I HAVE WHAT ALL OF YOU NEED TO GET BETTER!! I PROMISE!!!

[kem]

HI EVERYONE!!!

I'm so bad as I've spent way too much time at work today, browsing this forum and getting intense flashbacks to my years of anxiety and depression and medication. I urge all of you to please humor me as it may sound like I'm a member of a cult here. But, I'm so passionate about the program I went through which helped me become the person I am meant to be.

Anxiety robs you of your self of self. We begin to define ourselves by our limitations. I was limited by social anxiety and separation anxiety as a child and that led to panic attacks and agorophobia and then OCD. Whew! I'm amazed I ever was able to live through those days of daily, massive panic attacks. Just surviving a day full of anxiety and depression is an example of how strong you all truely are!!

People with anxiety don't even realize their strengths. We are all creative, analytical, highly intelligent, extremely sensitive and caring people. When those traits are turned outward they are amazing benefits to our lives but when they are turned inwards on ourselves which is what anxiety sufferers do, they can lead to horrible results.

Ok, the program. It is called the MIDWEST CENTER FOR STRESS AND ANXIETY. I urge all of you to go to their website and investigate. If you are skeptical, they even have a FREE audiocassette tape you can order which gives a good example of what their program is like and what they have to offer you.

It is a 15 week self-help program you can do yourself, at home, at your own time and pace. You don't have to go to a therapist or psychologist or counselor anymore (they are expensive and often times don't give you what you need...which is exercises to do to get better).

Each of the 15 tapes or cd's ( I believe the package comes with copies of both along with a corresponding workbook, newsletters, flashcards of encouraging words an what you need to work on that week and a ton of other materials )...each of the tapes discusses at length and indepth a topic which relates to anxiety and depression. Which, by the way, 85% of people who have anxiety have depression and vice versa. They recommend you listen to the program a few times a week as they can be long and you always catch something you missed the last time.

I have recommended this program to countless, friends family and aquaintances only to have most of them not even look into it. They are just so skeptical and hopeless. They have suffered for so long and have taken medications and seen countless therapits and counselors to no luck. The few friends who have tried it, are raving to me about it and can't wait to talk about for hours with me ( LOL, you should hear us all talking and laughing about our experiences trying to get better ).

If you do not see results you get a FULL refund. I do not work for them and am not in contact with them in any way. I just desperately want to help all of you to feel better and grab life by the horns like I am now able to do.

I went from having no friends in middle and highschool and no friends in college, who wasn't able to leave the house or do virtually anything without tremendous anxiety...to someon who just ran her second 10K, am currently training for a marathon (solo), took up rock climbing (amazing), graduated college, got a good job, am in my first serious relationship with an amazing man, and having lots of friends...so many so that I have to turn them down often cause I'm busy with other people, or busy having a quiet night alone to myself to pamper myself.

I am just so thrilled with the program that I can't wait to share it with people. Please...I urge all of you to at least investigate it and order the free cassette tape. I promise, you will feel better soon upon getting it!!!

I'm amazed that no one else in these forums has mentioned it but until today, I didn't seek out forums like this either because I was better and didn't feel the need to seek help.

Life is so much better than I ever thought it could be. Don't get me wrong. There are still stressors in my life. My boyfriend is leaving for 3.5 months to work in Wyoming for the summer, I'm discovering office politics for the first time which is Oh-SO-FUN :tongue: and my father is dying and has been for the last few years of an unknown illness. So, I'm stressed. But, I'm handling it the best way I possibly can.

This program gives you life skills and the quote all my friends know me for is that "people of the soundest and healthiest minds would benefit from this program" as it gives you life skills and ways to deal with virtually every situation in life.

Please please please give it a try! From someone who knows what its like to feel safe, and good and happy!

I wish you all luck and if anyone has any questions, please feel free to send me a message!

[shoe]

kem, as someone else mentioned.. you do seem to be a walking advertisement for the Midwest Stress Center. ;) (I know you said otherwise, but nearly every post on this site you encourage everyone to join this *expensive* program)

I do understand it helped you, and I think that's great. I hope you do understand that what works for you might not work for everybody, though. And something that's based on reading or listening to CD's is something that requires personal discipline and commitment that is hard to come by if you lack motivation or are depressed and apathetic. Also, something very very important to any program I believe is support - from family, friends, a psychologist, whatever. If you don't have support, someone to lean on, or someone to help you do the exercises in the program with, it may be very difficult to make it through.

One program I was considering is a therapist run group-based therapy based out in Arizona that actually has you participate in a 14-week daily CBT style program with a group of other people. The support of those other people going through the same therapy seemed like a great complement to the program, but ultimately I figured - that is was WAY too long of a commitment to be involved with.. I mean, you'd have to move out to Arizona and quit your job - which is pretty rash.

CBT style therapy (I believe the Stress Center uses this approach?) has definitely been the most often recommended anxiety disorder treatment, as it does have the highest success rates (though never 100%), and I think that it's great to join any program which uses it. But there are different ways to get CBT - with a therapist, in a group therapy situation, through books or CD's, etc. For me, I believe group therapy would provide the most benefits (I have Social Anxiety). For others, I don't know what will work.

Medications, herbal remedies, and alternative therapies are definitely other options people can use in the course of seeking to heal oneself... and I've read reports of people having varying levels of success with each. So, its of course dependent on the person what will work for them.

Anyway, I don't know if I'm getting off topic here, but just thought I'd chime in here and let you know that you are definitely welcome here, but I think it's a little forward to say that you have found the ultimate cure for anxiety. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad it worked for you, I am. :) Just don't expect it to work for everyone.

take care
shoe

[kem]

i understand. i'm sorry to sound like a salesman. its just helped improve my life so much that i want to tell everyone about it.
if you're willing to spend so much money on therapists and behavioral group therapy and medications....all of that will add up over the months and years to more than this program costs.

but, i do hope you find what you are looking for. i haven't found any herbal remedies and that sounds fascinating. i'm not sure what is out there that can help. what are people using? very interesting.

[shoe]

if you're willing to spend so much money on therapists and behavioral group therapy and medications....all of that will add up over the months and years to more than this program costs.

true, very true. but can i ask.. did you have support, or did you do this alone? If you did it alone, then kudos to you.. I really don't know that I could do something like that alone. I know other people find that their families or friends just aren't willing to put up with them and their 'supposed' problems, so support can be hard to come by for them as well.



i haven't found any herbal remedies and that sounds fascinating. i'm not sure what is out there that can help. what are people using? very interesting.

There are things like Kava-Kava, Valerian Root, passionflower.. which all produce calming effects. Then theres things like st johns wort for depression, and supplements like SAM-e. 5-htp is supposed to be good for anxiety/depression but I've had no luck with it.

I put links in the Resources section as to different herbal & supplement alternatives, as well as alternative therapies if your interested. (not that you need it ;)

shoe

[Bubbywu]

I tried the Midwest Center this last year and I only felt better in the beginning. It didn't progress for me.