…in the middle of an unfamiliar, crowded grocery store.
I’d been to this store a handful of times over the years. As I tried to navigate my way through the produce, it became very crowded. There were too many people. I stopped for a few minutes to gather myself, and as the crowd moved on, I was able to pick up the things I needed.
As I wandered through to the bakery, I felt less dread, but I still didn’t feel quite right. I acknowledged the slight panic I was feeling to my companion and we moved along.
The next thing I knew, I was faced with an everyday decision. I had to decide what would be on the menu this week. I found myself unable to move. The choices were too many, yet not enough. There were TOO MANY people. Tears started streaming down my face. My companion was unsure of what to do. I was frozen to that spot.
After what seemed like hours (I’m sure it was just minutes), I was able to leave the store. It was painful. Each step felt like a million miles. I made it outside, where the cool air was most welcome.
It was exhausting. And scary.
We’ll see where this takes us…
I woke up with a panic attack @4 am Sat morning… not fun… Thank God I had 3 xanax left in a pill bottle. I feel he pain Lisa.
It is certainly not fun! I have used Xanax when flying, and I think it is miraculous.
This is powerfully written! My heart began to pound as I read it and my eyes filled with tears. Anxiety is a bitch. Panic, that much worse. Whew!
Thank you for writing such a nice comment. I’ve experienced anxiety many times in my life, but I do believe this was my first panic.
I have to admit that I have never experienced something like you describe here. I sounds awful and I hope I never go through it. Were you going through a hard time when this happened or was it completely out of the blue?
It was last Sunday. And, I don’t know.
=/ anxiety sucks. I understand the struggle. HUGS
Thanks…