Anxiety

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

I had a panic attack last week, brought on by having my first date in a few years. I had JUST decided I was comfortable dating days before the craziest, most public stripper in the city asked me out on a date, and we went out to some crazy lingerie fashion show, and she was coked to the gills, and I had to save her from some weird creepy date-rapist who possibly slipped us both roofies, and then I pretty much fell for her over the space of two-dates over two-days, shot off into space on a frantic panic attack, and then tried to pester her into being my middle-school girlfriend. Then her coke-dealer, marine-sergeant, MMA instructor, husband came back into town like two days later, and *POOF* she pretty much disappeared from my life....

So yeah, don't do that. And I wondered why I don't go out any more. I got a fabulous story, and a crazy adventure...and was fucking miserable pretty much the whole time.

What????

Is this for reals?

[thesloppy]

100% truth....and that's the abridged version. I met more people that first night than I have in the last 10 years. Dozens of strippers, over-effusive thespians, creepy customers, ex-boyfriends, members of midget KISS cover bands. People threatening to take us to Ecstacy & hot tub parties, as if it was the most natural thing to do on a Tuesday night. Did you know: strippers don't go to bed until 6 in the GOTdamn morning?

We ended up at some strip club after the lingerie fashion show (probably not entirely SFW), and ran into some creepy long-time customer (who re-enacts Star Trek in the park, of course) who was all "you guys are coming over to MY place." at 3am, and so for some reason, we DO. And he puts on motherfucking Huey Lewis & the News SPORTS, on vinyl, in complete earnestness....and I'm thinking you have GOT to be kidding me, Patrick Bateman?? Which is when my date starts getting sick (upon reflection dude bought her a drink, and may have roofied her/us), so I hold her hair back like the awesome date I am, and she's like semi passed-out on the floor under a blanket for a bit, while I'm thinking 'How the hell do I get us out of here'...but then I notice she's kinda gyrating around, and dude's got his hand under the blanket. So, I whip that shit off, and he's got his hand in her crotch! I'm all 'What in THEE FUCK do you think you're doing bub?!? This party's over, and you better call us a cab, before I feed you your teeth!", and he's terrified of me (first time for everything) and says "Whoah! I'm so sorry, I totally read that wrong!" (as if there's ever a 'right' time to fondle a passed out woman).

I stuff my date into the cab, take her home, tuck her into bed and try to get a couple hours of much-needed sleep at this point, but she's passed out on top of my arm, and her dog has made a nest in my other arm-pit. She's also got a crucifix on her wall, with glowing LED eyes, that her MMA instructor, coke-dealer, wife-beating, Marine sgt. husband made for her.....and LED Jesus ain't helping either. So, while her house is still silent, and once I'm COMPLETELY sure I have a massive crick in my neck, I slip out the door like a ninja. AND - SCENE. Portland, Oregon, folks.

...and seriously, I was pretty much miserable the whole time. I felt like an out-of-control fighter pilot with his jet on fire, with both wings chattering off, frantically shaking a broken yoke.

[DaddyTorgo]

Jeezus

[Flasch186]

I had a night like that once (not nearly) and while the club was shutting down I idled over some dude's foot in the parking lot and I thought he was going to shoot me. Scary shit and the whole time youre there you're thinking, "At one point tonight, I made a choice to go out with these people. WTF was i thinking."

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

Scary shit and the whole time youre there you're thinking, "At one point tonight, I made a choice to go out with these people. WTF was i thinking."

Exactly. It certainly served to further highlight my faulty, anxious wiring. "You people do this for FUN?" Extroverts: who needs 'em?

[Umbrella]

For me, cutting down on the caffeine (like many have said), but another thing that helped tremendously was to stop using artificial sweeteners. There are a lot of studies that link the sweeteners to increased anxiety/panic attacks.

So I may be fatter, but at least I'm happy!

[thesloppy]

Aspertame in particular has been known to play havoc with folks' moods.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

Aspertame in particular has been known to play havoc with folks' moods.

I am still digesting your date night, I will get to this later.....

Shit dude, you just wrote the next Harold and Kumar movie!

[Sporkimata]

I am on disabillity partially from anxiety. Bi-polar type 2 and major depressive disorder being the others. The anxiety is the worst most times. I have a general anxiety disorder. It is pretty crazy sometimes. Even with therapy I have it under control to some extent, but I still get crazy bouts of just mind numbing fear.
Some of the worst I am finding is just being out. Too much sensory and I start to overload. Everything gets real distant and I feel outside of myself. It is a strange, strange feeling. Everything starts to close in and I just have to get out. It is strange talking about it to other people sometimes.