What about if you set a minimum time for yourself? Say, about 15 minutes (or less, if that's easier). Push yourself to go that long and if you end up feeling like you are able to challenge your thoughts, relax and even enjoy yourself, then stay longer. Remember those baby steps!! They are more positive than not going at all.
Oh, and what if you reward yourself with a bit of a splurge (e.g. find a plant that you might not have gotten in the past.) That way, when you watch it grow all summer, you can remember that you were successful!
Thanks for telling me I can do this. Since you are going to your bedding plant sale, than I guess I am going to my show today. It is so nice having someone to talk to who understands this Agoraphobic thing. You really have to of been there done that to really get it. I too find having to talk to people in person a little overwhelming. I don't really know anyone but I will be looking a sewing machines and will also want to look for some dvds on quilting. That means their will be sales people to deal with and they will be talking at me non stop probably. Yes we are going to go and we are going to have a great time and we are going to feel really good about ourselves later. I look forward to hearing all about your exposure day when you get back and about all the things you saw, if you found anything you wanted and such. Talk to you later my friend.
Thanks for giving me a little push in the right direction. I am working on that list of positives in my mind right now. Like it is good that the show is inside because it is cold and windy here today with a possibility of rain and snow in the mountains. I will continue to work on this list. I think I am off to a good start now. When growing up I was not encouraged to challenge my anxious and negative thoughts. I was always allowed to run away and give up if I was not comfortable with something. Challenging my anxious and negative thoughts was a new concept for me when I came to this site and it has been a learning experience. I do not want to run and hide anymore and now that I know what it is, a learned behavior, I want to change this behavior. I am learning. I guess I can not expect it to change overnight and will have to keep at it till I get it right. It was just this morning when I was struggling with the agoraphobia that I remembered how I grew up and how I had learned that it was ok to run from my anxious and negative thoughts. That is when I decided to post these feeling and ask for help. I want to thank you for encouraging me to move in a forward direction and for not telling me that it is ok and good for me to run and hide. Well I have got to get back to that list now. I will let you know how it turns out. I am starting to feel much more confident and positive now. I really think I can do this.
I know you can do this, Do you just need me to tell you you can do this. I do the same thing and then I kick my self after for not going. There is a bedding plant sale today that I was going to skip. I will go to it if you go to your show. You can just skirt the edges and do like Samantha says, We know you can cope you just need a reason to go, just like me. Now I've said I will go to the bedding plant sale so I will. It is going to be a pain because I know a lot of the people that will be there and they will want to talk.
It sounds like you have been looking forward to the quilt, craft and sewing festival if this something that you really desire doing, challenge your negative thoughts and go with someone you are comfortable with. Be prepared to use your relaxation and positive self-talk techniques to help you through the experience and check in with us and let us know how it goes. We will be thinking of you today!
I have been having a lot of anxiety for a couple of days now about going to a Quilt ,Craft, and sewing festival that is being held here at a fairgrounds in my area. For one thing it going to be indoors which is a problem, with lots of noise and close physical contact with strangers. Elbow to Elbow. I have been looking forward to going to this show for a least a month. It is a 3 day show and today is the last day to go. I am not sure why I have this anxiety/fear but I am really getting sick of it.
I am looking forward to the day when it will not be a exposure session and I will not have to try to force myself to do the things I want to do. My Agoraphobia is a real problem for me. Yesterday I finally got dressed and I didn't leave to go to the show. The day before I want for a ride in the mountains and didn't go. Todays is my last day hopefully I can get over this fear and go. I am going to try to challenge my anxious and negative thoughts and see if that works for me today.
