tommyf
03-29-2012, 03:38 PM
Guys hi!! havent got as long as I wanted but I wanted to share some things with you. Quickly about me - I had times when I thought I was loosing it, going mad and literally going to explode with anxiety. I had OCD for 15 years (NOW GONE) I was suicidal for a while and just felt like there was no way out. Well there is and however you are feeling as the wise old words say "it will pass".
The key is practicing not giving energy to the neurotic / "what if"/ anxious thoughts. They are only thoughts, not even of your making (until you give them energy). They are a product of the subconscious mind, a fearful, scared part of your mind which is just trying to keep you safe from potential dangers. How do you know they are not your thoughts?? Because YOU can sit and listen to them so how can they really be yours???!! Yes they are inside you but they are not part of the real you!!! Think of it this way - what do we hold on to longer a compliment or a criticism? Im betting most people would say they hold on to a criticism longer yes? Well, if you had the choice, which would you hold onto? A compliment, right, as it feels better?! But we dont, we get consumed by the criticism!! Why???? Because WE are NOT choosing!!!! Its our conditioned minds that are choosing!!! The way we have been influenced our whole lives by our parents, teachers, friends, the media it has all built up to make us who we think we are!!!! Dont believe it?? Just ask yourself in any situation if you would choose to be that way? If you wouldnt, you are not choosing!!! The beauty is that in order to reclaim our power from our conditioned minds, we just have to be aware that we are not choosing, thats all. No happy clappy positive bullshit (which can make you feel worse!) Just be aware that you are not choosing and ask yourself what you would ideally choose instead. This starts off the process of separating from your conditioned mind and after a while it looses its power as you know it is not reality. Like any skill, it takes practice, but what a skill to have!!!
I know what its like to feel high anxiety all day and its f*ucking horrible. This is how I beat it - if you can say to yourself "ok Im feeling anxious it is horrible but there is no way of 'thinking' my way out of it, I will just tie myself in knots as I always do and end up making it worse. The best thing I can do is just hold on tight, ride it out and wait for it to pass and it WILL pass, it always does".
Your mind will give you all sorts of 'what ifs' about everything, trying to get you to engage. If you can remain present by not giving energy to these thoughts when they come, that is the key to the door out of it. You need to practice, practice, practice not getting carried off into the past or the future by your worried mind. One way of doing it is feeling what you are feeling, however you are feeling in your body. Just feel it. The mind will say things like "it is horrible, i hate it, i dont want to feel it" that is fine but the fact is, you are feeling it so you might as well do your best to accept it, as fighting it only makes it worse.
I have so much more I want to share and I will but I gotta go! But please let me know if you have any questions.
Big hug
Tom :-) x
The key is practicing not giving energy to the neurotic / "what if"/ anxious thoughts. They are only thoughts, not even of your making (until you give them energy). They are a product of the subconscious mind, a fearful, scared part of your mind which is just trying to keep you safe from potential dangers. How do you know they are not your thoughts?? Because YOU can sit and listen to them so how can they really be yours???!! Yes they are inside you but they are not part of the real you!!! Think of it this way - what do we hold on to longer a compliment or a criticism? Im betting most people would say they hold on to a criticism longer yes? Well, if you had the choice, which would you hold onto? A compliment, right, as it feels better?! But we dont, we get consumed by the criticism!! Why???? Because WE are NOT choosing!!!! Its our conditioned minds that are choosing!!! The way we have been influenced our whole lives by our parents, teachers, friends, the media it has all built up to make us who we think we are!!!! Dont believe it?? Just ask yourself in any situation if you would choose to be that way? If you wouldnt, you are not choosing!!! The beauty is that in order to reclaim our power from our conditioned minds, we just have to be aware that we are not choosing, thats all. No happy clappy positive bullshit (which can make you feel worse!) Just be aware that you are not choosing and ask yourself what you would ideally choose instead. This starts off the process of separating from your conditioned mind and after a while it looses its power as you know it is not reality. Like any skill, it takes practice, but what a skill to have!!!
I know what its like to feel high anxiety all day and its f*ucking horrible. This is how I beat it - if you can say to yourself "ok Im feeling anxious it is horrible but there is no way of 'thinking' my way out of it, I will just tie myself in knots as I always do and end up making it worse. The best thing I can do is just hold on tight, ride it out and wait for it to pass and it WILL pass, it always does".
Your mind will give you all sorts of 'what ifs' about everything, trying to get you to engage. If you can remain present by not giving energy to these thoughts when they come, that is the key to the door out of it. You need to practice, practice, practice not getting carried off into the past or the future by your worried mind. One way of doing it is feeling what you are feeling, however you are feeling in your body. Just feel it. The mind will say things like "it is horrible, i hate it, i dont want to feel it" that is fine but the fact is, you are feeling it so you might as well do your best to accept it, as fighting it only makes it worse.
I have so much more I want to share and I will but I gotta go! But please let me know if you have any questions.
Big hug
Tom :-) x