When in Public extremely high anxiety? Cant be Normal????

[[re...]]

Has anyone experienced extremely high levels of anxiety when out in public constantly looking around me etc..

 

I feel like im going crazy was in the supermarket earlier and was completely all over the place taught i was gonna collapse and was constantly looking around me anxiety was really high. This has happened me a few times now when im out in public??

 

Is this normal at my stage of withdrawal??

 

When im at home im not great still be in a lot of pain physically and mentally but when i go out in public in rockets

[[...]]

I was agoraphobic before benzo. It has gotten worse during my last year's on benzo.

Don't remember when I was in a supermarket the last time. I did stop my head in the freezer when I visited a supermarket the last time.

Then ran out of there. Flight mood.

 

Maybe you didn't suffer from agoraphobia before,/during benzo, but it can pop up during w/d.

It's terrible. If you're strong (not like me running away) stay in the supermarket and let the anxiety pass through you.

I did that when I was stronger. Now I think it's horrible just to take a walk.

One have to 'face the fear' over and over again.

You can do this.

 

Now I'm going to hide in my bed again. See im an expert on giving advice, not practising them 😨🙈

 

[[re...]]

Jesus this is so fucking scary, i really feel like my life is over to be honest.

 

I cant see how its going to get better, i hate taking the drugs and i cant do normal everyday things without them.

 

Cruel is an understatement.

[[li...]]

There is nothing normal about benzo withdrawal ...

[[Wo...]]

I've been there about the agoraphobia. Hang in there and try to close your eyes and relax best you can. It will get better it's withdrawals.

[[re...]]

Fucking scary, could it not be physiological or is it withdrawals?

 

Does it start to get better when the taper has ended? or 6 months after the taper etc..

 

Anyone who has finished a taper would be of great appreciation?

[[je...]]

I had terrible anxiety the weeks I was tapering. It was really bad. Then when I jumped, it was also really bad. I couldn't leave the house, couldn't drive, couldn't be alone. It has gotten SO much better. I still have constant low anxiety, and it does definitely get worse when I'm alone or in public, but I can cope. I do not have panic attacks, just kind of spikes of panic and racing heartbeat, chest pressure, etc.

[[re...]]

Thanks jessica

 

Im hoping it gets better, for me i have nothing to lose just keep going through each day as best i can.

 

[[je...]]

Real, my best advice is to push through it. It was so hard to get back into a normal routine after jumping and I was terrified to do "normal" things like going to the grocery store. So I did it once, and it was awful, but I survived it, so I did it again, and again. Everything I am terrified to do or get panicky thinking about, I just push through and do it and it's awful the first time, but better after that. It's so hard.

[[Do...]]

I know going to public places is scary (I was like that the first couple of months after I cut my dose).  Even though it is hard, it is very important that you NOT stop going to these places.  What worked best for me, instead of trying not to panic, was to admit to myself that I was going to panic, but reminded myself that even though it is scary, it is not dangerous.  I would keep my grocery list short, but make sure I got everything on the list.  Things got better once I stopped fighting the panic.  It was still very uncomfortable, but it was a little easier this way.  The reason I say this is because avoiding places that trigger anxiety can put you on a slippery slope to becoming agoraphobic.  At first it was stores, then it was public in general.  I avoided these at first, but once I got the the point that i noticed I was afraid to leave the house, I decided that I was going to tough it out and go to these places and outings even though it was super uncomfortable.  I know it is hard, but it was what kept me from becoming agoraphobic and becoming afraid to even leave my own house.  The more you try to avoid places that cause anxiety, the more anxiety will continue creeping up.

 

Some things to make it helpful at the store: consider starting at a smaller store, or shop odd hours when there aren't as many people there.  Also, many stores have fluorescent lights, which can make derealization and anxiety much worse.  I found wearing either sunglasses or a baseball hat helped keep some of the light from my eyes, which really made a difference in my anxiety.  Reminding myself before I went into a store that I was probably going to panic, but that I would not run out of the store, and I would finish my list, really helped me.  Within a couple of week of doing this, I found going into stores and public places much easier.  Yes, it was EXTREMELY difficult, but again, it may have kept me from going completely agoraphobic.

[[Gr...]]

Agoraphobia is one form of anxiety.  Don't let it scare you too much, it will pass.  Breathing exercises help.  Breathing and holding while in public is a great thing to do.  Once I did a breathing exercise following along with my phone app, in my community center.  People were smiling at me.  It occurred to me halfway through that they probably thought I was pregnant and timing my contractions or something but ya know, I try not to let it bother me.