[jft]

I think that is the word they used to use when ones anxiety symtpoms would decrease if you stayed in a situation long enough. I.E. they would jsut play themselves out. So therapy involved taking panic/agoraphobic people to malls, or socially phobic people to tea parties, or claustrophobic people to elevators etc. and had had them stay until their symptoms abated. And it works.

The question I have is for you folks with dr, you folks with problems with flouresecent lights and whatever else, who in general say that anxiety has a strong relationship with your dr (and dp)...does habituation ever work for you? I mean when you go to a mall and are feeling really dr'r and dp'd, if you stay long enough does it go away? Or other situations where you feel anxiety is relational with your dp/dr?

My experience is no. The only think that abates it is to get the heck out of there. If this is the case for any of you as well, why does habituation work for pure anxiety folks but not us?
jft

 

[agentcooper]

it just gets worse and worse for me...never gets better!

 

[dax]

it just gets worse and worse for me...never gets better!

Same here.

 

[Martinelv]

Running away from your fears and anxieties never helps. Never. You either confront them, for however long it takes, or face a life of misery. It's up to you.

 

[Guest]

We're each different - so interesting, isn't it?

For me, I never got good at mastering the fears. NEVER. I was running out of stores in hysterical sweats the same way after 15 yrs. of symptoms. Anytime I tried to expose myself to things and to push through it, I usually failed. It was better to TRY, but I nealy always ended up grabbing a cab I couldn't afford, crying on the street, or standing against a building, shaking from terror that my mind was vanishing.

To ME, the reason habituation doesn't work is this: for some phobias that are VERY specific (fear of deep water, fear of spiders, etc.) the person is likely not anxious or obsessive at all unless they are near water or spiders. For them, habituation might help.

But for the rest of us who think about our symptoms constantly, there is no "safe place" ever anyway. To then force ourselves into deeper scary situation in hopes of "pushing through" the terror is counter-productive.

When someone is consumed with their symptoms, obsessive and constantly self-monitoring, efforts at habituation is only going to make them feel worse.

 

[chris51]

For me the DP sets in whenever. No particular place. When it does, I don't run as usually I can't. (for whatever eason, the kids or, I'm at my job) But it doesn't get better nor does it seem to get worse.