"My anxiety attacks come on so suddenly," I told him frustrated. "It feels very similar to an adrenaline rush but much worse. My world kind of spins out of focus for an hour or two there. My heart starts to pound in my chest and I can't see straight. It is the scariest thing that has ever happened to me except my motorcycle accident."
"What helps you the most?" he asked. "Now, be honest with me."
"I used to always drink to feel better," I replied. "Now, I have to get somewhere very quiet, relaxing, and still and then I take my medications. My therapist, Barbara, has helped me more than any medications I take."
Dad, the pharmacist, found that last statement very interesting.
"How so?" he asked intrigued.
"She's taught me how to deal with these kinds of mental illness episodes -- how to react and act when they occur. She's about helped me to put my social anxieties to rest. Who would have ever thought I would be going out on dates and answering the phone? Or going to the grocery store for that matter."
image credit: https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychology-textbook/treating-psychological-disorders-19/approaches-to-psychotherapy-98/
No comments:
Post a Comment