Im-Suffering
06-27-2014, 09:15 AM
In tribute : Claire Weekes, you did good ! We love you! Let's begin:
Dr. Weekes. 1. FACING.
Dr. Weekes dealt with the symptoms of anxiety. Agoraphobia, nervous fatigue, depletion (depression); and all the symptoms associated with these disorders. She did not give advice on the more serious forms of mental illness. She was not against medication but she said that she rarely prescribed traquilisers or other drugs and then only in extreme cases where it was essential. In agitation for example. She felt that her methods were sufficient in themselves to bring about recovery if practised in the right way. The first step is always to check with your GP and get the OK to proceed. Most doctors, when they know you are willing to co-operate, will help.
The four basic principles in Dr. Weeke's
FACING.
ACCEPTING.
FLOATING
LETTING TIME PASS.
FACING.
This means that the help has to come from within yourself. With outside help and guidence of course but, ultimately, it is you who will heal yourself. Facing means that you face up to the fact that you suffer from anxiety. You do not run away from this fact but face it squarely. You don't seek distraction in dashing here and there trying to find a cure outside yourself. Outside help in the form of therapy based on a sound foundation is fine but any real therapy should be on the understanding that it is you who can help yourself. The therapy is only a means to that end. "Recovery lies in the places you fear". Now this is enough to put most people off and I believe it is one of the reasons why so many begin the idea of acceptance and then give up. Dr. Weekes does not for one moment suggest you dash off to the supermarket and invite panic attacks! This is all about a gradual build up to doing what you think is impossible for you. First the corner shop. Then a short ride on a bus. Then a bit further accompanied by a helper if necessary and eventually to the supermarket
2. ACCEPTANCE.
Probably the most difficult part and the most misunderstood. So many confuse this with 'putting up with' which it is not. You could 'put up with' for the rest of your life and still have the problem. Acceptance calms you; allows the flow of Adrenaline to slow and eventually cease but it takes time for the mind to acustom itself to this new regime. Some expect instant results and in nervous illness there is no such thing. If panic or any other frightening symptom occurs what happens? We tense up. Our body goes rigid in fact a lot describe it as if they are frozen to the spot. Then SECOND FEAR takes over. The "Oh my goodness, I will collapse or be taken away somewhere" More Adrenaline is produced and the fearful symptoms are reinforced. Eventually we gather enough strenghth to run back home or to the car. We can always find the energy to do that but not enough to stand our ground. Acceptance says," OK, come on then, do your worse but I am not going to respond to your nonsense. This is just an electrical impulse running through my body (it is you know) and can do me no harm". Describing true acceptance is difficult. It is about relaxing into the feelings and not struggling to get rid of them. It is letting go rather than clinging tightly to the fear. The complete giving up of doing anything; just letting go.
3. FLOATING.
Any swimmer will tell you that if you lay on your back and allow the water to support you you can relax as you FLOAT. If you start to struggle you sink. It takes a certain skill to do this but once aquired it is with you always. So with FLOATING in anxiety. It means giving up the struggle and going through every anxiety emotion in as relaxed a way as possible. This takes some practise but is worth it. Let us look at a trip to the supermarket for an agoraphobic person. You get there and what happens. "Oh dear, I wonder if I will panic in there". You stand in the car park in dread. "No, I will go home. But if I do I will feel I have let myself down again". So, with clenched teeth and knuckes showing white on the trolley handle, you start toward the entrance. Every step is a fraught with anxiety. Palpitations start as the adrenaline starts to flow. You feel dizzy. You clutch the car keys in your hand as a reminder that you have an escape route. You get to the door and force yourself to go in and once inside the real trouble starts. You panic. Wave after wave sweeps over you and then you are faced with the choice of running or standing your ground. ...................Now this is a story of mismanagement! First of all you have laid the foundations for panic as soon as you stepped out of your car. You start to doubt yourself. "Can I do it"? The anxiety builds BECAUSE OF THE WAY YOU THINK. Can you see the pattern? You are frightening yourself. The physical symptoms are the inevitable result of the fight-flight mechanism that comes into play when our minds sense danger. And you regard the supermarket as a dangerous place.
Having laid the foundation for panic is it any wonder that it comes. This harmless flow of an electrical impulse (that is what it is) frightens you into more fear and you then add second fear. The oh my goodness!! what will happen!
Let's go back outside and start from the car. "I did this many times when I was well and I can do it now. Nothing has changed except my thinking. I will not tense up but I will FLOAT in through the door and FLOAT around the supermarket. If I feel panicky I will know how to cope because I have been taught ACCEPTANCE and that will stand me in good stead. I will not add 'second fear' but go with the feelings. I know they will pass and that adrenaline has a limited amount of the hormone it can throw at me at any one time. It always passes if I FLOAT along with it". Practice! practise! practise! Welcome panic so that you can practise ACCEPTANCE and FLOATING.
You are on a fluffy white cloud. Float in and out. Dr.Weekes suggested what she called 'Right reaction Readiness'. The idea is to practise at home before you go out what you will do if you do panic. What to say to yourself and prepare your mind for the journey.
4. LETTING TIME PASS.
Patience is not something that is a strong feature in anxiety. We must be the most impatient bunch going. If most of us take a pill we expect immediate results and any kind of therapy that involves talking is expected, after the first chat, to yield amazing recoveries! Sad to say it does not work that way and any LASTING recovery will take time. Sometimes lots of it. We have to learn patience. There are many 'quick fix' solutions on the market from pills to weekend seminars that offer to change your life in one session (at a cost!). Been there. At one time I spent a fortune on talks and seminars which got me nowhere. This is not to say that a group who discuss nervous illness in the right way and who are led by an understanding person who has been there can't help. Of course it can. But one has to be discerning. A lot of charlatans cash in on peoples suffering. We have to ACCEPT that any therapy, however good, will take time to take effect. Our minds have got in a rut and need retraining. The longer we have suffered the deeper the rut. Climbing out is sometimes painful and requires perseverance but the results can be tremendous right up to complete recovery. BUT THIS TAKES TIME. We have to let time pass. Take it a day at a time and DON'T keep checking yourself to see if it's working. The results will be obvious but checking brings on more anxiety because the thought that we are making no progress can put us back.
.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ..............................
Dr. Weekes 5. SECOND FEAR.
The last and probably the most important part of the understanding of anxiety and especially panic is the SECOND FEAR we add when a panic attack or some other episode occurs. SECOND FEAR is all the negative thoughts that arise when we feel an attack coming. There are many of these.
"Oh dear, now I know I will never get over this" (Negativity).
"What will people think of me. They are all looking at me". (Self consciousness. They are not of course).
"I know it's a heart attack. My heart is racing and feels as if it will burst" (Anxiety).
"I have to get out of here" (Retreat).
"It's no good, this is the last straw". (Despair).
I am sure you can think of many more. One after the other; is it any small wonder you run outside? But why is it that when you are outside the supermarket, the church. the meeting, that you feel better? NOW you are saying to yourself. "Now I can relax. No one will look at me now and I feel safe. I can't make a fool of myself out here". Your nerves calm down and although still in state of anxiety it is at least, bearable. BUT YOU ARE THE SAME PERSON AS YOU WERE INSIDE. Can you see how you frighten yourself by your NEGATIVE THINKING? By adding SECOND FEAR to the first flash of panic? In the part on acceptance I suggested that when panic strikes STOP. Stand your ground and let the FIRST flash pass over you then carry on. Let the panic come and do it's worse but don't prolong it by adding second fear. Adrenaline has a limited life span. That first flash is about all it will do at that time but by adding SECOND FEAR you intensify the effect it has on your body so that the symptoms seem to last a lot longer.
SETBACKS. This deserves a place on its own because it is one of the most disconcerting episodes in any anxiety condition. Just when we think we are making great progress; wham! a setback occurs. Don't go looking for reasons. Practise what you already know. ACCEPTANCE. It got you out before and will do so again if you allow it to. In a way (difficult) setbacks should be welcomed. They allow you to practise again and again what you have learned. It helps you arrive at the stage where setbacks NO LONGER MATTER.
Dr. Weekes. 1. FACING.
Dr. Weekes dealt with the symptoms of anxiety. Agoraphobia, nervous fatigue, depletion (depression); and all the symptoms associated with these disorders. She did not give advice on the more serious forms of mental illness. She was not against medication but she said that she rarely prescribed traquilisers or other drugs and then only in extreme cases where it was essential. In agitation for example. She felt that her methods were sufficient in themselves to bring about recovery if practised in the right way. The first step is always to check with your GP and get the OK to proceed. Most doctors, when they know you are willing to co-operate, will help.
The four basic principles in Dr. Weeke's
FACING.
ACCEPTING.
FLOATING
LETTING TIME PASS.
FACING.
This means that the help has to come from within yourself. With outside help and guidence of course but, ultimately, it is you who will heal yourself. Facing means that you face up to the fact that you suffer from anxiety. You do not run away from this fact but face it squarely. You don't seek distraction in dashing here and there trying to find a cure outside yourself. Outside help in the form of therapy based on a sound foundation is fine but any real therapy should be on the understanding that it is you who can help yourself. The therapy is only a means to that end. "Recovery lies in the places you fear". Now this is enough to put most people off and I believe it is one of the reasons why so many begin the idea of acceptance and then give up. Dr. Weekes does not for one moment suggest you dash off to the supermarket and invite panic attacks! This is all about a gradual build up to doing what you think is impossible for you. First the corner shop. Then a short ride on a bus. Then a bit further accompanied by a helper if necessary and eventually to the supermarket
2. ACCEPTANCE.
Probably the most difficult part and the most misunderstood. So many confuse this with 'putting up with' which it is not. You could 'put up with' for the rest of your life and still have the problem. Acceptance calms you; allows the flow of Adrenaline to slow and eventually cease but it takes time for the mind to acustom itself to this new regime. Some expect instant results and in nervous illness there is no such thing. If panic or any other frightening symptom occurs what happens? We tense up. Our body goes rigid in fact a lot describe it as if they are frozen to the spot. Then SECOND FEAR takes over. The "Oh my goodness, I will collapse or be taken away somewhere" More Adrenaline is produced and the fearful symptoms are reinforced. Eventually we gather enough strenghth to run back home or to the car. We can always find the energy to do that but not enough to stand our ground. Acceptance says," OK, come on then, do your worse but I am not going to respond to your nonsense. This is just an electrical impulse running through my body (it is you know) and can do me no harm". Describing true acceptance is difficult. It is about relaxing into the feelings and not struggling to get rid of them. It is letting go rather than clinging tightly to the fear. The complete giving up of doing anything; just letting go.
3. FLOATING.
Any swimmer will tell you that if you lay on your back and allow the water to support you you can relax as you FLOAT. If you start to struggle you sink. It takes a certain skill to do this but once aquired it is with you always. So with FLOATING in anxiety. It means giving up the struggle and going through every anxiety emotion in as relaxed a way as possible. This takes some practise but is worth it. Let us look at a trip to the supermarket for an agoraphobic person. You get there and what happens. "Oh dear, I wonder if I will panic in there". You stand in the car park in dread. "No, I will go home. But if I do I will feel I have let myself down again". So, with clenched teeth and knuckes showing white on the trolley handle, you start toward the entrance. Every step is a fraught with anxiety. Palpitations start as the adrenaline starts to flow. You feel dizzy. You clutch the car keys in your hand as a reminder that you have an escape route. You get to the door and force yourself to go in and once inside the real trouble starts. You panic. Wave after wave sweeps over you and then you are faced with the choice of running or standing your ground. ...................Now this is a story of mismanagement! First of all you have laid the foundations for panic as soon as you stepped out of your car. You start to doubt yourself. "Can I do it"? The anxiety builds BECAUSE OF THE WAY YOU THINK. Can you see the pattern? You are frightening yourself. The physical symptoms are the inevitable result of the fight-flight mechanism that comes into play when our minds sense danger. And you regard the supermarket as a dangerous place.
Having laid the foundation for panic is it any wonder that it comes. This harmless flow of an electrical impulse (that is what it is) frightens you into more fear and you then add second fear. The oh my goodness!! what will happen!
Let's go back outside and start from the car. "I did this many times when I was well and I can do it now. Nothing has changed except my thinking. I will not tense up but I will FLOAT in through the door and FLOAT around the supermarket. If I feel panicky I will know how to cope because I have been taught ACCEPTANCE and that will stand me in good stead. I will not add 'second fear' but go with the feelings. I know they will pass and that adrenaline has a limited amount of the hormone it can throw at me at any one time. It always passes if I FLOAT along with it". Practice! practise! practise! Welcome panic so that you can practise ACCEPTANCE and FLOATING.
You are on a fluffy white cloud. Float in and out. Dr.Weekes suggested what she called 'Right reaction Readiness'. The idea is to practise at home before you go out what you will do if you do panic. What to say to yourself and prepare your mind for the journey.
4. LETTING TIME PASS.
Patience is not something that is a strong feature in anxiety. We must be the most impatient bunch going. If most of us take a pill we expect immediate results and any kind of therapy that involves talking is expected, after the first chat, to yield amazing recoveries! Sad to say it does not work that way and any LASTING recovery will take time. Sometimes lots of it. We have to learn patience. There are many 'quick fix' solutions on the market from pills to weekend seminars that offer to change your life in one session (at a cost!). Been there. At one time I spent a fortune on talks and seminars which got me nowhere. This is not to say that a group who discuss nervous illness in the right way and who are led by an understanding person who has been there can't help. Of course it can. But one has to be discerning. A lot of charlatans cash in on peoples suffering. We have to ACCEPT that any therapy, however good, will take time to take effect. Our minds have got in a rut and need retraining. The longer we have suffered the deeper the rut. Climbing out is sometimes painful and requires perseverance but the results can be tremendous right up to complete recovery. BUT THIS TAKES TIME. We have to let time pass. Take it a day at a time and DON'T keep checking yourself to see if it's working. The results will be obvious but checking brings on more anxiety because the thought that we are making no progress can put us back.
.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ..............................
Dr. Weekes 5. SECOND FEAR.
The last and probably the most important part of the understanding of anxiety and especially panic is the SECOND FEAR we add when a panic attack or some other episode occurs. SECOND FEAR is all the negative thoughts that arise when we feel an attack coming. There are many of these.
"Oh dear, now I know I will never get over this" (Negativity).
"What will people think of me. They are all looking at me". (Self consciousness. They are not of course).
"I know it's a heart attack. My heart is racing and feels as if it will burst" (Anxiety).
"I have to get out of here" (Retreat).
"It's no good, this is the last straw". (Despair).
I am sure you can think of many more. One after the other; is it any small wonder you run outside? But why is it that when you are outside the supermarket, the church. the meeting, that you feel better? NOW you are saying to yourself. "Now I can relax. No one will look at me now and I feel safe. I can't make a fool of myself out here". Your nerves calm down and although still in state of anxiety it is at least, bearable. BUT YOU ARE THE SAME PERSON AS YOU WERE INSIDE. Can you see how you frighten yourself by your NEGATIVE THINKING? By adding SECOND FEAR to the first flash of panic? In the part on acceptance I suggested that when panic strikes STOP. Stand your ground and let the FIRST flash pass over you then carry on. Let the panic come and do it's worse but don't prolong it by adding second fear. Adrenaline has a limited life span. That first flash is about all it will do at that time but by adding SECOND FEAR you intensify the effect it has on your body so that the symptoms seem to last a lot longer.
SETBACKS. This deserves a place on its own because it is one of the most disconcerting episodes in any anxiety condition. Just when we think we are making great progress; wham! a setback occurs. Don't go looking for reasons. Practise what you already know. ACCEPTANCE. It got you out before and will do so again if you allow it to. In a way (difficult) setbacks should be welcomed. They allow you to practise again and again what you have learned. It helps you arrive at the stage where setbacks NO LONGER MATTER.