it is nowehere in site, so I mill around and use self talk and the 6 steps to stop a panic attack. Finally, I just up and ask the elevator attendent where the stairs are? I tell her I have a phobia and need to know where the stairs are in case of emergency. She is very nice and explains that the stairway is behind the elevators from the 2nd floor all the way to the 9th floor and their are other attendents available at the banquet to help me if needed. I thank her and step into the elevator, however, I am a halfway panicked skeptic so I only go the the 4th floor, get out and walk around behind the elevators and find the staircase, it is there just like she topld me. I get back into the elevator and go to the 7th floor, get out and check the staircase, sure enough still there. So I continue in the elevator up to the 9th floor. I made it but now I feel dizzy because I am so high up and can't help bu look outside because the whole floor is surrounded by floor to ceiling windows. I am at #5 on the panic scale headed toward a 10 or better, however, I concentrate on my breathing and start using soothing inner dialouge and with a few moments I am calm and can walk aroung the ballroom and even look out the edge of the window.
I went back to the motel got the rest of the family and went back to the banquet and had a wonderful time spending 4 hours on the 9th floor of this building and watching my son recieve his award. I wich I could tell you that it was all perfect and that I didn't have any anxiety, but that is not what happened. It wasn't perfect and yes I had anxiety, but I used the skills of this program to manage that anxiety and had a wonderful time. I think the most important aspect of this is because I was forced to face such an anxious situation, and was aware of it for several weeks, I was really able to finally understand the concept of negative/positive thoughts. I have always had a hard time grasping negative thoughts, it really seemed to be clear once I put myself inot that sressful situation. I would recomend to everyone to step out of their comfort zone and start facing some of your fears, because that is the only way you will really be able to practice the skills that this program teaches.
YEA FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The last couple of weeks have been agony with anticipatory anxiety and a lot of what if thinking. I have really been concentrating on turning a negative thought into a positive thought, I had so many negative thoughts that it made it easier to realize them. So the day of the banquet I kept using positive self talk to keep the anxiety level down and amazinly it worked. It didn't get rid of it completely, but I was not a nervous wreck.
I went to the banquet building an hour early by myself so I could check out the building, see where the elevators were, and find the staricase. I walked up to the door and there was a greater who opened the door and a bell hop standing at the elevator with the door open ready to take me to the 9th floor. Immediate Panic "Oh my God I can't get on that elevator yet, I need to know where the stairs are in case I need to escape" so I make an excuse about waiting for the rest of my party. While waiting I try to find the stairway but it is nowehere in site, so I mill around and use self talk and the 6 steps to stop a panic attack. Finally, I just up and ask the elevator attendent where the stairs are? I tell her I have a phobia and need to know where the stairs are in case of emergency. She is very nice and explains that the stairway is behind the elevators from the 2nd floor all the way to the 9th floor and their are other attendents available at the banquet to help me if needed. I thank her and step into the elevator, however, I am a halfway panicked skeptic so I only go the the 4th floor, get out and walk around behind the elevators and find the staircase, it is there just like she topld me. I get back into the elevator and go to the 7th floor, get out and check the staircase, sure enough still there. So I continue in the elevator up to the 9th floor. I made it but now I feel dizzy because I am so high up and can't help bu look outside because the whole floor is surrounded by floor to ceiling windows. I am at #5 on the panic scale headed toward a 10 or better, however, I concentrate on my breathing and start using soothing inner dialouge and with a few moments I am calm and can walk aroung the ballroom and even look out the edge of the window.
I went back to the motel got the rest of the family and went back to the banquet and had a wonderful time spending 4 hours on the 9th floor of this building and watching my son recieve his award. I wich I could tell you that it was all perfect and that I didn't have any anxiety, but that is not what happened. It wasn't perfect and yes I had anxiety, but I used the skills of this program to manage that anxiety and had a wonderful time. I think the most important aspect of this is because I was forced to face such an anxious situation, and was aware of it for several weeks, I was really able to finally understand the concept of negative/positive thoughts. I have always had a hard time grasping negative thoughts, it really seemed to be clear once I put myself inot that sressful situation. I would recomend to everyone to step out of their comfort zone and start facing some of your fears, because that is the only way you will really be able to practice the skills that this program teaches.
YEA FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations let me say again Congratulations. What a wonderful accomplishment. Your story is so inspiring. You have taken the skills you are learning and are putting them into practice.
There is no such thing as perfection. We need to get out of that mindset. Doing the best we can in any situation is all we can hope for.
Keep up the great work. Take care and God Bless.
There is no such thing as perfection. We need to get out of that mindset. Doing the best we can in any situation is all we can hope for.
Keep up the great work. Take care and God Bless.
[COLOR:PINK]|||Progress... Not Perfection|||[/COLOR]
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