Worrying beforehand makes the situation easier?

This is a weird one, I know. During this current relapse into anxiety, I've found that often when I do worry about a situation (long drive, work, etc.) it all goes down perfectly fine with no panic. Conversely, 99% of my panicky, full blown anxiety experiences have come when I haven't thought about the possibility of panic beforehand. Obviously, in my normal, non-anxious life, I don't think about the possibility of panic, and I get by just fine. During this spell of anxiety though, the pre-worry genuinely seems to have made it easier. (I'm hoping it makes my trip to the states easier, I know I've been worrying about it a lot)

Any thoughts?

I don't know.
I've thought about this myself.
I used to be a lifeguard. In training, they actually teach you to look at each person in the pool, imagine a bad thing they might do. Like hit their head somewhere. then decide what you would do (to be prepared when the bad thing happens) then imagine the next possible bad thing and so on.

I find I do this when I have to have conversations with people. I imagine what I would say then I imagine the probable reaction and if I don't like it I imagine something else I could say. I do it with what I might do also. It has served me really well with my legal pursuits but not so much in real life because now my anxiety is generalized and I get afraid of things that couldn't possibly hurt me.

I think sometimes it is too much stress in a period of time that brings all anxiety closer to the surface where it can pop out at any time for the stupidest of reasons

roses

I can SO relate to this. I don't have an explanation, but I have experienced the exact same thing! My worst panic attacks have come totally out of the blue. Whereas if I worry myself into a state of red alert, I usually get through whatever it is I've been worrying about without a major panic attack. This sucks because it tends to reinforce the idea that I "need" to worry in order to stay "safe".

I hope your trip goes well!

I think that worrying gives us a (false) sense of control.

But I also think that it can bring forth issues to resolve that help the situation.

Either way, I hope your trip to the states is a great one!! We'll be glad to have you!

It might be that what you're doing isn't worrying so much as planning, or "planned worry", just like roses said. I remember when I was learning to ride a motorcycle, they told me to look at every single car or person and think about what you would do if that car stopped short or that person darted into the road. It's appropriate to consider what bad things might happen, within reason, so you can feel prepared, and then maybe you don't panic. It's just when that gets excessive, or you can't quit the worrying, that it's bad.

This is a really good reminder for me to do that.

thea

I think the answer lies in your comment that in your "normal, non-anxious life" you don't do this and you get by fine...I think the place you (we) want to get to is where you don't need to worry about "big" stuff like overseas trips and you still feel confident and able to cope with whatever happens (within reason of course).

I can relate, I felt like this in the past. Then I decided that maybe the things I extra-super-mega-worried about weren't really as bad as I thought they were going to be. The reason why I got through them ok was because they were never all that bad to begin with. My worry didn't save me from anything, there just wasn't anything to be saved from.