Stress Center Peer Support

New to the program and this support group...
I've been struggling with anxiety for about 4 months now, 1st month being the worst thinking I was going crazy!
Ever since that month, I think I am more "traumatized" than anything on how my body and mind felt/reacted. Point is, since then, I have been scared to stay home alone, let alone, with my 5-year old, thinking I would go crazy, and well...just all sorts of scary thoughts entered my mind. Seek therapy, and even a CBT group...helped, but once the group ended, I found myself back with anxiety...after many prayers, I came across this program on TV. On my 3rd session, and wow! It has made a difference...not 100%, I have my "days", but I feel much better and more in tune with the present moment.

This past Sunday, my husband went to run some errands on his own for the 1st time and took our daughter, I felt great! No fear, no thoughts no nothing...yesterday my husband enrolled into school, and drop a bomb and me, which I wasn't prepared..he could only enroll in night classes, meaning, I would be alone with my daughter, AND, classes had already started, so his class was that night/last night...it shook me up, but with some positive thinking, and ignoring that sense of fear/anxiety, I got through the evening, and it was quite relaxing! Read into Session 4 of the book...wok eup with a little fear/anxiety, but brushed it off my shoulders and going about my day...I'm exciting to continue with the program. Makes SO MUCH SENSE! We create these thoughts and feelings....so SILLY! and I have to continue to tell myself, it's very SILLY

Mgee,

It sounds like you are doing great!! You have made a lot of progress in a short time--keep up the good work!! Sounds like you have really grasped what anxiety is. A quote from David Burns, M.D., When Panic Attacks, page 11: "When you're anxious, you're fooling yourself. Anxiety results from distorted, illogical thoughts. It's a mental con."

@ samcat: Like I said, I have my days, but I also learn to just ride them out, and tell myself, "tomorrow is a new day". I'm pushing myself that when a scary thought enters my mind, I visualize a "STOP SIGN" and note it as a pesky negative thought. I know this is all going to be a work in process. Just yesterday, I took a road to my house, that since my anxiety 4 months ago, I feared so much (for some odd reason) and opted to take, I talked to myself, took a few deep breathes here and there, got home a bit shaky, but I knew I had accomplished alot. I just keep praying each day, I have change my eating habits, and I try to be a much more calm, reasonable person, because this all stemmed, from years of worrying, stressing and a bad attiude toward simple things in life. I see it as not a punishment, but a blessing in diguise, that a change needed to happen, even if it scared the soul out of me ...hope everyone has a great/blessed week-end.

We sound a lot alike. I also pushed myself for years and had a lot of stress and I think my body finally had enough. You have the right attitude to recover--you are on the right road. Let's just keep on with what will finally get us better. Like you said , it took a while to get this way, so it may take a while to get on the track we want, but we can do it!

Hey, I like both of your comments! Samcat I'm familiar with David Burns, M.D., but now I need to go back through his books as a person with anxiety instead of depression. It was his 10 Steps to Self Esteem that helped me to get off of anti-depressants.

We can do this...right? One step at a time...at least that is what I'm finding even though I want it to be taken care of Instantly! Paislee

Paislee,

I sure want it to be gone instantly too--I am sure we all do!!! I do think we can do this--I know people that have, so we should be able to also.