buses

[Rainbowpride]

i have OCD as well as other mental health problems
my OCD affects me so bad that i cant go out with my husband they have to come with me where ever i go out
i cant leave the house at all with out my husband buses are a nightmare
we had a car but its so full of problems its not going to make it to its MOT we are going to sell it for scrap basically
we will only have it until the end of July
This means that i have to go on buses more when am on the buses i have meltdowns and i worry that am going to hurt other people
because we will not have the car past the end of July this means to visit my mother i have to travel for two hours there and two hours back ...4 hours all together 4 buses where i could have a meltdown on normally the car takes half an hour
there is no way that we can afford another car
i have medication that i can take but i can only have so much
i manage the bus for 20 mins tops then i get upset and anxious and when am upset and anxious i count 1...2...3...1...2...3...1...2...3...
l i have to keep hold my husband hand
the last time i had a meltdown people where staring at me made me feel worse
i get a free bus pass for me and my husband and i get dla ( not been changed to pip yet )
my husband wants me to try and go on the bus on my own
he says i have to work on it but am too scared ill have a meltdown when he isnt with me

 

[Datura]

That sounds really tough.
Are you sure your anxieties on the buss are entirely OCD related and not at least partially due to sensory integration issues? If it is a sensory problem this could dramatically alter your approach to coping.

What is it, specifically, that bothers you about taking the bus? By identifying those factors you may be able to work out strategies to block out, ignore, or change your perception of those stimuli, thus making your commute more tolerable.



p.s. I notice that at the time of making this post I have 666 karma points. That's a bit of a benchmark for me, albeit an evil one.

 

[Suzanne]

Oh, that does sound rough for you!

I have always hated buses and would go in panic mode, but strangely enough, I really enjoyed train rides and had no trouble traveling on my own. But a bus? Wow, totally different story there and so, I would always have my money ready in my hand or my pass to show straight away and that helped to be less panicky.

As much as you are going to hate this, but your husband is right and I shall tell you for why; you still have meltdowns when your husband is with you! You said that you NEVER go out on your own and thus, you have never experienced it before. Wouldn't you be blown away if you discovered that you could do it on your own and that, actually, it is a psychological safety net when with hubby, because you know that you can have meltdowns and he is there for you. I am not saying you have DELIBERATE meltdowns, but our brains are amazing and therefore, I think you should just try and see if you can on your own, but say, with your husband being at a designated point so that you have support at the other end?

The thing is that if you have been on your own and had meltdowns, then ok, you have a point; but I get the impression that has not happened yet?

 

[Beverly]

This will probably sound silly but, having ridden in a lot of buses, all though they were tour buses, I found a way to calm myself. I get very nervous with an unfamiliar driver and, that is pretty common when you are on tour, you have a new driver for each area. (Sometimes the whole country but usually a new one for each state or province.)

I heard a rumor that an old song was written on a tour buss and, that the beat of the song timed to the wheels of the bus on a concrete highway. I didn't believe it at first but, it's true so, I just hum the song and, listen to the wheels of the bus playing along with me. it works, I'm focused on one sound the bus is making, not the driver or others on the bus or, any other noises.

Here's the song, maybe it will help you too. Listen to the "Bum-ba-dee-da" beat, that's the rhythm of bus wheels on the road.

 

[Venk]

I have a serious aversion to catching buses but as we dont have a car, but if its too far to walk then I simply have to take a bus. These are a few things I do to try and make the trips more handleable: I wear sunglasses so people cant see my eyes, this makes me feel more secure for some reason; I take music and headphones and listen to it the whole trip, something upbeat that makes me happy and forget that im in an anxious situation; I get on the bus as early as possible in its route so I can get a good seat before it fills up and that makes me feel safer (I dont like sitting at the front etc); I ask my partner to come on any bus trips that I know are going to be more anxiety-filled then normal (like if im going to the drs or something) because having him with me calms be down; I keep mints/gum in my bag because I find the chewing motion and nice flavours keep me calm; I stare out the window and count things/play find-the-something (a red door, a purple car, a blue sign etc) to keep my mind busy, or read a book, or do a puzzle, or play games on my phone, or do some knitting.

 

[The Penguin]

I take music and headphones and listen to it the whole trip

I always have to have music with me when I'm on the bus. I can't stand loud students, babies, and the worst, stupid drunk people make unnecessary noises.

 

[Mia]

I read on buses, especially for long-term trips. I cover my ears with headphones, I bring snacks and water. Like buses better than cars. Cars seem flimsier and smaller and too low to the ground, much worse in any sort of accident.

Buses are more powerful and they seem safer, the long trip ones have a restroom, and you can get up and walk around. Although we travel by car much of the time, I'd rather not have to pay attention to the road so much, in that manner buses seem more secure to me and more relaxing.

 

[Brony714]

I used to consider myself sort of an expert on riding the bus, there was a period of several years where I depended on the bus to get to where I was going, and there were a few things I used to do:

1. I used to occasionally bring a walkman-type cassette player/radio(this was the late 80s into the early 90s...), especially on days when I didn't feel like talking to others.
2. If the bus wasn't too crowded, and I didn't want someone sitting next to me, I would find an empty bench and sit in the aisle seat.
3. I rarely ever read on the bus, due to a tendency to get motion sickness.

 

[Adora]

I use to really struggle with both buses and trains when I was younger,even though I can travel on a bus and train now I still feel anxious,it took me a while to get use to buses and trains and I remember my first trip into Sydney on my own I was so nervous that a kind elderly couple saw me and said they would help me know which station to get off and also guided me to where to go,but saying that I have had bad experiences with bus drivers who were very rude to me and one even made me cry,I do travel better now but I still feel uncomfortable and still get a bit of anxious.

 

[justin_havu]

I too have issues with buses, as I'm on the lower side of agoraphobic, (I'm afraid of crowds/public places), I might also be afraid of people in general, unless of course I'm with family, my church family, or close friends. Even with music, a hooded jacket to block my peripheral vision so I can't really see other people (and hopefully they can't see me) I still feel anxious.

 

[Butterfly88]

I have OCD too. I have counting rituals and used to be afraid of dirt. Exposure therapy really helped me, as well as Prozac.

 

[Nick12]

i know this may sound silly but i love love love riding on busses if any one is afraid of busses sing the song the wheels on the bus go round and round