Anxiety Experiences

[KianDonoghue]

Hello everyone,

I am doing a course at College in Mental Health and I am trying to collect some information from people about their experiences anxiety and how they differ.

Would any body be happy to answer the questions below?

1. Describe a situation where you have felt anxious

2. Describe what it felt like when you experience anxiety

Any help would be gratefully appreciated.

[Dizmo]

1. My anxiety plays at its worse on buses when they are busy or look like they are going to get busy.

2. I feel the need to get off although I don't which makes my anxiety even worse to a point where I unknowingly show physical displays of dislike to anyone that looks like they're going to sit next to me. If someone sits next to me where I'm trapped I will wait until they move before getting off - this applies even if it's 20 stops after the one I needed to get off at. My heart doesn't race but it feels like it is doing (I've tested this with a O2 Oximeter which I carry everywhere I go).

[nailit]

whats a O2 Oximeter Dizmo?
Never heard of one.
I have similar experiences when using public transport but will actually get off when I need to.

[Dizmo]

nailit: It tests the Oxygen intake (the little thing on a wire they use in hospital which goes on your finger) and mine also checks Pulse.

[Dizmo]

SpOz%

[Dizmo]

...and obvious PRbmp

[Dizmo]

arrrff *PRbpm

[anneasquith]

PRbpm ?

[Dizmo]

Pulse Rate - Beats Per Minute

[Dizmo]

nailit: I envy you. I wish I could get off the bus when I want. Although I hated riding into town today I must admit I didn't have to put up with people on the bus. However (there always is a however) I had to keep slowing down when approaching people on the pavement and dismounting (a 2 mile stretch of road where even the professional cyclist use the pavement) because I was scared of them shouting "get on the road". Swings and roundabouts....

[nailit]

Thanks for that Dizmo. Anxiety issues can be a right pain at times.

[Dizmo]

nailit: The way I see it is that if your anxiety is really bad, like mine, you actually feel normal when it 'lessens' slightly. I can be put in situations where 99% of people would be extremely anxious whereas because I'm so used to being in a mess I can cope fine with it.

I know that paragraph didn't make a great deal of sense but I know what I meant.

[jim360]

I think I just about followed it -- it's the same with any situation where you're more experienced than most... although I can't say I envy you much. I've never had anything as anxious as that.

[boxtops]

I can remember - once I had finished a long long course of counselling and hypotherapy, and felt myself as well as I could be (however you define "normal"), someone said to me wouldn't I like to join an agoraphobics' support group, so I could show people myself that it can get better, given the right support. I had to decline, it was far too close to home - as others have said, thinking too much about any anxiety states can trigger it off, all over again.

[Dizmo]

Jim: Yeah that's what I meant to write :) you worded it a lot better than I did. Cheers :)

[Dizmo]

Boxtops: Moo :) how are we today?

The first thing I did when getting through all the 'stink' after what happened last year was to go to groups and help other people. It worked for a month or so then I just got fed up of listening to the same stuff over and over each day. It got to a point where people were getting too familiar and that I couldn't help them anymore. We all knew each other so much that we wouldn't even bother talking about our past and current issues. Rather sad really but it was starting to send me backwards.

[boxtops]

Moo to you, too, diz :-)

Not bad at all, thank you!

[jim360]

Glad to help.

[whirlyhurly]

To all others posting who are living with anxiety/socialphobia,especially Nailit and Boxtops, so to am I, and realise there are many more who suffer in silence.