Excitement, Nerves, Anxiety, Restlessness...

[eLPea]

What's the point of the first half of August, anyway?

Sleeping is getting harder, to-do lists are finally shrinking instead of growing, organizational meetings are completed, bags can only be packed and re-packed so many times, and I'm really ready to escape Defaultia.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, are we there yet?

How does the wait actually get more frustrating with each passing year?

[Simon of the Playa]

ask me one more time missy and im going to pull this car over and give you a spanking.






go ahead, ask me...

[eLPea]

FINE!

A spanking is a small price to pay to earn the right to babble on a subject with no real conversational value. Perhaps the spectacle will even serve as entertainment.

But you know what they say, don't dish it out if you can't take it.

[TomServo]

It gets easier. Especially if you already have most of the gear from last year...keep your plans down to earth ..yet over do them anyways.

[H.G.Crosby]

FINE!

A spanking is a small price to pay to earn the right to babble on a subject with no real conversational value. Perhaps the spectacle will even serve as entertainment.

But you know what they say, don't dish it out if you can't take it.

uppityness will be tolerated.

[MyDearFriend]

It gets easier. Especially if you already have most of the gear from last year...keep your plans down to earth ..yet over do them anyways.

Are you nuts, dude? Who does this work for???

Congrats to the OP for lists that shrink instead of growing...

[Trishntek]

My lists never end, I just stop looking at them after while.

Excited??? Anxious??? Can't sleep??? Did I read something about SPANKINGS?

Sweet dreams are made of these,,,

In my experience, a well-place vibrator makes it all better.

[knowmad]

Somthing I pulled out of my ass during some insomnia
YMMV

HOW TO DECODE A PERSON WITH AN ANXIETY DISORDER

Things we are trying to do all the time:
1. be safe

Things we can’t help but do all the time:

1. second-guess ourselves
2. behave impulsively and reactively
3. take everything personally
4. worry
5. worry
6. worry
7. have difficulty accepting compliments
8. have difficulty reciprocating friendly gestures
9. have difficulty finding the courage to respond
10. have difficulty not being suspicious of others’ intentions
11. make a huge deal out of the smallest thing

Things you should keep in mind:

1. we’re scared of everything
2. pretty much all of the time
3. it’s an actual disorder
4. it manifests as impulsive behavior
5. you can’t fix us with words
6. telling us “worrying is silly” won’t make us stop worrying
7. it’ll only make us feel silly
8. and then we’ll worry even more
9. “oh god, am i worrying too much? what if she calls me silly again?”
10. like that
11. also, we wear a lot of armor
12. cold, heavy, affection-proof armor with spikes
13. we constructed this armor as children
14. we’re fairly certain you will never be able to pry it apart
15. but there is a nice person under there, we promise

Things you can do for a friend with an anxiety disorder:

1. stick around
2. ask him/her if they’re comfortable in a place or situation
3. be willing to change the place or situation if not
4. activities that help them take their mind off of things are good!
5. talk to them even when they might not talk back
6. (they’re probably too afraid to say the wrong thing)
7. try not to take they’re reactions (or lack thereof) personally
8. (the way they expresses themselves are distorted and bent because of their constant fear)
9. (and they knows this)
10. give her time to respond to you
11. they will obsess over how she is being interpreted
12. they will anticipate being judged
13. it took me four hours just to type this much
14. even though i sound casual
15. that’s because i have an anxiety disorder

Things you shouldn't do:

1. tell us not to worry
2. tell us we’ll be fine
3. mistake praise for comfort
4. ask us if we are “getting help”
5. force us to be social
6. force us to do things that trigger us
7. “face your fears” doesn’t always work
8. because—remember—scared of everything
9. in fact, it would be more accurate to say we are scared of the fear itself

Emergency action procedure for panic attacks:

1. be calm
2. be patient
3. don’t be condescending
4. remind us that we’re not crazy
5. sit with us
6. ask us to tighten and relax our muscles one by one
7. remind us that we are breathing
8. engage us in a discussion (if we can talk, then we can breathe)
9. if we are having trouble breathing, try getting us to exhale slowly
10. or breathe through our nose
11. or have us put our hands on our stomach to feel each breath
12. ask us what needs to change in our environment in order for us to feel safe
13. help us change it
14. usually, just knowing that we have someone on our side willing to fight our scary monsters with us is enough to calm us down

If you have an anxiety disorder:

1. it’s okay.
2. even if you worry that it’s not okay.
3. it’s still okay. it’s okay to be scared. it’s okay to be scared of being scared.
4. you are not crazy. you are not a freak.
5. i know there’s a person under all that armor.
6. and i know you feel isolated because of it.
7. i won’t make you take it off.
8. but know that you are not alone.

[graidawg]

Somthing I pulled out of my ass during some insomnia
YMMV

HOW TO DECODE A PERSON WITH AN ANXIETY DISORDER

Things we are trying to do all the time:
1. be safe

Things we can’t help but do all the time:

1. second-guess ourselves
2. behave impulsively and reactively
3. take everything personally
4. worry
5. worry
6. worry
7. have difficulty accepting compliments
8. have difficulty reciprocating friendly gestures
9. have difficulty finding the courage to respond
10. have difficulty not being suspicious of others’ intentions
11. make a huge deal out of the smallest thing

Things you should keep in mind:

1. we’re scared of everything
2. pretty much all of the time
3. it’s an actual disorder
4. it manifests as impulsive behavior
5. you can’t fix us with words
6. telling us “worrying is silly” won’t make us stop worrying
7. it’ll only make us feel silly
8. and then we’ll worry even more
9. “oh god, am i worrying too much? what if she calls me silly again?”
10. like that
11. also, we wear a lot of armor
12. cold, heavy, affection-proof armor with spikes
13. we constructed this armor as children
14. we’re fairly certain you will never be able to pry it apart
15. but there is a nice person under there, we promise

Things you can do for a friend with an anxiety disorder:

1. stick around
2. ask him/her if they’re comfortable in a place or situation
3. be willing to change the place or situation if not
4. activities that help them take their mind off of things are good!
5. talk to them even when they might not talk back
6. (they’re probably too afraid to say the wrong thing)
7. try not to take they’re reactions (or lack thereof) personally
8. (the way they expresses themselves are distorted and bent because of their constant fear)
9. (and they knows this)
10. give her time to respond to you
11. they will obsess over how she is being interpreted
12. they will anticipate being judged
13. it took me four hours just to type this much
14. even though i sound casual
15. that’s because i have an anxiety disorder

Things you shouldn't do:

1. tell us not to worry
2. tell us we’ll be fine
3. mistake praise for comfort
4. ask us if we are “getting help”
5. force us to be social
6. force us to do things that trigger us
7. “face your fears” doesn’t always work
8. because—remember—scared of everything
9. in fact, it would be more accurate to say we are scared of the fear itself

Emergency action procedure for panic attacks:

1. be calm
2. be patient
3. don’t be condescending
4. remind us that we’re not crazy
5. sit with us
6. ask us to tighten and relax our muscles one by one
7. remind us that we are breathing
8. engage us in a discussion (if we can talk, then we can breathe)
9. if we are having trouble breathing, try getting us to exhale slowly
10. or breathe through our nose
11. or have us put our hands on our stomach to feel each breath
12. ask us what needs to change in our environment in order for us to feel safe
13. help us change it
14. usually, just knowing that we have someone on our side willing to fight our scary monsters with us is enough to calm us down

If you have an anxiety disorder:

1. it’s okay.
2. even if you worry that it’s not okay.
3. it’s still okay. it’s okay to be scared. it’s okay to be scared of being scared.
4. you are not crazy. you are not a freak.
5. i know there’s a person under all that armor.
6. and i know you feel isolated because of it.
7. i won’t make you take it off.
8. but know that you are not alone.

just love this Knowmad. I mean REALLY love it. it will help with so many of my friends when they lose the plot (me not them) here have

oh one thing a friend suggested when i was having my one and only panic attack (prozac induced) drink a glass of water. worked for me!

[Sundial]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!1111111

...that is all.

[TT120]

My list is not shrinking at all. Everytime I cross 1 thing off my list, I remember 3 more things I need to add to it.

[robbidobbs]

The List comes out tomorrow when I get my trailer from the shop. Lug bolt frozen and had to be drilled out.
Over the years it gets easier to make the list but there will always be something you forgot. Your only hope is it's something that's either not that important or it can be gifted.

We're leaving in 2 weeks, and the only thing that still frightens me about this is the specter of dehydration. Prepare early by drinking 64 oz of water NOW and every day until you arrive. Your body will thank you.

And finally, bring lots of tobacco and beer, and donations for DPW! The warm glow of your compassion will carry you all the way to the Playa.

RobbiDobbs clear
Chief Poopervisor of the Pottie Project
DPW Volunteer Coordinator, Special Projects (Porta Potties)

[mgb327]

Shit! I have to start the 3000 mile drive in 2 weeks! Why didn't somebody tell me it was so close. Shit! I am so not ready. Picked the very worst time to purchase a new business. Shit!

Shit!

[robbidobbs]

That's hard core. Good luck!

[DrewDubious]

Oddly enough, I am pretty calm and collected even though this is my 1st trip outside of New England and my 1st flight... leaving weds the 14th to San Diego, meeting my burning man guide buddy, relaxing a couple weeks then... before you know it!

[Savannah]

Your first flight! Your first trip outside of New England!

I'm so excited for you that of all places you could be going for your first BIG change, you're going to @#$%ing Burning Man.

[robbidobbs]

Blazing Hell on a roller coaster. Good luck to you too!

[DrewDubious]

Your first flight! Your first trip outside of New England!

I'm so excited for you that of all places you could be going for your first BIG change, you're going to @#$%ing Burning Man.

Yeah, pretty nutty how it all came about tbh. I was in a 10 year rut, things were looking especially bleak a month ago, reconnected with a lost friend I haven't spoken with in over a year and they were all "Here is a free ticket, come to the burn with me".


Kinda had me scratching my head but i'm not silly enough to turn an offer like that down, no matter how sorry for myself I was feeling at the time

[robbidobbs]

READ THE SURVIVAL GUIDE TWICE!

Shitting pineapples is a learning experience.

Good luck!

[littlebird]

Words cannot even express how excited I am about this. The anticipation might cause me to have a have a heart attack at the age of 38. I bought my ticket just a bit under a month ago, and the minute after I bought it, I started spending at least 50% of my time scouring this message board and the other 50% shopping for supplies online. I've been telling everybody I see, "Hey guess what I'm going to fucking Burning Man!" And most of them say, "WTF is Burning Man?" And I mostly say, "Well I'll tell you when I get back!" And then I said to my boss something along the lines of, "Hey guess what I'm not going to be here the week before Labor Day, and I might end up calling in sick for most, if not all, of the week afterward because I'm going to Burning Man!" (In truth, I didn't actually say anything about BM or the week afterward because I enjoy having a job.)

About a week ago I overheard my next door neighbor asking another neighbor whether he was moving, and neighbor #2 said "No, I'm going to Burning Man." I had never met neighbor #2 before in my life, but that didn't keep me from busting out my front door and shouting, "YOU'RE GOING TO BURNING MAN??!!! SO AM I!!!"

Just earlier today I went to a hardware store to buy a lock and chain for the bike I'll be using, and a staff member ended up helping me out. I wanted to explain to him why I was buying relatively flimsy security for a bike, so I asked the question I've been asking almost everyone I meet: "Have you heard of Burning Man?" And he said in this really matter-of-fact way that he had. Because of the very off-handed way he said it, I assumed that he meant that he had some passing word-of-mouth knowledge. But then when he was done helping me, he said, "Have fun at the playa," and started walking away. I pretty much ran after him and practically shouted, "HAVE YOU BEEN TO BURNING MAN?!??" And he had, so then I said, "I'M GOING FOR MY FIRST TIME THIS YEAR," and he started chuckling. I'm pretty certain at that point that he was thinking to himself, oh so that's why this woman is acting like a raging lunatic; she's a virgin.

I know that it's not a good idea to have a lot, if any, expectations. I also know that I haven't even come close to imagining what I'll experience, and that not everything is going to be puppies and rainbows. But that doesn't keep me from being SO GODDAMN EXCITED.

[gaminwench]

Remember to breathe, deeply.

[knowmad]

((((LittleBird!!!!))))

[graidawg]

O littlebird your excitement is wonderful, i may have peaked a little early in my excitement. As I am currently not working I can be full time obsessed about going home again. This has led to a distinct "meh its goin t' appen anyway" attitude. Now while this IS going to be the best year EVER maintaining full time excitement for 2 months is just beyond me. Being British any excitement at all is pretty difficult, but i usually muster a modicum for BM.

hope to see you at the meet n greet or something where i shall try to muster myself from my ennui and inertia.

[MyDearFriend]

O littlebird your excitement is wonderful, i may have peaked a little early in my excitement. As I am currently not working I can be full time obsessed about going home again. This has led to a distinct "meh its goin t' appen anyway" attitude. Now while this IS going to be the best year EVER maintaining full time excitement for 2 months is just beyond me. Being British any excitement at all is pretty difficult, but i usually muster a modicum for BM.

hope to see you at the meet n greet or something where i shall try to muster myself from my ennui and inertia.

Dude, you are one of the least inert people I know. Littlebird if you come looking for some calm cool relaxed person named Graidawg you will not find him. He's more like a Tazmanian Devil.

[ygmir]

Words cannot even express how excited I am about this. The anticipation might cause me to have a have a heart attack at the age of 38. I bought my ticket just a bit under a month ago, and the minute after I bought it, I started spending at least 50% of my time scouring this message board and the other 50% shopping for supplies online. I've been telling everybody I see, "Hey guess what I'm going to fucking Burning Man!" And most of them say, "WTF is Burning Man?" And I mostly say, "Well I'll tell you when I get back!" And then I said to my boss something along the lines of, "Hey guess what I'm not going to be here the week before Labor Day, and I might end up calling in sick for most, if not all, of the week afterward because I'm going to Burning Man!" (In truth, I didn't actually say anything about BM or the week afterward because I enjoy having a job.)

About a week ago I overheard my next door neighbor asking another neighbor whether he was moving, and neighbor #2 said "No, I'm going to Burning Man." I had never met neighbor #2 before in my life, but that didn't keep me from busting out my front door and shouting, "YOU'RE GOING TO BURNING MAN??!!! SO AM I!!!"

Just earlier today I went to a hardware store to buy a lock and chain for the bike I'll be using, and a staff member ended up helping me out. I wanted to explain to him why I was buying relatively flimsy security for a bike, so I asked the question I've been asking almost everyone I meet: "Have you heard of Burning Man?" And he said in this really matter-of-fact way that he had. Because of the very off-handed way he said it, I assumed that he meant that he had some passing word-of-mouth knowledge. But then when he was done helping me, he said, "Have fun at the playa," and started walking away. I pretty much ran after him and practically shouted, "HAVE YOU BEEN TO BURNING MAN?!??" And he had, so then I said, "I'M GOING FOR MY FIRST TIME THIS YEAR," and he started chuckling. I'm pretty certain at that point that he was thinking to himself, oh so that's why this woman is acting like a raging lunatic; she's a virgin.

I know that it's not a good idea to have a lot, if any, expectations. I also know that I haven't even come close to imagining what I'll experience, and that not everything is going to be puppies and rainbows. But that doesn't keep me from being SO GODDAMN EXCITED.

[media]

[DrewDubious]

Just packed up the tools and another bag for checked luggage... ::headscratches:: No idea if I have everything I need. Sure bit off a big old hunk fer my first trip anywhere. heheh

[Sundial]

I think I'm being waaaaaaay too much of a perfectionist regarding camps. Last year I ended up with what I think for me was the "wrong camp", so this year I'm a little obsessed about finding the "right camp" (suggestions welcome) and not letting that happen again. Kinda stressing me out.

[tatonka]

I hid my ticket , i check it everyday to be sure its still there

[Sundial]

I hid my ticket , i check it everyday to be sure its still there

I tucked mine up on a high shelf where nothing can harm it. =p

[DrewDubious]

I think I'm being waaaaaaay too much of a perfectionist regarding camps. Last year I ended up with what I think for me was the "wrong camp", so this year I'm a little obsessed about finding the "right camp" (suggestions welcome) and not letting that happen again. Kinda stressing me out.

I wouldn't sweat it too much mang. I don't even know the people I am camping with and as I understand, I am the youngest by like 17 years should be quite the experience!