1st time caller long time sufferer

[Chihuahua_mum]

Hi my name is Chihuahua Mum and I have anxiety...

I have had anxiety for a few years, slowly suffering when going to large shopping centres, struggling when faced in large crowds, feelings of something bad is about to happen. Like when out and about by myself, I might pass out and how will help me. but recently these feelings are getting worse!

I used to get those feelings every couple of months but now its daily, and if I'm shopping with my family, at work, Also any social event I struggle with nowadays.

I have a small child and when I drop him at school I'm now feeling like I'm avoiding the crowds and taking him later so I can drop him at the classroom door, as the bell rings, so its now affecting him.

I have spoken to my GP, the advise I was given was less coffee, breathing techniques and look up some website (this was one).

I'm hoping reading others stories and sharing mine might help in some way, even just getting me to go grocery shopping again.

Thanks CM

[therising]

Hi Chihuahua mum

It's definitely a challenge when you're highly sensitive to noise.

I can relate to shopping centres. Food courts and crowded restaurants also really challenge me quite a bit. Such places can present a massive amount of incoming stimuli. There's nothing wrong with being highly sensitive until the sensitivity presents a problem.

Being highly sensitive does have its perks. This aspect of us allows us to relate to people and situations quite easily. For example, sensitive people are often empathetic folk. They're really sensitive to how others are feeling. Sensitive people are emotional people in a lot of positive ways. I find mastering sensitivity to be an ongoing interesting challenge.

I believe I've got the 'crowded places' aspect worked out for myself. Some places I just refuse to go to, basically because there's no need. Other places require me to practice a bit of mastery: I shift my focus from my sense of sound to my sense of vision. When I sit down in a food court for example, I will begin studying people - their mannerisms, their smiles, how they're interacting with the person they're with and so on. Occasionally the din of the crowd will creep back in and when it does I try and find someone who looks really interesting (perhaps based on hair colour or something they're wearing). The whole experience becomes a fascinating distraction from the noise (aka sensory overload).

Incoming stimulation can generate a huge amount of energy in the body. Exhausting the increase in energy is a must. Sounds a little strange perhaps but a highly sensitive person can feel the energy rising in a way. May start around the solar plexus, rise to the chest, up to the throat and into the head. When I feel it rising I will use a certain breathing technique - long breaths out through the mouth. The body naturally does this when we're under some stress. How many times do you witness people sigh or see them release one long slow breath when they're stressed? Their body naturally does this without them even having to think about it. I continue with that long slow breathing, doing it several times, until I feel my body begin to calm down. I find the out breath to be the key to exhausting (letting out) the build up.

Maybe you can 'pinpoint' (create a focal point) when dropping your child at school. This may work as a distraction from a lot of what you're sensitive to in that scenario.

Don't forget to celebrate your sensitivity as you strive to master it.

🙂

[Chihuahua_mum]

Thanks for the insight uprising I never thought as myself as sensitive, but it makes sense. I will definitely give those ideas a go, I do love to people watch.

Sometime I feel I have to really focus on the ground and feel my feet are really touching it (pushing my feet down), even if I'm sitting.

Will be doing some more out breathing 🙂

[therising]

Hi Chihuahua mum

The feet aspect is an interesting one. I have found that in coming to understand how the natural self ticks there are a few quirky and amusing aspects. One such aspect relates to the metaphorical relationship of mind and body. A couple of examples:

• Someone may say 'I've had this almost debilitating pain happening in my neck for a few weeks now and it's driving me crazy'. I'll then may ask them if they've been dealing with a situation or a person who has proven to be a real pain in the neck. If the person isn't aware of the metaphorical reference, they'll typically say 'Yeah, how did you know that? It's like you can read my mind!'
• Someone may say 'The tension in my shoulders is so bad that it's been giving me headaches'. The response, 'Do you feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders lately and it's really messing with your head?' Again, magical mind reading abilities. No, not really. It's about reading the body's subtle cues to underlying problems.

So, is there a possibility that the sensation of not being able to feel the ground at times relates to a 'lack of grounding'? Personally, I find that when I'm way too 'into my head', like I'm off researching some fascinating topic, instead of preparing dinner for the family, I'll actually focus on my feet and their connection to the ground. It will snap me out of my research and back into the necessities of life. I know it will sound seriously 'out there' to some folk but because I have a love of the basics of quantum physics (one understanding of energy) and a love of Prana (another form of understanding energy), I'll sometimes work on connecting with the natural energy of my body, especially my feet at times. Yes, bit of buzzing or humming going on there. Highly sensitive people can often feel it. Folk who practice Yoga on a deeper level will often search for the humming energy in their body. They may incorporate this aspect as part of their practice.

Yes, we definitely are fascinating creatures.

🙂