Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 11:49 am
Hey all,
It's been a while since I visited this site. I just finished the program and will start again in a couple of weeks. It took me longer than 15 weeks as I moved somewhere around week 10 and took a bit of time off to get settled. For the most part I feel a lot better. I have not had a panic attack since I began the program. However, I have felt very nervous or panicky and I have yet to prove to myself that this will not lead to an attack. I do understand these feelings a whole lot more with the help of the program.
I have faced a lot of fears and come out successfully. I thought I was ready for my biggest anxiety producing situation and that is long distance freeway driving, but I guess I am not there yet. I have driven on the freeway, but only in and around my own city. I have even driven the to the same location , about 12 mi. away, I drove today, with very little anxiety, but today was different.
1) Traffic. and lots of it. I didn't think I would hit it as it was the middle of the day but it was pretty heavy. 2) I didn't tell anybody where I was going or what I was doing (practicing) and that led to some "What If" thoughts.
I didn't have an attack but the haze or spacey feeling, very nervous, dry mouth. It never got any worse than that but that was bad enough.
I wanted to drive further to prove to myself that I could and eventually drive much further (over 100 mi) to visit some friends again.
It was a bit too much and so I got off and turned around. The feelings didn't really leave until I got close to my own town.
I've been doing very good and I am proud of what I have accomplished. I guess I was just hoping these feelings wouldn't be there when I was on the freeway.
Audio Books, talk radio doesn't cut it. Nor does music. I was trying to talk to someone when I started feeling anxious, but none of my close friends were available.
AHHHHHHHH!!!! I thought those feelings were gone.
Any thoughts or comments are welcome.
Tony
It's been a while since I visited this site. I just finished the program and will start again in a couple of weeks. It took me longer than 15 weeks as I moved somewhere around week 10 and took a bit of time off to get settled. For the most part I feel a lot better. I have not had a panic attack since I began the program. However, I have felt very nervous or panicky and I have yet to prove to myself that this will not lead to an attack. I do understand these feelings a whole lot more with the help of the program.
I have faced a lot of fears and come out successfully. I thought I was ready for my biggest anxiety producing situation and that is long distance freeway driving, but I guess I am not there yet. I have driven on the freeway, but only in and around my own city. I have even driven the to the same location , about 12 mi. away, I drove today, with very little anxiety, but today was different.
1) Traffic. and lots of it. I didn't think I would hit it as it was the middle of the day but it was pretty heavy. 2) I didn't tell anybody where I was going or what I was doing (practicing) and that led to some "What If" thoughts.
I didn't have an attack but the haze or spacey feeling, very nervous, dry mouth. It never got any worse than that but that was bad enough.
I wanted to drive further to prove to myself that I could and eventually drive much further (over 100 mi) to visit some friends again.
It was a bit too much and so I got off and turned around. The feelings didn't really leave until I got close to my own town.
I've been doing very good and I am proud of what I have accomplished. I guess I was just hoping these feelings wouldn't be there when I was on the freeway.
Audio Books, talk radio doesn't cut it. Nor does music. I was trying to talk to someone when I started feeling anxious, but none of my close friends were available.
AHHHHHHHH!!!! I thought those feelings were gone.
Any thoughts or comments are welcome.
Tony