Phobia's
Moderators: talkhealth, Geckoella
Phobia's
Hi,
I have never considered it a mental health issue before but i suffer panic attacks when i do mountain walking.
I am terrified of heights - can't even stand on a chair - but i enjoy the challenge of walking, especially for charities as i also have asthma and struggle when walking uphill.
However when i am near the top or on the way down i get nervous, my legs go like jelly and i stumble all over the place which makes me lose my balance then i start panicking which makes me breathless then sometimes i hyperventilate. It is very scary!
I have tried hypnotism but i couldn't be hypnotised for some reason! What i want to know is if i persevere will it improve or will i also suffer these panic attacks when on a mountain?
I have never considered it a mental health issue before but i suffer panic attacks when i do mountain walking.
I am terrified of heights - can't even stand on a chair - but i enjoy the challenge of walking, especially for charities as i also have asthma and struggle when walking uphill.
However when i am near the top or on the way down i get nervous, my legs go like jelly and i stumble all over the place which makes me lose my balance then i start panicking which makes me breathless then sometimes i hyperventilate. It is very scary!
I have tried hypnotism but i couldn't be hypnotised for some reason! What i want to know is if i persevere will it improve or will i also suffer these panic attacks when on a mountain?
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- Posts: 24
- Joined: Wed Feb 29, 2012 11:17 am
Re: Phobia's
I suffer with phobias too, not sure if you have read it but there is a blog post about cognitive hypnotherapy, that looked quite interesting and might work better for you its at http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/bl ... notherapy/ if you wanted to take a look!
Re: Phobia's
Hi,
There are a couple of simple things you can do to cope but I do advise you go to a Cognitive Hypnotherapist to get rid of it once and for all (it was me who wrote the phobia post by the way)
1. 7/11 breathing. Breath in slowly for the count of 7 and out for the count of 11. This confuses your system enough to calm you right down (also useful for anger management!). I know you mention you are asthmatic but I have used this technique on others who are and they are fine - essentially controlled breathing will always be better than panic breathing!
2. Spinning. Take a moment to close your eyes. Ask yourself - if the panic had a shape, what would it be? If it had a colour, what would it be? Then spin the shape (like you are doing a forward roll) as fast as you can. Once you have done that spin it the other way (like a backward roll) gradually slowing it down until it stops. Open your eyes and the panic should have gone.
Good luck - let me know how they work
There are a couple of simple things you can do to cope but I do advise you go to a Cognitive Hypnotherapist to get rid of it once and for all (it was me who wrote the phobia post by the way)
1. 7/11 breathing. Breath in slowly for the count of 7 and out for the count of 11. This confuses your system enough to calm you right down (also useful for anger management!). I know you mention you are asthmatic but I have used this technique on others who are and they are fine - essentially controlled breathing will always be better than panic breathing!
2. Spinning. Take a moment to close your eyes. Ask yourself - if the panic had a shape, what would it be? If it had a colour, what would it be? Then spin the shape (like you are doing a forward roll) as fast as you can. Once you have done that spin it the other way (like a backward roll) gradually slowing it down until it stops. Open your eyes and the panic should have gone.
Good luck - let me know how they work
Re: Phobia's
Hi Dawn,
Thanks so much for your reply. It was really interesting. Can you explain the difference between hypnotherapy and cognitive hypnotherapy please? When someone tried to hypnotise me about 15 years ago they said i couldn't be hypnotised. She was useless so maybe this was her excuse for it not working.
I love the 7/11 breathing idea will try that next time. The spinning one made me feel dizzy thinking about it lol. Im not sure if i suffer slightly with vertigo as i sometimes feel like im swaying or going to fall over when im sitting or standing still. Dont know much about vertigo so maybe totally off base and talking out of my ****!
Would i need a course of cognitive hypnotherapy or is it a one off? How much roughly would i be looking at cost wise?
Thanks again, Dawn much appreciated
Thanks so much for your reply. It was really interesting. Can you explain the difference between hypnotherapy and cognitive hypnotherapy please? When someone tried to hypnotise me about 15 years ago they said i couldn't be hypnotised. She was useless so maybe this was her excuse for it not working.
I love the 7/11 breathing idea will try that next time. The spinning one made me feel dizzy thinking about it lol. Im not sure if i suffer slightly with vertigo as i sometimes feel like im swaying or going to fall over when im sitting or standing still. Dont know much about vertigo so maybe totally off base and talking out of my ****!
Would i need a course of cognitive hypnotherapy or is it a one off? How much roughly would i be looking at cost wise?
Thanks again, Dawn much appreciated
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Re: Phobia's
Well considering your asthma issue as you will go upon the hill where the altitude changes atmospheric pressure which will lead to feeling breathlessness it’s a normal issue you can carry oxygen along with you. Also need to do yoga exercise.
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Re: Phobia's
Breathing exercises are really great when it comes to panic attacks! 7/11 breathing saved me many times!Dawn_B wrote:Hi,
1. 7/11 breathing. Breath in slowly for the count of 7 and out for the count of 11. This confuses your system enough to calm you right down (also useful for anger management!). I know you mention you are asthmatic but I have used this technique on others who are and they are fine - essentially controlled breathing will always be better than panic breathing!
Re: Phobia's
Hi,
I used to suffer from panic attacks even during a traffic jam, and I couldn't stand it anymore! I was taking Xanor, an antidepressant, to help me manage these attacks which most often led me to anxiety and depression. But one time, I said to myself that I would really get crazy once I stopped using Xanor because I might get too dependent on it. So I looked for other non-medical remedies, and I turned to Yoga. It really helped me a lot as it lowered my stress levels and I learned to relax through breathing and stretching. Now, I incorporate into other forms of exercise such as jogging and boxing. I haven't taken Xanor since January and I am so determined to do so forever!
I used to suffer from panic attacks even during a traffic jam, and I couldn't stand it anymore! I was taking Xanor, an antidepressant, to help me manage these attacks which most often led me to anxiety and depression. But one time, I said to myself that I would really get crazy once I stopped using Xanor because I might get too dependent on it. So I looked for other non-medical remedies, and I turned to Yoga. It really helped me a lot as it lowered my stress levels and I learned to relax through breathing and stretching. Now, I incorporate into other forms of exercise such as jogging and boxing. I haven't taken Xanor since January and I am so determined to do so forever!
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Re: Phobia's
What's the difference of panic attack and phobia?
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Re: Phobia's
I don't know much about panic attack, after reading this post I know about panic attacks. Is phobia or panic attack same.I am not sure that I don't like lizards, when I saw lizard I want that somebody threw out lizard from home, I can't sleep whenever I saw a lizard in my bedroom, is this panic attack or phobia
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Re: Phobia's
Hi,healthcare247 wrote:Well considering your asthma issue as you will go upon the hill where the altitude changes atmospheric pressure which will lead to feeling breathlessness it’s a normal issue you can carry oxygen along with you. Also need to do yoga exercise.
Great advice. I totally agree with the point, that you can carry oxygen with you when going to mountains.
Thanks!!