Bipolar - Pirates, Ogres and Anxiety

Hi Sue.
I was nodding my head when I read about your anxiety in the theater. It was during the last pirate movie when I realized I could no longer sit still through noise/action/suspense with my children. Luckily, my oldest is big enough to sit with the youngest (15, 13, 11, 9) while I wait with a book in the car right outside the door.

I believe it is the noise level that bothers me the most. Even at home, the children's shows and commercials!!, can really make me edgy.

Sometimes I will even wear earplugs while working at the computer, just to prolong myself from having to say "Turn it down!"

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re: Movie Shy
none
Friday, June 29, 2007 at 07:37 PM

Hi ALS777.
Boy you and Sue hit it rght on the nose. I have not been to the movies for a very long time because I cannot sit still or stand the noise of any kind of movie that is in a movie house. It's not just the action ones either. Any movie in one of those places bugs the heck out of me. I always thought it was just me but my therapist said that to a person with bipolar, noise can seem amplified enormously which can make even the smallest of sounds seem extremely loud. This is exactly how it is to me. My husband has accepted the fact that if he wants to go to the movies it has to be without me. I cannot stand sitting in a theatre because of what it does to me and it's more tolerable to just watch movies and other shows at home. It's hard because I know that watching tv with me can be difficult. Even at home, I have to get up every so often to move around because I just can't concentrate and the noise, especially commercials really get to me. Thank God for the pause, rewind, and volume buttons on the dvd player and a husband who puts up with the constant interruptions. The joke we have around here is that it takes me a week to watch one movie. At least it's better than me having a panic attack at the movies. Take care.

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