Please Help: Input Needed for an Upcoming Article
Thursday October 23, 2008
Holidays can be fun, but they are often stressful. If you have panic disorder, you may find yourself having to deal with many challenges during the fall to winter holiday season. I want to put together an article that focuses on managing holiday stress. I invite readers to share their experiences and/or tips to manage holiday pressures and anxiety. Some examples of what you may want to share are:
- What do you find stressful about the holidays (i.e., family gatherings, parties, shopping, etc.)?
- Do you feel lonely or depressed during the holidays?
- Do you feel a sense of dread about upcoming holidays?
- How do you manage anxiety and holiday pressures?
You can contact me directly at panicdisorder.guide@about.com or respond in the comments section below. You can also post a response in our panic disorder forum.
I am looking forward to reading your responses and will let you know when the article is complete.
Growing up, I had no idea what agoraophobia was. Fear gripped me everytime I was around people or in unfamiliar locations. My remedy for fear was praying. I had to call on all spirits who could hear me and come to my rescue. It worked because I had great faith in the Bible. Little did I know that the fear would follow me throughout my adult life. I could manage to cope with life as long as I could control my exposure to differenbt circumstances. I finished college, medical school and now law school. It’s as though I had to prove myself, normal, to myself. I found out that a child who was never allowed to socialize with other children caused me to become mental. Not mentally ill, but lacking coping skills with everyday life. I raised a family and seemed ok. Now, in hindsight, I know there are natural and prescription remedies for the anxiety attacks that tormented me for 58 years. This webpage is great. Keep up the good work and maybe others will speak out about this terrible problem. I survived with just sheer will. Others may not be so blessed. Harrison
I have suffered from panic disorder, OCPD and depression for many years. I hate shopping, being around loads of people and enclosed spaces. Although i love holidays, they can be overwhelming and my mum finds holidays particulary hard to deal with. This information is posted as a result of my own experiences and those of my mum. My sister (psyche nurse) and i have developed strategies to help mum and I cope which may benefit other readers.
– When visiting friends or relatives, allocate a specific amount of time and stick to it. My sister and i do this on Mum’s behalf because she often gets excited and thinks that she can spend more time with us than she is actually able to do. This leads to increased anxiety on her part and family arguements. It’s better to allow less time than you think you’ll need.
- Don’t worry about offending people by taking personal time if you need to; it’s better to do this than go into ‘meltdown’(see below.)
- Learn to recognise your ‘triggers’ and symptoms and act upon these swiftly.
- Remove yourself from the stressful environment before your emotions and behaviour escalate.
- Allow yourself some personal ‘down time’ so you can deal with large groups of people – e.g. go for a walk, take a warm bath, read a book alone, do yoga/breathing exercises. If your anxiety impacts on others, which it probably does, people will understand your coping strategies if this allows everyone to have a peaceful time.
- Avoid drinking too much alcohol, especially if you are taking medication.
- Take care of yourself – then you are better able to enjoy the company of others.
- Use resources available to you, if you need to e.g. helplines, medication, counsellors etc.
- Be honest with yourself – if you are feeling stressed it’s better to admit this and remove yourself from the environment.
- Make the most of short periods of time where you can enjoy yourself, rather than overstretching yourself and making things unpleasant.
- Relax and have fun!