Anxiety

[CorkscrewFoley]

Hello,

 

I think this is my first post ever, anyways, over the past few years I have been having issues with anxiety when I'm going to be riding...so bad, I have been close many a time to getting sick. Mind you, this hasn't stopped me from riding, but my question is, there anyone else on this forum that have the same issue (or had it), and wondering how to curve it completely...

 

Thanks,

 

Tim.

[Philrad71]

Tim,

Is your anxiety directly linked to just riding rides and coasters, or do you have generalized anxiety disorder where it strikes with no warning? I have had bouts with panic attacks/anxiety for years. Don't really like taking meds though, so I have tried to deal with them without it.

 

I have only had a panic attack once or twice on a coaster and that was going up the lift hill. As soon as we crested the top, that fear went away almost instantly. My thoughts of fear vanished once I realized how much fun I was having!

 

My biggest weapon of attack is to always try to focus on something else when anxiety/panic strikes. It isn't always easy, but it will work. If it happens at a theme park before going on a ride, try to maintain focus on how kick-ass the ride is going to be, or try and think of a list in your mind of certain things you are going to do while at the park. Talking with someone is also a good way to clear your mind or worry.

 

I have noticed that as long as I can focus & concentrate on something else besides being nervous and afraid of something, those feelings will eventually go away.

 

Hope this helps!

Phil

[robbalvey]

I've heard about this from flying, but not really about roller coasters.

[Sir Clinksalot]

I know a lot of people who have anxiety towards coasters when they have had a bad past experience (getting sick or stuck on a coaster) but it's usually to the extent of "I'm not riding that".

 

For some reason though, every time I go up the lift on Goliath at SFMM I get nervous, not "Anxiety" nervous, just "Holy crap, what if we have earthquake" nervous. Doesn't happen on any other coaster or even the Sky Tower. And once we go down the hill I'm fine.

[Emiroo]

Now if this fear just pertains to riding some stuff, that anxiety is 100% normal and to be expected. If you get anxious/scared in everyday normal situations it might be Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Unfortunately, this is something I know about all too well.

 

About 9 years ago, my irrational anxieties were getting the best of me. To the point where I was literally afraid to leave the house for anything other than going to work. Things got pretty bad before my wife encouraged me to seek help. I went to a Psychiatrist and he put me on medicine to help. It took a couple different prescriptions before I found my "magic pill" but I one I had it, my whole life went back to normal and was better than ever. The pill does not make me feel drunk/high/spaced out. If just makes me feel normal. I only take it when I feel the anxiety coming on and over the years have had to depend on it less and less so that now I only have to take it once or twice a month (as opposed to once or twice a day in the beginning). I know the anxiety will never go completely away, but it's no problem to face it anymore because I know I have a secret weapon that will always defeat it. If you do think you might have GAD, don't be afraid/embarrassed to seek help. You can have the life you want. I'm living proof.

 

But again being anxious about riding is natural. It's part of the fun to me. That way, when you do ride you feel like you've really achieved something afterwards.

[Philrad71]

^Nice post...would it be too personal to ask what medication finally did the trick for you? I have had doctors try a couple different meds and they actually made things worse. The doctor claimed that it was normal for it to get worse before it would get better and that I needed to keep taking it regularly....whatever. I weaned myself off them and threw them in the trash. I did not like the way they made me feel because not only did my anxiety get worse, I started having other feelings that I have never had before...and let me tell you, they were NOT happy, bubble-blowing feelings!

 

I have had some moderate success with Klonopin in the past, but I still would rather take nothing and just figure out how to work through them. Besides, my doctor said that Klonopin is addictive and neither one of us wants to be on something that is addictive and can have side effects if not taken regularly. Sometimes, it can be pretty miserable though and it would be nice to have something that I could just take on the occasion when an anxiety attack does happen.

 

Like I said in my previous post...f I can get my mind focused on something else, the feelings will usually dissipate. Other than the one time I started getting very anxious on a coaster lift (still not sure what triggered it), the feeling of panic is completely different than the cotton-mouth, nervous feeling that I get when when I am say...waiting for the launch on TTD!

 

Fortunately, amusement and theme parks are a big part of my therapy when it comes to tackling anxiety. I usually feel like a kid again and it makes me feel good....that is just another reason why I am an enthusiast and try to set a goal to hit at least a dozen park visits per year!

 

 

 

 

Phil

[Emiroo]

^ Klonopin is my "magic pill".

 

I too was worried about it's addictive properties and weaned myself off of "full-time" use after about a year and a half. As I mentioned above, now I only take it as needed. FYI - to my knowledge I never had any "physical" dependency on the medicine, but I'm positive I had "mental" dependence on it and still do to some degree. As in I get anxious if I know I'm going to be in an "anxious situation" and won't have my medicine available. It's a nasty cycle. Luckily, I have my medicine available just about everywhere I go.

 

If you've taken meds in the past but didn't feel right (in any way) or had any unwanted side effects, try something else. I went through 4 different kinds before I got the right one. And don't sacrifice either. There was one pill that worked flawlessly for my anxiety, but gave me sexual side effects. That's no good. But eventually I tried Klonopin, which worked the same on the anxiety and the only noticeable side effect it that I can get pretty drowsy about 6 hours after I take it.

 

And as I final little note to anyone interested, if you are seeking treatment for anxiety, I highly recommend going to a psychiatrist over a physician. I initially went to my physician and he gave me something. However, when I went back to request a different prescription, because the one he gave made me feel spaced out and crazy his reply was that was what he prescribed for anxiety. I went to a psychiatrist the next week and talked to him about it. He instantly was familiar with the side effects from my vague description and didn't hesitate to switch me to something else. We did this complain and switch routine 4 or 5 times before we got the magic prescription.

 

I know we should be talking coasters here, but this problem is more common than you might think. Yet because of the mental illness stigma, not many people discuss it. I'm not afraid to. And since I started openly discussing my experience, I've had 2 very close friends tell me they had the same thing and sought the same help after hearing how it helped me. Not to be too corny, but if I can help anyone here overcome their fears and seek help then all those years of suffering before I got help were not in vain.

[RonFrost]

I just finished reading the book "Healing Anxiety and Depression" by Dr. Daniel Amen and Dr. Lisa Routh. I have dealt with general anxiety most of my life, and I found much of the information in the book to be really helpful. There is an entire chapter on different medications, what they're used to treat, and what side effects are associated. They also talk about vitamins, supplements, and life style changes that can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. I've sent copies of the book to several people that I know suffer as well.

 

Distraction is one of the best methods of dealing with specific triggers for anxiety, and this could help for your symptoms while you're in line for a coaster. I find that this is especially powerful when I'm able to talk to other people. Being "stuck" in your head with anxious thoughts can send you spiraling into a full blown panic attack, so talk it out. Physical exercise is also a really great release for all the pent up energy that runs through your body when you're anxious. It may be difficult to run laps in the park, but you may consider doing some aerobic activity before your visit. When you get your heart rate elevated, your body releases endorphins and dopamine; both of these are natural "feel good" brain chemicals. Lastly, try diaphragmatic breathing, or breathing from your diaphragm. Sometimes just focusing on your breath is enough to calm you down, but check that you're not breathing short and shallow.

 

Oh, just thought of one other, very important thing - diet. If you're prone to anxiety at the park, avoid stimulants like coffee and other caffeinated energy drinks, and stay away from all the sugary foods. Ingesting these is like adding gasoline to a fire, and can make your feelings of excitement change to anxiety.

[ginzo]

^I think you're winning the war considering you were one of few people who did the monkey bars at Fårup Sommerland last year.

[diggerg56]

Never had anxiety issues with riding, flying or anything like that. However, my anxiety revolved around the fear of not being able to breathe. Even having a severe cold/plugged nose can trigger it. There are medicines out there that can help you with minimal side effects. Sometimes it takes awhile to find the right one but I'd give a Psychiatrist a show as others have suggested, especially if you have insurance/financial means to do so.

[the ghost]

I think you kind of have to bite the bullet. My friend used to freak out at drop towers, but we started on the little moser ones, then moved to an ARM one(jesus, those are intense) then moved to supreme scream, the rather large S&S one. He got over it, just like that cause he distracts himself. He reasond he could do other things like go on coasters, which are just as high, so he cold go on drop rides. Of course, he never had clynical anxiety where he could not function, he just hated drop towers, he still gets naucious when going up, but like the feeling of going down.

[fatdaddy]

I have anxiety related to weather im gonna be too fat for the restraint to close, I mean im not huge, but theres been a few times when they told me to get off cause i didn't fit. I know my sister, who was pushin' three bills at one point, saw one lady get sent off a ride and thought is was so embarassing, that she told the ride ops to force the restraint closed, so she didn't have to do the walk of shame. I think it took two of um to get it to click, but she got to ride.

 

Oh the other hand, i've had a few time where i didn't think the restraint clicked and was hoping that it wasn't just that little piece of seat belt that was holding me in. Which that actually happened to my cousin at WCB on riddler, i don't think he will ever ride it again.

[Philrad71]

Never had anxiety issues with riding, flying or anything like that. However, my anxiety revolved around the fear of not being able to breathe. Even having a severe cold/plugged nose can trigger it. There are medicines out there that can help you with minimal side effects. Sometimes it takes awhile to find the right one but I'd give a Psychiatrist a show as others have suggested, especially if you have insurance/financial means to do so.

 

I get that feeling on occasion too and believe it may have been triggered from watching my mother die from COPD/smoking. I also smoked for years, but after witnessing what I did, it was quite easy to stop cold turkey. I believe that a lot of my anxiety has been triggered by a near death experience when I was younger and from watching my mother die from that horrible disease.

 

Klonopin is my "magic pill".

 

I too was worried about it's addictive properties and weaned myself off of "full-time" use after about a year and a half. As I mentioned above, now I only take it as needed. FYI - to my knowledge I never had any "physical" dependency on the medicine, but I'm positive I had "mental" dependence on it and still do to some degree. As in I get anxious if I know I'm going to be in an "anxious situation" and won't have my medicine available. It's a nasty cycle. Luckily, I have my medicine available just about everywhere I go.

 

If you've taken meds in the past but didn't feel right (in any way) or had any unwanted side effects, try something else. I went through 4 different kinds before I got the right one. And don't sacrifice either. There was one pill that worked flawlessly for my anxiety, but gave me sexual side effects. That's no good. But eventually I tried Klonopin, which worked the same on the anxiety and the only noticeable side effect it that I can get pretty drowsy about 6 hours after I take it.

 

And as I final little note to anyone interested, if you are seeking treatment for anxiety, I highly recommend going to a psychiatrist over a physician. I initially went to my physician and he gave me something. However, when I went back to request a different prescription, because the one he gave made me feel spaced out and crazy his reply was that was what he prescribed for anxiety. I went to a psychiatrist the next week and talked to him about it. He instantly was familiar with the side effects from my vague description and didn't hesitate to switch me to something else. We did this complain and switch routine 4 or 5 times before we got the magic prescription.

 

I know we should be talking coasters here, but this problem is more common than you might think. Yet because of the mental illness stigma, not many people discuss it. I'm not afraid to. And since I started openly discussing my experience, I've had 2 very close friends tell me they had the same thing and sought the same help after hearing how it helped me. Not to be too corny, but if I can help anyone here overcome their fears and seek help then all those years of suffering before I got help were not in vain.

 

Thanks for that...it is nice to know that there are other people that have shared similar feelings and know how awful this problem can truly be. I also had a discussion with my one of my best friends and found out that he was suffering from occasional anxiety plus bouts of depression. His doctor had given him Xanax, which he claims works for him. He had also been on Klonopin, but stated that the Xanax seemed to work better for him and kicked in quicker when anxiety struck.

 

I agree that we should be talking coasters here and wondered if this topic would have been better suited in the 'Random' forum? I think it is a relative topic for the members whether it be for people with generalized anxiety or phobias, or those who are looking for a little guidance or comfort before they challenge big coasters and rides.

 

Not sure if Robb or one of the mod's could move this into the random forum, or would we need to close this one and start another and just label the topic: Anxiety/Panic Discussion?