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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    How can I control my anxiety about going to the movies this weekend?

    Related Topics
    Anxiety Mental Health
    I've just started seeing someone and he is taking me to the movies on the weekend. I am a very anxious person by nature and since the recent shootings in the US I have been having nightmares about being shot at during the movie session. How can I control my anxious thoughts? Should I just cancel the date?
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  • Dr Louise Shepherd

    Clinical Psychologist, Psychologist

    I am a clinical psychologist with 15 years experience working with all sorts of goals and issues. I love working with people, helping them to … View Profile

    I'm sorry to hear that you have been having nightmares. It was a terrible thing that happened in the US. And the Internet and news everywhere we look makes it often feel so close to home I find.

    The mind can play awful tricks - it is constantly on the look out for danger and most of the time it is unhelfpul and unecessary…….this is a habit we learned from our ancestors who had tigers and lions and other tribes coming to steal their dinner….helpful then not so much now!!

    So in a way your mind is just doing it's job - you could try something that will probably sound quite silly at first - thank your mind for the worrying thoughts and then focus back on things that matter to you - like dating someone you like! 

    I'll be bold to say only cancel the date if you think he is a dud :-). If you like him and want to see him then cancelling the movies would be a shame don't you think?!?

    There is a lot more I could say on this but it is dinner time in my house so that is all for now!! You might like to learn more about these ideas by reading about Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) which is an approach that focuses on living life to the full and learning skills to better deal with the inevitable pain / stress that life brings. 

    You can also check our website and my new Facebook page - The Sydney ACT Centre. I'm busy adding things every day to keep it fresh!

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  • Muriel Cooper

    Psychologist

    I specialise in stress, anxiety and depression as well as general psychology. I have been a counsellor and psychologist for nearly 20 years and firmly … View Profile

    Don't cancel the date!  Avoiding the things you fear only encourages anxiety.  Even if  you feel a bit uncomfortable - face your fear and go.  Seeing bad news on TV alerts your brain to be highly suspicious of similar situations, even when your rational mind tells you you really want to go and it will be OK.
    If you feel uncomfortable, take deep, even breaths and encourage yourself to think positively about the experience.
    Enoy the  movie and don't let fear or anxiety win.

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