Stress Center Peer Support

Hi Everyone,

I'm on session two and I'm done with it as of tonight, but I'm finding that some days I feel like I can do things and other days I feel like I want to pull the covers over my head and not move.

The other day I went to the mall after two months of not going and I was moderately anxious but I went in and kept saying to myself that it will pass and I'm okay and I ended up staying for 2 hours! Retail therapy does work LOL! Anyway but today I had to go to an open house event at my son's school and ended up leaving, I've been to three other events with my older son but I just didn't want to deal with the anxiety while I was there. I feel a bit discouraged when this happens. I feel like I should be doing more, but I know rationally I have to be patient(a virture God did not gift me with), I just want to keep getting better. Maybe my expectations are too high and I beat myself up when I get like this.

I've been also trying to become closer to God but it's hard when you have a non believer husband and two small kids who need your attention. Any advise or encouragement? Thanks

Hi Roseod..First let me start by saying congrats on starting the program, and then let me say that you did not get an anxiety problem overnight and you will not get rid of it onernight. You're being to hard on yourself. The skills in the program take practice, patience and time. It's great that you are jumping right in though. The more you expose yourself to the things you're scared to do, the easier it will get for you. Yes retail therapy does work! LOL It was the way I began to get out and about. If I made it to the store, I was aloud to choose something as a treat. Works for little kids and it worked for me! I have finished the program and did the personal coaching program too, which for me was the icing on the cake. All those steps forward I have taken, I STILL stumble back several steps sometimes. It's normal and expected. I don't give up, I just redouble my effort and move on again. I have days that I just don't want to face things, but I do it, or at least give it my best effort. The fact that you even went to an event at you're sons school was a wonderful step. So what if you didn't stay for the entire thing. The destination isn't always the most important, the journey is. You saw you could do it, it didn't hurt you, and the next time you might can stay longer. Best wishes!

Hi Roseod,

Congratulations on starting the program! I am starting session two this week; I am alittle behind and nervous, but determined to push forward. Alot of my condition is finishing something I start, I end up getting overwhelmed by everything I have to do in a day (I realize I am making myself feel this way). I have read one of Lucinda's books, but this is the second go-around with starting the program. This weekend was hard for me, and I can't even tell you why, just felt the anxiety and bewilderment feelings even more. I now realize I will be taking small steps, will have to remind myself to not judge myself so harshly. Just wanted you to know I can relate.

Thanks for your words of encouragment and support, I'm on week three now and Wow has it turned around I have a better understanding and I'm trying to be patient and still taking baby steps as long as I need to. I am looking foward to the future and what my possibilities will be once I finish the program and recovered.

People with anxiety and depression don't feel good and everybody has up and down days. Being depressed our up days are low and our down days are lower so it is only normal that some days you feel like you can handle some limitations while others, not so much. I am like this myself. I feel like i cannot handle it and then i feel like i'm falling back but i have to remind myself that it is only a feeling and doesn't reflect the truth.

You can handle certain limitations, that is great! You cannot handle them 100% of the time or even 80% of the time which i'm sure everybody with depression is like as well. The fact that you can handle them some ammount of time shows that you are improving.


Mike