panic attacks

Hi there,   I have been getting a lot of anxiety/panic attacks lately & was wondering if they are anything to do with my Aspergers,  as i had never had them before until was told I had ASD?   I'm also unemployed at the moment which does not help at all. During April this year I went on a NVQ level 2 stewarding & crowd control Course and then my panic attacks  really upset me, so I had to end that idea. As i believe that large crowds of people  could made my panic attacks worse. Can anyone confirm this.?

Yours Peter Rowley

Parents
  • These things can be very individual, but hopefully someone will reply with comparable experiences soon. Crowds have an effect on most people but not necessarily manifesting as panic attacks - the usual issue is sensory overload and stress.

    I find crowded areas, and places like shopping malls difficult because too much is converging around me, sound and movement. But I just get agitated, maybe even verbal about it, not actual panic, but certainly less in control and reactive.

    It might be worth going to some crowded places, perhaps sitting down if possible, and just trying to assess what it is in your surroundings causing you most problems. That way you can anticipate if a crowded environment is going to be problemmatic immediately, or one you can cope with for a bit.

    The danger is you start retreating from every crowded situation, when with a bit of trial and error, there may be some you can cope with for long enough to meet your needs - eg going to a shop.

Reply
  • These things can be very individual, but hopefully someone will reply with comparable experiences soon. Crowds have an effect on most people but not necessarily manifesting as panic attacks - the usual issue is sensory overload and stress.

    I find crowded areas, and places like shopping malls difficult because too much is converging around me, sound and movement. But I just get agitated, maybe even verbal about it, not actual panic, but certainly less in control and reactive.

    It might be worth going to some crowded places, perhaps sitting down if possible, and just trying to assess what it is in your surroundings causing you most problems. That way you can anticipate if a crowded environment is going to be problemmatic immediately, or one you can cope with for a bit.

    The danger is you start retreating from every crowded situation, when with a bit of trial and error, there may be some you can cope with for long enough to meet your needs - eg going to a shop.

Children
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