Last time I went to an amusement park,I rode that pirate ship that goes back and forth and i freaked out so much that I asked the supervisor to stop and let me out! I used to love them.... Any advice?
Is this a joke?
Yeah, I have some advice
Stay away from amusement park rides
Why would it be a joke? I just want my life back! I want to be able to enjoy the things I used to,without freaking out over an amusement park. But thank you for you reply!
Okay, the below advice was not very helpful. Geesh. Do you remember what you used to love about them? Can you recall how you used to feel on them? Or what changed? Do you remember the day your feelings changed about them or what got you so scared of them? I say JUST DO IT. Face your fear! You used to love it, so refind that love. Go on a more mellow roller coasters a couple times until you feel comfortable and then let looooooose! Ride them all! After you ride a few mellow ones, you will probably start to feel better. Face your fear!
My last good memory was with my grandparents! They are not here anymore... I tried that pirate ship a few years back with a former bf and immediately I felt dizzy and that caused a panic attack.. Then,\i freaked out and the panic attack got worse..You know how it goes... I am not afraid of heights,not claustrophobic (ok,no caves..!!!) and I am exactly that person you described! I face my fears! I am a dj and I have worked a 12 hour shift whilst having a panic attack! But the roller coaster thing is a bit daunting... THANK YOU for being supportive!
I honestly thought you were joking. If not then I apologize.
And I agree... The previous comment was a tad aggressive,I think... I do not want to cower in fear anymore.. \i've had enough of thst. I'm 33 years old and I'm even terrified of pregnancy and giving birth!
I do not believe this is a place to joke about anything.. I admit i have a sense of humour that has basically saved me many times,but no,I was not joking! I do accept your apology,no harm done!
There have been instances of people posting things which were fabricated, one person in particular who first was bitten by a bat and feared rabies..we all rushed to help....then a mouse peed on him and he thought he wasabout to die...on and on that went until the Moderator closed his account.
Hard to believe that people mock those with Anxiety/Panic Disorder but sadly they exist
I genuinely thought you were joking. I would never intentionally hurt anyone.
I appreciate that you have accepted my apology
Thank you
Helen
Well that one comment was extremely rude, people apparently don't understand that we all have different fears.. Anyways, I think the only real way to get over this fear is to just go and do it. Go to the amusement park and go on the same ride. Do not get off. You might panic, but just deal with it.. The ride only lasts for like 3 minutes, so maybe just keep telling yourself it's almost over. What exactly scared you about it? The length, the speed, the feeling your body got from it?
The dizziness... I thought I was going to faint in front of all these people,most of them teenagers... Silly reason,perhaps,but enough to freak me out... A bunch of my friends are going to an amusement park when the weather gets better and I said "eeeeh,eh...eeeeh.suuuure...eh,we will see" and immediately thought that when that day comes I'll tell them I'm ill or sth... I think that is pathetic of me...
Oh yes,they do exist... And the worst part,in my opinion,is the ones who are close to you that basically just think that this is an excuse to get out of sth... Ah,been there... It's alright,I can understand from what you're describing that you could be sceptical about a question like this! No problems here!!!!
Victoria
We can't control what were scared of.. I try to just close my eyes on them and it seems to help with getting dizzy. That and not eating or drinking directly beforehand. What if you just went on a few calm rides first? Swings, bumper cars, etc.. Once your body notices that you're not in real danger I think it will be pretty easy to get over. Or just go along for the day to spend time with your friends, don't rush getting on rides if you don't actually feel ready.
I have many fears,but i'm trying to let the logical side of my brain to fight them... My most basic cause of a panic attack is sth completely ridiculous. I have irritable bowel syndrome.. Everytime I am somewhere with no access to a wc (trains,buses etc etc) I am CERTAIN that I will have explosive..you know.. It has never happened to me but I'm always scared it will.. I'm actually laughing now that I'm reading my own words,but when it happens...eh..panic!
I will try this... Thank you!!!!
That is very gracious of you!
I honestly resonded tongue in cheek but not with the intention to humiliate nor hurt you
If I might just say? If the ride made you feel dizzy and because of your fear of fainting in front of everyone, it induced a panic attack....Then it's no wonder you fear going on a ride again
Whatever ignites a panic attacks becomes to us something to fear. We fear it will induce another.
Fear by association
I cannot say make an excuse to opt out of going with your friends because avoidance is never a good thing. I learned that the hard way
However, on the reverse side of the coin, forcing yourself to do something you fear can also have a negative effect because you'll be dreading it before you even arrive and will then be in a state of heightened tension
You will have to make a judgement about how you feel when the time comes. But it isn't the ride you must fear. It's your fear of the ride
I hope you can go, can enjoy your time on the rides with your friends
Good luck
Helen
I completely agree... Fear by association is very real... I'm not sure what I will do... I like to face my fears,but maybe this fear is not very irrational,right? People without any phobias or anxiety disorders are not comfortable with amusement parks,right?
It takes a lot to humiliate me or hurt me,my dear Helen! Please,do not worry about it! And anyway,you didn't say anything that bad!!!!!!!
Many people are scared of amusement park rides. One of my sisters is a perfectly calm human being, almost fearless, but she'd be kicking and screaming if you tried to get her on one
What is interesting, though, is that the rides make people dizzy. This is a sense of loss of control. And losing/fearing loss of control/feeling an involuntary loss of control, scares the hell out of people with Anxiety/Panic Disorder
So I agree. It's not irrational.
Personally I would never force myself. I like to deal with my fears as and when I feel physically and mentally capable of doing so. When I'm in a good place
That might sound like avoidance, that might sound like shying away from that which frightens me
But
Failure is soul destroying to anyone with AD/PD. It sucks the courage out of us. It makes one avoid trying again. It makes one feel hopeless and helpless
Only you can decide what to do. What place you stand in and how capable you feel of seeing this though
It's a balance
Do I think you can do it? Yes, but not if you do it to prove a point to yourself, to prove you are not afraid
If you do it, do so because you know, you feel in your mind and body, that there is nothing to be frightened of
Helen
I'm a control freak,truth be told.. I have never been drunk in my life,never done any kind of drugs... I cannot stand not having complete awareness and control over a situation...And I think I want to do it to prove a point to myself,you are right...
I am a control freak too! Don't drink, never taken drugs.
I think a lot of people with AD/PD fear loss of control. That's why the symptoms we have devastate us. We cannot make them go away, or so we believe. They are involuntary
However, that's somewhat misleading. The symptoms, vile though they are, cannot harm us. It's our fear of them we must overcome
I believe you have enough feistiness to carry you through. Not the kind of gal that likes to be beaten ( Me Too, lol !)
But please, you have to do this for the right reason. Not for fear of letting your friends down
Do it for yourself
You can!
Go Girl!