Stress Center Peer Support

I have been experiencing anxiety attacks whenever I am in a large building like Church or a store. Does anyone have any ideas on how to handle this?
Thank you!

For me, personally, when I'm at a store I try and find an area where it's not so open (like an aisle without alot of people in it) and I just take a minute and take deep breaths and keep telling myself that it's ok and that I can beat this. It takes some practice, but you can do it. Also, it may help if when you go to these places, you stay for a short time and get used to being in large spaces. Good luck.

David -

I know this is hard, but can you describe specifically what it is you are thinking when you become anxious in a large space? Is it that you feel unprotected or "out in the open"? I'm also curious if you have the same sensation outside in large open areas or if it's just inside. If you can identify what your irrational fear is then maybe we can find a way that has worked for someone else that can work for you too.

Jamie

Usually I start feeling light headed and might faint. Then the fight or flight kicks in, my pupils dilate , etc. It is the same for large open spaces.

Also the large FLAT space does not seem flat to me. I know that sounds stupid but for some reason I start thinking and feeling like I am standing in the middle of a teeter-totter (spelling?) and trying to keep both ends balanced and level.

In your first response you described your symptoms but not the actual fear that you are having. What is it you think might happen? Is it just the fear of having a panic attack or is it something else?

Do you feel like you're going to fall? I ask this because I've had similar sensations to what you're describing, although there are other fears that I have that go along with them. It happens to me in large open areas, especially flat areas like you describe.

In my situation I tend to get a sense of vertigo and that I seem to lose my sense of which way is up. It makes me feel very dizzy and as though I may lift off the ground or "fall" up. I know this is impossible, but the fear is real. Is this similar to what you are feeling?

In either case, you know that you are safe. Nothing bad can happen to you regardless of how you are frightened you may feel. Think how many times you've felt like this or suffered from other anxiety symptoms and realize that every time you made it through without dying, without passing out, and without anything else you might fear happening.

My best advice to you is to keep exposing yourself to these types of situations, in small doses, so you gradually can become accustom to the feelings. The more often you experience your fears and get through them, the less they will affect you and eventually you won't fear them anymore. The trick is to move slowly and to keep repeating the exposure as often as you can. It takes time and a lot of effort but it works.

Jamie

I get those same feelings too. I'm actually relieved to be reading this! Deep down I know I am not alone in feeling sorta floaty in grocery stores and similar places but sometimes it feels that way.

I have a huge fear of fainting in public especially if I'm shopping or out alone. And I get that feeling of "tipping over". I get that in any noisy place. Sometimes the noise just makes me feel like I'm losing my mind. It's getting hard to go anywhere at all.

I think your advice to expose yourself slowly is great Jamie! I want to work on that. It's getting to the point where I am even having trouble driving my car, so I want to work on that too.

Do you guys feel funny too if you are in a "large place" and you have to talk to people or does the talking help you? I find it really hard to even focus enough to hold coversations.

I forgot how helpful and comforting this site can be. Thanks for listening.

Layney

I get the same dizzy floaty feeling any where public even going to my front door knowing Im going to be in public. I find reading the cards while in my car beforeentering public place helps. Standing in line reading these cards help. Self talk helps tremendously. I tell myself Im confident capable and intelligent. Im experiencing anxiety but Ive come along way. I give myself lots of praise. I didnt have any of this growing up. Feels like Im growing as an adult all over again at 43. Lol

Layney -

I'm glad you found both my experiences and my advice helpful. That's what this site is all about! As for exposure, the proper term is desensitization. It's pretty simple really. You take a goal, or in this case a fear, and break into small pieces that you can attack one at a time.

As you become familiar and comfortable with one step, you move on to the next until you can tackle the big one. However, you have to keep working at it, even when things do go as planned. It's tedious and slow but it works great. I've also noticed that defeating one fear often helps with others as well so the effects seem to be cumulative.

Regarding your question about talking with people in large places, my answer is it depends. If I'm anxious but not panicky, then talking usually helps me by distracting me from my fearful thoughts and bringing me back into the present moment.

If I'm already panicking or near panic then usually very little helps, including talking and I just have to wait until the worst of it passes. Usually, I only stay at the panic or near panic level for only a few minutes. I can stay anxious for hours, but not panicky for hours. So most of the time talking is helpful for me.

Take care,
Jamie

HelpX20 -

It sounds like you are developing a good set of tools to work with when you get anxious. Keep working on them and reinforcing them and in time you'll have the confidence to face your fears, which ultimately eliminates the anxiety since there is no worry to fuel it.