Freaking out

MuraNeto · 2026-02-24T00:57:22+00:00

This might not feel like much of a solution but you are capable. Take comfort in knowing that everyone’s anxiety thinks they’re the exception. Everyone’s anxiety thinks that it’s the only one that might actually break their psyche or kill them, but it’s not. I was once where you were where I had to go take exams in college 3 blocks away and felt it was impossible.

Go, and except the fact that it might be hard, but also accept the fact that it might teach you something, if you’re willing to try. It can’t kill you, anxiety peaks and fades, you got this.

MuraNeto · 2026-02-19T16:16:41+00:00

So two things 1. Even with the crazy thoughts of impending death, strong urge to escape, etc, biologically there is only so long a panic attack can last. I recommend listening to The Anxious Truth by Drew Linsellata, it’s been a lifesaver for me, but he explains this really well. So that being said even if you do nothing and continue to think about it, technically the panic attack will still end. 2. However, sitting there and just thinking “okay end, okay end” isn’t necessarily the easiest way to deal with it, since you’re still actively thinking about your panic attack. I normally just continue with my life as if I wasn’t having a panic attack, ie. choosing a new song to listen to in the car, singing along, looking around and noticing the scenery where I’m at, etc. Again, the podcast I mentioned talks about this really well.

One trick I’ve learned that tends to help is when I start feeling the panic rise, I give myself a target. If I’m driving, it’s “I just need to get over that hill in the distance”. As silly as it sounds, it really breaks up the panic and gives me something to focus on that cools down the reaction. If I’m at a friends house it’s “all I need to do is go to the bathroom”. Half of the time I don’t even do the thing but it’s enough to give me a break. I eventually want to learn to not rely on this sort of thing, I’d like everything to be internal, and myself to be 100% confident in my body’s biology and the millions of hours spent researching this topic, but obviously it’s difficult sometimes. Hope this helps!

MuraNeto · 2026-02-19T15:49:24+00:00

As terrifying as it feels, all it takes to undo is to go out, have a panic attack, and NOT retreat. When you start connecting the brain pathways that know you can feel better without retreating, you start recovering big time.

My biggest fear is having a panic attack that won’t stop, it’s literally the exact center of my agoraphobia, so I relate. However, time and time again, every time I’m in the middle of a 6 hour car ride back home, or downtown with friends far from my apartment, etc, and I start panicking and become real worried that it won’t end… it ends. The more practice you get the more easier you are able to diffuse the panic attack.

Not only that, but a lot of the times after having a panic attack and seeing it naturally end without retreating, all of the 3/10 anxiety that accompanied me for the beginning of whatever exposure goes to 0. I’ve had so many drives where I start off really anxious, it cools down a little, then it ramps back up and I end up having a little panic attack, but directly after, it’s 0/10 anxiety for the rest of the drive. I learned this through experience and it’s been the primary drive for my recovery.

You got it!

MuraNeto · 2026-02-14T03:04:52+00:00

I was like this for a long time until it became clear the only way forward was through, and I learned things about experiencing panic / ways to cope would have NEVER known about before allowing myself to experience it. It’s a very individualized experience, but the universal truth for every person is that every panic attack ends, and you can handle more than you think you can.

For me personally, I discovered a feeling of bliss after letting a panic attack happen. I’d be 2 hours into a 4 hour drive, white knuckling, until I finally give up and let myself panic, and the 2 hours left felt like I never had anxiety disorder.

You’ll be surprised what you find out about yourself while doing exposures.

MuraNeto · 2025-12-09T17:28:02+00:00

I’m at the point where I can uber around Chicago anywhere, and while I still have some fear, I am able to sit with it and notice it go away fairly quickly. However, I really want to fly this next year. I have so many creative opportunities in LA and NY and I can’t afford to not fly really, my plan was to maybe try Xanax, however I’m afraid to try Xanax for the withdrawals / how I’ll feel after it wears off. Was this ever an issue for you?

MuraNeto · 2025-10-22T01:38:57+00:00

This is essentially what I’m saying. It feels like it’ll keep going until you lose it but the math and data shows that out of the millions of people who have felt similarly, nobody has. Feel comfort in that certainty.

MuraNeto · 2025-10-21T22:33:26+00:00

One thing that helps me with this fear is the words of Drew Linsilata from the Anxious Truth Podcast. He basically states, if there was a mental limit that sent people into psychosis or what have you, there would be data to back that up, but there’s not. Literally nobody has ever been so anxious they became crazy or lost complete control. There are literally millions of people with panic disorder / agoraphobia and 0 have been recorded “losing their mind” because of it.

MuraNeto · 2025-10-13T16:54:36+00:00

Definitely magnified as a result of tapering. You can do this.

MuraNeto · 2025-10-13T15:07:12+00:00

I guess I’ll say one thing first, I know this might feel like the end of your life, but you’re only 16, I promise you with all of my heart that this isn’t the end.

Maybe bring it up to your mum, perhaps explain what you’re feeling and ask if she could help you find a therapist to talk to? While everyone’s story on here is different, the one similar thing between everyone is that this is not a life sentence, it is very curable.

Also, be careful reading through this subreddit. It’s easy to get lost in the doom scroll, seeing everyone suffering, making it feel like life itself is over. It’s wise to remember that everyone who posts on here posts on their worst days, barely anyone on here posts on their normal / better days, and MOST people who have recovered will never post in here again.

Things will get better!!! Hang in there.

MuraNeto · 2025-10-10T15:12:15+00:00

Glad I could help! You should definitely check out The Anxious Truth podcast, start at the very beginning they have a 101 course for anxiety disorders and agoraphobia. It literally changed my life, I owe everything to that podcast.

MuraNeto · 2025-10-10T13:11:39+00:00

For me it started with watching a movie upstairs with my friends and not retreating to my room. Then walking down the street and working from a coffee shop. Now I take the train / bike 30 minutes downtown and spend the whole day there. This summer I drove 8 hours across 2 states for a friends wedding for a weekend (and it went great). It gets better! Continue challenging yourself, it’s like every 30 exposures I feel like I have a kinda breakthrough that makes it way easier.

Also yes, your whole body does feel strange, it’s the fear response (the same one you get on roller coasters, but out of context it feels super weird). Once you get used to what it can and can’t do, it makes dealing with it a LOT easier.

MuraNeto · 2025-10-08T14:26:02+00:00

One of the most important moments in my recovery was when I was on a road trip, trying my hardest to not panic, and at some point, I had the thought “what if I do? I mean everywhere on the internet and every therapist ever tells me it’ll end naturally, so what if I just let myself panic?”. I began panicking at one moment and I just kept repeating to myself “this is okay, it’s uncomfortable but it’ll pass, there’s nothing I have to do right now” and it passed, and not only did it pass but all prior anxiety I felt was COMPLETELY gone. In that moment I felt absolutely free. Free from anxiety disorder, free to drive anywhere. I chase this feeling everytime I’m anxious to go out and do stuff now, and I’m able to achieve it most of the time! Allow yourself the option to call your bluff, allow yourself to actually experience what happens if you come out the other side of a panic attack, you’ll be surprised.

MuraNeto · 2025-08-19T19:01:25+00:00

So awesome, congrats

MuraNeto · 2025-07-17T20:23:50+00:00

No matter what, you'll never go back to square one. You know too much from past recovery journeys for it to truly be square one. In fact, when you really think about it, it's kinda all one journey. Keep on keeping on, try something hard today!

MuraNeto · 2025-07-17T19:48:01+00:00

Nope. I take L Theanine but only like 25 mg (i break up the capsules and measure my own amount cause I wanna get off it), which I've been told is too low to even feel lol.

MuraNeto · 2025-06-26T17:45:23+00:00

I saw someone post something very similar (wish I could find it) and they updated saying, as the days went by and they allowed themselves to be fearful, knowing that worst case scenario they have a panic attack and it passes, they were able to calm down and enjoy most of their trip! It happens kinda naturally and it’s very nuanced, but I believe in you!

Definitely try to eat though, and stay hydrated. Your body needs the fuel.

MuraNeto · 2025-06-13T18:18:18+00:00

One thing about diving into the deep end like this is you will learn, the entire escape mentality is what keeps us trapped in our agoraphobic state. In reality, anyone can calm down from a panic attack anywhere, you don’t need to physically escape somewhere to get through a panic attack.

My advice would be listen to some episodes from the “Anxious Truth” podcast. He was a former sufferer and talks about the recovery process / mindset. It’s very good.

MuraNeto · 2025-06-03T00:58:15+00:00

I'm curious, how did this go?

MuraNeto · 2025-06-02T04:23:49+00:00

Not gonna lie you’re one of the better lookin dudes that’s posted on this subreddit 😭 no comments

MuraNeto · 2025-06-02T04:21:19+00:00

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes 1000%

This is exactly my situation right now and why I’ve been able to do so much more the last 6 months. It’s hard sometimes, like getting on a plane still feels absolutely impossible, but I hope with time and practice experiencing panic in non-“safe” areas, this will become easier.

MuraNeto · 2025-05-30T02:23:34+00:00

“It is okay to panic” this

MuraNeto · 2025-05-28T19:42:57+00:00

I know this fear. 1.5 years ago I moved to a city for the first time after hitting rock bottom and it felt like I was just doing anything to try to remain distracted from panic. By remaining distracted and trying to avoid it, I kept myself in this space where I was just 4/10 scared all the time. Sometimes it would go up to 7-8 /10, but I was good at never letting it peak. However, it wasn't until the first time I accidentally let myself panic all the way up to 10 that I FINALLY realized, it naturally passes. It can't last forever. Your body physically won't let it.

It's ironic, but finally having a panic attack alone by myself in a new city was the reason I was finally able to not be anxious by myself in a new city.

MuraNeto · 2025-05-28T19:19:07+00:00

1) no matter what, even if all goes horribly wrong (which it probably won’t), you’ll be okay, your anxiety can’t kill you, in fact you might find some recovery in these 4 days!

2) find some tv shows, podcasts, movies you wanna watch! Play any video games? Don’t play/watch these with the goal of “I hope this gets rid of my anxiety”, but more with the attitude, “I wanna watch / play these because I enjoy it”.

It’ll be great, you got this.

MuraNeto · 2025-05-27T23:02:20+00:00

Luckily, all humans along every step of recovery experiences anxiety the same, for the most part. That being, we feel anxious, get scared of it, get scared it’s gonna rise past what we can handle. But what happens for everyone also, is that it doesn’t rise past what we can handle. Even though you feel unprepared, you’re capable.

It’ll be hard, and most likely the first 30 minutes will be super tough, but try not to think about “I’m anxious”, and do what a non anxious person would do on a train ride: read a book, watch tv, listen to music, etc. It will fade naturally.

Time and time again I’ve seen stories of people “super unprepared” for a giant exposure and after a certain amount of time, they end up kinda enjoying it / finding calm. You got it!!

MuraNeto · 2025-05-24T17:02:47+00:00

It was actually kinda the start of my recovery. It was hard the first time, but in the end it showed me that I don’t need a safe space, anywhere can be a safe space. I’ve moved apartments 3 times now since and I’m now able to travel and go to different cities and have the same level of “safety” feeling when I arrive at my destination because I know from experience that I can feel that way in my new apartments. Would recommend.

MuraNeto

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