The Grocery Store

It wasn’t long ago that the thought of going to the grocery store would have created so much anxiety in me that I would literally be frozen in place. The grocery store was one of my first assignments the doctor gave me. The prescription was “do all the grocery shopping, every week, go grocery shopping.”

At first it was a real struggle, I would run around the store as fast as I could, always forgetting an item or two that was on my list. As time progressed it began to get easier and easier. Now, if I need to go to the grocery store, I go, not a second thought about it. Sure, there are times when being in the store creates some anxious thoughts and feelings. There are times where I find myself tensing my body against the on coming anxiety but I’m there and that is a major step forward.

Tonight on the way home from work, I remembered that my daughter had been begging for grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. My only thought was picking up some bread and cheese so my little girl would be happy, at no time did I think about avoiding the grocery store. I was a bit nervous in there but that is ok, I didn’t let anxiety control what I wanted to do.