Stress Center Peer Support

First off, this is a bit long so I apologize. The 2 main questions I have are at the bottom if you want to skip all the rest.

Let me say that I just came across this program less than a month ago after seeing one of the commercials while going thru a panic episode. I had finally decided after years of going to the Dr and therapist that I was going to get this "anxiety demon" off my back this year if it was the last thing I do. I started the program, although not as intended. I had so much anxiety I listened to the entire thing all the way through. The thought of listening to a chapter every week in the state I was in it just didn't seem right. I needed some relief.

I also at the same time started seeing a new Dr. I explained to him that I had been on Cymbalta, lexapro, zoloft, and a ton of other meds that did nothing for me but make me ill and sleepy. I was skeptical of any medication because they have never worked but he put me on klonopin and busparin. After a few days I felt great and have for a couple weeks now. I'm not making every little thing out to be catastrophic and I’m not all that stressed (still a little but manageable). So I know from therapy and forums that medication isn't going to help permanently so I am now doing this program as intended concentrating on each chapter per week. So here are my questions.

1. I have read up on klonopin since being prescribed it and must admit I am concerned. I don't have an addictive personality. I don't smoke, drink, or use illegal drugs. I'm about as "goody 2 shoes" as they come so why do I feel guilty about taking a drug that "at this time” appears to really be helping me with a problem I have suffered from for many years. I mean, if the drug was that bad could they really even prescribe it or make it for that matter. I’m hopeful that going through the program will help enough to get off these meds but if not and taking the meds are what I need to be better then I have no problem with it. If you have heart disease, high-blood pressure, or just about any other thing wrong with you then you take medicine to make it better. Why such a stigma regarding these types of meds for anxiety and depression?

2. Obviously posting on the forum of the program that I am going through I expect to hear great things about it and after listening to the entire program definitely see benefits although I have tried cognitive therapies before with no luck. I am a skeptical person(probably a big part of my problem) and research everything including StressCenter and Lucinda Bassett. A lot of people out there think she is a quack trying to take advantage of people that are suffering and slam the clinic for business practices related to ordering these tapes. I borrowed them from a friend so I didn’t have to deal with the clinic or ordering process. Sure, that makes me cheap but I can live with that. I must say that after listening to the CDs and watching some of her video clips on the Internet I don’t believe the stuff I have read personally about her. I think she is concerned and wants to help people with a problem that she herself suffered from. It is hard to fake sincerity and I don’t think she is being fake. As for the money part, I wish I could make money helping people with their problems. It would sure beat sitting in front of a computer screen all day. Kudos to her. So my second question is to the people that went through the entire program. How many has it helped completely to the point you no longer even need meds at all. No disrespect to the program if you are. It may take medication and these skills to get the help needed. I'm just curious for myself. The program seemed like it taught a lot of coping skills but as a person that has suffered from anxiety for a long time I realize sometimes coping skills go right out the windows when you are having a panic attack. I know it is different for everyone and I will find out for myself once I complete the program.

Questions:
1. Why such a stigma regarding meds like klonopin and xanax if they really seem to help people and nothing else does?
2. How many people that go through this program successfully still are on some type of medication?

Question #1
There are many people taking anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medication, it's purpose is to help with those medical conditions. Things like Marijuana, Coke, Acid...are not used to help with those medical conditions and can actually make matters worse. Try not to think of them as good or bad, think more of if they benefit you or not because there is good and bad in any medication. The benefits are the good things and the side effects are the bad and you can even use the side effects as motivation to move yourself to a point where you can get yourself off of them. Is the stigma coming from outside you or inside you. Who's thoughts are those that are affecting you?


Question #2
One thing that happens when you become well known is you get many people criticizing you and what you do. We can't please everybody and not everybody is going to like us. I'm sure a good percentage of that is people who tried the program but didn't follow it and are blaming her, people who are just too pessimistic to think that it would work in the first place and people who might even be jealous. It could even be people who had bad experiences talking to staff at the Stress Centre.

I doubt you will get a complete figure to your question. There have been many people who have fully overcome the program and have stopped coming to the forums. Yes sometimes it can be hard to use these coping skills in the heat of the moment (especially in the beginning) but that just means that you need more practice with them. There is one part in the program that talks about desensitization and with that you are deprograming your automatic and anxiety generating response to a situation. To help do this you can first imagine the situation in your head and get the anxiety and then use the relaxation response. You can do this even before facing the situation in real life.

As for how many people has it helped get off the medication completely well i can't talk for others but only from my own experience. I haven't completely recovered but there have been 3 or 4 times when I actually felt the anxiety and depression start to lift. The dizziness, spacy-bewildered feelings, panicy feelings, fatigue, hopelessness were starting to go with it. I was also feeling happier and more connected with others. I was able to enjoy conversations (which i'm not really able to do when i'm depressed and anxious). The things that brought me back were that i didn't continue to use the coping skills as well as financial problems. I still have hope and i'm confident that i'll be over this condition sometime this year after i move.

As you know, relaxation is the main key to this condition and if you are very skeptical why not look up the benefits of relaxation, mindfulness meditiation and Progressive muscle relaxation. If you're still skeptical then check out The stress of life by Hans Seyle (he talks about the actually physiology of anxiety).


Hope that helps

Mike

Another thing. I understand that you want to get over this condition as soon as possible but if you are to get over it. You are going to have to accept that you are dealing with it right now and for a little while longer or else you are going to continue to fight it and continue to fuel the anxiety and keep it alive longer.


Mike

Who's thoughts are those that are affecting you?

Hmmm. I like that. I ask a serious question and get a serious question back that really makes me think. I'd guess it is probably 75% me because I have never taken illegal drugs and benzos have always been considered illegal "in my mind". It probably didn't help when the Dr told me it was a "controlled substance". I'm handing my prescription to the pharmacist as though he is going to ask me to meet him out back so nobody sees. Funny how your brain makes you think sometimes. The other 25% are the people that I am reading in the forums saying stay away from these drugs and it sounds like some had a horrible time getting off of them. All I know is this drug really seemed to help me over the past couple weeks but if I could get back to the point in my life before I started having these panic attacks constantly I'd happily stop taking them. He only gave me a month supply so I'm sure we will discuss it when I go back and see him in a couple weeks. He may take me off them but I'm hoping he can at least keep me on them until I can get through this program and see if it helps.

Hi GoColts. I wanted to share that:

1. I take xanax. Small dose and I don't abuse it. My dr. is very supportive. She monitors me and is one of the few doctors that takes the time to listen to you and help. Yes, some people abuse these drugs and I have heard that it can be hard to come off of but I have heard of others who have gotten off without much problem. I believe, when that time comes, if you do it slowly and correctly, you'll be fine. My brother took xanax for a few years and stopped it no problem.

2. I have been through the program once. (I rushed the first time.) and I am going through it slower this time. It has helped me alot but is not my sole source for overcoming this. I rely heavily on the Lord and have been reading some good books along with the program. I really like Lucinda and believe she is sincere.
The Stress Stress Center even has a contest where people can enter to win the complete program. I don't understand why people slam her for making a living helping others. Why would she be any different that all the physiologists or doctors out there making money - probably alot more than Lucinda - helping people? And lets be honest, they are not all in it to help people, but I believe Lucinda is. She has been through anxiety and depression and I, for one, am glad that she has reached out to help others.

So, I hope that helps to answer your questions. It is work. Work we each have to do. But it is well worth it. Take care!!

I try to get people to think as that is how you get through to them. The best way to do that is with questioning.

I'd have to disagree with your percentages. The only person who can think your thoughts is you. You can obviously be influenced by others but in the end it all comes to how you perceive what people say. You choose what you listen to and believe.

I doubt it that he would take you off the meds if they are doing good things for you.

if I could get back to the point in my life before I started having these panic attacks constantly I'd happily stop taking them.

I think the majority of us like to think this way but this is no longer a possibility. We can be better than how we were before. What we were before these panic attacks is what got us to where we are. There is a really good post that Carolyn Dickman put up that you should really check out about the word Recovery.

http://bbs.stresscenter.com/ev...=483105113#483105113


Hope this helps,

Mike

Hey GoColts.

I have never been on medication and have benefited from the cognitive behavioral therapy that is the attacking anxiety program. I have rough moments still when I just want to be put on meds because it would make the process a little easier according to some doctors I have seen.

But one of my issues is "control", so I am hesitant to use medication and their side effects. But if I ever needed it I am glad that I have that option.

As far as your second question. I believe we all had doubts and may still have doubts. But when you see results and improvement in yourself that doubt goes right out the window.

One of my fears was going to a therapists and having him or her tell me that everything I have done the last year and a half was a lie and some sort of scam ( like one of the ladies on the CD's). But I came to the conclusion that if it was a scam than it was a 2-way scam because I got results out of it. I was my own proof that this program works.

FYI, both therapists I have gone to see hadn't been too familiar with the program, but when I explained to them what it was about and some of the techniques I was learning and practicing they thought it was great. I did research on other books and self-help materials and they use a lot of the same theory and technique Lucinda's program employs.

Part of that doubt has to do with skepticism and maybe a fear of , " what if I invest so much time and effort into this only to fail at the end?"

If what you did before didn't work why not try something different?

Thank you everyone for your comments and the reference to the post about "healing". I am for the first time in a very long time excited because I see that there is the possibility to beat this whether it be via the program or medication or both. Your right that I shouldn't feel guilty taking a medication that is helping me. I'd love to be drug free but right now I'm just happy that I haven't had an anxiety attack in a couple weeks. I guess it will take small steps but that is definately an improvement over how I was just weeks ago when I came across this website and program. I'm also sleeping thru the night which I hadn't been doing for some time. Thanks again and I'm sure you will see more posts from me as I'm learning to heal myself.