Stress Center Peer Support

Hi All - I am coming up on my one year anniversary of doing this Program. I have been off the posts for a while because I have been busy catching up on the things I have missed out in my life due to me allowing the anxiety to control me. I am such a different person that consider myself recovered.

I suffered from anxiety for almost 20 years before I decided to deal with it instead of running. Dealing with it was scary and hard at first, but when I allowed myself to just accept the anxiety and accept myself, it seems to have dissipated. This program does work. My last panic attack was July 4, 2008. I have not had one since.

I worked through this program while taking care of my mother who was battling Stage III Mestatic Breast Cancer. This program helped me to help my mother. I am also happy to report that my mom is cancer free and we did "Komen's Race for the Cure" together!:)

I am now a confident, happy, relaxed, "roll-with-the-punches" kind of woman now. My faith became stronger, my outlook brighter, my day is spent looking for the positives, and my marriage stronger (my husband is so relieved that he is not my "safe" person anymore) and my son does not seem to show signs of anxiety either. I worked through the program and passed down techniques to him.

I just want to say that this Program works, but it takes work. Thank you Stress Center. Thank you to the Members on this site. (Mom of Six and Mrs. T Bones - you posts have been very inspirational to me!) The postings definitely helped me because I did not feel alone and if I had a problem, all I had to do was post and people were ready to help me work it out.

I hope this post will help anyone who feels like the anxiety cannot be dealt with and it will never get better - it can get better and it will get better. I was one of the most negative people (I did not know it until I looked over my negative-to-positive journal - I swear my hand cramped from writing all the negative thoughts and words that flowed in and out all day) I was my own worst enemy, but now I am my safe person. That feels so good to know that I am responsible and I am able to control my anxiety and feel safe being me.

Good Luck to All

LisaLisa

GOOD JOB

Fabulous, Lisa! Thank you so much for sharing.

Boon- you are welcome. I forgot to put you in my post, too. Your advice and wisdom helped me so much. Whenver I read a problem on this site, I know you will come to someone's rescue!:)

Lisa

Thank You Lisa! I really needed your story today. I have been really down today and somewhat yesterday. Our car died and it has been giving us tremendous hassle over and over.That is the bad part of whats going on. The good part is that my Mom in law is going to give us her 01 Malibu with low miles and lots of cool features and we wont have this constant battle with our car anymore....But this car is the one that triggered Major panic for me when I got locked in without a key. It has auto locks and I was dozing off so hubby let me rest while he went to get coffee and I woke up to being trapped. In a Second I was full blown Panic. I didn't even have time to dwell on it.I had the window cracked about 3 inches and two store workers where outside and I asked if they could go get my husband inside getting coffee. I lied and said I had to go to the bathroom. They went and got him right away and he opened it and apologized and said he thought he was keeping me safe since I was napping. That incident rocked fear in me to the core! and now this car is our Gift.I am so mad at myself for seeming so ungrateful. It is the thing I fear so much but it will free us to be independant and not in a auto garage constantly. Why is this sooooo hard? I am going to study the cars manual to understand how all the bells and whistles work and I am hoping that helps. But I am so sad and down and trying to be Gratful all at the same time. What a mess huh? I once told my Pastors wife that I wanted to live in the Mountains like a hermit. And she reminded me that even if I did that more than likely God would send me someone and allow circumstances that made me deal with ME. I cannot escape myself no matter where I am.. And I know that's the lesson in this isn' it?

Thanks for sharing your story and congrats on your anniversary!
What a strong person you are, it really gives me hope that in 11 months I will be like you.

Lisalisa
Your story is amazing and so very hopeful! Thank You for sharing it with us.

LisaLisa

Now THAT'S a success story ! Congratulations. Now all you need to do is live the rest of your life !

Congratlations on your 1 year anniversary.I hope I can succeed like you.It hard but i will give it aqll i got

Hi Nanaof4, jillzmind and Paul Kay - I know you will be able to do it if I did it. I denied/fought/lived with anxiety for 20 years before I did anything about it. Once you get to the point where you don't care about the anxiety and you still work through it, it goes away. I held on to it for so long because it was a part of who I was that when I worked this Program and learned to let it go and not let it control me, my old self resurfaced.

I will keep you in my thoughts and know you can do it. This site is awesome for help and the program is just fantastic for learning to gain control of your life again.

Good Luck to all of you and thank you so much for your notes of encouragement!:)

Lisa