Any Men Overcoming Anxiety, depression panic attacks?

[Daryl L]

Looking to network with any other men who are or have gone through the above. Dedicated family man and Military Professional, seeking ALL answers to address these issues that have taken me almost 40 years to address..(Better late then NEVER!)

Just started program last week..

D

[Viejo70]

I am 72 years old and have had sever anxiety for the past 19 years (job related) I have tried several things in the past and can't seem to stick with the stuff that works. I know that diet works, excercise works, reading works, and the hardest part is believing that I am worth it. I am in the program to try and learn one more thing but still the hardest part and I am not winning is to use positive self talk when I have nothing good to say about me. If I try to say something good I just keep saying that is a lie. I am a good teacher (college Vocational Teacher), and am well liked by all of the students, but that is what they see on the outside while I live with waht is on the inside. I have lived a life of rejection, I am not political so I say it like I see it, if you ask me what time it is I give you the history of the watch, I have little or no social skills. When I was in the third grade the teacher grabed me by my ears and beat my head on the door knob, then took my desk and put it in the cloak room, and every grade after to the 8th grade my desk was in the cloak room, and so I didn't go to high school. I love animals and tolerate people but not always very well. I got into teaching to help those like me to have a better experience then I had and to help them over come low self esteem. I give good advice but just can't seem to do it. You know the old saying Do as I say , not as I do. Good luck on your effort to over come what doesn't belong to you, Anxiety and Depression

[NavyGuy]

I have had the course for sometime but have not started in ernest. One thing I have recently come to understand is the need to take charge of you environment and do what you need to do to stop punishing yourself. This course is fantastic and keeps on giving and making sense. I am a retired Navy Chief, P3C flyer. Many things in my life that I could have done better, many regrets. God is still on the thrown and the answers we will learn soon enough. Reclaim what makes you happy and be the person you know you are. The course will help you get therre. I still have a long way to go but I plan to make it.

[bk70golf]

Viejo....Thanks for being so honest! I can definitely relate to some of the the things you said. The other day on my first free session with a mentor I was asked to say some positive qualities about myself. Now that was hard when all I have been doing is beating myself up for so long. Today I started a list of positive things of how I view myself. Again, it was not easy but I definitely felt better once I wrote them down.

The other thing I relate to in your post is how you said you give good advice but can't seem to do it. This is very frustrating also to me because I really enjoy helping and encouraging others, but why in the Hell will I not do it for myself. I guess for now we will have to focus on any and every positive quality we can think of for ourselves and write it down.

Thanks again for your post and be reminded of the positive things you said about yourself:

1. You are a great teacher (college vocational teacher)

2.You like helping others overcome low self esteem

3. You give good advice

[David**]

I did the program in the summer/fall of 2006 and as of today my anxiety/depression are all but gone. Yes there are days when the depression tries to sneak back in, ie lonely days, days I have nothing to do, etc but all in all I have about 2 or 3 of them per month and when feel it coming on I get up and find something to do from walking, visiting friends or just going for a drive and that works.

I had panic & social anxiety attacks almost daily from 1972 forward to 2006. If I was in a crowd of people I'd make every effort to get to a door or away. It got down to the point in early 2006 that I just stopped going outside and basically became house bound from January to July (joined here July 14 and started the program right away). In that early time of 2006 I stopped driving as well and was scared of even getting in a car. All in all my entire life went into the trashcan. I talked to my doctor, he said it was my anxiety running full speed ahead on me and just to relax....I actually hit him for that diagnosis. Needless to say at that point in time (June 2006) I knew he was right and I had to find something somewhere that would help.

I heard a commercial one day on the tv about this program, called support, talked to them, and joined right away. I'd lost most of my life & work so really I had nothing else to lose. While waiting on the program to arrive I went into the chatroom here on this site and met Bry and many others and we just talked. Someone recommended the online program (not sure if it's still available) so I started it that same day - July 14 2006. I followed the program religiously, did everything it asked or said to do...and it all boils down to this...one step at a time, always look forward, never look back and keep on moving.

With the help of some people in chat, using the program daily, listening to the relaxation cd 3 and 4x a day I finished the program Oct 13 2006.

I went back to work. I'm a severe weather specialist aka tornado & hurricane tracker & chaser and website designer PLUS a weather specialist for our county emergency management agency and trained in everything from weather to terrorism to hazmat cleanup. I now go where I wnat to go, when I want to go and who I want to go with if anyone. I've made a very good friend who also suffers from anxiety and between the two of us we go many places together including malls, movies, parks, art shows, and a ton of other places. Last night we were at a rock concert in a park with around 2000 other people with us. No anxiety, no depression just pure fun.

So it does happen, you will learn the tools of how to deal with anxiety and depression from this program but they are only tools...it takes you to put them to good use otherwise you won't do what I did....beat it. Do everything they ask, then do it again. Be kind to yourself as you go through the program and life itself....treat others as you would want them to treat you and if someone continues to treat you bad get away from them. I lost or left I should say some "friends" that I've known all my life during the past few years mainly because they were negative all the time. I don't need that, neither do you...stay around postiive people and situations and life really becomes nice. Dump your old habits of saying "I can't do this"...yes you can...turn that to I can do this and "I am going to no matter what". You benefit in the end from just that one line.

Would I recommend the program, yes. But I also will say for the program to work....you have to work the program harder than anything you've ever done in life.

Good luck to you all....I stop by from time to time now but many days/nights I'm out doing what I missed for over 30 years of my life. At 59 now...I'm loving life, work, and the people I'm with.

Dave (david** in chat)

[David**]

Btw, I've had a total of 4 panic attacks since October 13 2006 and all of them I worked through just fine by using the skills I learned here and just being myself. Dave