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Anxiety Community
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Anyone else get this?
by TravelOD, Apr 21, 2007 12:00AM
I get terrible anxiety sometimes. For instance, sometimes I wake up in a SEVERE panic in the middle of the night or in the morning. I'm sweating and I usually think the worst (wife has left me, parents have died, etc.) That's a bad one.
Another one is if my wife is out for the day and she doesn't answer/phone is off, I begin to believe she has been in a car accident, has died, etc. I always assume that someone has died if they don't answer the phone, or something similar to that. Usually I'm in a severe panic until I get a phone call or something. Sometimes I consider calling the police. I believe this can all be routed when I was a child and me and my mother were held at gunpoint. After that, as a child, if my mother didn't answer her phone, I would immediately assume she died or left me. I guess you could call this separation anxiety.
My wife is out right now and isn't answering her phone, so I'm in severe panic. Any tips?
Another one is if my wife is out for the day and she doesn't answer/phone is off, I begin to believe she has been in a car accident, has died, etc. I always assume that someone has died if they don't answer the phone, or something similar to that. Usually I'm in a severe panic until I get a phone call or something. Sometimes I consider calling the police. I believe this can all be routed when I was a child and me and my mother were held at gunpoint. After that, as a child, if my mother didn't answer her phone, I would immediately assume she died or left me. I guess you could call this separation anxiety.
My wife is out right now and isn't answering her phone, so I'm in severe panic. Any tips?
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You are not crazy and are not alone - I do the same exact thing. We both know the feeling of relief when the person does call back - usually they had their radio on really loud and were jaming out, phone was off because they were at work or in a public place, cell phone service we blochy. After I calm down, I always feel silly...
But, at that moment when you are not getting a response, its pretty terrifing. Just like it must have been as child when you had no control over a situation that put both your life and the life of someone you loved at risk. I thinks its this feeling of no control - the unknown - that is making you freak out when people don't answer thier phones.
I think you are right about the past trauma relating to the panic stuff - I had a tramitic childhood and suffered abuse I could not control. Now, as an adult, I have panic attacks, particually relating to things I can not control (public speaking, speaking up in class - I have no control over their perceptions and opinions of me- flying, elevators, driving in cars, my fiance not ansering the phone).
I give myself a timeframe. I call, leave a voicemail, then do something that will keep me busy for at least 30 minutes (I hop on the elipitcal trainer and excercise or take my dog for a walk). The physical activity also helps relieve anxiety. Before I start, I set the timer on the microwave, I am not allowed to think anyone died in a firey crash until it goes off, then I call again...
That's just my method for trying to control some of my worrying. Give it a try. Hope it helps. Take care.