Panic Attacks on Rides?

[ksjayhawkfan]

I have been suffering from panic attacks for about 15 years. There are several triggers that I watch out for, but the majority of my attacks just slam me with no clear trigger. Most of mine happen in the middle of the night but there is one that I will never forget that happened at a local amusement park. And this happened when I was 22, so thats been 8 years ago. My brother, my sister and I went on the Tilt-a-whirl of all things. I was literally climbing out of the car while it was moving. If my I wouldnt have been in the middle where my siblings could hold me in.....I would have jumped out. Scared the living crap out of me.....now I stay away from rides like that, so mo Mission Space for me. I will never forget how terrifed I was and still to this day even talking about it freaks me out.

 

[nanalisa]

I nearly lost it last summer in Wisconsin. We went to visit my brother and fam in Madison and took a day trip to the House On the Rock. Anyone been there? Totally bizarre. They have a room called the INFINITY ROOM. "This room with walls of glass, projects out over the Wyoming Valley 218 feet. A glass cocktail table provides visitors with a breathtaking view of the forest floor 156 feet below." It juts out over the tops of trees with no support from the bottom or top. You can actually feel it swaying slightly. Every body went to the end to look down through the table while I waited. My SIL offered to go with me. I got about 50 feet into this "room" and started to panic. I felt like I was running for the entrance without my feet touching the ground. I think I'm getting worse as I get older.

 

[whitneyv]

A dear friend of mine from the Boards went to a fan meet this weekend in Allentown, PA. One of the things discussed was the publication of the new book that deals with "special needs at WDW." I was mentioning this thread to my friend and she says that panic attacks (and how to avoid them?) are going ot be covered in the book... Perhaps there will be info on where to find a quiet, cool place in the parks? I think the book sounds great and will look forward to that section.

How great! Hopefully they can use the tips from some of us "real people" in the book - it would certainly be a big help to anyone hesitant about enjoying the magic of WDW because of panic attacks! Do you know the name of the book?

 

[colleen costello]

The book is a joint venture with Deb Wills and the Passporter folks. It's got "special" in the title. You can look it up on Passporter.com. Sorry I can't recall the exact title.

 

[disneyfan3]

Is Antivan the same thing as xanax? Does it work the same way? Just wondering because I have never heard of it.
Thanks...

 

[emnrich]

The only time I get panic attacks at Disney is when DW heads to DTD with the credit card in hand.

I don't mean to trivialize the problems of many of you DISers. This has been one of the most informative threads I have read in a while. As a modest purveyor of thrill rides, I do not understand what your PA's feel like, but by the sheer number of you that deal with this, it changes my outlook. I guess I take for granted the exhiliration of waiting until I can get back in Space Mountain again. Thanks for a new perspective and I will be on the lookout for people in line who may be anxious about the ride. Do you think a friendly conversation about anything other than riding the ride might help? I care about people and hate thinking that there are folks out there suffering instead of enjoying the anticipation of the ride.

Maybe Disney could offer some "training" sessions every once in a while? Give folks a chance to ride at half speed or maybe different environment (lights on in Space Mountain)?

Thanks for the eye opener. Wish all of you sufferers the best of luck!

 

[colleen costello]

All these meds are minor tranquilizers. Where they differ is in strengths (they come in different sizes or doses) and how long they last. Xanax is very short acting -- it works quickly and wears off fairly quickly. This makes it perfect for things like plane rides. This can also make it more addictive, because people who use it for anxiety on a regular basis need more doses to keep "calm."

Valium is long-acting and wears off slowly. But over the long-term it can have depressive effects. Ativan is mid-range. Lots of docs feel it has less potential for addiction than Xanax and is a good overall choice for temporary anxiety.

I am terrified to fly. The last time I flew our flight was delayed so I took more Valium. I took a little more as the plane readied for takeoff. By the time I was in the air I was good and stoned and had a wonderful flight. My husband kept an eye on me as I was evidently quite boisterous!

Any of these are great short-term and only if you are taking them regularly (a few doses as day) for weeks is there real potential for addiction. Used "once in a while" they can be a great help. I have read that alcohol used for flying does nothing more than make a scared drunk... Alcohol is not really effective for true anxiety or panic attacks. Your doctor can help you choose the right medicine and advise you on safe dosage.

 

[Debbie Jean]

Also, anyone get panicky on Soarin?

I suffered my first full blown panic attack 17 years ago on a commuter bus going from NJ into work in NYC. My ex-DH had to come into the city and pick me up, I was in such a state.

For those who have never had one and are curious as to what they are like, they are physiological, heart races, breathing becomes rapid and shallow, sweating profusely, trembling, etc. Imagine you are in a dark alley and you hear footsteps and heavy breathing behind you. You try to run but the faster you go, the louder the sound behind you gets. Suddenly an arm grabs you around the throat and you feel a gun muzzle pointed at your head. You hear the gun click. That's what a panic attack feels like... the physiological sensations that accompany being "terrified" only it happens at completely innapproriate moments.

The important thing to know if you suffer from panic disorder is that you aren't crazy, lots of other people have this experience, and most importantly, there is help available. Talk to your physician and he/she can decide whether medication is appropriate and which one would be best for you. If he suggest counseling, do it! I personally have found a combination of Xanax and bio-feedback to help a great deal. I actually only take the medication now when I fly. Other than that, I am able to "talk" myself through difficult situations fairly well. For me it's confined/closed spaces... ITTBAB waiting area under the tree of life is one of the worst, as others have pointed out

I was once told by a doctor that she believed that only the first panic attack was real. After that, the rest were really "anticipatory" attacks... you become panicked at the idea of having a "panic" attack. Whether that's true or not, I have my doubts

Now as far as Soarin' is concerned, you can actually be in one of three rows... when the ride begins, they are lifted up into the air in front of the huge screen until they are one above the other. I found myself in the top row which meant lifting 40 feet in the air for the show... I was OK with that since I knew it was coming and had already started bio-feedback. However, if you have even the smallest concern, ask a CM to be in the bottom row... can't remember which number it is. They will be happy to accomodate you This is such a great ride, it would be a shame to miss out when you might actually enjoy it!

 

[MamaQuack]

We were on the 3rd row of Soarin. I knew about the lifting up and that row 3 was the slightes lift at about 12 feet. My xanax had not kicked in and as I posted earlier on this board I was absolutely in a full blown panic attack. Next time I will be good and sure I've had meds before I try it again.

 

[Equidae]

Do you think a friendly conversation about anything other than riding the ride might help?

Yes, I found that finding a distraction can work wonders for me. Driving down the road, if I am nervous I force myself to sing along to the radio if no one is in the car. In line for a ride that makes me nervous, I talk to FH about what we want for dinner or something.

I agree that it's so great to hear that others suffer from the same thing I do. I grew up watching my mother have panic attacks, so when it happened to me the first time, I rationally knew what it was, but irrationally didn't believe it. Thank you all for also posting your experiences and advice here.

 

[Debbie Jean]

We were on the 3rd row of Soarin. I knew about the lifting up and that row 3 was the slightes lift at about 12 feet. My xanax had not kicked in and as I posted earlier on this board I was absolutely in a full blown panic attack. Next time I will be good and sure I've had meds before I try it again.

Sorry to hear you weren't able to enjoy Soarin' last time, MamaQuack

You make a good point, though. Timing your med so it's effective is critical.
But that's not always easy. Lines vary, maybe it's hot or maybe you haven't eaten in a few hours. You do your best

Now that you've been on it, though, you'll know what to expect and hopefully next time you'll enjoy the experience more

 

[disneyfan3]

If I would have a panic attack in the grocery store then I wouldn't want to go back. The hardest thing to do is to make yourself go back to where you had your attack. It is very healing though.
Thanks for your info about antivan. That helped a lot!

 

[whitneyv]

Anticipatory attacks are a reality. I know that I have worked myself into an attack just worrying about whether or not I was going to have one - for example, riding BART under SFO Bay, I was so afraid to have an attack, knowing that there was no way out, that I ended up hysterical by the time the ride was over. My poor husband had to deal with a sobbing wife in the middle of Berkley. Needless to say, we took a cab back to the city and I was fine.

One thing that I am really fearful of is public transportation - I don't like the feeling that I can't get off! I am feeling more confident about the rides because most are short and I know that I will be out in a few minutes if I start to feel anxious - but I'm still not sure about taking the bus to the Theme Parks. Hubby and I will be staying at the Swan so I am planning on walking to Epcot and MGM - but I know I'll have to take the bus to MK and AK - ugh! Anyone know approximately how long the bus rides are?

 

[*Fantasia*]

I always get a little panic attack on the first day of school (my children's first day of school). I also get a little panic attack when I ride rollercoasters (the baby coasters). I know what and what not to ride so I don't get that panic feeling. I'm suppose to enjoy Disney. Disney is not suppose to make you feel panicky or scared. So, if you're starting to feel the panic or anxious, just don't ride it. Just do some easy fun ride. I usually do kiddie rides, it's all I can handle.

 

[mimimischief]

hello fellow panic attack sufferers, i totally feel your pain or should i say anxiety. i think i might sit soarin out. I read about it in the guide books and felt anxious reading it...i'll have to see how it goes. I feel better knowing there will be fellow friends with panic attacks around the parks. I always feel less anxious around crowds..its alone time that gets me and cars...so ill be flying to orlando with xanax in hand

 

[karma3939]

Has anyone been on it that suffers from anxiety? I agree with you, mimimischief, that I am starting to feel a little nervous about that ride ajust fromt the description. I am afraid I am going to feel dizzy with all the pictures around me. But at least I can close my eyes if that happens, unlike on Mission:Space where they tell you not to close your eyes or you will get disoriented!

 

[MamaQuack]

karma3939, look for my earlier posts on this thread about my experience on Soarin - all I can say is its gonna take a lot of Xanax washed down by a lot of wine to get me back on that ride - I can vouch for the waiting area though - I sat 3 different times while ds14 rode - met lots of anxiety sufferers!

 

[disboy21086]

Has anyone been on it that suffers from anxiety? I agree with you, mimimischief, that I am starting to feel a little nervous about that ride ajust fromt the description. I am afraid I am going to feel dizzy with all the pictures around me. But at least I can close my eyes if that happens, unlike on Mission:Space where they tell you not to close your eyes or you will get disoriented!

I got a little sick, when the seats go up to bring you to the level of the screen. Other than that I was fine.

 

[Debbie Jean]

I got a little sick, when the seats go up to bring you to the level of the screen. Other than that I was fine.

I became more anxious about the lift when I realized I was going to be on the top row But actually it wasn't as bad as I anticipated since it's done in complete darkness.

This is such an awesome ride, I was really commited to doing it. Standing on line for 1 1/2 hours gave me all kinds of time to work myself into a state of anxiety! But I talked to my daughter, played solitaire on my phone, enjoyed the theming and practiced my lamaze breathing When time came to get on, I used "positive self-talk" and it worked great. It was definitely worth it and Soarin' is my new favorite ride!

 

[disboy21086]

I became more anxious about the lift when I realized I was going to be on the top row But actually it wasn't as bad as I anticipated since it's done in complete darkness.

This is such an awesome ride, I was really commited to doing it. Standing on line for 1 1/2 hours gave me all kinds of time to work myself into a state of anxiety! But I talked to my daughter, played solitaire on my phone, enjoyed the theming and practiced my lamaze breathing When time came to get on, I used "positive self-talk" and it worked great. It was definitely worth it and Soarin' is my new favorite ride!

It is an Awesome Ride! One of my Favorites!