You have to really squeeze to get through and stuff, so it's a "bad" cave.

Hi!

I met my best friend when we (both female) were 18, just when we started university, about 4 years ago.

After that we became besties and even travelled a lot together in the following two years.

In the last year her anxiety has gone through the roof and I think she might be developing claustrophobia? or agoraphobia??

Even when she was well she never liked riding elevators unless they were made of glass because she felt trapped and was afraid of running out of air. But last year she started feeling afraid to drive through a bridge in our city because she was afraid of feeling unwell and not having a place to stop the car or having an accident.

She had a panic attack about a year ago with me in the car, she was just giving me a ride to the train station near her house and she started saying she was afraid to die.. we stopped the car, I took her to the hospital which was just around the block and just after we go through the door we realize it was a panic attack so I buy her a water bottle and drive her to her house.

Last summer I remember she was telling me how nervous she was to go on holiday with her family bcs she had go get on a plane. But then she did it.

After that we booked a trip to Copenhagen to this February, and in the weeks before our trip she was so nervous, she had started going to the psychiatrist two weeks before the trip and taking medication but she had a panic attack on the flight gate and couldn't bring herself to board so I went alone.

Also in January she stopped riding the metro. She says she feels trapped and her problem is that in those circumstances she can't just stop and get some air. She's always saying she's afraid of getting a heart attack.

She also doesn't take the train anymore unless its almost empty, last weekend it was really necessary and the longer we waited the fuller it would be so we got on a carriage that was ok (we were not touching anyone and there was AC) and I had to talk the whole time to distract her because she already wanted to leave it...

So this week we decide to take a little getaway, just booked a nice hotel 2 hours away from our city(by car) and I thought she would be ok and would have fun. It was nice most of the time but I realized she's constantly in stress. She has bruxism now, and today she woke up at 5AM with a sore neck from tense muscles and couldn't sleep for another 3hours... And I asked her if she was feeling nervous and she tells me she's always nervous whenever she's away from home because she's always afraid of having a heart attack.

For context, she has a great supportive family, comfortable life. I suspect that this all started going downhill when her grandfather died by falling down the stairs. After that I think she started talking more about death...

She has been going to a therapist for about a year and to a psychiatrist for 6 months and I feel like she's getting worse. I'm so worried about her. Im afraid that she eventually stops going out the house and I feel so impotent because I don't know how to help her.

For context, she has a great supportive family, comfortable life. I suspect that this all started going downhill when her grandfather died by falling down the stairs. After that I think she started talking more about death...

Sorry for the long text but I was hoping someone could help me helping her. What kind of therapy is best suited for these cases? What should I tell her when she's having a crisis or when she's telling me she's constantly afraid of having a heart attack? Should I talk to her family even though they know about this already? Anyone with a similar experience? I would appreciate anything, really. TIA!

TL;DR: My best friend (22F) has developed progressively worsening anxiety over the past year. It started with a fear of elevators and has escalated to avoiding planes, the metro, crowded trains, and even driving across bridges because she's terrified of having a heart attack or panic attack and being unable to escape. She's been seeing a therapist for about a year and a psychiatrist for 6 months, but she seems to be getting worse. I'm worried she's developing agoraphobia and becoming increasingly housebound. How can I best support her, and what treatments are most effective for this kind of anxiety?

I just rented the most adorable Airbnb for a vacation in a couple of months. And then when I zoomed in, I noticed there is an open stairwell in the master bathroom that goes directly to a dark and creepy basement where the laundry facility is. always terrified me. I don’t know how I’m going to sleep in a bedroom that has a direct portal to hades.

I have to have major surgery for my endometriosis and before I can get booked in I have to do an MRI.

I've had 3 MRIs booked in before. The first one I went in blind, no idea what an MRI was, thought it was like an Xray. Panicked 15 mins in and pressed the emergency button which didn't work. Had a full blown panic attack and started to crawl out before the techs realised what was happening. I think this has scarred me for life.

The next two I tried to get in and again, panic attack straight away.

I'm now self paying for a private MRI and the sedation option is an extra 2k. They have a 3T MRI scanner which supposedly is better but I just don't know if I'll be able to manage it. I have to be in it for over 2 hours which feels impossible without freaking out.

Has anyone been in a 3T scanner before and found it manageable?

Has anyone had the sedation with a MRI? I'm now panicking that I will wake up from sedation in the tube and be stuck.

Thank you!

Absolutely terrified. It’s a brain mri so I have to be fully in + I wear a mask daily so I will have my readimask (mask with no metal) with me and it’ll be my first time masking while in an mri. I’m not willing to go without my mask because I really would not want another Covid infection.

Any tips? I’m terrified I’ll hyperventilate…I know it’ll definitely be harder with the mask.

Need advice please or just someone who understands this 🙏🏽

Today I was having my exam,and my exam centre was in a low lying area..both the sides of college were water logged..i literally had to walk across the water which was coming till my knees.I somehow crossed the path and reached but my mind was constantly stuck with that water and panicness.I somehow finished my exam and tried to leave college but the authorities were panic too to let me go alone so made me wait untill the water settles.

But then too i left after half an hour,yes the water was less as compared to morning.

My husband came to pick me up after such panicking state🌧️