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Worried about having a panic attack getting hair done

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Posted 3/15/2014 10:17 AM (GMT 0)
hi guys, next Friday is my birthday, and i m going to get my hair colored and get foils, at the high end hair salon where my son is an apprentice. it will take about 3 hours, and i m really worried about having a panic attack in the middle of it all and not being able to escape. Even if i needed to leave, i couldn't, because of the dye in my hair and having to leave it in for a certain time then washed out etc! i really need to have my grey covered, but last time i was at the salon was 4 months ago and my anxiety was more under control than it can b, at times, now. i would really like to enjoy the experience, seeing where my son works and everything, getting him to make me coffee and all, but i m really worried that it will be torture. any suggestions? i pray you are all well today and at peace, blessings :
Posted 3/15/2014 1:42 PM (GMT 0)
Your day at the salon sounds great. Think how relaxing it will be and how beautiful you will feel. Your son is there so you have no need to be fearful. Stay away from the caffeine. Make sure he gives you decaf!!! This experience will be a distraction. Maybe you can get a mani and pedi while the color is processing on your head so you stay distracted. I'll pray for you today. But I know all will be well!!!
Posted 3/15/2014 2:49 PM (GMT 0)
Hi MM.,

Many people are challenged by needing to stay in one place for procedures...even standing in line at a store can trigger panic for some...so needing to remain in a chair for an extended amount of time can be hard, and you are not alone.

Since you have some time, there are a few things that you can practice and work to prepare yourself with before next week.:)

*Envisioning a good outcome. Imagine the whole procedure, from first sitting down, to the color application, to sitting under the dryer, to the wash out...

See yourself calm and handling every part of the appointment without getting panicked. Imagine only calm, smiles and laughter as part of your experience.

*Use your coping skills. Practice your breathing, progressive muscle relaxation and positive mantras!!!

The more you are practice and comfortable with these, the more they can serve you if you need to put them into practice at your appointment.

*Take breaks if you need to. If you feel you are getting panicky...ask when you can get up temporarily to go walk around a bit and regroup. There is no reason why you can't get up for a bit while your color processes. If you feel that the dryer is going to cause you discomfort...ask instead if you can skip that part of it. You son may be able to hold a handheld blowdryer to your hair...rather than getting under the 'hood' style.

I am betting that you are going to be fine! I am sending positive thoughs that you will have a wonderful, relaxing, fun filled day at your son's salon.:)

Start preparing, and you will do great!

S.C.
Posted 3/15/2014 3:24 PM (GMT 0)
Good Morning MM, First of all Happy Birthday Week starting tomorrow.  I have a daughter that celebrates her birthday month. Great advise from SC.  Remember do not get caught up in "what if?" thinking.  Instead imagine how pampered you are going to feel?  Your son will be right in the salon so you will have family near you. Imagine how great your hair is going to look and anytime we do something to make ourselves happy it is a good thing. You have panic disorder, therefore, anticipatory anxiety may go beyond the limits of new or major life events. This is because the anticipation, or visualization of a future event, is focused on having a panic attack in certain situations. The fear of having a panic attack can be associated with any life situation or event, big or small.   I do not usually encourage members to take medications but I believe you have meds for anxiety and this may be the week that you should use them without anticipating that something bad will happen if you use your medications.   I use my medications as over the years my anxieties have been huge at times and the only way to keep functioning was to choose to take the meds.  No doubting yourself with should I or shouldn't I ? Don't analyze  how you feel and start with the "I think I feel worse on the medication?" worry-coaster.  Think ahead and take your medication before you are in high anxiety.   You will go to your salon appointment and while you are there you will remember this is your birthday gift and you deserve to feel peace.   Gentle Hugs, Kitt
Posted 3/15/2014 5:28 PM (GMT 0)
Hi there. Well you are actually lucky. Your son is working there. If I had a family member or an acquaintance working at the salon, I'd be very happy because to have someone I know at the salon makes a huge difference in the level of anxiety I have. Can you think of your son as your safety net? Can you feel 'safe' knowing that a family member will be there? I think you will have a very relaxing salon experience! Also remember, you are the customer. They are there to give you a great haircut, hair color and service. They are there to pamper you too..many hairdressers give you a shoulder massage along with a scalp massage. :)  Enjoy! Because you are gonna look FABULOUS after being at the hairdresser!! cool

 

Posted 3/15/2014 9:24 PM (GMT 0)
Is your son aware of your anxiety issues? Perhaps speaking with him beforehand and asking him if he can (if it fits in with his schedule and his boss is okay with it, of course), to periodically pop on over and just check in on you?

I think you're very lucky to be having this wonderful experience to look forward to, and knowing your son is right there,....you're ahead of the game my dear! Comfort around the corner,....

You're going to emerge from this experience feeling mah-velous! :)






M.
Posted 3/16/2014 4:06 AM (GMT 0)
dear special, scaredy,kitt,melodee and merrida, thank you so much for your kind words and sensible advice! my appointment is actually on wednesday at 5 pm, which is a good time for me, anxiety wise, cos by then i ve got over my morning anxiety, and i ve had 2 doses of diazepam since i woke up, which has had time to kick in. my normal dose is 5mg diazepam, 3 times a day, which i can increase to 4 times as needed. yes, i am very lucky and blessed to have my son there, and as he is a christian he can pray for and with me as needed. i don t get to see him that much since he left home, so that will be a treat too.i will definitely be employing all the coping techniques i have learned here, and through my therapist, and i will have my little notepad of calming scriptures with me to read over. just as a matter of interest, about caffeine, as mentioned by specialone, i think it was. for many years now, my chronic migraines and daily headaches have made it necessary for me to use daily pain meds containing caffeine. it is only since last september that my anxiety started playing up again from 20 years ago, so i don t believe that caffeine is an issue in bringing on an attack. because my body is so used to regular caffeine in med form, i feel anxious if i don t have it regularly. i would be interested in what you all think about this and whether you have any suggestions about caffeine in my present situation. thanks again for answering me, and i will let you know how go. still can t chat, else i could chat my way through the session! blessings to you all
Posted 3/16/2014 5:42 AM (GMT 0)
You already sound more upbeat than you did in your first post.

Also, as we've pretty much all concurred, having your son there will be so comforting....a luxury not many of us can afford (I, for one, don't have a relative working in a salon, so to this day, I still do not go....my hair, what little of it there is yet, including those funky gray sprouts shooting up, just get normally taken care of and whisked into a ponytail or I'll clip it up or pin it up in braids. It's below my shoulders so I get to play around with it.

You are brave and simultaneously I can hear excitement in your voices because you are making plans already on how to cope with the passing time. You're doing wonderful! What I like most is that you're planning these things well in advance, (as opposed to an hour before you go,....which is more like something I would end up doing!)

Read and re-read whatever you find soothing, speak with your son when you and he are able, maybe take one of your anxiety meds before you go for your appointment too.

My headache meds contain caffeine too. I'll tend to go through periods of really bad headaches and/or migraines. Then I get a break. When we get this break, we're not getting that caffeine that was in our med and that can, possibly, cause a rebound headache due to the cessation of the caffeine intake daily that we were on. A cup of coffee has a little caffeine in it, and maybe one cup will off-set those rebounds without giving you the shakes. I've resorted to that when this happens to me.





M.
Posted 3/16/2014 8:10 AM (GMT 0)
hi merrida, i m thinking of checking out the migraine site to see what answers they have for someone like me who has been on pain meds continually for 20 years.. the new glamorous me will get back to you on wednesday night, if not before, blessings
Posted 3/16/2014 9:23 AM (GMT 0)
I think that sounds like a bee-you-tee-ful plan, for the new glamorous you to check into.

See? You really do sound even better in these posts! I'm happy for you and excited, and I want to hear all about this lovely pampering experience and how you feel walking out that door! (Will you beam? Have your son take a picture, and use that picture of you, full of smiles, to put in a dominant place in your home!)

This is an exciting trip for you!





M.
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