[Empathy Erosion]

I was walking home on my street at a fast clip when suddenly I veered into a driveway. I haven't done that in months! I told myself I can't be forgetting; I'm not forgetting my way home; that's just not me; I've been walking alone on this street for months. And that's true, without a problem. But the more I tried to convince myself I wasn't forgetting, the more mistakes I made, veering into the road, into driveways. I haven't done that in ages. I know my street! How come the more upset I got, the more I tried to convince myself I wasn't forgetting, the more I forgot? I was screaming and crying in my neighborhood and my mom dragged me in the house for my dad to yell at me. (I'm 16 btw). He's like you need to control your emotions; you don't have the luxury to throw tantrums like a 2-year-old. I knew that it probably happened because I was panicing, but I stubbornly refuse to accept that, thinking about the route, playing my footsteps over and over again, trying to figure out what went wrong, even though I know it's maladaptive. Just what happened? My mind is just screaming right now, what happened? Why did I forget? I don't forget! I know my street! The more I tried to convince myself I don't forget, the more I forgot. What happened?

[Crazy Hitch]

Hi there Empathy Erosion

Of course you know your street.

You have not forgotten your street at all.

You know where you live.

Even during this panic attack you still knew where you lived.

But what happens during a panic attack we get this massive erruption that can make us "think all over the place".

Oh you did still know where you home was.

You were just having a flood of overwhealming fears happening during this panic attack stopping your thinking.

It was temporary.

And you're here now making this post.

You still know where you live.

You always have.

Even during your panic attack you still knew.

Panic attacks do this to our brain:

What Happens In Your Brain When You Have A Panic Attack? How The Brain?s Fear And Threat Centers Backfire

This is okay.

It is quite temporary.

We can use our breathing techniques to gradually work our way out of a panic attack.

Deep breaths when this occurs.

Breathe in counting to 5.

Hold our breathe counting to 5.

Slowly breathe out counting to 5.

It is okay to have a panic attack.

We can breathe our way out of them.

[Empathy Erosion]

Thanks so much, Hooligan! I just needed the reassurance.

[Armadillo Roll]

Don't fret you remembered but it's just your anxiety fooling you into thinking the worst case scenario. And hey, even if you did ‘forget’ it happens to everyone. Just days ago I thought I left one of my curtains opened but when I came back into my room I found it closed which I don't remember doing.