Specific Anxiety

Avalon · 08-01-2008, 08:22

Hey all

Im after a few pointers.

For a few weeks now i have been suffering from a specific anxiety about my journey to work.

Its seems toatlly silly, but its getting damn annoying!

Its even more silly as i know my fear is totaly phsycological and not physical but still i cannot seem to overcome it!

Can anyone give me any pointers as to how to get rid of this fear?

funkymiss · 08-01-2008, 08:42

Identifying what may have caused this anxiety would be a good start x

Avalon · 08-01-2008, 08:47

I already know what caused the anxiety which makes it all the more odd!

funkymiss · 08-01-2008, 08:55

Anxieties and phobias generally emerge from something seemingly unrelated or odd and the negative associations created are what cause the anxiety you feel.

Might help you to try and remind yourself it's irrational... It depends how much it's affecting your life at the moment. Hopefully it'll be something that disappears!

Avalon · 08-01-2008, 09:03

Its not a massive issue TBH. I just get angry and frustrated at small things as i feel anxious, then that makes me feel more anxios then all hell brakes loose!!

funkymiss · 08-01-2008, 09:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Avalon

Its not a massive issue TBH. I just get angry and frustrated at small things as i feel anxious, then that makes me feel more anxios then all hell brakes loose!!

Sounds like you're experiencing a bit of stress/anxiety at the mo. You could try a different route to work, this may kind of get you out of the negative thinking cycle or actually remove you from the stressor.

However it's a good idea to look at how you react to stressful situations, it's completely normal to get stressed but important to catch it before it gets out of hand.

PM me if you want anymore info, might be able to help

SupraSteve · 08-01-2008, 09:22

Is it the journey INTO WORK, or the ROADS you use on your way to your place of work; i.e. would driving this route still make you anxious if you drove it, say, on a day off?
Would you still be anxious if you were the passenger and someone else drove you along that route?

whitehorses · 08-01-2008, 09:30

You don't actually say if you're driving or walking, bus or cycle or whatever?
I have suffered from anxiety and used to get this a lot when I was driving.Something in my brain just switched this anxiety on and I couldn't switch it off.Eventually I saw my Gp and got medication, I think you need to talk about it with a professional.

Avalon · 08-01-2008, 10:51

Sorry folks. I will clarify:

Yes I DRIVIE, and its DRIVING INTO work thats the issue. If i drove it on a day off there would likely be no issue.

At weekends or on days off i dont experience the same problem, i can drive around for hours and feel perfectly fine.

KTHFB · 08-01-2008, 10:57

Maybe it's because there are more cars on the road, everyone in a rush to get to work. Or could it be actually getting to work that's causing the anxiety? Are you having problems at work?

Avalon · 08-01-2008, 10:59

No. I love my job, and dont seem to have this issue when the roads are quieter.

samstar999 · 08-01-2008, 11:20

Could you get a lift to work? Or get the bus for a while? (Actually, that would probably work as getting the bus would mess with your head so much the drive might seem like a doddle afterwards?) Seriously though, could you do either of these for a while to break the cycle?

Avalon · 08-01-2008, 11:29

Im not sure. I did get the train the other day going to work and i started to panick a little bit thinking "what if i feel the same when im on the train".. then the train was delayed and my lift had gone so i couldnt "run" anywhere...then eventually into the journey i just relaxed...but the train is not a viable solution due to my shift pattern.

KTHFB · 08-01-2008, 11:30

Can you car share with anyone?

samstar999 · 08-01-2008, 11:33

Hmmm - yes, that's the problem isn't it with public transport. Unreliable etc ...
Well, that's not helpful then. Seems you need to talk this through with your GP?
Really have a think about what it is that seems to trigger it? When did it start? Was there some event that preceded it? Could be something you've 'forgotten' about or which seems trivial? Where on the journey does it start? It's more than likely something very simple which you may identify and then see that it is possible to overcome. Good luck!

Hypnolady · 08-01-2008, 12:48

Sometimes the fear of having an attack of anxiety can make the problem seem bigger and escalate it.
There are techniques that would help and I would be happy to help you with these.
Give me a call if you would like a chat, my number is on my website.

p.s. I'm not touting for business as I have clients already. I would genuinely like to help.

Aries22 · 08-01-2008, 12:57

l had the some problem when driving, the anxiety got so bad l just stopped driving althogether. l am a nervous wreck when just a passenger.

SupraSteve · 08-01-2008, 16:01

I know very little about mental anxiety issues, but a fair bit about driving.
It may help (or it may be useless) if you got some advanced driving lessons. These will help you predict and act (rather than react) to what's going on around you and would probably make driving a whole help less stressful.

This assumes that driving (perhaps just under the specific circumstance of drivinto work, on a busy traffic day) is the cause of your issue, not anything else. If this isn't true it probably won't help.

Some people just seem to need to worry about something (e.g. your attention moved to 'what if' the train journey), but this sounds like more than just plain & generally harmless worry?

Avalon · 09-01-2008, 08:08

I have often been described as needing something to worry about, but usually i anaysue things in a calm rational way and dont get worked up about them.

for some reason this issue gets my heart racing and my stomach churning?

Avalon · 09-01-2008, 08:11

I made some changed to my drive this morning, i used my MP3 player instead of my car stereo to drown out some of the road noise.

I still got anxious so i did the deep breathing thing, and that calmed me down, then foolishly i stopped and got wound up again! But each time i did the deep breathing i calmed down a little....