Question:
says… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -That’s true Chip. I changed my safe place a few times in the past just to keep the panic away. I’d call the house I babysat in my safe place and I did that when I worked as a temp too. After a while I didn’t need to think of them as my safe place. I also did the same when I came here. But I can’t call certain other places my safe place because they cause such anxiety and panic. I wish I could do that with the dentist’s office and other places. :-) Di
I can do the dentist thing without too much trouble, but butterflies still scare me. Now I’m wondering what kind of flowers I can plant that attract wild birds but no butterflies. LOL <sigh No wonder my sister thinks I’m a total nut case. But I consider her to be very boring. Dot
Response:
Very good point Rita. I can look back and remember how my case of panic disorder evolved. I remember the first attack while I was at work in an auditorium listening to a presentation. Every time I had to go back to that auditorium I would get anticipatory anxiety a day or two beforehand and ultimately have another panic attack when I got there. Next I would think of all possible ways to avoid the auditorium. The same thing happened while waiting at the meat counter in the grocery store. Then again at the checkout line at the grocery store. ……as a passenger in a car. …..driving on the highway. …..driving over bridges. …..driving through tunnels. My panic attacks were so extreme that my brain became "wired" to trigger the flight or fight response in all of the above situations. Meds and self determination have enabled me to do all of the above things will only minor anxiety and sometimes none at all. Thank God for meds or I’d be housebound right now or living in a state hospital if today’s date was 1960. Tony
Response:
:Rita, that’s an interesting observation. It seems we can change our "safe :place" to a house in another country, yet still feel unsafe (or more :nervous) if we leave that house. I guess it all comes down to what we tell 
urselves is "safe", and what is "unsafe". When something becomes familiar 
like a new apartment I move to) it becomes my new safe place. When I had my gallbladder removed in 87, I was very agoraphobic and the thought of being in the hospital for any length of time was terrifying. I had some very serious complications and ended up staying in the hospital for almost three weeks. The first few days I was very anxious and on the verge of panic almost all the time. Then I started to become very comfortable in my room, on the floor and in the lounge with the other patients. Any time I had to leave the floor I felt very agoraphobic and couldn`t wait to get back to my room. When the time came to go home it was a little hard for me to leave my "new" safe place. Jackie 
~*~I’ve seen and met angels wearing the disguise of ordinary people living ordinary lives~*~
Response:
That’s true Chip. I changed my safe place a few times in the past just to keep the panic away. I’d call the house I babysat in my safe place and I did that when I worked as a temp too. After a while I didn’t need to think of them as my safe place. I also did the same when I came here. But I can’t call certain other places my safe place because they cause such anxiety and panic. I wish I could do that with the dentist’s office and other places. :-) Di
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Rita, that’s an interesting observation. It seems we can change our "safe place" to a house in another country, yet still feel unsafe (or more nervous) if we leave that house. I guess it all comes down to what we tell ourselves is "safe", and what is "unsafe". When something becomes familiar (like a new apartment I move to) it becomes my new safe place. Chip Dear Di, I was just thinking of you while I was drying my hair and your adventure to the dentist yesterday. It got me to thinking about the craziness of this disease we share. Just a few years back you left your home even though you were pretty much housebound, traveled by plane to another country, then had to leave in early 2001, not knowing if they would allow you to come back in, then re-crossing the border again after a harrowing couple of hours. Talk about courage in the face of adversary. Yet here you were so anxious yesterday going to the dentist that you almost peed yourself. I have no problem going to the dentist but I don’t think I could ever do what you did when you pulled up stakes and left home. PD is so strange in the way it effects us. I have a friend who can fly anywhere in the world with no anxiety, but once she got wherever she was going, she would have a panic attack if she had to go in a restaurant or a big store. Whereas I can go into any store but I’ve never had the courage to get on a plane. Just the thought of it brings on anxiety. Anyway, those were my thoughts this morning. You still are one very courageous woman in my book. Love and God bless, Rita
Response:
Dear Di, I was just thinking of you while I was drying my hair and your adventure to the dentist yesterday. It got me to thinking about the craziness of this disease we share. Just a few years back you left your home even though you were pretty much housebound, traveled by plane to another country, then had to leave in early 2001, not knowing if they would allow you to come back in, then re-crossing the border again after a harrowing couple of hours. Talk about courage in the face of adversary. Yet here you were so anxious yesterday going to the dentist that you almost peed yourself.
It’s nuts, isn’t it! I was terrified of the plane and also not knowing if I could get back in here. I guess that was normal, but being so scared of the dentist gets to me. Since I’ve had PD and ag, I have had some times where I wasn’t so scared of the dentist, but then I always revert back. I have no problem going to the dentist but I don’t think I could ever do what you did when you pulled up stakes and left home.
Thank you Rita! It was a very anxious time for me. If I stayed I think I would’ve gotten more and more nervous by the day. Leaving was tough, though, especially leaving my Mom. She’s told me a few times that she doesn’t have any of her kids near her anymore. :-( My brother who lived in Ohio moved to CA a few weeks ago. Even though he was about a 10 hour drive from her, he was still the closest one. Not anymore. I guess I am now. Someday I hope to get on that plane again and go see her. I miss her! PD is so strange in the way it effects us. I have a friend who can fly anywhere in the world with no anxiety, but once she got wherever she was going, she would have a panic attack if she had to go in a restaurant or a big store. Whereas I can go into any store but I’ve never had the courage to get on a plane. Just the thought of it brings on anxiety.
It’s funny how some things will affect some people and other things not so much. It makes me wonder how PD and ag got started with them in the first place. Anyway, those were my thoughts this morning. You still are one very courageous woman in my book.
Rita, you are so sweet! {{{{{Rita}}}}} And you are a very brave person to me also. I said I wanted to go with you to the ocean, but I probably couldn’t stand the long drive there. You will be fine! I just know it. Love and God bless, Rita
Love, Di xxxxx
Response:
Rita, that’s an interesting observation. It seems we can change our "safe place" to a house in another country, yet still feel unsafe (or more nervous) if we leave that house. I guess it all comes down to what we tell ourselves is "safe", and what is "unsafe". When something becomes familiar (like a new apartment I move to) it becomes my new safe place. Chip
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Dear Di, I was just thinking of you while I was drying my hair and your adventure to the dentist yesterday. It got me to thinking about the craziness of this disease we share. Just a few years back you left your home even though you were pretty much housebound, traveled by plane to another country, then had to leave in early 2001, not knowing if they would allow you to come back in, then re-crossing the border again after a harrowing couple of hours. Talk about courage in the face of adversary. Yet here you were so anxious yesterday going to the dentist that you almost peed yourself. I have no problem going to the dentist but I don’t think I could ever do what you did when you pulled up stakes and left home. PD is so strange in the way it effects us. I have a friend who can fly anywhere in the world with no anxiety, but once she got wherever she was going, she would have a panic attack if she had to go in a restaurant or a big store. Whereas I can go into any store but I’ve never had the courage to get on a plane. Just the thought of it brings on anxiety. Anyway, those were my thoughts this morning. You still are one very courageous woman in my book. Love and God bless, Rita
Response:
Dear Di, I was just thinking of you while I was drying my hair and your adventure to the dentist yesterday. It got me to thinking about the craziness of this disease we share. Just a few years back you left your home even though you were pretty much housebound, traveled by plane to another country, then had to leave in early 2001, not knowing if they would allow you to come back in, then re-crossing the border again after a harrowing couple of hours. Talk about courage in the face of adversary. Yet here you were so anxious yesterday going to the dentist that you almost peed yourself. I have no problem going to the dentist but I don’t think I could ever do what you did when you pulled up stakes and left home. PD is so strange in the way it effects us. I have a friend who can fly anywhere in the world with no anxiety, but once she got wherever she was going, she would have a panic attack if she had to go in a restaurant or a big store. Whereas I can go into any store but I’ve never had the courage to get on a plane. Just the thought of it brings on anxiety. Anyway, those were my thoughts this morning. You still are one very courageous woman in my book. Love and God bless, Rita
If you like this post and would like to receive updates from this blog, please subscribe our feed.