Have you become lost or separated from family or loved ones? How did you feel?

I don't really panic, I remember when my children were a little younger they got lost in Home Depot. I was there picking up supplies for one of the construction sites and they had to use the restroom, they never came back. I look for them but when I was tired of looking for them I asked a store employee if they could call for them and the employee paniced and called for a Code Adam which shut down the store noone could leave or come in. The employees were able to find them. I wasn't stressed just mad because the children were playing on the lawn tractors and wasting my time lol

Depends whether I have the car keys or not! If all else fails I go to the car and wait. Sooner or later The Boss will appear. When I was tiny, less than 5, they opened a supermarket in the town where I was living. I went one day with my mother and sister. I left holding the hand of quite another lady! It wasn't until we got outside that we both realised that we weren't related. It didn't take long for me to be claimed but it did leave an imprint on my memory!

To answer your discussion correctly, I absolutely hate getting separated from my family, or at least my kids. My oldest son is autistic and has the habit of running of while we're at a familiar store. I actually ran around once like a mad woman after he ran off screaming his name with my youngest son in tow. I'm sure I got some strange looks, but I didn't care. I was looking for my son and with him being special needs and almost non verbal I did what I thought was best. Okay, so I could have asked some of the employees there for help, but it was Wal-Mart. Need I say more? My sister and I got separated from our mom when we were little. I was about 7 and my sister was 9. Since my sister and I wanted to look at comic books we were told to stay put and our mom would get us when she was done shopping (anyone remember the store Gemco?). But my sister got restless and decided to look for our mom. As our mom had told me to stay with my sister I went with her, though in my mind I knew I should have stayed put at the books. Well my sister and I couldn't find our mom, so we left Gemco and went into the parking lot to look for the car. We couldn't find it! We would have went back into Gemco, but since we needed a card to show proof that we were members we figured we couldn't go back in. So my sister decided to go to the dry cleaners that was a few doors down where our mom took our dad's suits to be cleaned. We sat there and waited. My sister fell asleep on one of the chairs, but I was too scared and wide eyed. Eventually a police officer came in where we were. I didn't say a word to him. But then he asked us if we were "jane doe's kids" and I knew that my mom was looking for us. Though I was still a little suspicious. Even though I was little I was taught not to trust a stranger, even a police officer. But since he knew so much information I didn't think it was a fluke. I woke up my sister and we went with the officer back to Gemco. There was our mom in the front of the store in tears. I figured she'd be furious with my sister for disobeying her, but instead our mom proud of her for going to a familiar place. Okay so our mom was distraught with worry and fear, but for our mom to be proud of my sister for not listening to my mom was just odd to me.

more so lately. since i've become disabled. they dont know why i have spells where i cant see. everything goes black. its only happened 3 times in 3 yrs but still i worry it will happen when im out somewhere.i think it could be panic attacks

Most women suffer from a little known malady called FMD - female map disorder, which basically boils down to getting lost on the way to their own bathroom. Add panic and it's pandemonium. How someone can get lost in a supermarket is beyond me lol. I wait in what, as a man, I see as the most logical place, and eventually she finds me. In the meantime, lol, I've lost my temper, buggered if I know where it goes. Lash

It happened to me, let me share something. One time, my partner and me went abroad when we stop over at the airport he told me that he was just going to the toilet, but then it was over an hour already he still didn't come back. I was panicking and very worried what might had happened to him, so I went to the customer service and asked to put a call out for him. And then another hour was gone he was still not there, I couldn't understand myself at that time like panicking and scared and worried it's just all the feelings were mixed up. Lots of things came up to my mind that I was deeply stress. Then later on I decided to go to the other gate, and I saw him, so I went close to him, I asked where he has been. He said he lost me when he went back to where he left me he said he couldn't find me, so he was looking for me. But really he went to the wrong gate, he thought he was in the gate where he left me. And I couldn't express what I felt at that time, my heart was like jumping happy to have him back again, thank God.

it is a kind of phobia.if my hubby tells that we should meet at such and such place in the evenings,i get panicky and ask him a dozen times about the landmark.in the end he tells me to wait at home,he will come there to pick me up.i do not know why i have this kind of phobia.................

That would be the day when I my wife gets lost :) (I really hope that she does not read this email! :)) Well once I did not get lost but my mum thought she lost me. She panicked and searched the whole place when I was six years old.

I have recollections of these types of panicky feelings as a child but thankfully it is not something that seems to occur with me much anymore. I do sometimes have brief flashes of panic when my wife and I are out somewhere and I lose sight of her for a second, but this is because we have been living in several foreign countries now and I am very protective of her because of it. The feeling albeit brief, is not a nice one at all. I am not sure what advice to offer on how to cope with something like this to be honest other than to just try to remain calm, take deep breaths and try not to let the moment overwhelm you. If you both have mobiles as well then this can help because these days when my wife and I do get briefly seperated from one another, we immediately call each other! (Even though 9 times out of ten we end up looking straight at each other while we are talking on our phones together! lol)

I've been in a few traffic jams before. Fortunately the ones that I've been in never lasted very long (under an hour). And I just waited it out. Why make matters worse by driving like a maniac? I was in a bad traffic jam while my mom was driving when I was growing up. We had gone to see the Fourth of July fireworks display somewhere in the Bay Area. When it was over everyone was trying to leave at the same time, including my mom. She couldn't get over into the lane she wanted to go to and she ended up taking the Golden Gate Bridge (or was it the Bay Bridge?) home which was very scary for her seeing as she hates taking the freeway! I don't remember any of it, seeing as I was fast asleep (which was rare for me to do, even when I was growing up). But she did tell me about it and how it was bumper to bumper on the bridge. In a way, it was kind of a good thing it was this way so that she didn't have to drive fast on the freeway. But it must of been terrifying for her just the same!

Years ago my family and I were at the Mega Mall in Minnesota. We agreed to split up and meet later at a certain time and place. The problem is not everyone could remember where we agreed to meet. I waited and waited and then walked around trying to find them. I was starting to panic when I finally ran into them clear across the mall. That was before we each carried cell phones too. And yes, it was very stressful since I was in a city I don't know and wasn't sure what I'd do if I didn't find them.

Hi sharra, I feel the same way! I hate when I go shopping with someone and we get separated! Even if it's just in the same store! I hate when I can't find them after looking all over the store over and over again! I always carry my cell phone just in case that happens so that I can call them and find them! And if it's in a shopping center or mall I really panic! As long as the cell phones work and I can get to the person I'm ok! I am always losing the people that I go with and I don't think it's funny to have to figure out where they are!

don't scared. everything in life is not to be feard.of cause i think everyone has the experience you had.don't think more about it,you should have courage to face the life.