Stress Center Peer Support

I see many people have a very hard time in handling the anxiety and depression and often the common response is to try to push it away.

I understand that it is human nature to avoid the pain and seek the pleasure but there is something we must understand. If we make anything painful we are not going to want to do it and there is a valid reason for this. As the program states whenever we think really negatively or when we try to "fight" something we create that fight or flight response and those "scary feelings". I believe most of us can accept this theory based on our own experiences especially if you've started to apply lesson 3 practically. Things get tougher the more we empower them but things get easier the more we empower ourselves.

Now what seems to happen with the majority of us is that everytime we get those scary feelings, the situation in which we are in is then linked to the same pain. If we are "fighting" our anxiety everytime we are attempting to work through it then don't you think we may be linking working through it as scary too? It took 14 years of attempting to fight anxiety for me to finally understand this. I really feel that this is a major factor in why my attempts haven't gotten me to a point where i can honestly say I had got ahold of the anxiety.

I really hope none of you had to take as long as i have and I really hope this gives everyone an idea or insight or something that'll help to ease their suffering.

Mike

Ninja Frodo,
Good post! when anxiety or depression, or even obsessional thinking peek their head into our lives as they often do, its really hard not to want to push it away. Because the fact that our fight or flight has gotten a hold of us, we can act at that instant, its a very suttle move. when things start to wierd for me, or I have that horrible dark feeling that something is really wrong or I start getting obsessive scary thoughts, it takes a day, maybe tywo, and then bam! all the time ive spent studying conscious remedies for anxiety problems kicks in and I remember, "oh Yeah, this is anxiety, and this is what happens every time it visits me!" its easy to forget how to respond to it. I just had a week or so of bad anxiety, but only a day or so of actually letting it distract me and take my mind off of living and loving life. Anyone, next time you get anxious, try remembering all the other times you were anxious, and all the same symptoms you experience, and all the(most of the time) scary thoughts that run through your mind, and all the same body sensations over and over and over again, instead of running from it or fighting it, try egging it on, its hard at first but over time youll get better at sitting with all the horrible feelings anxiety presents, as Lucinda says, "...be patient,it'll eventually go away..." and it always does.

Well said Sierra. Remembering all the other times you had anxiety is also a great way to realize that you got through them and it makes it easier to accept that you can make it through them and still be alright.

Sierra also mentioned about it is easy to forget how to respond to it. I believe that is what makes the tic marking sooooooo effective and I highly suggest it to everybody . It's so great because you actually start to see negativity as good and productive it also starts to alleviate the anxiety. Intresting how that happens eh?

Mike