INTRODUCTION - Part Two

INTRODUCTION Follow Up 

Written November 22-30, 2014

Walking away is exactly what I did in the Career Center situation.

I pushed my chair back, put my number back on the spindle, and walked out! At the time, the Unemployment Office and the Employment Office were together on the third floor and I took the elevator down to the first floor. On the first floor, I stopped briefly at the front desk and asked when the Employment Office would be less crowded. It wasn't quite running away, but it still took me a long while to realize this was the smartest thing for me to do at the time. If I remember correctly, unemployment reviews were only on one day (or maybe two days) per week and the other business days were wide open. 

So, the next time you feel like running away or fighting, think about your choices -- and there is always more than one choice -- pick one that won't scare you as much or create worse problems, and do it.

Panic attacks are caused by Anxiety. Anxiety is fear and it's real! It's your mind's reaction to things, people and/or situations that it doesn't know how to handle.

However, one of the worst things about Anxiety and Depression is another part of your brain is telling you to ignore the fear.  It's telling you that you're weak, that no one else feels this way, and/or that you have no other choice than to stick around and wait your turn.

In reality, the fact that you didn't run away at the first sign of danger means you are strong. In this huge world of ours, there are thousands upon thousands of people suffering from Social Anxiety in some degree. And, you do have another choice! At least go to the restroom and try to calm yourself enough to think straight. It's the smarter part of your brain telling you to fight or flee.

For better or worse, Anxiety is different for every single person and each reaction often depends on the particular situation. Maybe you feel cold instead of hot. Maybe you would freeze like a rabbit as soon as you saw the crowd. Maybe 50 people wouldn't scare you but 500 would.

I could give you at least a hundred other examples from my past without too much thought! Going to a store on a busy Sunday afternoon, being at a party or a bar, and just having a holiday dinner with my extended family can ignite the same Anxiety in my mind. And, I don't like to think about my few trips to a busy airport! I don't go shopping on Black Friday (or Thanksgiving). I don't go to parties or bars anymore, and you'll find me outside or with my back in a corner at family gatherings.

My husband calls my reaction feeling squirrely and that's an excellent comparison. Unless you go to a park where the squirrels are tame, they are going to run away. That's how they survive!