Why do you still have anxiety?

[PanicCured]

Serious question that requires some reflection to obtain a serious answer.

Why do you still have anxiety?

It is my firm belief that Anxiety Disorder/Panic Disorder is something you can overcome in under a year, and amazingly improved in a matter of months. If you can open your mind to this possibility and accept this, why do you still have anxiety?

With one exception: You are tapering off meds or withdrawing from meds which slow things down.

It is most likely one or more of these reasons:

1) You still need more time to heal

2) You are not doing the right actions to get you from anxiety to anxiety free because:
a) you either do not know how, or
b) you know what you should be doing but you aren't doing it.

3) You are trying to get off medication, which requires a slow taper, which results in rebound anxiety which causes the healing process to take longer than usual. I went through this actually with Klonopins.

4) You are not taking control of the situation and not willing to do the work you need to do to get better.

5) You do not understand what anxiety really is and you are in a state of confusion

So which one is it?

You know you are supposed to get out of your comfort zone and get out there but do you?

You know you need to face your fears but do you?

You know anxiety is simply a biological response and that you work yourself into a frenzy but do you run from it or face it? Do you just let it go and allow it to be until it does not affect you anymore? Do you let chemical responses in your body control you?

Once you understand anxiety 101, it is up to you to do the work. If you don't do the work, you don't get better. As simple as that!

Supplements, exercise such as yoga, healthy diet- all very great stuff but ultimately YOU will get yourself past it.

Forget this idea that you can't get better. It is not true and do not listen to anyone that tells you this. You can overcome an anxiety disorder if you do the necessary steps needed to do so. Realize this and then just follow the right steps to get better.

So ask yourself this question- why do you still have anxiety?

Then ask yourself- What do I need to do to get past it?

Then GO DO IT!

[Exactice]

Love this post........ I cant agree more...... It takes awareness and acceptance that you need to understand your condition first. Then you need to put action!!! It is imperative!

[Ryker]

I think it's also important to never forget that some level of stress, and some level of anxiety are perfectly normal!

If you don't get any stress and don't worry about anything you're either dead or your medication needs reviewing.

[Im-Suffering]

Anxiety cannot be cured because there is nothing to cure. Just as the earth has its seasons so does your psyche ebb and flow through the mental landscapes, including its storms, and calm, sunshine and cloudy skies, cold and ice to warmth and the spring of new life.

Anxiety is not fatal. It has never killed anyone, although there have been people who killed themselves. You can find many in asylums who went crazy.

Anxiety is a tool. You can use it to go crazy, kill yourself, or even learn a thing or two, maybe.

Shhhh......this is all a secret.

The worker is only as good as his tools, and you too need to sharpen the instruments in life. Life is not about buying a car, a home, a job. Or really any of the things you think about every moment of every day. Thus no one will even understand any of this post because it doesn't help them with that new loan they need so they can overextend themselves.

So you take out your new loans, overextend yourselves, and then old man anxiety kicks in as a tool, to show you how you acted afool.

Since it is part of the natural body systems it has a job to do, and so you cant get rid of it unless you kill off the body, which is a goal for most of you.

If you manage to keep the body intact, and come to springtime, the anxiety will ebb and flow with your edification.

Life is about learning, when you feel good you have learned that lesson, when you are shaking in your boots in the ER you have a lesson to learn. And the only way to avoid the lesson is to drain the body of its chemicals and kill it, or face the music.

Some have intense anxiety over money, some love, some socially, some their own gender, all involve some degree of fear avoidance. Now if you turn from the money problem for example, and live one step from homeless, anxiety is your tool. If you are afraid of your sexual preference and ashamed and guilty of your own bodies, you will suffer intense anxiety, where anxiety is your tool.

To learn joy, most of you go through hell. And so that is the method humans use. To hell and back you see. What a journey it was !

To the OP, we teach what we have to learn, so your trying any shoe on for size, see if it magically fits. If anxiety is a 10 mile race, you are on mile 1. After mile 5 one begins see that its not really a race but a journey.

A mother and fathers primary teaching should be "no matter what my child, live your life joyfully" if that belief holds, then the journey would be much easier.

[Im-Suffering]

I think it's also important to never forget that some level of stress, and some level of anxiety are perfectly normal!

If you don't get any stress and don't worry about anything you're either dead or your medication needs reviewing.

This is correct, and in your own way intuitively understand its purpose. This is what my whole post above is about. Not that anyone will ever get it, but its here nonetheless.

All levels of stress are normal. You cannot say, "my level is a 5 that's normal, but should it go to a 9, that's abnormal and I'm in trouble" you may as well call a calm day normal and a hurricane abnormal. Where they are both expressions the same systems. (The body of the earth. Do you think earth feels guilty because it created a hurricane that damages your house or drops a tree on your neighbors head?) Even as one kills, you see. If one kills it must be abnormal.

Now your doctors office has bins labeled for medical waste, hazardous material, such as tumors and body pieces. Treating the human body as a sort of mutated abomination. Yes the doctors say, in the case of cancer, nature fucked up. Your body becomes an enemy to fight against. Sound a little like anxiety and how its approached? The doctors approach of course is to remove the offending army not understanding that with the same psyche the army will keep coming. So they remove organ after organ because its all they can do.

It is not possible for nature to fuck up, it is possible to have a fucked up mental state however that screws with your nature.

Oh there is much to learn !

[gypsylee]

In my case it's number 1 over and over. I am in a situation regarding my ex and my daughter which can't be resolved (until she's independent). It's given me some kind of PTSD which flares up every time something happens and takes me a while to recover. I deal with it better now but yeah.

I dare say others are in situations which they simply can't escape from. Also I think our society is so anxiety-causing (especially for people who are sensitive to stress) that it's hard to avoid being anxious.

I certainly agree there are things one can do to lower anxiety levels, but there are factors beyond our control that make it difficult to "cure".

[Ryker]

Here's a bonkers thought. Is it just possible that those of us with higher levels of anxiety and stress are simply the people who can actually cope with it?

Maybe the people with a lower tolerance of anxiety or stress will just move themselves out of that situation - regardless of the consequences?

Are we the heat-proof frogs in the pan of boiling water who can actually survive?

[Im-Suffering]

Here's a bonkers thought. Is it just possible that those of us with higher levels of anxiety and stress are simply the people who can actually cope with it?

Maybe the people with a lower tolerance of anxiety or stress will just move themselves out of that situation - regardless of the consequences?

Are we the heat-proof frogs in the pan of boiling water who can actually survive?

There are those whose life purpose is a new car. And there are those whose life purpose is to end this cycle of shit and move on to more 'advanced' systems of activity.

If the children are playing with fire take the matches away, or stick them in a sandbox where they really can't harm anyone in another system (reality). And let them continually blow themselves up until they learn a thing or two.

I call it 'getting it over with'

Its like at Disneyland over the loudspeaker "at the end of the ride please step off to the left if you blew yourself up (again), or to the right if you learned a few things"

Now, should someone blow themselves up (again and again), that comes with a certain level of anxiety. Naturally the ego fears its every step could be a land mine.

[Joe.]

Anxiety cannot be cured because there is nothing to cure. Just as the earth has its seasons so does your psyche ebb and flow through the mental landscapes, including its storms, and calm, sunshine and cloudy skies, cold and ice to warmth and the spring of new life.

Anxiety is not fatal. It has never killed anyone, although there have been people who killed themselves. You can find many in asylums who went crazy.

Anxiety is a tool. You can use it to go crazy, kill yourself, or even learn a thing or two, maybe.

Shhhh......this is all a secret.

The worker is only as good as his tools, and you too need to sharpen the instruments in life. Life is not about buying a car, a home, a job. Or really any of the things you think about every moment of every day. Thus no one will even understand any of this post because it doesn't help them with that new loan they need so they can overextend themselves.

So you take out your new loans, overextend yourselves, and then old man anxiety kicks in as a tool, to show you how you acted afool.

Since it is part of the natural body systems it has a job to do, and so you cant get rid of it unless you kill off the body, which is a goal for most of you.

If you manage to keep the body intact, and come to springtime, the anxiety will ebb and flow with your edification.

Life is about learning, when you feel good you have learned that lesson, when you are shaking in your boots in the ER you have a lesson to learn. And the only way to avoid the lesson is to drain the body of its chemicals and kill it, or face the music.

Some have intense anxiety over money, some love, some socially, some their own gender, all involve some degree of fear avoidance. Now if you turn from the money problem for example, and live one step from homeless, anxiety is your tool. If you are afraid of your sexual preference and ashamed and guilty of your own bodies, you will suffer intense anxiety, where anxiety is your tool.

To learn joy, most of you go through hell. And so that is the method humans use. To hell and back you see. What a journey it was !

To the OP, we teach what we have to learn, so your trying any shoe on for size, see if it magically fits. If anxiety is a 10 mile race, you are on mile 1. After mile 5 one begins see that its not really a race but a journey.

A mother and fathers primary teaching should be "no matter what my child, live your life joyfully" if that belief holds, then the journey would be much easier.

Very good way to look at it
From this view, you cannot fear anxiety. I have seen anxiety progress us in so many ways (if dealt with correctly), and that realization itself will reduce anxiety.

[Im-Suffering]

Very good way to look at it
From this view, you cannot fear anxiety. I have seen anxiety progress us in so many ways (if dealt with correctly), and that realization itself will reduce anxiety.

Nations, countries, have a gestalt anxiety, you see. Broaden your concepts....now, war after war raises the group level. As one body. Without the intense anxiety over nuclear, you would have seen annihilation already. It only took 2 drops. Now in the mass-psyche, you have PTS, and you bet if the decision to drop came again it would be met with a high heart rate, stomach and gas problems, tingling, and derealization.

Anxiety becomes, again, the tool to learn and solve problems correctly. Whether personally or enmass.

There is no hope for the man whose life purpose is to kill deer for fun and covet that new truck. He's got a few cycles left and you can bet one full of anxiety. His current life is a vacation in between trips to hell.

[PanicCured]

I think it's also important to never forget that some level of stress, and some level of anxiety are perfectly normal!

If you don't get any stress and don't worry about anything you're either dead or your medication needs reviewing.

Getting stressed out once in awhile for deadlines and feeling fear over certain things sometimes is not Anxiety Disorder or Panic Disorder. Did anyone say one must never be scared ever again forever and must never ever feel stress? I am talking about an anxiety disorder.

[PanicCured]

Anxiety cannot be cured because there is nothing to cure.

Blah blah blah. I had anxiety and now I do not. Other people had anxiety and then they do not. This can be called a cure.

[PanicCured]

In my case it's number 1 over and over. I am in a situation regarding my ex and my daughter which can't be resolved (until she's independent). It's given me some kind of PTSD which flares up every time something happens and takes me a while to recover. I deal with it better now but yeah.

I dare say others are in situations which they simply can't escape from. Also I think our society is so anxiety-causing (especially for people who are sensitive to stress) that it's hard to avoid being anxious.

I certainly agree there are things one can do to lower anxiety levels, but there are factors beyond our control that make it difficult to "cure".

But outside factors causing problems is not related to an actual anxiety disorder. An anxiety disorder is an internal problem. People can have everything perfect in their lives and suffer from agoraphobia and panic attacks. It is unrelated to outside factors. Most people that suffer from anxiety will tell you that it can happen by doing mundane things and even by relaxing. Blaming it on outside factors is missing the point. Outside factors can piss you off or cause you stress, or even make anxiety worse, but an anxiety disorder is an internal situation. It may seem like it's caused from the outside and you may want to blame it on outside factors, but it is actually an internal problem, so you must deal with it from thsi angle.

[Im-Suffering]

But outside factors causing problems is not related to an actual anxiety disorder. An anxiety disorder is an internal problem. People can have everything perfect in their lives and suffer from agoraphobia and panic attacks. It is unrelated to outside factors. Most people that suffer from anxiety will tell you that it can happen by doing mundane things and even by relaxing. Blaming it on outside factors is missing the point. Outside factors can piss you off or cause you stress, or even make anxiety worse, but an anxiety disorder is an internal situation. It may seem like it's caused from the outside and you may want to blame it on outside factors, but it is actually an internal problem, so you must deal with it from thsi angle.

Well said.

[Exactice]

Getting stressed out once in awhile for deadlines and feeling fear over certain things sometimes is not Anxiety Disorder or Panic Disorder. Did anyone say one must never be scared ever again forever and must never ever feel stress? I am talking about an anxiety disorder.

I think we are discussing apples and oranges. As both thoughts are right in my book.

Anxiety and Panic due to Real Fight or Flight scenarios are impossible to "cure", War, Mugger on the street, Taking a final exam etc.

Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder can be cured, with the proper exercises (CBT) and mental mind set.

The issue is people look to just cure Anxiety and Panic in general and forget that it is "Human" to feel anxiety before a job interview or business meeting. For people with the disorder we are "overly" sensitive and make our panic and anxiety more than it really is. This thought is was we can cure. Not the actually panic and anxiety. We need it as a basis for human survival.

Any ways, I agree with Both PanicCured and Im-Suffering, just at 2 different levels.

Those that suffer need to address why they are suffering and you both talk about ways to address it and you are both right!

[PanicCured]

I think we are discussing apples and oranges. As both thoughts are right in my book.

Anxiety and Panic due to Real Fight or Flight scenarios are impossible to "cure", War, Mugger on the street, Taking a final exam etc.

Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder can be cured, with the proper exercises (CBT) and mental mind set.

The issue is people look to just cure Anxiety and Panic in general and forget that it is "Human" to feel anxiety before a job interview or business meeting. For people with the disorder we are "overly" sensitive and make our panic and anxiety more than it really is. This thought is was we can cure. Not the actually panic and anxiety. We need it as a basis for human survival.

Any ways, I agree with Both PanicCured and Im-Suffering, just at 2 different levels.

Those that suffer need to address why they are suffering and you both talk about ways to address it and you are both right!

No we are not dealing with apples and oranges. It is entirely different. A person who's life is debilitated due to anxiety is not the same as a guy who has a fight or flight response from being trapped in a building on fire. You can't compare someone who is depressed that his friend just died to someone who can't get out of bed due to a depression disorder. An overly sensitive nervous system that gets triggered to go into fight or flight can be helped and one can 100% overcome their anxiety disorder hence "cured". The idea was not to have a debate, but for some reason people always want to turn everything into an argument.

[Exactice]

No we are not dealing with apples and oranges. It is entirely different. A person who's life is debilitated due to anxiety is not the same as a guy who has a fight or flight response from being trapped in a building on fire. You can't compare someone who is depressed that his friend just died to someone who can't get out of bed due to a depression disorder. An overly sensitive nervous system that gets triggered to go into fight or flight can be helped and one can 100% overcome their anxiety disorder hence "cured". Did I say take fight or flight system removed from your body? I did it and I outlined how I did it in other threads. The idea was not to have a debate, but for some reason people always want to turn everything into an argument.

Another guy who wants to debate semantics or pointless tidbits instead of actually overcoming anxiety. Is debating semantics helping you get better?


Wow..... hairs wound a little to tight there.... I was NOT Comparing.... I was agreeing that it IS 2 different things. YOU seem think THAT I AM COMPARING, I think you need to relax and re read what I posted or do I need to highlight it for you.
*edited*

[Exactice]

I think we are discussing apples and oranges. As both thoughts are right in my book. Apples and Oranges, 2 different things, nothing similar other than being a fruit and roundish

Anxiety and Panic due to Real Fight or Flight scenarios are impossible to "cure", War, Mugger on the street, Taking a final exam etc. 2 separate examples highlighted to show the misunderstanding

Anxiety Disorder and Panic Disorder can be cured, with the proper exercises (CBT) and mental mind set. My Direct statement agreeing with you..... For fucks sakes I agreed with you.

The issue is people look to just cure Anxiety and Panic in general and forget that it is "Human" to feel anxiety before a job interview or business meeting. For people with the disorder we are "overly" sensitive and make our panic and anxiety more than it really is. This thought is was we can cure. Not the actually panic and anxiety. We need it as a basis for human survival.The Sometimes misunderstood thought of Panic and anxiety, again agree with you that people dont see the difference.

Any ways, I agree with Both PanicCured and Im-Suffering, just at 2 different levels.

Those that suffer need to address why they are suffering and you both talk about ways to address it and you are both right! Agree with your first post that you are right people need to address it the right way, but though miss it.


Hope this makes it more clear.... *edited*

[PanicCured]

Ok relax buddy. It's cool. But you said, "Anxiety and Panic due to Real Fight or Flight scenarios are impossible to "cure", War, Mugger on the street, Taking a final exam etc."

That really is not the disorder or what people here are talking about. Nobody is asking "How can I never feel fear ever again?" A car comes towards you and you jump out of the way. This is not anxiety. A mugger points a gun at someone's face and he gets sacred, nobody calls that anxiety. Scared to go into an elevator is anxiety. Scared to go to a grocery store for fear that you will be trapped is anxiety. I think this is pretty well understood without really having to go into further detail about it.

[Exactice]

Ok relax buddy. It's cool. But you said, "Anxiety and Panic due to Real Fight or Flight scenarios are impossible to "cure", War, Mugger on the street, Taking a final exam etc."

That really is not the disorder or what people here are talking about. Nobody is asking "How can I never feel fear ever again?" A car comes towards you and you jump out of the way. This is not anxiety. A mugger points a gun at someone's face and he gets sacred, nobody calls that anxiety. Scared to go into an elevator is anxiety. Scared to go to a grocery store for fear that you will be trapped is anxiety. I think this is pretty well understood without really having to go into further detail about it.


Right back at you my friend. Again the statement was to agree that Panic and Anxiety itself cannot be cured. I used those as an example. And Yes those examples are actually warranted here. If you read enough post and I know you have, you may have noticed sometimes that people are overly sensitive. This is what causes the panic to go out of control. Whenever there is a sense of any type of anxiety or panic that could be a cause by our natural fight of flight mechanism they take it a step further and almost blend the lines between normal anxiety and disorder.

A car coming towards you causes panic, those panic is the exact same feelings you get through a panic from a disorder. You have anxiety now of the panic and it is a ruthless cycle. My point again though people here tend to over analyze themselves, I was one of them, than think and sensation was a bad thing and then I would freak out and then my anxiety would turn into a full blown panic attack. Granted if I was sitting on the toilet or about to get hit by a car. The panic and anxiety build up was the exact same thing.

Anyways yes... again we are actually agreeing on the same thing....... we are not debating, but for whatever reason our points are not meshing. At this point its useless to argue with you, but just take it as I 100% agree with you even if my typed words are not coming out how you think they are, I do agree.......

[PanicCured]

My definition of anxiety is different form yours. When I say anxiety or panic or being cured I am talking about the disorder not the biological function. This is an important distinction but I am pretty sure most people know this already. When I say overcoming anxiety or curing anxiety I mean getting rid of the disorder of anxiety not eliminating all functions of adrenaline. If you do not understand this fully, try and understand it. The disorder is anxiety is triggered at inappropriate times. But there is more to it than that.

"A car coming towards you causes panic, those panic is the exact same feelings you get through a panic from a disorder." Not exactly. A panic attack has unique sensations to it that really don;t exist anywhere else. I mean, you could have the fight or flight system kick in when you are being chased by a bear, but in an anxiety attack you can feel you are going insane and your head my blow up. It's similar but not exactly. A panic attack is not exactly like jumping out of the road to dodge a car. Some people freeze up and can't even move. Same mechanism but it presents itself differently. When someone says, I have anxiety about moving to a new country, that is not what I mean when I say anxiety. I mean the disorder and those who have it, know exactly what I am referring to.

Anyway this really derailed the thread in what could have been a much more productive post.

[Exactice]

No we are not dealing with apples and oranges. It is entirely different. A person who's life is debilitated due to anxiety is not the same as a guy who has a fight or flight response from being trapped in a building on fire. You can't compare someone who is depressed that his friend just died to someone who can't get out of bed due to a depression disorder. An overly sensitive nervous system that gets triggered to go into fight or flight can be helped and one can 100% overcome their anxiety disorder hence "cured". The idea was not to have a debate, but for some reason people always want to turn everything into an argument.


Ok relax buddy. It's cool. But you said, "Anxiety and Panic due to Real Fight or Flight scenarios are impossible to "cure", War, Mugger on the street, Taking a final exam etc."

That really is not the disorder or what people here are talking about. Nobody is asking "How can I never feel fear ever again?" A car comes towards you and you jump out of the way. This is not anxiety. A mugger points a gun at someone's face and he gets sacred, nobody calls that anxiety. Scared to go into an elevator is anxiety. Scared to go to a grocery store for fear that you will be trapped is anxiety. I think this is pretty well understood without really having to go into further detail about it.


My definition of anxiety is different form yours. When I say anxiety or panic or being cured I am talking about the disorder not the biological function. This is an important distinction but I am pretty sure most people know this already. When I say overcoming anxiety or curing anxiety I mean getting rid of the disorder of anxiety not eliminating all functions of adrenaline. If you do not understand this fully, try and understand it. The disorder is anxiety is triggered at inappropriate times. But there is more to it than that.

"A car coming towards you causes panic, those panic is the exact same feelings you get through a panic from a disorder." Not exactly. A panic attack has unique sensations to it that really don;t exist anywhere else. I mean, you could have the fight or flight system kick in when you are being chased by a bear, but in an anxiety attack you can feel you are going insane and your head my blow up. It's similar but not exactly. A panic attack is not exactly like jumping out of the road to dodge a car. Some people freeze up and can't even move. Same mechanism but it presents itself differently. When someone says, I have anxiety about moving to a new country, that is not what I mean when I say anxiety. I mean the disorder and those who have it, know exactly what I am referring to.

Anyway this really derailed the thread in what could have been a much more productive post.



For a guy that said, that they didnt want to debate, and didnt want to play word games..... You sure are stirring the pot....

hyp·o·crite
noun \ˈhi-pə-ˌkrit\

: a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs
Full Definition of HYPOCRITE
1
: a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
2
: a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings

[PanicCured]

For a guy that said, that they didnt want to debate, and didnt want to play word games..... You sure are stirring the pot....

hyp·o·crite
noun \ˈhi-pə-ˌkrit\

: a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs
Full Definition of HYPOCRITE
1
: a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
2
: a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings

I write a well thought out post to try and help people and I have to deal with this crap?

[jon mike]

i suffered in a world of my own hell for 15 years, one day i had enough, i got help, i had cognitive behavourial therapy, i
now live my life to the full. i am very happy, this post is correct, you need to learn and educate yourself and apply it straight away
to your everyday life

[Jgirl-73]

Serious question that requires some reflection to obtain a serious answer. Why do you still have anxiety? It is my firm belief that Anxiety Disorder/Panic Disorder is something you can overcome in under a year, and amazingly improved in a matter of months. If you can open your mind to this possibility and accept this, why do you still have anxiety? With one exception: You are tapering off meds or withdrawing from meds which slow things down. It is most likely one or more of these reasons: 1) You still need more time to heal 2) You are not doing the right actions to get you from anxiety to anxiety free because: a) you either do not know how, or b) you know what you should be doing but you aren't doing it. 3) You are trying to get off medication, which requires a slow taper, which results in rebound anxiety which causes the healing process to take longer than usual. I went through this actually with Klonopins. 4) You are not taking control of the situation and not willing to do the work you need to do to get better. 5) You do not understand what anxiety really is and you are in a state of confusion So which one is it? You know you are supposed to get out of your comfort zone and get out there but do you? You know you need to face your fears but do you? You know anxiety is simply a biological response and that you work yourself into a frenzy but do you run from it or face it? Do you just let it go and allow it to be until it does not affect you anymore? Do you let chemical responses in your body control you? Once you understand anxiety 101, it is up to you to do the work. If you don't do the work, you don't get better. As simple as that! Supplements, exercise such as yoga, healthy diet- all very great stuff but ultimately YOU will get yourself past it. Forget this idea that you can't get better. It is not true and do not listen to anyone that tells you this. You can overcome an anxiety disorder if you do the necessary steps needed to do so. Realize this and then just follow the right steps to get better. So ask yourself this question- why do you still have anxiety? Then ask yourself- What do I need to do to get past it? Then GO DO IT!

This is a really good post. But I'm concerned...maybe you can help. I read Dr. Claire Weekes book & for the last couple months were really making progress. I was learning to face, accept, float, & wait. It was wonderful! Then about two weeks ago I began to feel very nervous and I've had two panic attacks within a few days...I wasn't prepared for this set back and am really struggling to get back to where I was. I have had some stress...my daughter just celebrated a sweet 16 party & I was responsible for tons to get ready.
How do I deal with this set back? How do I get back to that good place? Is set backs normal?!

[Ryker]

Hi Jgirl,

Yes I think it's very normal. I had exactly the same experience.

I think it's probably ubiquitous. There's a well known phenomenon in psychology called the "extinction burst". Just at the point where an old behaviour is about to decline there's a marked upsurge.

If you've ever learned to play tennis or golf or a musical instrument you'll know this feeing well. We 'get it', then our brain has to tidy up all the new skills and all the new knowledge, build cupboards and draws to put it all in and we temporarily lose those skills as they're being moved from short-term and working memory into long term memory and muscle memory. It always happens.

I see it as well when I'm doing my hobby of training animals. They pick up a skill, you think they've got it nailed, and then they lose it. Almost completely. Then almost overnight it comes back.

Don't lose heart. You've done all the hard work, and this could well be the sign that you're so very close to the end.

[Exactice]

This is a really good post. But I'm concerned...maybe you can help. I read Dr. Claire Weekes book & for the last couple months were really making progress. I was learning to face, accept, float, & wait. It was wonderful! Then about two weeks ago I began to feel very nervous and I've had two panic attacks within a few days...I wasn't prepared for this set back and am really struggling to get back to where I was. I have had some stress...my daughter just celebrated a sweet 16 party & I was responsible for tons to get ready.
How do I deal with this set back? How do I get back to that good place? Is set backs normal?!


Hey Jgirl, how do you deal with set backs? Is is normal? First of, is it normal, absolutely!! I like to call them speed bumps, pain in the butt, but you get over them! Next how do you deal with them. Same way you deal with a regular panic attack, but notice one thing.......how quickly do you get over them from your first attack. If you notice you recover faster and easier, then you are doing well. Yes they may rear their ugly head, but if you can get over them quicker that means you are learning how to deal with them

I bet you, you are already recovering much faster than you were before. Take notice of this first! Let us know!

[Exactice]

I write a well thought out post to try and help people and I have to deal with this crap?


Panic my friend, Im just going to say this....... You are the reason I came on this forum, I was trolling the net for answers and your Sticky post gave me the will power to post up my first thread and the rest is history. I love this place and you were the pinnacle reason for me joining. I truly from the bottom of my heart thank you.

Secondly, I truly agree with all your thoughts! You have great input so in no way do I want to get in to a debate, an argument heck a pissing match. Lets leave it at that? Can we? In any case you have great thoughts and great things to share so please lets do each other a favor and continue that?

Truly have a wonderful day and take care!

[PanicCured]

i suffered in a world of my own hell for 15 years, one day i had enough, i got help, i had cognitive behavourial therapy, i
now live my life to the full. i am very happy, this post is correct, you need to learn and educate yourself and apply it straight away
to your everyday life

Exactly Jon Mike. That is what I try to get people to do but only a fraction will do it. Get off your ass and learn to help yourself. You learned how to deal with anxiety and did what needed to be done to get better. You also educated yourself rather than spend your life on forums asking if you;re head will blow up or not. But some people do not want to hear this. They use anxiety as an excuse and an identity and will fight you if you suggest their is a way out, but you have to be the one who does it.

[PanicCured]

Panic my friend, Im just going to say this....... You are the reason I came on this forum, I was trolling the net for answers and your Sticky post gave me the will power to post up my first thread and the rest is history. I love this place and you were the pinnacle reason for me joining. I truly from the bottom of my heart thank you.

Secondly, I truly agree with all your thoughts! You have great input so in no way do I want to get in to a debate, an argument heck a pissing match. Lets leave it at that? Can we? In any case you have great thoughts and great things to share so please lets do each other a favor and continue that?

Truly have a wonderful day and take care!

Then treat me in a way that you would treat someone who gave you tons of solid advice!

[PanicCured]

This is a really good post. But I'm concerned...maybe you can help. I read Dr. Claire Weekes book & for the last couple months were really making progress. I was learning to face, accept, float, & wait. It was wonderful! Then about two weeks ago I began to feel very nervous and I've had two panic attacks within a few days...I wasn't prepared for this set back and am really struggling to get back to where I was. I have had some stress...my daughter just celebrated a sweet 16 party & I was responsible for tons to get ready.
How do I deal with this set back? How do I get back to that good place? Is set backs normal?!

Hi J Girl. There is no set back. It is actually part of the healing process. All you have to do is continue to do what you've been doing and remain going forward on the healing path. The healing path isn't totally linear where you get better little by little in a perfect uphill slope. It is more zig zag going up and down. You should look at it more in long term blocks. You used to get panic attacks let's say 20 times a month, now it's 3 times in 3 months. That's how you measure the progress. Read my stickies at the top for more information, especially my Quick Guide to Stopping Panic attacks and continue to do that. http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?9512-The-Quick-Guide-to-Stopping-Panic-Attacks

A panic attack is a total joke. It is just your body releasing adrenaline and then you fear that and create a vicious cycle of fear> adrenaline>fear> adrenaline until it runs out of gas. But why are you so easily getting into panic mode? Read my techniques thread and maybe you can extract some ways here to help heal your nervous system. http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?8633-Techniques-I-Used-to-Overcome-My-Panic-Anxiety-Disorder

[NixonRulz]

Hi J Girl. There is no set back. It is actually part of the healing process. All you have to do is continue to do what you've been doing and remain going forward on the healing path. The healing path isn't totally linear where you get better little by little in a perfect uphill slope. It is more zig zag going up and down. You should look at it more in long term blocks. You used to get panic attacks let's say 20 times a month, now it's 3 times in 3 months. That's how you measure the progress. Read my stickies at the top for more information, especially my Quick Guide to Stopping Panic attacks and continue to do that. http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?9512-The-Quick-Guide-to-Stopping-Panic-Attacks

A panic attack is a total joke. It is just your body releasing adrenaline and then you fear that and create a vicious cycle of fear> adrenaline>fear> adrenaline until it runs out of gas. But why are you so easily getting into panic mode? Read my techniques thread and maybe you can extract some ways here to help heal your nervous system. http://anxietyforum.net/forum/showthread.php?8633-Techniques-I-Used-to-Overcome-My-Panic-Anxiety-Disorder

This place is always a little better with you back in action

Glad you found your way back.

People can benefit from your experiences

[Ambition]

I still have anxiety for 2 main reasons. First I'm just an unlucky guy, everything that can go wrong will go wrong. My home life over the past 3 years has been getting worse on a weekly basis. 2 years after my anxiety started, My sister got married to an unpleasant person who lives in our family home, because my parents are too soft to say no. He got her pregnant. Now 6 of us live under the same roof. My sister treats me horrible as if I'm a piece of garbage, even though I do nothing to provoke her. She and her husband now want us to move to some dump at the other end of the country. My anxiety got worse.

As my home life gets worse I get panic attacks, I now have agoraphobia. I used to love getting out and going to my swimming club until I nearly had a panic attack there a few weeks ago. I have not been since. In addition nothing good ever happens to me :(.

I need to relax and see my life get better before I can throw off my anxiety. If your relaxed you don't get anxious but I just can relax at home. Because of the agoraphobia I don't have confidence to leave home, or a job to afford my own place. I'm stuck in limbo.

Every year just gets worse. 2012 ended bad and 2013 stared where 2012 ended. 2013 got worse and worse and 2014 stared like hell. I know 2015 will be a horrible year.

When I was a kid there were bad years but the next year was a happy new year and nice things happened. Now there are never happy New Years for me :( I'm just an unlucky guy :(

[PanicCured]

I still have anxiety for 2 main reasons. First I'm just an unlucky guy, everything that can go wrong will go wrong. My home life over the past 3 years has been getting worse on a weekly basis. 2 years after my anxiety started, My sister got married to an unpleasant person who lives in our family home, because my parents are too soft to say no. He got her pregnant. Now 6 of us live under the same roof. My sister treats me horrible as if I'm a piece of garbage, even though I do nothing to provoke her. She and her husband now want us to move to some dump at the other end of the country. My anxiety got worse.

As my home life gets worse I get panic attacks, I now have agoraphobia. I used to love getting out and going to my swimming club until I nearly had a panic attack there a few weeks ago. I have not been since. In addition nothing good ever happens to me :(.

I need to relax and see my life get better before I can throw off my anxiety. If your relaxed you don't get anxious but I just can relax at home. Because of the agoraphobia I don't have confidence to leave home, or a job to afford my own place. I'm stuck in limbo.

Every year just gets worse. 2012 ended bad and 2013 stared where 2012 ended. 2013 got worse and worse and 2014 stared like hell. I know 2015 will be a horrible year.

When I was a kid there were bad years but the next year was a happy new year and nice things happened. Now there are never happy New Years for me :( I'm just an unlucky guy :(

You have a lot of stuck thought processes you should try and rewrite. The past is the past so let's leave it there. Your situation in life can be stressful and difficult but it does not cause an anxiety disorder. Anxiety is an internal problem. You can have all the money in the world but have anxiety and you can have nothing but crap and not have anxiety. Read my Techniques thread in the stickies above and stop complaining and start healing!