personally i wish i hadn't listened to group talk in session 3, so if you're like me and you worry a lot about your physical health, then maybe you'd be better off skipping this part and also not read the rest of this post. i certainly wish i personally hadn't listened to it.
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leaving some space
so people who decide not to read on,
don't do so automatically
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sessions 1 & 2 really helped me a lot and i felt tangible results almost immediately. session 1 reassured me about some physical symptoms i've been having and session 2 has proved very helpful with the "accept anxiety" technique. i felt really good about my progress and i felt a lot better than before. then came session 3 and the group talk in which a lady talks how she actually had a heart attack only because of her anxiety-depression. needless to say that didn't help one bit with my fears and most of the comfort i got from session 1, where the doctor talks about the "virtual only" nature of physical symptoms went out the window. for 2 or 3 days after i listened to this lady's story, i couldn't get it out of my head and it would haunt me for good parts of the day. i then managed to get over it, so that when i'm feeling relatively ok, it doesn't bother me anymore, but it's when i feel worse and when i would really need to feel reassured that this story creeps back in and keeps undermining the skills learned in session 2. i now find it considerably harder to again think of my physical symptoms as in my thoughts only. i'd be grateful if someone could help me get back to the pre session 3 group talk mindset.
session 3 sent me several steps back
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Guest
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Guest
Keep with the program. Don't let one thought set you back. I am just ending session 3 and I to have found it a little difficult and I will probably have to refer back to it because I am a negative thinker and trying to think positive is harder than I thought. I definitely have to work at being positive.
Hang in there:)
Hang in there:)
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Guest
That lady's experience bothers a lot of people at first...there was a huge debate about whether to leave it in or not. In the end Dr. Fisher convinced us that we needed to stay Honest.
Let me add some information though...the woman who had the heart attack was told it was stress related - that she didn't have any blockages. But you also need to know that she was a 24-7 stessed out person, over weight and non-exercising, caffeine filled, over reactor... you might be thinking, "well so am I-does that mean I'll have a heartattack too?!"
NO! You are not her- you do not have the genetic makeup that she has. You ARE changing your life. You ARE doing something about your stress. Tell yourself the truth...you are a great student, someone who takes action...
You are one othe the many who will benefit from her story...because you will allow it to motivate you.
On your side, Carolyn
Let me add some information though...the woman who had the heart attack was told it was stress related - that she didn't have any blockages. But you also need to know that she was a 24-7 stessed out person, over weight and non-exercising, caffeine filled, over reactor... you might be thinking, "well so am I-does that mean I'll have a heartattack too?!"
NO! You are not her- you do not have the genetic makeup that she has. You ARE changing your life. You ARE doing something about your stress. Tell yourself the truth...you are a great student, someone who takes action...
You are one othe the many who will benefit from her story...because you will allow it to motivate you.
On your side, Carolyn
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Guest
I have finished session 3. So far it's been the more difficult, cause I have always been a negative thinker and a worrier. But I am pressin on. I know I will have to back to it many times to really get a good grasp of it. It scared me, the thought of negative thinking being an addiction, but I overcame ciggarette addiction 24 years ago, I am confident I can overcome negative thinking. Trusting in God everything is possible.
Keep with the program. Don't let one thought set you back. I am just ending session 3 and I to have found it a little difficult and I will probably have to refer back to it because I am a negative thinker and trying to think positive is harder than I thought. I definitely have to work at being positive.
Hang in there:)[/QUOTE]
Keep with the program. Don't let one thought set you back. I am just ending session 3 and I to have found it a little difficult and I will probably have to refer back to it because I am a negative thinker and trying to think positive is harder than I thought. I definitely have to work at being positive.
Hang in there:)[/QUOTE]
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Guest
Hello all,
I am just finishing up session 3. Man is this a biggie!
The way I understood it (Carolyn please correct me if I am wrong)the symptoms we experience are a direct result of our Chemistry kicking in. I thought that we can consider them to be the Anxiety...UNLESS there are primary illness issues. In other words, since I have seen my physician and know that I don't have heart disease, I can assume the symptom of chest pain is psychosomatic. I was assuming that was the reason that we are encouraged to get a check up to begin with...so we know how our health is.
When I heard this lady speak, it really didn't ring the same bell for me, because I assumed she had heart issues to begin with...and the stress/anxiety exacerbated the condition.
I know i have done a lot of "assuming" here but with all the people who have gone through this program, I trusted lucinda and her information. So many people have been successful and continue to be...I found the group a good resource. It always helps me to hear the group because I can relate so well to them.
One of my issues is about illness...that there may be something my physician knows but hasn't told me...yah know how we LOVE to scare ourselves...that kind of stuff. But i am beginning to believe that IF I am having symptoms that my self-talk doesn't soothe or take away entirely, then I will get on the phone and call for help and that GRACE will allow me the time to do so, IF I need to.Does that make sense?
Session 3 is difficult for me because negative self-talk is such a "normal" state...it's something I don't even realize that I am doing, most of the time. So I may have to revisit this session from time to time. I can see that it is basic to my recovery...I mean, the first thing I learned as a child was the word "NO", as did we all. Negative feedback...coming, in my case, from Negative Dysfunctional Parents.
Whooo boy, "What a long strange trip it's been".
herebedragons.
I am just finishing up session 3. Man is this a biggie!
The way I understood it (Carolyn please correct me if I am wrong)the symptoms we experience are a direct result of our Chemistry kicking in. I thought that we can consider them to be the Anxiety...UNLESS there are primary illness issues. In other words, since I have seen my physician and know that I don't have heart disease, I can assume the symptom of chest pain is psychosomatic. I was assuming that was the reason that we are encouraged to get a check up to begin with...so we know how our health is.
When I heard this lady speak, it really didn't ring the same bell for me, because I assumed she had heart issues to begin with...and the stress/anxiety exacerbated the condition.
I know i have done a lot of "assuming" here but with all the people who have gone through this program, I trusted lucinda and her information. So many people have been successful and continue to be...I found the group a good resource. It always helps me to hear the group because I can relate so well to them.
One of my issues is about illness...that there may be something my physician knows but hasn't told me...yah know how we LOVE to scare ourselves...that kind of stuff. But i am beginning to believe that IF I am having symptoms that my self-talk doesn't soothe or take away entirely, then I will get on the phone and call for help and that GRACE will allow me the time to do so, IF I need to.Does that make sense?
Session 3 is difficult for me because negative self-talk is such a "normal" state...it's something I don't even realize that I am doing, most of the time. So I may have to revisit this session from time to time. I can see that it is basic to my recovery...I mean, the first thing I learned as a child was the word "NO", as did we all. Negative feedback...coming, in my case, from Negative Dysfunctional Parents.
Whooo boy, "What a long strange trip it's been".
herebedragons.
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Guest
i just started listening again to the tapes i had since 2003..as a refresher and it did not bother me this time but i do not remember if it did the 1st time or not..i was so scared of my own shadow lol..but since a full recovery in 2006 the tapes were good to listen to again and some were even comicial...
as you get more into the program you will have the skills and tools that you need to begin your own journey to wellness..
know that the program is set up with our good health in mind..
take care and know that i will be rooting for you...you can do it and we will be there to support you. be blessed..
don
as you get more into the program you will have the skills and tools that you need to begin your own journey to wellness..
know that the program is set up with our good health in mind..
take care and know that i will be rooting for you...you can do it and we will be there to support you. be blessed..
don
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Guest
I'd like to add something. Your fear of a heart attack IS NOT THE PROBLEM. Your fear is the fear of anxious symptoms. To heal from that you must experience them over and over and over again while using your tools to move through the feelings. You must learn that anxious feelings (adrenalin) will not hurt you. No matter what scares you right now; No matter what thoughts come in that frighten you-your job is to learn to underreact. No matter what thoughts you have, learn to allow them to come and go without your attachment to them.
I recommend you listen to tape 3 over and over and over again until you no longer react to it - and that is exactly what will happen. You will desensitize. You can also write a worst case scenerio about having a heart attack and read it for 45 minutes a day until you are no longer reacting.
Be patient with yourself. If you get too overwhelmed back off for a few minutes. Use your breath work to calm down and then jump right back in again listening to the tape, and if you're not ready to do this yet, don't worry about it. You will be in time with continued working with the program.
Avoidance of this tape and avoidance of anything means you get to keep your fear another day longer. Don't avoid anymore. You can heal from this.
I know a lot of phobics who are very intense. They've never had a heart attack. The woman on the tape is an exception. This is a rare event. I repeat. Your fear about a heart attack is not the problem. Learn to embrace those feelings.
I recommend you listen to tape 3 over and over and over again until you no longer react to it - and that is exactly what will happen. You will desensitize. You can also write a worst case scenerio about having a heart attack and read it for 45 minutes a day until you are no longer reacting.
Be patient with yourself. If you get too overwhelmed back off for a few minutes. Use your breath work to calm down and then jump right back in again listening to the tape, and if you're not ready to do this yet, don't worry about it. You will be in time with continued working with the program.
Avoidance of this tape and avoidance of anything means you get to keep your fear another day longer. Don't avoid anymore. You can heal from this.
I know a lot of phobics who are very intense. They've never had a heart attack. The woman on the tape is an exception. This is a rare event. I repeat. Your fear about a heart attack is not the problem. Learn to embrace those feelings.
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Guest
Thank you CarolynEd.Dir. that was a wonderul post. It really touched home. I was intimidated by listening to that woman. Her testimony replayed many times in my head, thoughts. The catch was I kept connecting myself to her......in which I am not her I have nothing to do with her....we just have anxiety in common. That's all it is...Anxiety. Yes the symptons of it are not comfortable but as the session proves if we stop over reacting or obsessing about something we wont have to get to that level of discomfort. I'm still replaying session 3 to desensitize myself. Yes its hard but many have succeeded so can we!
I felt that way too when I heard the group talk. After listening to the whole thing, I then thought exactly what Carolyn just said. She is not you!! I talked myself into detaching my feeings from her situation. It is easier said than done, but it can be done. I think that believing that everyone is different and just because that happened to her doesn't mean it will happen to you, is a big step in overcoming your anxiety. You are your own person, you don't know what her life is like or how many underlying causes contributed to her having a heart attack. I think once you start to detach your life experiences from those of others, your anxiety will improve.