Agorophobia, Claustophobia, Panic Disorder and PTSD

[disney david]

Thanks y'all. SO helpful.

Disney David, I see your signature line...are you involved in suicide prevention?

my mother works for the va as a nurse manager in mental health unit SO the va came up with more ways to help prevent suicide. When bush was president they final understood they needed to spend more money on it after some incidents in the va and in the field. SO he gave the va 18 million to upgrade mental health so they came up with that and made all the vas to through their hospitals to see what can make them safer.

 

[adoptivemomx2]

I see. My identical twin sister died by suicide. In fact tomorrow will be the 5 year anniversary. It's pretty much why my PTSD is in the "complex" category.

 

[ppony]

Just wanted to thank the OP and other posters for posting this thread. I feel so not alone anymore. I had to reveal to my deacon a few weeks ago whey going to church is so hard for me (the people around me) and he was the most kind person I could imagine about it. I thought he'd tell me to pray about it and just go. Which I'm sorry, but that hasn't worked in 20 years. Nope. I was in tears of course. It's SO good to read some of these strategies I hadn't tried and I'll try next time. In a way, I've not had to address them as much because my youngest can now get a GAC and it's actually helped ME in ways I couldn't imagine just doing this with him So HUGS to those that face their fears! it's not easy!

back to the thread!

 

[disney david]

I see. My identical twin sister died by suicide. In fact tomorrow will be the 5 year anniversary. It's pretty much why my PTSD is in the "complex" category.

i am so sorry to hear about that and glad you found the dis to help you in planing we are always here if you need to ask a question or talk.

that why i have that in my sig i want it their so if someone needs it they can use it.

 

[DizMagic]

this thread is amazing. op - thanks so much for sharing your stories, i believe you are helping many others. i too struggle with panic attacks due to claustrophobia, heat and the feeling of being "trapped". a couple of things that have helped me.

1. avoid the heat when ever possible (early mornings, lots of breaks, lots of water)
2. medication. talk with your doctor about the best way to take them. i was having trouble with my celexa when taken in the am, i switched to pm and i am great now. i also take klonapin as needed (zanax did nothing for me).
3. i like the idea of a washcloth with water / ice. i had a panic attack in june coming off the ferry to mk. ended up vomiting in the bushes at mk *can you believe it*. a cm was very nice and gave me his wet rag to cool off.
4. mk is difficult due to transportation. i highly suggest not trying to make yourself do the ferry or monorail. either have your hubbie drop you at the contemporary or take a taxi there and walk.
5. my trigger rides are - POTC (been stuck one too many times on that ride). the monorail. ellen. mission space. and monsters inc and CoP . basically, when they "corral" you in a room and shut the door - i freak!

remember - this is only a vacation if it is fun. dont force yourself to do anything you are not comfortable with. my family all knows of my limitations and are wonderful at working with me. if i cant make a ride that day - they go without me and i wait. much more fun for all!

i hope you have a great time and find a way to enjoy yourself.

 

[tattooed princess]

This might be true because RR does have a little alcohol in it (in the dropper version... the pestilles might be ok. There's also Hylands Calms Forte that could be taken with it without adverse affect.

RR also comes in a spray version -- might be the same as the dropper, but worth looking for and handy to keep around if it suits your needs. You all just reminded me of it and I think I'll have to hunt it down again.

 

[SueM in MN]

Since the original thread from the THeme Parks Board was moved here on my request and the original poster made a new thread here, there were 2 threads.

I combined the 2 threads because there were good answers on both threads. I didn’t want any to get lost by closing the one with less answers and didn’t want to have people choose between the threads to post - so both threads are now combined.

I see. My identical twin sister died by suicide. In fact tomorrow will be the 5 year anniversary. It's pretty much why my PTSD is in the "complex" category.

I am sorry to hear that. My nephew died by suicide. His birthday would have been last week.

Are there any specific things that might cause you problems related to this?
For example, someone whose PTSD is related to fire might want to know what attractions might include fire or smoke so they can either be prepared or avoid them.

A couple other things -
Parking and drop off have been covered quite a bit already, but I wanted to warn you that if your husband drops you off, you may be standing waiting for him for a long time. He will probably need to exit the parking area, re-enter, park and then travel to where you are waiting. So, you want to be prepared for that.

If you have not looked at the disABILITIES FAQs thread, I would suggest you do so. It is near the top of this board or you can follow the link in my signature.
Post 6 of the thread is about Guest Assistance Cards.
Post 27 on page 2 is a list of attractions that people with claustrophobia reported caused problems for them - along with explanations about what caused the problem.
Post 22 is a list of attractions where all guests need to stand for a period. Some of these are tight areas or areas where many people are together in the same place.
Post 3 is a list of helpful links to specific information. This is one of the links I copied from post 3 for you:
Interactive Video Tour: Someone posted a link to this video on the Theme Parks Board and I thought it would be great for people with various disabilities: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yanxLYu8dto
It starts out entering MK, so you can see the entrance turnstiles, how to put in the ticket and do a finger scan. It goes on thru MK, filmed as though you are walking through the park. The interactive part is that when you get to an attraction, you can click the video and will actually be transported to a video of that attraction. Many of the attraction videos show part of the queue and a ‘taste’ of the attraction.
I thought it would be great for people with physical disabilities who might be concerned about what the ride car looks like and how you board. For kids with autism or other special needs, they could decide whether to ‘ride’ it not.
Even though it might look at first like it will just be one park, it actually hits all the parks.
2 important points - some of the entrances and queues have been changed a bit. For example, interactive queues were added to Haunted Mansion, Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan. Also, any references to Toontown are out of date. Toontown was torn down to create a Fantasyland expansion.

 

[disney david]

It not a safe and a good idea to stop by the side walk near contempory because that a one lane road. Tat the cms use to get to their parking and they like to speed if their running late for work. It will be better if you decide to go to contempory to drop off is entering let the cm know your dropping off they let you go through. Then drop off in front of The hotel then walk to mk from their. Another idea is is to pay the 12 valet fee then you Can park their and just walk over. When entering mk stay to the right let them know your going to visit contempory so they don't charge you the 14 parking fee. Plus once you pay the 12 valet you could go to another resort that day and not have to pay again.

 

[adoptivemomx2]

These responses are amazing...I couldn't ask for anything better. I'm going to feel so much more confident going to the parks now that I know much more what to expect. I will be spending a lot of time on Youtube, too, to see all the rides and see if there are any I can possibly go on...it would make my kids SO happy.

My PTSD triggers mostly have to do with feeling trapped. So you were right on the money about there being a possible problem by having to wait for my family at the MK after they drop me off at the Contemporary. But maybe my kids can stay with me (they're a big distraction) while my husband parks. I was even thinking we could have our breakfast there, if they have a restaurant on the main floor. I don't see riding elevators in the near future.

I can feel trapped in the oddest places and sometimes it takes me by surprise. Even some situations where I'm not physically trapped can make me panic...a hostile situation, say.

I was watching the river ride on Youtube last night and I'm on the fence. I would really like to ride it. I'm just worried I will panic about being "trapped" on the ride and jump out. And then what? Swim to shore? Most of us with this problem have a hard time dealing with the inappropriate things we feel we might do in a panic situation.

Thank you, all of you, for helping with this. It is calming me down already because it is becoming less unknown...which is probably the scariest part.

 

[buzz2400]

I have panic attacks whenever I feel that I am trapped and there is no bathroom. I carry valium with me everywhere I go just in case so I know what are dealing with. My son and I have gone to disney every year for the past 10 or 15 years. We have also gone on other vacations. He knows about my panic attacks and accepts them as a way of life. So I think I can say you won't be ruining your kids vacation.

I few notes get there at rope drop but linger behind the crowd. This will get you on more rides with less crowds.

Get as many fast passes that you can but hold onto them for later in the day when the lines get longer. You don't have to go when it states, just as long as you use it on the same day.

Try to get on some of the rides. I just tell myself that each ride is only about 3 or 4 minutes long and that I can handle it.

When I feel the attack coming on, I just tell my son that if I get off the ride and run (to the bathroom) I will just meet him back at the exit of the ride. So I would just have a plan with your husband on what to do in case of an "emergency".

If you belong to AAA, go to one of the offices and ask if they can give you a diamond parking pass. You will stil have to pay for parking (unless you are staying onsite) but it will get you closer to the park entrance so you don't have to use the trams.

With MK, you will have to take some sort of transportation to get to the entrance. If you are staying onsite, the busses will take you to the area where people exit the monorail and boats (front entrance to MK). If you decide to take the monorail, you can take the resort monorail. This is less crowded but it does stop at (in order, TTC, grand floridian, MK entrance, contemporary, polynesian). Most people think you have to stay at one of these resorts to utilize these monorails but you can still use them (even at night when the lines are very long for the other monorail). The third option which we find is more enjoyable and less crowded is the ferry. Most people tend to go straight for the monorail, thus leaving the ferry pretty much empty. It is not a long ride. I don't think it took over ten minutes but I wasn't paying attention.

Do go to guest relations and ask them if you can get a guest assistance card. If you have a disability, you have a disability. People who never experienced disabilities don't know what life is like. I can't tell you how many times I leave my house to just turn around because of a panic attack. There are so many things I avoid because of panic attacks.

If you have a disney visa credit card, you can get a free 5x7 picture at innoventions at epcot. They have a special character greet at innoventions between 1 and 4 p.m. every day.

And most importantly, if you don't go on the rides, have the camera ready to take pictures of your family as they ride. There are many rides where you can get their picture as they pass you.

Please try and have a good time and I hope you do well.

 

[ZehnJahren]

These responses are amazing...I couldn't ask for anything better. I'm going to feel so much more confident going to the parks now that I know much more what to expect. I will be spending a lot of time on Youtube, too, to see all the rides and see if there are any I can possibly go on...it would make my kids SO happy.

My PTSD triggers mostly have to do with feeling trapped. So you were right on the money about there being a possible problem by having to wait for my family at the MK after they drop me off at the Contemporary. But maybe my kids can stay with me (they're a big distraction) while my husband parks. I was even thinking we could have our breakfast there, if they have a restaurant on the main floor. I don't see riding elevators in the near future.

I can feel trapped in the oddest places and sometimes it takes me by surprise. Even some situations where I'm not physically trapped can make me panic...a hostile situation, say.

I was watching the river ride on Youtube last night and I'm on the fence. I would really like to ride it. I'm just worried I will panic about being "trapped" on the ride and jump out. And then what? Swim to shore? Most of us with this problem have a hard time dealing with the inappropriate things we feel we might do in a panic situation.

Thank you, all of you, for helping with this. It is calming me down already because it is becoming less unknown...which is probably the scariest part.

I sometimes have the same issue, and there are definitely rides I avoid because of it. You will never, ever find me on Ellen's energy adventure - that's a 45 minute ride, and I couldn't make it through!

One important thing to remember - you're never really trapped in shows and you often won't be trapped in rides. The chances that you'd actually be stopped to a point in a ride that you are sitting still and will continue to sit still are relatively small. However, sometimes a ride (like IASW) will get backed up, and if you've already taken klonopin or xanax, you should be able to talk yourself into staying relaxed. Plus, there are so many things to see - you aren't trapped, you're enjoying yourself. Sometimes it's a tough distinction to make, but if you can tell yourself that there is no danger at all, even for a little while, you would be able to get through most of the rides - many are very short.

You can definitely take the end of the aisle in any show - it gives you more room to one side, with family on the other side (which would be more comfortable) and then you have direct access to exiting the building if you must. If so, just walk over to the nearest cast member and say you must leave immediately - wait for your family outside the doors.

But when it comes to rides, let me give you an example: if you arrive at park opening on a non-EMH day (because you aren't staying on property, so you'll want to avoid parks with an EMH in the morning), you could walk on to Peter Pan (usually a long wait). The ride continuously loads, so there's really no waiting per se; say you decide to get on with your kids instead of leaving through the exit door before the ride begins. You will be standing in almost the same place within a few minutes - the ride is very, very short and doesn't stop at any of the scenes. I have ridden this ride dozens of times, and only once has it ever stopped - when it DID stop, there was plenty to look at and DBF distracted me as well; we only waited about a minute before it started up again.

Maybe you could enjoy something like the Tomorrowland Peoplemover. It's very mild and is basically just a vehicle moving around tomorrowland. It doesn't stop, but a lot of it is outside - however, there is a portion where you go into the Space Mountain area and it's very dark. My mom got a little nervous in there (lasts less than 30-45 seconds), but I told her that if we stopped, I had a flashlight on my phone so we wouldn't be in the dark. I'd suggest you watch the youtubes on Disney rides - you'd be able to get a good idea of what you might be comfortable on.

I'd suggest land-based rides like Winnie the Pooh, TTA, BTMRR (yes, a roller coaster - anxiety often runs away when adrenaline comes in). If you start feeling like you could do more you could try Peter Pan, Dumbo, Aladdin (all short rides that don't stop often).

 

[chartle]

I can feel trapped in the oddest places and sometimes it takes me by surprise. Even some situations where I'm not physically trapped can make me panic...a hostile situation, say.

I was watching the river ride on Youtube last night and I'm on the fence. I would really like to ride it. I'm just worried I will panic about being "trapped" on the ride and jump out. And then what? Swim to shore? Most of us with this problem have a hard time dealing with the inappropriate things we feel we might do in a panic situation.

If you are referring to Splash Mountain it may or may not help that you are only in about 18 inches of water at any time.

What may be a problem is that they added lap bars a few years ago to keep people from getting out so that would probably be a problem.

If its the river boat the water is deep and if you jump quite a few people are not going to happy with you including maybe a Orange County Sheriff so it not a good idea.

The you tube idea is good. You may want to think about watching them with your therapist and maybe he/she can make suggestions on what not to do or how to cope. It would be great if they have been there and know the rides.

The big issue is besides most shows you are in some sort of car, if you leave the car alarms will sound, the ride shuts down and sometimes everyone has to be evacuated. For most shows you can leave, the exception I can think of is Carousel of Progress where the entire section of seats move around the theater and if you leave through the doors the ride resets.

One other issue I read about in your posts is you waiting for your DH and DD's to ride while you wait. Even during slow times, for some rides this may be 30 minutes to even an hour and for shows at least an hour so during that time you will be by yourself and possibly in a crowd. Also for most attractions you will not see them once they get in line either right away or at some point in the line.

 

[SDSorority]

A couple more thoughts-

If you get into a panic situation at home, how do you come down from it? Besides the Rescue Remedy that I talked about before, I use a pressure point on my wrist (this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZTHjjGtuDA)

I also use EFT. This might be a little hippy for some, but I SWEAR by it.

Intro to EFT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlCE4P6Ue0w&feature=related

Some tapping routines: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzAM...xt=C3e1d8d6UDOEgsToPDskJ1FvMRo8qtk37GzdP9BASJ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XH1...xt=C3fd6136UDOEgsToPDskJy5VbMibBCcFfA123Jazd9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajW1...xt=C33e481dUDOEgsToPDskKPbD2ev5xwYC7_SG3dLzZf

 

[disney david]

These responses are amazing...I couldn't ask for anything better. I'm going to feel so much more confident going to the parks now that I know much more what to expect. I will be spending a lot of time on Youtube, too, to see all the rides and see if there are any I can possibly go on...it would make my kids SO happy.

My PTSD triggers mostly have to do with feeling trapped. So you were right on the money about there being a possible problem by having to wait for my family at the MK after they drop me off at the Contemporary. But maybe my kids can stay with me (they're a big distraction) while my husband parks. I was even thinking we could have our breakfast there, if they have a restaurant on the main floor. I don't see riding elevators in the near future.

I can feel trapped in the oddest places and sometimes it takes me by surprise. Even some situations where I'm not physically trapped can make me panic...a hostile situation, say.

I was watching the river ride on Youtube last night and I'm on the fence. I would really like to ride it. I'm just worried I will panic about being "trapped" on the ride and jump out. And then what? Swim to shore? Most of us with this problem have a hard time dealing with the inappropriate things we feel we might do in a panic situation.

Thank you, all of you, for helping with this. It is calming me down already because it is becoming less unknown...which is probably the scariest part.

the contempory has a restaurant that serves breakfast on the first floor which is called the wave plus they have stairs to the fourth floor that where chef mickeys and shopping. You wont have to take the elevator if you don't want to. If you don't want to wait you can valet park at contempory that will coast 12 and you cans stay their as long as you like plus you can go to another disney resort with the receipt the same day and valet for free. If you get dropped off then dh goes to park he have to pay 14 but then you can park free at any other park that day. You could use the valet receipt to go to the board walk inn then you have access to epcot and dhs by foot.

 

[Lynn57]

Here are some tips I thought to add:

-Sometimes feeling overwhelmed and anxious comes from feeling unprepared. Read all the WDW books you can. Study the park maps so you can know all the hidden paths and ways to move throughout the parks. Stalk all the websites to find out any hidden hints you can! Obviously you are already ahead of many guests by asking questions here! Watching the youtube videos with your therapist would be a wonderful strategy to help you feel more prepared. I'm sure they have them of walking through the busier parts of WDW (ie. Main Street USA).

-Disney is not just about the rides, so don't feel that you are missing out by not riding them! I would suggest buying a Hidden Mickey book, so you have something to do while your family rides and something you can do as a family between rides. There are scavenger hunts floating on the internet that are really fun and don't require you to ride the attractions. Kimpossible missions in Epcot are fun and you don't have to be enclosed or stuck in any one place!

-On my last trip I didn't even ride that many rides because I was enjoying the scenery and people watching. Sitting on a bench and enjoying the moment is a totally fabulous way to spend your day!

- For me, feeling like a I have a purpose or "job" helps me focus when I start spinning. If you have a smartphone, you could do a live trip report for the boards, or journal about your trip. People would learn so much from your experience (I know, I would!!). Make a list of all the attractions and places that you would recommend to someone in a similar situation as you and a list of things to avoid.

-KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS! The boards are here to help you, so ask anything and everything! The more you know, the more prepared you will be.