a reply to:
athousandlives
As my user name suggests this has been an issue for me for a very long time. I've panicked to the point of collapsing in public places and had to be
taken to hospital by ambulance, that's how severe it can get for me.
I tend to avoid, avoid, avoid, as a way of maintaining my sanity, but there is other help out there. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, has helped
a lot. Medications like Lorazepam have certainly been helpful when I start to panic in public. And of course, having a few drinks of alcohol before I
enter certain situations has often been a solution, but not often the best choice.
I've made some important changes in my life that allow me to function. First off, I moved to a location that has everything I need within a few
blocks.
Large grocery store on my street, two blocks to get to where I work, several 24 hour stores and restaurants within my two block safe zone, as well as
a public library, art gallery, barber shop, and more than one pharmacy. There is also a hospital about four blocks away, my doctor's office is near
the hospital, and my dentist is about three blocks in the other direction.
Of course not everyone can up and move like I did, and it's very expensive living in the heart of a large city. For me though, it became a necessity
to make changes or become a recluse, and I didn't want to be that guy that nobody has seen for years because I won't ever leave my home.
That's my story, but this is about you, and I urge you to visit your GP to talk about this. They can refer you to people that specialize in anxiety
and phobias, suggest medications that are fast acting when you hit a crisis, or recommend other medications that are longer term to help you cope.
Once you take the first steps, I won't kid you, it's journey that can last a long time. There will be visits to psychiatric specialists that will help
assess your needs, and they are the ones that will get you into groups like CBT, fine tune medication use, and work with you as an individual so you
get a better grasp on your condition, and how best to understand and control it.
We are all different, and the path you take won't be the same as mine, but I know there is help out there. Some find comfort in religion, some seek
the advice of strangers on a board like this, others hide, and some just power through it in such an amazing way that you would never know it's a
problem for them. Unfortunately, some also fail and let the disease control them, please don't be that person. If you have any questions, or I can
offer you any further information, take advantage of having someone like me with similar issues to reach out and ask.
Good luck with this, it's not easy, but remember a couple things. There is help, and on-line shopping is the the greatest achievement mankind has ever
invented for people with anxiety disorders.
edit on 29/2/2016 by anxietydisorder because: Really? I have to reveal that I made a syntax error to a bunch of strangers.