Stress Center Peer Support

Hi Coach Chris and members,
I was stuck on the part of step two when you have to accept that the body symptoms are anxiety and give myself permission to be anxious because I suppose I know what the cause is. What do you do if you honestly cannot identify what is bothering you and you cannot justify the severe symptoms. It's one thing when there is a clear reason why I would be anxious. But I m having a hard time calming myself in this step process when I cannot figure out what it is that may be causing me to feel intense fear and anxiety. I basically tell myself that the anxiety is automatic bc I am still in beginning to middle stages of recovery and that is to be expected bc my sympathetic nervous system is still on high alert. It is automatic and I just have to accept it as part of the condition process. It is hard though not to be able to attribute it to something logical. It often comes out of nowhere even when Im otherwise feeling calm. very frustrating. What do you think?
Thanks

I admit that I have some pretty big anxious moments where I can't identify the root cause as being one thing. For me, I may have been dealing with a situation for awhile, but what seems like suddenly, I cross a line that sends me into an anxiety tailspin because do situation 1, and ordeal 2, and person 3... Too much all at one time! So, I think it is a cumulative effect if a variety of things that have amped up, and boom, there is the anxiety.

Could this be happening to you?

Hi HulaGirl,
Yes, that makes sense too. When anxiety comes and maybe too many things are going on it's hard to identify what the provoking thought was. It is so automatic that I go straight to wondering the why. I have to practice cutting out the questioning and go straight to "yes, this is anxiety that is automatic as I am dealing with an anxiety condition right now and it comes and goes in waves and if I just breath through it and try to soothe myself with positive talk and distract myself it will pass as it always does. Why can't it be that easy-lol Not to be a downer but this is the most difficult experience I just want to get over. And I think that that is part of my problem. I keep expecting to be over it which is unrealistic and than when anxiety/panic hits it is a big blow to my progress and it sets me back. I have to expect that the anxiety will be there for as long as it needs. I keep telling myself that I have to live along side the anxiety and uncomfortableness for a while until my body and mind calm down with gains from the program. Hope you are doing well and lets keep our heads up bc we are onto something good here!!