question about where to start

purplerose · Post by **purplerose** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:31 am

i bought this program about 5 years ago when i first got my anxiety problem. with meds and time i got better. i went off of it in the fall of this year because i thought i was over it. then i got some physical side effects from going off of it that scared me. and after a couple months of dealing with it the anxiety just came back out of nowhere. now im going back on my old medicine but im still feeling anxiety and anxious and scared.ive wrote about my symptoms in other threads on here. my question is im not sure where to begin in this program again. looking at the book im thinking session 2 but im not sure. anyone have an opinion? i want to feel normal again please help me.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 11:31 am

purplerose, I am sorry to hear you're feeling those feelings again. I am only on week 2 of the program, but my suggestion would be to start from the beginning again. In just the first two sessions (and the intro stuff), I am feeling better. Start at with the beginning material and give it a go. Good luck and God bless.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 11:47 am

i looked at the workbook for session 1. do i listen to the tape for that session now or what? sorry i forgot how to do the program since its been so long. im in school too so i dont have a lot of time to study the stuff over cause i have homework. thanks again.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:31 pm

Hi
Nice to find another Michigander

I am in week two of the program for the first time and am feeling very positive about it. I am sorry for all you have been through. Since you've been through it once partially, I would suggest you start with session one. Listen to the audio tape at least once (normally you would want to do it at least three times during the week) and then review the workbook materials another day. I think the two most important things from lesson one are the taking the time to observe your thoughts each day and finding out what thoughts are going on in the background and just knowing that you are not alone. I hope this helps. I know you are busy, but I keep reminding myself how much time I waste when I can't do anything because of anxiety and panic. I'd rather find the time to work on this now then keep wasting away a week here, two weeks there, a couple days here with anxiety and panic attacks because then I can't do anything. Good luck!

Sad1 · Post by **Sad1** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 1:55 pm

hey where in michigan are you girls from? thanks for your tips. i should probably start with 1. for me its the symptoms that scare me and then that keeps it going. like i lose my appetite and feel anxious all the time and cant sleep well. and i get low blood sugar so i worry i wont be able to eat and so on. so i guess you could call it obsessive thoughts. i say that i wish someone could clean out my brain so i wouldnt remember not feeling well. lol

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 2:19 pm

Purplerose..I think we're a whole lot alike! I got through like 5 sessions in the program and I started feeling fine so I just quit, then I was pretty much anxiety-free for like 10 months ( a few minor panic attacks, but nothing overwhelming at all) then out of nowhere, it all just came back with a vengeance, and the physical symptoms scare me..I feel spacy/dizzy..you know that unreality feeling, and then I don't eat much, can't sleep well..feel like I'm goin crazy again..it sucks so bad! I tell myself it's just anxiety..but I just want to be normal..haha why do I have to deal with this when most people don't?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Apr 14, 2008 3:14 pm

yeah i say the same thing! why did i get so unlucky to this problem. when i first got it it was at the end of high school. and school was and still is a big stress for me so im not surprised. but other people dont get anxiety from it. just my personality i guess. im in oakland county.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:58 am

Hey purplerose & krisse...fellow Michiganders! I'm in southern Wayne county...downriver area!

Good luck purple in starting the program again!

scoopsdad · Post by **scoopsdad** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:13 am

so you guys think i should start with tape 1 and listen to it a few times and look at the book along with it?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:21 am

Hi Purple,
I would start at the beginning like you've never done the program before. Listen to each week's audio session 3 times each week and use the workbook along with it. Listen to the relaxation tape 2-3 times per day and watch each week's coaching video for that week. Good Luck!
Steph