Stressing before I need to.

[StereotypicalPisces]

Before I started having severe anxiety I loved to travel, meet new people and experience new things. I know I’ve mentioned this a lot in my past posts but since it’s less than a week away I am starting to stress and have bad anxiety about a concert I bought tickets to before I started having panic attacks. It’s for my boyfriends birthday and we have to travel 4 hours away from home to be there. I’ve made tons of progress from the crippling anxiety I had before but now I’m starting to feel those symptoms again because something I was once excited for is now something I fear because of the crowds and long lines.

Does anyone have any words of encouragement or advice on how to handle it now and how to cope the day of? I’ve been to a concert before early in the year and was fine but now that my anxiety has gotten a lot worse starting in August and I’m still in the beginning stages of recovery. I know it’s going to be difficult to even step foot in the arena.

[blackcat64013]

One of the things to do is write a plan for the trip so that you know what is going to happen and when.

A most unknown fact is that you can contact the concert venue before attending the event and ask to be fast tracked through the queue due to your mental disability. You will have tell them that you have the huge anxiety issue and what you need on the day to make the event a success. This request could include being met at the box office and escorted to your seats at a suitable time.

You could also ask the doctor for a quick acting calming medication if you think you need it on the day.

Enjoy the concert with your best friend

[Meganhopscotch]

Try and make a mantra that you keep telling yourself. Like.... "everyone is here to listen to music" or "I'll be just fine, besides my boyfriend is here." If that doesn't help make a list of realistic possibilities. Sure there's a chance that things could go bad, but it's way more possible that everything will be fine, you'll have a great time and add this to your collection of stepping stones of progress toward being comfortable in the world. I find that at concerts ppl tend to have a more "community" mentality meaning that if something potentially bad happens, everyone would most likely step in to try and help you. But, everything will be fine-you got this. Maybe make a "worst case scenario" plan, if you absolutely feel overwhelmed. Try a kickboxing class you can get a free 1 week pass to LA Fitness and take one for free. Hope some of these help.

[Windy101]

It might help to change up the script a little.

Instead of picturing yourself anxious and upset, try to picture something ridiculous happening. We all have our different ideas of ridiculous, but for me that might be a bunch of pigs waiting in line for their tickets and carrots being the backup band and Mary Poppins flying in and landing perfectly in her seat. Just a whole bunch of stupid stuff. You could put a bunch of cartoon characters in the backseat of the car riding with you or Homer Simpson and the Queen of England back there making out. Just images for your mind that you can think of whenever the anxiety starts.

You can also try memorizing a poem beforehand. That's hard stuff! Your mind can't be working itself into a frenzy of anxiety and memorizing a poem at the same time. Then you can recite it in your head while driving there, waiting in line, etc. And hey, you'll know a poem - which is cool!

Go, have the best time you can, and that's all. It's a big deal now, but truly in the scope of your entire life or the little speck we inhabit in this universe, it is a small matter. Sometimes I think the harder we try not to have the anxiety, the worse it gets. Just use your imagination in a different direction altogether and see what happens. And you know what? If you get anxious, it's okay.