Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 4:04 am
Hi,
I was just thinking about something for those of us with anxiety who are facing "real" hardships in life. I have a son with severe autism and some other health issues, so I know sometimes some of us on here face "real" painful situations. We often don't know how not to be anxious when we are facing situations that can "really" be harmful.
Right now, I am on my computer monitoring a small potential tornado threat for my area. Tornados are very common for the area that I moved to almost nine years ago, and I am not happy about that. Especially when 9 years ago a monster F-4 ripped through our area. It was very scary, and some people lost their lives, but I did learn something from that situation.
I hope that something I say will help someone. Since that experience, I have learned to look at potential dangerous situations in a more organized way in an attempt to "under react" as this program encourages. I do believe that sometimes fear or legitimate concern is a good thing when we use it appropriately to protect ourselves. However, going to the worst case scenario with every potential dangerous situation is not necessary, and as all of you know, a life lived with chronically(sp?) high anxiety is not fun.
So, with the weather situation, I look at the level of threat or alert. You could probably also use another scenario such as the terror code, or the ozone alert code, etc. as an example. Today, the risk for severe weather was categorized as slight, and the expert weathermen in our area looked at all of the dynamics or ingredients for severe weather, and they explained how the dynamics weren't very impressive to have a major tornado outbreak. They also use a computer program that uses a numbers and percentages to show what the storm possibly contains that could be harmful. Pretty neat:). About 30 minutes ago, a tornado warning was issued for the county next to mine. However, the radar did not show that the potential tornado was a "classic hook echo". This meant that the tornado was probably only doppler radar indicated which meant it wasn't hitting the ground, and at worst case scenario it was small, and short lived. By the time the storm made it into my area, the percentage for the tornado threat in the storm had diminished to zero:).
So what am I trying to say:)? I just think that we can apply a "level of alert" organization to anything we face in life. It isn't necessary to react to the small or "slight" weather tornado threat as if it is a "High Risk" monster tornado situation. It would be unnecessary fear and anxiety. The potential is there for that in the future, but reacting as if every tornado is a monster tornado will only hurt me with physical symptoms of anxiety, etc. I will also be so burnt out that when the "High Risk" situation happens, I won't deal with it as well. In addition, if that situation arises with the High Risk, I will then have different behaviors to protect myself as best as possible. For example, I, my husband and son will all be together in a safe place because my son would probably be out of school. We would monitor the radar, listen to the trained weatherman, and we would only react if the radar showed that we were in the path of a large tornado. I would also pray:). But, since that's not the situation, I don't have to react as if it's the worst case scenario. I have learned so much about the weather.
Maybe try that with situations you are facing. Look at every potentially harmful situation from a level of threat viewpoint, and I think most times you will find that the level is "small alert". I know that we often think that it's necessary to over react to every situation so that we can be prepared and save ourselves, but it's really not the case. Only deal with the facts that are presented to you at the time, and don't over react. I am not advising that you take a Pollyanna view where when you are faced with a dangerous situation that you pretend like there's no threat at all. That's not realistic either, and you should care about yourself enough to protect yourself. For example, here, there are people who act as if tornados never happen. They are out driving in the middle of severe weather, and I've actuallly heard an "old-timer" say, "You can't do anything about a tornado". The truth of the matter is that technology has advanced so much, that you really can be prepared and forwarned so you can take advantage of it and protect yourself without being "obsessed." You really can make good decisions and protect yourself without being highly anxious for every scenario, and life isn't meant to be lived as if it is always a "High Risk" weather day:). After all, it's the only way someone who used to be so anxious about the weather can live in a tornado alley:). It's been 9 years, and it's been a miracle that I've learned this concept:).
I also want to propose a way of looking at fear that involves knowing that a little bit goes a long way. We are all going to feel the emotion of fear at times when we are facing situations with a potential threat because it is one of our basic emotions. In its right form, it really is meant to protect us. However, look at your emotion of fear as a something that you don't want to expend because a little goes a long way. For example, in the past, arsenic which is a poison was used as medicine in very small amount to cure certain maladies. In a small dose, it was effective to cure something that was life threatening. Maybe it would help to look at it that way.
I just wanted to offer these suggestions in case they help someone, and if they don't or they don't really go along with this program, just forget I said anything:).
Take care,
luvpiggy
I was just thinking about something for those of us with anxiety who are facing "real" hardships in life. I have a son with severe autism and some other health issues, so I know sometimes some of us on here face "real" painful situations. We often don't know how not to be anxious when we are facing situations that can "really" be harmful.
Right now, I am on my computer monitoring a small potential tornado threat for my area. Tornados are very common for the area that I moved to almost nine years ago, and I am not happy about that. Especially when 9 years ago a monster F-4 ripped through our area. It was very scary, and some people lost their lives, but I did learn something from that situation.
I hope that something I say will help someone. Since that experience, I have learned to look at potential dangerous situations in a more organized way in an attempt to "under react" as this program encourages. I do believe that sometimes fear or legitimate concern is a good thing when we use it appropriately to protect ourselves. However, going to the worst case scenario with every potential dangerous situation is not necessary, and as all of you know, a life lived with chronically(sp?) high anxiety is not fun.
So, with the weather situation, I look at the level of threat or alert. You could probably also use another scenario such as the terror code, or the ozone alert code, etc. as an example. Today, the risk for severe weather was categorized as slight, and the expert weathermen in our area looked at all of the dynamics or ingredients for severe weather, and they explained how the dynamics weren't very impressive to have a major tornado outbreak. They also use a computer program that uses a numbers and percentages to show what the storm possibly contains that could be harmful. Pretty neat:). About 30 minutes ago, a tornado warning was issued for the county next to mine. However, the radar did not show that the potential tornado was a "classic hook echo". This meant that the tornado was probably only doppler radar indicated which meant it wasn't hitting the ground, and at worst case scenario it was small, and short lived. By the time the storm made it into my area, the percentage for the tornado threat in the storm had diminished to zero:).
So what am I trying to say:)? I just think that we can apply a "level of alert" organization to anything we face in life. It isn't necessary to react to the small or "slight" weather tornado threat as if it is a "High Risk" monster tornado situation. It would be unnecessary fear and anxiety. The potential is there for that in the future, but reacting as if every tornado is a monster tornado will only hurt me with physical symptoms of anxiety, etc. I will also be so burnt out that when the "High Risk" situation happens, I won't deal with it as well. In addition, if that situation arises with the High Risk, I will then have different behaviors to protect myself as best as possible. For example, I, my husband and son will all be together in a safe place because my son would probably be out of school. We would monitor the radar, listen to the trained weatherman, and we would only react if the radar showed that we were in the path of a large tornado. I would also pray:). But, since that's not the situation, I don't have to react as if it's the worst case scenario. I have learned so much about the weather.
Maybe try that with situations you are facing. Look at every potentially harmful situation from a level of threat viewpoint, and I think most times you will find that the level is "small alert". I know that we often think that it's necessary to over react to every situation so that we can be prepared and save ourselves, but it's really not the case. Only deal with the facts that are presented to you at the time, and don't over react. I am not advising that you take a Pollyanna view where when you are faced with a dangerous situation that you pretend like there's no threat at all. That's not realistic either, and you should care about yourself enough to protect yourself. For example, here, there are people who act as if tornados never happen. They are out driving in the middle of severe weather, and I've actuallly heard an "old-timer" say, "You can't do anything about a tornado". The truth of the matter is that technology has advanced so much, that you really can be prepared and forwarned so you can take advantage of it and protect yourself without being "obsessed." You really can make good decisions and protect yourself without being highly anxious for every scenario, and life isn't meant to be lived as if it is always a "High Risk" weather day:). After all, it's the only way someone who used to be so anxious about the weather can live in a tornado alley:). It's been 9 years, and it's been a miracle that I've learned this concept:).
I also want to propose a way of looking at fear that involves knowing that a little bit goes a long way. We are all going to feel the emotion of fear at times when we are facing situations with a potential threat because it is one of our basic emotions. In its right form, it really is meant to protect us. However, look at your emotion of fear as a something that you don't want to expend because a little goes a long way. For example, in the past, arsenic which is a poison was used as medicine in very small amount to cure certain maladies. In a small dose, it was effective to cure something that was life threatening. Maybe it would help to look at it that way.
I just wanted to offer these suggestions in case they help someone, and if they don't or they don't really go along with this program, just forget I said anything:).
Take care,
luvpiggy