Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 526962

Shown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Im afraid of a TREE

Posted by portage on July 12, 2005, at 23:06:47

i saw a tree last weekend, and it absolutely freaked me out. now i'm terrified of the tree, which is up the road from my house, and have no idea why. its appears to be a normal tree. but everytime i look at it i get really afraid of it and dont know why. i feel like i'm hallucinating and i cant stop staring at it, it sort of mezerizes me. it looks like its breathing, which i know doesnt make sense. it has an evil quality, i almost want to take a long detour when i go places to avoid seeing it. what the heck IS that? when someone is terrified of a tree?
i know what it is. comical.

i've never been afraid of any kind of tree before. or flower. or bush. or anykind of vegetation. never of any inanimate objects, either. never been afraid of one specific thing, every single time i see it. untill last weekend.


this is off the subject of the begining of my post, but
has anyone been cured of panic disorder? i mean, like, forever?

i went to the emergency room yesterday, knowing it was only a panic attack but was feeling myself die. 7X my normal dose of alprazolam didn't help, or, if it did, not for more than an hour.

i knew they couldn't do anything for me, but still, felt like i had to be there.
took my pulse, which was 135 and my blood pressure, which was normal. i was holding my face crying and my legs were spasming. it was maybe the worst attack i've had.

my sister took me, and she was an angel. she's never witnesed anyone freak out like that, and knew exactly what to say to me to help calm me.

for the past 35 hrs i havent been able to sleep, and have had this perpetual feeling of being right on the edge of terror- a dissociation and weird, slow feeling in my limbs, my face and chest hot and my arms freezing.

the one good thing that came out of this is that now my sister is involved, i can call her if it ever happens again. i used to just curl up on the floor alone. also, my parents know how very serious i am, and now i feel like i can talk to them about it also. i'm a bit less helpless this way.

if anyone has any insight into my tree issue, please do tell.

 

Re: Im afraid of a TREE » portage

Posted by Jen Star on July 12, 2005, at 23:17:45

In reply to Im afraid of a TREE, posted by portage on July 12, 2005, at 23:06:47

hi portage,
I'm sorry about the anxiety & the tree! My advice would be to approach the tree and go right up close to it so you can beat the irrational fear. Touch the bark, hug it (if you dare!), sit underneath it. This all assumes it's in a safe place to approach - no traffic or anything. Maybe ask your sister to go with you, since she seems to be supportive.

Think about the lovely effects of trees - forests, shade, oxygen, birds, etc.

Is this tree near something that upsets you?

Do you think approaching it and touching it might help you get past the fear?

good luck! :)
JenStar

 

Re: Im afraid of a TREE

Posted by portage on July 12, 2005, at 23:41:54

In reply to Re: Im afraid of a TREE » portage, posted by Jen Star on July 12, 2005, at 23:17:45

> hi portage,
> I'm sorry about the anxiety & the tree! My advice would be to approach the tree and go right up close to it so you can beat the irrational fear. Touch the bark, hug it (if you dare!), sit underneath it. This all assumes it's in a safe place to approach - no traffic or anything. Maybe ask your sister to go with you, since she seems to be supportive.
>
> Think about the lovely effects of trees - forests, shade, oxygen, birds, etc.
>
> Is this tree near something that upsets you?
>
> Do you think approaching it and touching it might help you get past the fear?
>
> good luck! :)
> JenStar

thanks jenstar!
oh boy, your right, trees in general are wonderful. i even named my puppy, Willow, after a tree.
i bet i could touch this particular tree, despite its aura of evilness. and yeah, it might help.
but an idea i've been throwing around in my head that i like much better: i would pay someone a great deal of money to go saw it down, and burn the remains.

again, let me emphasize, i'm no tree-hater. i've always been a proponate of national forests and recycling paper-products, and i greatly admire Smokey the Bear and Johnny Apple Seed, and have always begrudged George Washington for cutting down that beautiful English cherry tree.
AND, and, my all-time favore book is "The Giving Tree", i'm not kidding. i still have the whole thing memorized...
"...once there was a tree, who loved a little boy." makes me smile thinking about it.

oh well. i'm in a goofy mood right now, and actually feel much better than i did a half hour ago.

thanks for your words.
ciao.
portage.

 

Re: Im afraid of a TREE » portage

Posted by KaraS on July 13, 2005, at 2:26:24

In reply to Im afraid of a TREE, posted by portage on July 12, 2005, at 23:06:47

Hi,

Sometimes with anxiety/panic disorder, when an object or environment are present as we're experiencing severe anxiety, the object or environment become a reminder of that anxiety. The two become so closely associated in our minds, that just seeing that object or being placed back in that environment will elicit the anxiety response. Does this sound like what has been happening for you?

If so, it may be helpful to get some good book(s) on the subject. They can walk you through the desensitization process. Medication can help of course too. If I am not on medication, it is only a matter of time before my panic disorder sets in. On medication it has been completely controlled. Understanding what is going on has helped me a great deal as well.

Good luck,
Kara

 

Re: Im afraid of a TREE

Posted by linkadge on July 13, 2005, at 6:20:09

In reply to Re: Im afraid of a TREE » portage, posted by KaraS on July 13, 2005, at 2:26:24

Ive had this before. I know a tree that looked really intense and otherworldly. As a result, I tend to avoid it.


Linkadge

 

Re: Im afraid of a TREE

Posted by bimini on July 13, 2005, at 21:28:28

In reply to Re: Im afraid of a TREE, posted by linkadge on July 13, 2005, at 6:20:09

The tree in front of my house is half dead. Every storm, rain or snow it sheds limbs. It looks like a dragon, it really does, I took a photo as proof. It belongs to the town and they are strangely protective of it.

I have asked the town to cut it several times over the years, darn thing is still there. I want the tree to just uproot and kiel over, but nooooooo, it won't do me that favor, just a branch at a time. I yelled at the tree to just get it over with, I'm tired of looking at it. Then I thought about the half alive side holding up appearance.

About once or twice a year a falling branch will knock the wires down, electric, cable and telephone. Blocks the street because the wires come from there and causes accidents.

I'm p'ed off at the tree standing there in its utter ugliness, gloating down at me. I don't like to get too close to it, it just might hit me in the head with one of those shedders. I'm protective of my head, don't want to shake up what's trying to mend.
Allright, just shed onto the road willya, I'm sick of picking up sticks on the lawn.

bimini

 

I'm afraid of a bush

Posted by Peter S. on July 13, 2005, at 22:40:05

In reply to Re: Im afraid of a TREE, posted by bimini on July 13, 2005, at 21:28:28

GEORGE Bush that is.

I do empathize with you though- it sounds like a real drag.

 

port » Peter S.

Posted by justyourlaugh on July 14, 2005, at 0:43:15

In reply to I'm afraid of a bush, posted by Peter S. on July 13, 2005, at 22:40:05

the haunting tree...
i lookes into its foilage and asked forgiveness ...i did something horrid to one of gods creatures..the tree released me..
sounds silly ..but i felt very close to mother nature...?
that same tree now carries my confession...my regret..remorse..and my forgiveness

 

Re: I'm afraid of a bush » Peter S.

Posted by linkadge on July 14, 2005, at 6:21:25

In reply to I'm afraid of a bush, posted by Peter S. on July 13, 2005, at 22:40:05

Good sence of humor.

 

Re: Im afraid of a TREE

Posted by sleepygirl on July 14, 2005, at 22:13:53

In reply to Re: Im afraid of a TREE, posted by linkadge on July 13, 2005, at 6:20:09

trees show up a lot in scary movies, they are a big symbol of life, of humanity, and are thus somewhat anthropomorphic- I see a lot of scary trees.

 

Keep your pants on! but i've good news. » KaraS

Posted by portage on July 14, 2005, at 22:46:48

In reply to Re: Im afraid of a TREE » portage, posted by KaraS on July 13, 2005, at 2:26:24

I'm cured of my treephobia. I don't know why, but It's gone back to being just a tree.


> Hi,
>
> Sometimes with anxiety/panic disorder, when an object or environment are present as we're experiencing severe anxiety, the object or environment become a reminder of that anxiety. The two become so closely associated in our minds, that just seeing that object or being placed back in that environment will elicit the anxiety response. Does this sound like what has been happening for you?
>
> If so, it may be helpful to get some good book(s) on the subject. They can walk you through the desensitization process. Medication can help of course too. If I am not on medication, it is only a matter of time before my panic disorder sets in. On medication it has been completely controlled. Understanding what is going on has helped me a great deal as well.
>
> Good luck,
> Kara
>
>

I think you're absolutely right, as the first time I freaked out over it I was about to have a panic attack; I was driving past it and was absolutely sure I was hallucinating it. But the fear began just BEFORE I saw the tree.


portage

 

Re: Keep your pants on! but i've good news. » portage

Posted by KaraS on July 16, 2005, at 1:33:06

In reply to Keep your pants on! but i've good news. » KaraS, posted by portage on July 14, 2005, at 22:46:48

> I'm cured of my treephobia. I don't know why, but It's gone back to being just a tree.


That's wonderful. I'm so glad to hear that!

K


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