Hi everyone! I'm new and I just started the Panic Program yesterday, and I'm really excited about starting my life again! I have had some weird feelings that were talked about in this discussion. It would usually happen on a weekend, since I wasn't at school, or already had the day going by 8:00 a.m. I felt kind of blah, or just a weird sensation all day. I couldn't explain (still can't) but it would happen every so often, and once it came on, it was like, ok, here it is. I know I can get through the day it just may not be a great day, or even an "ok" day. I usually looked forward to the next day and found that that really helped. I would think, "ok, here it is Saturday and I'm not doing so good, but tomorrow is a new day and I'm sure I'll be doing better, I just need to get a good night's sleep and plan to have a better day". I hope that this can help some, I really hope so! Good luck and hope that it's better for you to cope with.

Hey Vickers4, Did you ever think about exercizing first thing in the morning on weekends or days off? Plan a walk, a swim or a yoga class. (even a yoga video or exercize tape at home) Make a schedule for your weekends/days off that at say 10am, you will exercize for an hour or so. Then after, a nice shower and you're ready for your day. That way, even if you decide to spend time relaxing or watching TV, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment. I don't know if exposure work for this particular thing is the answer. I think perhaps planning activites on off days at set times through out the day. I say this because you say it only happens on days when you don't have a schedule. So make one! Put things on the list you want to accomplish during the day and check them off as you complete them. You won't feel as guilty relaxing in between then. As for the physical feelings that accompany this, I think you should remind yourself when it comes that this is a familiar feeling that you get in this situation. THere is nothing dangerous our unusual for you. It is uncomfortable, but will ultimately pass if you breathe into it and let it go. Good luck, Julia

I've done exposure work for being in crowds, standing in lines, being socialable at work, health worries and other little things that come up. Some I am still working on, but have noticed a huge difference in not only the levels of intensity of the anxiety, but also my ability to stay in the situation and feel more in control. But, there is one situation that I can't seem to figure out how to do exposure work for that I desperately want to work on. I get anxious thinking about the weekends and I'm sure this makes me set myself up for anxiety during the weekends but I can't quite figure out how to use exposure to beat this. My problem is that in the mornings (only on weekends or if I have a day off during the week), if I'm not up right away doing housework or going somewhere, I get this really funky feeling and can't stop watching the clock because I feel like I am wasting too much time. The more time goes on, the more panicky I get. The funky feeling is like a buzzy head, dizziness and unreality. Usually, if I get up and do some housework or something physical, this will go away. Right now, I am feeling anxious because it's almost 11:00am and I have spent the last two hours responding to posts on this website. I feel like I should have had all the housework done already and it makes me anxious to think that I haven't yet. If certain things like the laundry isn't done before I go to bed Sunday night, I have the worst panic / anxiety and usually can't get to sleep that night. Only on Sunday night though. Like I've wasted my whole weekend and now it's too late. How do I conquer my fear of wasted time and my fear of this physical feeling? How do I stop measuring my enjoyment of relaxing by how much time is left on the clock and how much time has already gone by? How do I stop feeling like I'm wasting my life if I'm sitting around watching tv with my family or just sitting back and trying to relax? Is it normal to get these physical sensations when just sitting around in the morning on my days off or are these symptoms from the anxiety of wasting time? Any ideas how I can use exposure work to get through this? I desperately want to stop being a slave to the clock!