Overcoming anxiety 41 – Wide open spaces
This is one aspect of my anxiety disorder that has been embarrassing for me to talk about. Therefore, I have hardly made a mention of it in my past videos. In this video, you’ll see one of the exposure therapy routes I take in order to face this major problem of mine.
Tags: overcoming anxiety, wide open spaces, spaces, Anxiety, Overcoming, Wide
Related posts:
Iv’e had this before.
That is pretty intense! Where I live is a baby’s playground compared to the areas you’re talking about when it comes to truly wide open sparseness. Fortunately, I can now do the drive that I did in this video with almost no discomfort. I’m ready for a new challenge! And it sure is an inside job. Our imagination is powerful.
If you’ve ever driven through the western part of Kansas/eastern part of Colorado you would see some very flat terrain with few visual cues. The worst I ever experienced out there was after a snow storm. All you could see in front or behind you was tracks on the highway and everything else was white! This even disturbed my wife who doesn’t suffer anxiety. Just remembering this triggers feelings of anxiety in me. Goes to show what an ‘inside job’ this really is.
I haven’t, but, my dentist awhile back tried to sell me a mouth guard to wear at night. He noticed wear patterns on my teeth that suggested bruxism – teeth clenching. I didn’t realize how often I did it, but once he mentioned it, I notice that I do a lot. I will look into this. Thank you for pointing me in that direction. If I can get rid of the dizziness, I’ve won a good part of the battle.
They are not as separate as you might think. The reason that comment caught my eye is because I longer see anxiety as “anxiety”, but rather vestibular dysfunction. In my experience, it wasn’t that doctors couldn’t figure it out, it’s that they diagnosed me with everything under the sun pertaining to the inner-ear. In the end it turned out that my jaw joint was the problem. I clench my teeth in my sleep which ends up affecting my inner-ear. Have you seen to an ENT doctor at all?
There are studies out now that point to a lack of visual cues inherent in wide open spaces that can lead people with weak vestibular systems to develop phobias in wide open spaces, leading to this branch of agoraphobia. I have always had problems with balance. I’ve had on again off again dizzy spells for the last 23 years that doctors could never figure out. The dizzy problem is a separate problem to some degree, but the anxiety and dizziness feed each other.
“It could be the lack of visual cues in sparse landscapes that’s part of the problem.”
This comment intrigued me. What would lead you to think that? A gut feeling, or something else?…
Thank you. :)
Well done on confronting your fears. Great video.
Separation anxiety perhaps? Have you been diagnosed? Sometimes extremely stressful situations can ‘break’ us to where we develop these problems. Or, it could be a chemical imbalance that developed or was already there and then the divorce simply pushed you over the edge. But it’s hard to say the cause. You would have to see a professional therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, etc. Many things can cause or trigger our anxieties and panic.
I didn’t know they grew sugar cane there.
I dont think you would like south Louisiana at all :) when the sugar cane is cut down there is miles of open spaces
I’m 17, and when i was about 12ish my parents got a devorce, during this time i had massive panic attacks in any situation outside of my house for several months, simply going to my junior high was a battle, and then it just left. Would you happen to know why or what can bring it on.
Unfortunately, the car does not help. If I was inside a van with no windows in a flat landscape, I’d be much better off. It could be the lack of visual cues in sparse landscapes that’s part of the problem.
I don’t like wide open spaces either…one year when I was spending time at a hotel, it took a while for me to be able to walk through a parking lot to get to the store for some food…it was a big one. Does being inside the car help at all? I’d feel more secure that way.