UGH Grocery Stores?!

I do. I can tell you that in my case, I usual;ly bring it on myself by thinking about it. I will think " wow, I am here and everything is okay." Then a few minutes later, BAM! Or if I stop to look at something for too long, my husband will ask if Im having an episode, and just him asking me will cause me to over think it and have one.
I Someone told me on this forum, and I believe it...once you have an attack somewhere, whether its in the store, or car, etc..your mind will associate that place with it cause you to worry or panic more often in those situations.
I wish I had some advice to give you. I am still trying to figure it all out still myself. I guess I just wanted you to know that you are not alone in this experience and this is a great place to come to for support:)I dont know anyone in my life that will admit to having had anxiety/panic so it is hard for them to understand. I wouldnt wish it upon anyone though!

I generally don't have social anxiety, but when I am already anxious grocery stores are a *terrible* place for me. I have a lot of issues with food/eating when I get really anxious. I don't have an eating disorder, but when my anxiety really flares I am nauseous to the point of gagging constantly and trying to chew food feels like chewing on lumps of hardened sand. Sooo, even the thought of food makes my anxiety flare even further. I'm going through a period like this right now, and I had to go to the supermarket for tylenol and the sight of all that food made me start to panic, and I had to get out of there.

So, while I don't think we experience our grocery-related anxiety for the same reasons, you're not alone in the connection between panic and groceries. :) ((((hugs))))

Hey me too!  I am usually a very organized person and I have a plan when I go shopping.  "Get in and out quickly"  Many people, especially senior citizens come from assisted living in a bus and that is their outing for the day - a day at Walmart.

I think that is awesome for them but for me I get bogged down and waiting in the long  line at a check out nearly brings me to my knees.  Like Extreme  Make Over I want to shout "Move That CART"  oops I guess they say BUS !

Kitt 

I WORK at one haha. I'm a cashier. Luckily I don't get panic attacks but if I'm particularly stressed that day I'll take a Xanax before or something.

I used to have no problem grocery shopping, but as my anxiety got worse I found myself having attacks in the middle of the store. I would feel more pressure than usual to "get through" the attack because I had nowhere to go. I'd be embarrassed if I sat down in the middle of an aisle. There are often no chairs, certainly no couches to sit on... and I have cold or frozen food that I don't want going bad in my cart to worry about.

Being in the checkout line is also tough for me because I feel trapped. There's my cart in front of me after I've put everything on the belt and maybe another customer. There's another customer behind me and the aisle itself to my left and right. If I panic there I feel like I'd have nowhere to go. I couldn't escape - and that fear causes anxiety.

I realized that feeling trapped had a lot to do with it in my case. I also felt like if I was almost done shopping that I had to force myself to finish. By simply giving myself permission to take some extra medication at the store if necessary, to put the cart down and sit at the cafe for a moment if needed, or to even leave a half-full cart behind and walk out of the store I began to feel better. Just the fact that I was now allowing myself that option I felt less trapped and less anxious. I knew that if I began to panic or otherwise struggle that I had options other than just pushing through it. I'm still working on it, but have made significant progress already.

I hear you..With the holidays coming up I am dreading it and I hate being so negative but the Christmas shopping and malls being so crowded is already stressing me out. I end up hating this time of year and I shouldn't.

Oh you can bet I have been doing a lot of that lately.