new to the program

[paulc54321]

well thanks for the input=greatlly needed. I have experianced tremors, burning eyes lack of balance and a feeling of uncoordination along with a foggy feeling. I've had a couple of mri,s to my head,blood tests and lots of different doctors. They just look at me with that deer in the headlights look and say I'll be fine. This condition scares me alot.....I'm in wk3 and I hope I can get over whatever this is with the help of this program.

[keepsmilin]

Paul

Thanks for sharing. It means a lot to have people come on here and talk about their symptoms and experiences.

I can say that I am six weeks in (halfway through week six), and I am feeling a LOT better already!! I hope it helps you the way it helped/helps me. Just keep following the program, doing the h/w and practising. I wish you all the best! Feel free to come on here and share your progress and thoughts and feelings and setbacks. I really have learned a lot, and I am sure you will, too.

Your symptoms I cannot relate to; however, I have tons of my own symptoms- from anxiety. We all have different symptoms and situations and it seems this program has helped many souls.

Keep at it!

[LyndaLu]

paul:

I have had some of those same symptoms that you are having. I used to feel off balance
and at one time I could not even get on an escaltor, it made me dizzy to even think
about getting on an escalator. I have had that foggy feeling, I call it "bewilderment" , a term
Lucinda uses. I used to have migraines and so I understand about catscans and MRI's of
the head.

When I was still at my old job, I went out to lunch with some co-workers. I must have
had that look of bewilderment on my face because one of my co-workers asked me if I was
okay. I said yes, but at the time I had no idea why I was feeling that way or what was going on.
It is nice to know now that I can put a name to it . . . anxious episode, panic attack, depression.
I went to work once and had a pulse of 116, that really freaked me out!

As you work on the program you WILL feel better. It is hard work, but it is worth it.
I am just starting Session Six right now. I don't really "get" Session Six yet because it is about
anger and I don't FEEL like I have any anger issues . . . this is probably because I use the
word "irritation" instead of the word "angry" when I think about things or if I describe them.
I must make sure I really understand Session Six before I move on.

Stay strong and our prayers will be with you.

Lynda

[keepsmilin]

Paul and Lynda

I have realized that I said cannot relate to your symptoms (Paul), and that my symptoms are different. BUT I can relate to one or two of them. I DO feel foggy. I have felt foggy for a long time, on and off, at randoms points in my day.

Lynda, I showed up to work one day and my co-worker asked if i was okay. I later had to use the washroom and I felt in the same state I was when I showed up to work. I looked in the mirror and I looked foggy. I LOOKED like I was in the clouds somewhere...like I WAS NOT in the moment. And now that I've read your post I realize that I really have felt foggy MANY MANY TIMES. I am feeling better now, though. Like I have worked through it. I am better at focusing on the now.

Paul, a lot of my symptoms differ from yours, and I thought I'd let you know some of mine: always "on" (ready to go...not relaxed), but also tiredness, headaches, confusion, scared like... an impending doom, anticipating bad things, uptight and tight body, stress stress stress, worry worry worry, tight chest, heart palpitations, obsessive thoughts which cause me to feel exhausted.

I hope you're both well. This program is helping me and I hope it's doing the same to both of you. I am at the end of Session Six this week. I don't feel like I have much anger issues, but I am learning how to react and CHOOSE to react or not react WHEN I DO feel angry and such. I am learning to be more honest and assertive, so I do not internalize anger, or become angry with someone else.


All the best to you both!

[LyndaLu]

dear keepsmilin: Thank you for your response!
I guess I sort of consider myself "new to the program" in a way because I am starting over again.
I did the program back in 2010/2011.
Now I am restarting the program and I am starting on Session Six. I have been taking about two weeks
for each session, that seems to work the best for me. I read Lucinda's book FROM PANIC TO POWER too.
And I am reading that Sam Obitz book now.
I don't consider myself to have anger problems either, but I am sure I will find out more about that as
I work on Session Six.
God Bless.
Lynda Lu

[keepsmilin]

Dear LyndaLu

Happy Easter!

Now...the Sam Obitz book? Is this the TEA (Thought Error Analysis) book that everyone keeps talking about? If not, please let me know what it's called and in the future I'd love to read it.

I am starting Session 7 today and I am actually very excited to practise being more assertive (I really need this!).

I noticed that I don't suffer much from anger episodes towards other people too often...but I do have them sometimes. And I have them directed at myself ALL THE TIME. So learning to not direct it inwards is huge..and how do I do that? Be more assertive and honest. I need to learn to be more honest with myself and then others, and speak it aloud, so I don't walk away from the situation feeling bad about myself and insecure and angry. So..I think this Session 7 and session 6 will go hand in hand.

I did learn, though, from Session 6 alone, how to control the big irritation/anger episodes from attacking my immune system by simply choosing to react differently. I work with a lot of kids, so sometimes I get irritated. I did work on 1) not raising my voice, and 2) not letting people push my buttons, and 3) stepping back and thinking before I react (this I didn't have to do much at all b'cuz there simply wasn't a situation when I had to take a time out in that week). I noticed that having compassion towards others really helps to not be angry. Remembering to have compassion.

I will keep this Session 6 in mind while I'm doing Session 7.

I wish you the best.

May I ask, what made you want to do the program again?

[keepsmilin]

Oh! I want to add...I never raised my voice often at all, but I was careful to not have a negative TONE. This was the big one, which falls under 'not letting people push my buttons.' My tone of voice was something I wanted to work on and change, rather than the volume at which I spoke.

I realize I will feel irritated in life, but I will try remember to react calmly and nicely and kindly, and really watch my tone. (I have been doing well!)

My question to you...What did you learn most about in Session 6?

[LyndaLu]

Dear LyndaLu

Happy Easter!

Now...the Sam Obitz book? Is this the TEA (Thought Error Analysis) book that everyone keeps talking about? If not, please let me know what it's called and in the future I'd love to read it.

I am starting Session 7 today and I am actually very excited to practise being more assertive (I really need this!).

I noticed that I don't suffer much from anger episodes towards other people too often...but I do have them sometimes. And I have them directed at myself ALL THE TIME. So learning to not direct it inwards is huge..and how do I do that? Be more assertive and honest. I need to learn to be more honest with myself and then others, and speak it aloud, so I don't walk away from the situation feeling bad about myself and insecure and angry. So..I think this Session 7 and session 6 will go hand in hand.

I did learn, though, from Session 6 alone, how to control the big irritation/anger episodes from attacking my immune system by simply choosing to react differently. I work with a lot of kids, so sometimes I get irritated. I did work on 1) not raising my voice, and 2) not letting people push my buttons, and 3) stepping back and thinking before I react (this I didn't have to do much at all b'cuz there simply wasn't a situation when I had to take a time out in that week). I noticed that having compassion towards others really helps to not be angry. Remembering to have compassion.

I will keep this Session 6 in mind while I'm doing Session 7.

I wish you the best.

May I ask, what made you want to do the program again?

Happy Easter to you too !

The Sam Obitz book is called Been There, Done That? DO THIS !
This is a short book of 117 pages with very large print. I ordered the book online
and I have read 54 pages so far. I have not gotten to the part about
"TEA forms yet". I don't know if it is worth the price I paid for it yet, but I will
keep you updated. I think the next book I read will be something spiritual and/or
inspirational. I want to keep my mood up, as I am feeling sort of down right now.

I wish I could talk to you more about Session Six, as you have shared so much
with me. I had relatives visting from out of town for a few days, so I did not work
on the program at THAT time. Then I have been in a dull mood for the past
11 days now and cannot get out of it. I have listened to the Session Six CD
twice now, but have not opened the Chapter in the workbook yet.
I don't THINK I have anger issues, but I am sure that at some times I DO have mood swings.

I started the program again because I did not put my 100% into it the first time around.
I don't feel like I really tried very hard while working on it the first time around.
This time around I am visiting the website, journaling almost every day, I am listening to
the relaxation CD. I am putting more thought into each lesson this time.

I am having my ups and downs as one would usually have while working the program.
I am usually working on each Session for two weeks instead of one. I re-started
Session One on January 22nd, 2012. I was just happy to get past Session Five, which
was about eating and exercising. I think I have gotten the eating part going okay so
far, but I don't have an exercise schedule yet.

Lynda Lu

[LyndaLu]

Oh! I want to add...I never raised my voice often at all, but I was careful to not have a negative TONE. This was the big one, which falls under 'not letting people push my buttons.' My tone of voice was something I wanted to work on and change, rather than the volume at which I spoke.

I realize I will feel irritated in life, but I will try remember to react calmly and nicely and kindly, and really watch my tone. (I have been doing well!)

My question to you...What did you learn most about in Session 6?

After glancing at Session Six in the workbook I think that one of my biggest problems
is not stopping to think before I react I am always doing this when I say something,
I will say something before I think about the way it is going to come out of my mouth
The best thing for me to do is to count to ten before something comes out of my mouth .
It would save me a bunch of worries .

I will also have to look up the words "irritation" and "anger" and "annoy" so I can get a
clear defination of them. I think that I get irritated, but not angry, so I need some clarification
on what the difference is on those two words.

That is about it for now.
I will talk more later.
Lynda Lu

[keepsmilin]

Thank you for replying! It makes me feel good inside to stay in touch with people!

All the best LyndaLu

-KeepSmilin