The Dreaded Movie Theater
Have you ever gone to the movie theater and felt like you were trapped? Maybe, you were the one that insisted of always sitting at the end of the row, while your friends looked at you as if you were demanding them to hand over their last kidney.
And if that wasn’t enough, as the lights come down, your airway seems to tighten all while your stomach begins to rumble as you wonder what others will think of you if, god forbid, you have to get up and bother people to go outside or to use the washroom. And what if you have to do it twice, during the same movie — oh no! What if you can’t breathe? Or worst yet, choke on a popcorn kernel?
Can you relate to any of this? I can, because for the greater part of my childhood and young adult life, these were the thoughts rushing through my head. What joy! (enter sarcasm here)
But don’t threat, it doesn’t have to be this way.
I’m here to reassure you that going to the movies doesn’t have to be an awful experience, it can be a great night out with friends or family.
So, what is the secret to enjoying a great night out at the movies? The key to enjoying a great night out at the movies is to remember that in any situation YOU are always in CONTROL.
The thought that you are trapped when the lights go dim or the what ifs that run through your mind is the result of not feeling in control of the situation.
When you are in control, you can immediately put your mind at rest and say to yourself — “hey, if I have to go outside, so be it… I’m in control and I’ll go if I want to. No one is going to stop me. And if they do, I’ll say …what? you never had to go to the washroom before punk?”
Just knowing you are 100% in control of the situation at all times will eliminate much of your fear and worries. Your physiological symptoms such as the tightening of your chest and feeling like perhaps you cannot breath can all be managed by simply knowing what these symptoms really are — they are nothing more than physical symptoms associated with heightened anxiety — you are not going to die, lose control, or stop breathing — you won’t embarrass yourself and no one is going to be carrying you out on a stretcher, capich!?
By understanding your symptoms for what they are, you immediately put the breaks on your mind from running all over the place with negative thoughts that something terrible is about to happen.
So relax, calm down… and if sitting at the end of the row makes you feel better, do it! You’re not crazy, maybe you simply enjoy not sharing your armrest with a stranger ( lol). Enjoy the movie and remember that you are always in control of your situation — don’t be intimidated by the pimply faced teenager walking around with the flashlight and fake security badge — he won’t say a word if you have to leave the room.
I appreciate you. Take care…. leave a comment about your movie theater experiences.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I really appreciate your humor. Though anxiety is no laughing matter, approaching it with humor is reassuring as it reinforces the fact that the anxiety is harmless. It is nothing more than sensations in the body. Though uncomfortable at times, they are nothing more than feelings. It is our reaction of fear to those feelings which creates so much suffering.