I don't know if this is connected I came out to my therapist (lol it's a start... been seeing her for 2 months, my old therapist knew) I've been having panic attacks and bad anxiety ever since. She accepted it like any decent person would in her profession... anyway I have panic attacks sometimes but only a few times a year. This past week I've had three. :***: I thought I'd be relieved after telling her I'm out to a few people besides her but none of my old friends yet
Its possible that it could be connected. Are there any other things going on in your life that could be affecting it?
My cat is getting really old and probably only has a few months left in her But I do have chronic anxiety and depression... it might just be random or the season changing. I've come out to almost 10 people but I never said "I'm gay"... always "I think I'm gay sometimes" or "I have a girlfriend now" so maybe that's why it's affecting me so much. Just realizing that my whole life may change when I do this. I hate change I have trouble talking about myself honestly with friends, always have. I hate telling people things that will change how they see me but right now they see 30% of who I am
I think it absolutely makes sense that coming out would trigger panic attacks. I think I had a couple, although I never had them diagnosed or anything. But I really kind of freaked out a couple of times, with my heart racing and whatever. Given that it took you two months to bring it up to your new therapist, and that it is the first time you've ever said it directly, I think that you are probably right that coming out is the cause of the panic attacks. I mean, just the fact that you think it's related is telling. But actually, if what you are doing in therapy triggers panic attacks, that isn't necessarily a bad thing--it means that you are confronting issues that are really problematic for you. Which is the whole point of therapy in the first place. So overall, it's probably a good thing. Definitely tell your therapist about the panic attacks and that you think they are related to you coming out in therapy. It's not unusual to freak out a little after important coming out moments.
