hope that things calm down for you ... and that the panic attacks were a momentary thing for now.
When I PA'd for a friend, fans wanted to just squeeze the stuffing out of her, so we had some very stringent rules in place because of her medical issues... you arent a bad person or author because of it.
Thank you for talking openly about having a panic attack - my 13 year old daughter started them a few months ago, and it helped her greatly to realise that other people had them too, and it was nothing to be ashamed about.
Well done to your daughter - you have every right to be a proud Mama! :)
Thank you for being open about anxiety, and sometimes just the desire not to be *touched* anymore by strangers. I'm still early enough in my career that I feel like I have to give hugs and take pictures on demand; I'm glad you're far enough in yours that you can say no and people will actually respect that.
Melissa, I'm very glad you have supports in place and understanding publishers who help you navigate this stuff. All that stuff would be hard for me, too, and my nervous system would be WAY overstimulated from all that interaction. And hooray for Mother Nature bringing us back to ourselves.
Wow, I'm so sorry for all the crazy going on in your life right now. (Well, except for the good crazy.)
And thank you for sharing about your panic attacks and space issues. It makes me feel a little less sheepish about my own. I think it's really hard for fans to understand how so much of this public part of being an author simply does not come easily for a lot of writers. At huge venues like BEA and ALA, I often slip into a restroom stall for a few minutes, just so I can get my shields back in place.
Also, have you read Susan Cain's new book QUIET? It's a fascinating look at introverts and their societal and evolutionary context. As an extreme introvert, I highly recommend it!
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When I PA'd for a friend, fans wanted to just squeeze the stuffing out of her, so we had some very stringent rules in place because of her medical issues... you arent a bad person or author because of it.
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Well done to your daughter - you have every right to be a proud Mama! :)
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And thank you for sharing about your panic attacks and space issues. It makes me feel a little less sheepish about my own. I think it's really hard for fans to understand how so much of this public part of being an author simply does not come easily for a lot of writers. At huge venues like BEA and ALA, I often slip into a restroom stall for a few minutes, just so I can get my shields back in place.
Also, have you read Susan Cain's new book QUIET? It's a fascinating look at introverts and their societal and evolutionary context. As an extreme introvert, I highly recommend it!
Reply
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