Starting over again!

christinepsc · Post by **christinepsc** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:01 am

This must be about the 5th or 6th time I have done this program. I always stop at session 2, 3 or 4. Do I need to start at session one? How do I stick to this? Maybe this is not what is going to help me.

I am so fed up of living like this though. I am FULL of anxiety and anxious thoughts most of the day and it wakes me up at night. I am dying of everything under the sun. Any little ache or pain oh my it's a new something I have thought up. I feel like I can't handle it anymore.

My family wants me on meds but I have a phobia of taking meds. I mean SCARED! I feel like I want to run but I am too scared to run!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 9:41 am

Hello christinepsc

I recently restarted the program after stopping and starting the program multiple times over several years. I suffer with much of what you described in your post.

I finally got so fed up with daily panic attacks and anxious/ negative thinking that I contacted the StressCenter.com to ask them how do I restart this program and commit to finishing. They suggested the coaching program. I know it costs alot of money and I thought long and hard about it. I decided to sign up for it because I was sick of always be frightened and scared. I see it as an investment in my self. Iam currently in week 3 and thank God I am feeling better. I still have negative and obessive thinking but the program is definitely helping. In my case it has helped knowing that a coach was going to follow up with me once a week to discuss the current weeks lessons. I also see a therapist who also suggested that the coaching program was what I needed.

You deserve, as does every who suffers with anxiety/fear and depression, to have peace of mind and happiness. I wish you the very best.
Good luck.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:18 am

Christine -

I agree that it is difficult to start the program. This is my third time trying. The first time I got to lesson 3. The second time I got to lesson 8. Now I have restarted for the third time and I am just finishing lesson 1. I did end up doing lesson 1 again, because I promised myself that this time I would do it right. I mean, we spend so much time focusing and hating our anxiety, why can't we spend a little time on correcting it and figuring out a solution? I think really what it is, is getting into a routine of making it a part of your daily life and comitting to it. It becomes a habit and the habits in the program are healthy!

I wouldn't give up. Do the program exactly how it says to do it. Use the workbook, use the relaxation CD, journal, listen carefully to the lessons and watch the coaching DVD's. Work hard on fixing it! It's worth it. Also, if you can afford it, look into a personal coach or have a friend check in with you on how you're doing.

Good luck!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:06 am

Hi Christine. Sometimes people with anxiety have problems focusing and following through with things. I think that's whats happening to you. If you can set a time on cetain days when you can do the program it may help because you will start to relate certain days and times to doing the program. For example, when you think of wednesday, you will think about the program.

This might help. You can't get the benefits of doing the program if you don't DO the program.

Take care. DeeDee.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:33 am

Hi Christine,
Baby steps. So what if you start over 50 times. You are doing better today than you did yesterday. Just breathe. I think it may be the anxiety holding you back. I started listening to the tapes, but could not get to the workbook. It took listening to 7 tapes before picking up the workbook for the first time. I skipped #5 thought because it was the eat right video. I get very anxious about that, because that is how I feel better, stuffing my emotions with food. I think I didn't want to hear it. I was too nervouse to listen. So one thing at a time. I noticed that in the booklet though there is some good advise for thinking in the future and past. I was getting nervous about that too though. HOMEWORK?!! OH NO!!! But I said to myself "self just one thing, focus on one thing" So when I was at the store I could not find a postcard, but I did find a greeting card with a beautiful picture on it to look at when I get anxious. Although with my mind looking at it can make me anxious because it is this perfect picture of a perfect little town and I start to think how I wish my town was like that an OH BOY there go the wheels. But I tell my brain to STOP! just focus on the photograph. It is peaceful calming. THe main thing is don't beat yourself up. You are okay. Keep telling yourself as Stewar Smalley used to say on Saturday night live I am good enough, I am smart enough and Gosh Darn it I like myself.
I get stomachachs daily. For nothing. It is anxiety. I have to go to work, I have to leave the house, the next phone call is coming in, people are watching me. I have to mentally calm myself down and mentally slow it down one minute at a time. It will take time. PLEASE hang in there. Remember how you felt before you even bought the tapes? Now at least you know you are not alone. We are all nuts! that was a joke. But you now what I mean.
I will say a prayer for you.
STILL HOPEFUL!!!

cfe · Post by **cfe** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:24 pm

Hi Hopfulme.
It is not really good advice to tell someone that it's alright to just work the program anyway you want. It doesn't work that way. All the positive things you say is not going to work if you are not doing the program correctly. There are so many posts where people, including me, talk about starting over because the didn't get what they needed from the program because they did it that way.

DeeDee.