Perpetual Panic

Ok...so when I left off I was telling you how I have a meltdown in WalMart.  Which by the way I'm thinking of using the last post as my "intro" on match.com....cause if I can find a man to go to WalMart with me then I've got a keeper for sure.  So here's a couple of tips if you meet a "Paniker" down the road in life......

Things not to say:
1.  Never say "just calm down".....guess what, if I could calm down I wouldn't have a panic disorder to begin with.  Best thing to do is lend a hand to hold onto....I imagine it's sort of like labor....I hold your hand to transfer the feelings to you!!  Work on crowd control if it happens it public...the last thing a "Paniker" wants is to have attention drawn to themselves.

Things not to do:
1.  Don't treat a "Paniker" like they are fragile or mentally incompetent...like my mother tends to do.  I swear the woman thinks I can't handle seeing a dead squirrel on the road.  And if I have an upheaval in my life...watch out...here comes a whole new wardrobe.  Which does have it perks.

What the Doctors say to do:
"Panikers" are supposed to embrace the panic and just "go with it".  Easy to say when you are sweating like a lumberjack and hyperventilating on aisle 16 in Walmart.  Allegedly the more you fight the panic...the worse it becomes.  It's true, I guess, now I just take a seat...grab my trusty brown bag from my purse to breathe in...and hold on for the ride.  It will never go away...it's with me till I die...it may get better at times...worse at others.  Sometimes I have something that will trigger an attack and I can feel it coming....other times....no warnings....just boom....I've popped my cork.  Like today for instance...at Kress Emporium...shopping, humming, and bam....cork is popped.  Thankfully in downtown Asheville my eccentricities are not really noticeable. 

So Panic has changed my life....it's basically the "flight or fight" mechanism working at the wrong time.  You know if you were to be chased by a bear you would have the same symptoms I have if I were to go to WalMart.  Or being robbed at the bank.   Oddly enough...being robbed at the bank never bothered me...go figure. 

There has been a lot of research if Panic is hereditary or learned behavior....they say it runs in families.  Now my family doesn't talk about it so I don't know if that's how it works....but some people handle it in other ways...like alcoholism (my family) or drug use (my family) or just nervousness.  And some people suffer silently....depression plays into it heavily.  Sometimes it's just family dysfunction....check!!  It's also thought that people with Panic have less endorphin activity  Sometimes it is just a learned personality trait:  analytical worriers who dwell on things and obsess about their fears.  They want things to be a certain way and have very high expectations.  When things go wrong...they get upset.  Winning the approval of others is very important and at all costs they must appear to be in control.  They tend to overreact.  Now if you know me at all...this is my personality.  Anxiety and Panic are emotional disorders rather than mental disorders....with obsessive thoughts rather than obsessive behaviors.  Rather it's learned or hereditary...it has me thinking of the prissy little rhinestone wearing, pink patent leather shoe wearing, girly-girl baby that I've always wanted.  Do I run the risk of passing down something so scary and life-altering to another.  Something to think about......along with all the other thousands of crazy thoughts.  FYI....don't bring artificial flowers to my funeral.  Especially ones in shapes of phones that say "Jesus Called...and Angie answered"....that's a big fear I have.  I also consult WebMd daily...today it's ovarian cancer.  Well, enough fun for today....till next time.