I'm glad we agree there is no "right or wrong" here. You said "everyone is different," and that is the truth. I said "decisions are highly personal." I believe we are both saying the same thing in different ways.
Whatever she decides about the roller coaster is the right decision for her.
Personally, I hope she feels strong enough to do it!
And another bit of truth: everyone is different, in countless ways. There IS NO right or wrong here. There is just us trying to help this girl to either get on the coaster, or save it for another day. Either way she chooses is RIGHT. I wish her many blessings - Blu
I DO look at it as pandering if we don't keep challenging ourselves to face those triggers. I agree that self-awareness is very important, which is why I said "SOMETIMES" we need to put ourselves directly in it's path. Of course there are going to be times when we shouldn't push ourselves and I think we are aware enough to know when those times are. But simply knowing we have an anxiety disorder and holding back because we MIGHT cross the line is just not a good enough reason in my book to treat ourselves like invalids. If we fail, it's not the end of the world. We pick ourselves up and get on with it. I think when you say we are "wired" to react in certain ways, there IS truth in that, but I'm saying we are keeping ourselves wired to react certain ways by NOT challenging that wiring.
And how do we know when we've achieved a better handle on our anxiety unless we put it to the test?
If I'm at Disneyland standing in line under the roller coaster and fighting off a panic attack for all I'm worth, I'm NOT going to get on the roller coaster. If I'm feeling anxious, I'm going to take my chances and hope for the best. I may regret that decision or I may walk away feeling just a little bit stronger for the experience. It's a highly personal decision and I think there are circumstances to consider, but I'm not convinced there is a definite right or wrong here.
Riding a horse will ALWAYS give me a panic attack. I will never purposely get on a horse no matter where my "normal" anxiety level is. Maybe if there had ever been a time I liked riding horses, I'd be willing to give it a shot if my anxiety level was at rock bottom.
We are talking here about a girl who loves roller coasters, she feels her anxiety is under control and wonders if she should try riding on one.
I say she shouldn't let what happened before keep her locked on the ground. I think it's healthy she is wanting to face it.
Just depends. Ain't THAT the truth!
I don't look at it as pandering to our anxiety. I look at it as more of a self awareness and knowing what we can and can't handle at the moment. At times when our anxiety is peaking, it makes sense to me to not purposely expose ourselves to things that would make us FEEL anxious. Unfortunately, we're wired to react in certain ways when we feel the sensations of anxiety. Until we've gotten a better handle on our anxiety, I don't think putting ourselves in those situations is wise.
There would be lots of times I would never purposely expose myself to ANYTHING that would cause me to feel anxious, because I would know I just couldn't handle it and a panic attack would ensue no matter what. Other times, when I have my anxiety under better control,. then it isn't an issue.
Just depends.
(Welcome to the forum btw!)
I totally agree with BluCrystal and cnote! I don't believe pandering to our anxiety is a positive way of dealing with it. Sometimes I think it's very healthy to put ourselves directly in it's path. I DO agree that you should begin this adventure/experiment with a less intimidating ride than the roller coaster, you will soon know what you can or can't handle.
Life is too short...........go for it!
I say live your life and do it. :)
You never know until you try. :-) Take the calmer rides first to see how you do before attempting the screamers. Blessings - Blu
Well, it goes without saying that pretty much everyone gets anxious before riding a thrill type ride. Depending on how well you think your anxiety is managed at the moment is kind of what you need to go by when making this decision. For people still struggling day to day to get their anxiety to a manageable level, just exposing oneself to the sensation of anxiety may trigger anxiety for you, especially if you've had panic attacks.
You may be just fine, but if you're not sure, I wouldn't recommend deliberately putting yourself in a position to feel a good bit of anxiety and trust that your body isn't going to run with that as soon as it notices the trigger.