The American Psychiatric Association actually does not agree that anxiety and depression are not forms of mental illness. The DSM has multiple diagnostic categories of anxiety and depression. This is good. It means if your insurance covers mental illness, your treatment for anxiety and depression will be covered. <A HREF="http://allpsych.com/disorders/dsm.html" TARGET=_blank>http://allpsych.com/disorders/dsm.html</A>
All that aside, I agree with others here. If a post is scary, or bothersome, absolutely don't keep reading it. Just move on. You are in control of how helpful this community will be to you. Use what helps, don't worry about the rest. And there is some great stuff ahead to help you get to the bottom of the things you tell yourself to scare yourself.
Keep working your program, week to week, doing all your homework, and you will be so much the better for it.
Best of days ahead to you.
difficulties with some posts
The American Psychiatric Association is where I get my information. As Pecos states, you can look it up, the DSM has many categories you can fall into and even sends us a link.Originally posted by Boon:
Neither anxiety nor depression are mental illnesses. Not sure where you got your info from but I know doctors and other educated individuals who would argue that one with you.
Let go of the term mental illness. Stop labeling it. The truth is that panic attack disorder, depression, ocd - any phobia, for that matter, are all cureable. ALL OF THEM.
If you are willing to do the work YOU WILL HEAL. Period.
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Guest
thank you all..! i guess at the end of the day i'm scared that i may go crazy and have other illness such as schiz or bi polar. because that is my biggest fear. and i'm scared that my anxiety may lead to this...but tht is what my therapist was trying to expalain to me that anxiety doesnt change over time to these disorders...! my fear and question to him is ARE U SURE????? are you sure i won't loss the plot next week, next year..! he often tells me look you have these thoughts now for 1 1/2 years and you are ok what makes you think that things will change...! but i'm scare will i be schizoprhenic or have bi polar because i won to be well to look after my child...!
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Guest
I can relate to this. That is my greatest fear also. But, I've had issues on and off for 20 years and I haven't gone crazy yet! Each time it surfaces it's not as bad as the last and I learn more and better ways to take good care of myself. This time around I did this and one other program so hopefully the next time I have a stressful time it won't get as bad.
Bipolar and Schiz are different than anxiety and depression.
The irony is that most people that are truly mentally in in that way, don't have a fear they are going crazy. . . they think that they are normal. We worry about something that will never happen!
I recently went back to a psychologist I went to years ago and went through all of what has been going on in my life and in my head. He told me that I'm doing GREAT and that nothing I was describing sounded like schizophrenia or bi-polar. That was a big comfort.
Bipolar and Schiz are different than anxiety and depression.
The irony is that most people that are truly mentally in in that way, don't have a fear they are going crazy. . . they think that they are normal. We worry about something that will never happen!
I recently went back to a psychologist I went to years ago and went through all of what has been going on in my life and in my head. He told me that I'm doing GREAT and that nothing I was describing sounded like schizophrenia or bi-polar. That was a big comfort.
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Calmchange, I agree with most of the posts about the anxiety not being a mental illness.
When I first started this program I was worried when I read other's posts that I would start to develop those symptoms, too. This is normal for someone overcoming anxiety. Chiefcrazyhorse told me to stay off the posts for a while until I got more comfortable with the program. That worked for me. What also helped me was doing the relaxtion cds 1 to 3 times a day. I am on Week 12 and I still do them 2x a day. When your mind and body are calm and relaxed your thoughts will follow.
LisaLisa
When I first started this program I was worried when I read other's posts that I would start to develop those symptoms, too. This is normal for someone overcoming anxiety. Chiefcrazyhorse told me to stay off the posts for a while until I got more comfortable with the program. That worked for me. What also helped me was doing the relaxtion cds 1 to 3 times a day. I am on Week 12 and I still do them 2x a day. When your mind and body are calm and relaxed your thoughts will follow.
LisaLisa
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Hi Everyone,
You know I had my worst anxiety attacks before I knew what it even was. I woke up in the morning and my mind was just all over the place, I felt my heart pounding in my chest and could hear it in my ears and was crying and felt sick to my stomach and was home alone at the time. This went on all day. My husband got home from work and asked me what was wrong & I said I don't know I woke up like this and I cant stop crying and shaking etc. He convinced me to call my doctor. This was 7:45 pm now and she was only there for 15 min more. I was told I was having an anxiety attack and to go to a walk in clinic & they would give me a med for this. Well I did..got the script..got it filled, took a pill and did calm down slightly but still wasn't feeling right. 2 days passed & I went back to the clinic as I was still not feeling right and thought maybe a different med would be better for me, saw a different doctor ( he was maybe in his mid 30's ) who told me I SHOULD BE IN THE PHYSCIATRIC WARD!! He said I had a mental problem and began to draw me a map of the hospital layout. I reacted by saying I'm not nuts that I had been fine and had woken up like this and that also my pain from fibromyalgia was way up HE SAID "OH YOU HAVE FIBRO HEY,OH NO YOU AREN'T CRAZY AT ALL.. YOU HAVE NO MENTAL ILLNESS...WELL YOU DEFFINATELY DO". Nothing I or anyone can do for you because you need a phsyciatrist not a medical doctor. Get yourself to the hospital and they will see to it that you get the kind of help you need. I was SO shocked and so upset and angry by his lack of ethics, compassion, and seriously he could have pushed me or someone over the edge with his nasty attitude. I saw my family doc the next day and told her what he had said to me, she looked with wide opened eyes and was shocked...she apologized for him and said you do not have a mental illness..you have anxiety and it's treated with meds and there are other things you can do along with the meds...diet, exercise, and anything else that gives you comfort. I was soooooooo relieved that I didn't need to be institutionalized or wasn't a nutcase like that other doc told me I was. Just shows even some doctors havn't got a clue and that you need to sometimes look for answers from people who feel the way you do and have found it is something that with changes in your life, thought process, diet and a program like this one you can get off meds, feel better in all ways and get out of that dark, deep hole you've been in for years. I can see some daylight and the darkness is definately lifting for me. Just wanted to share this story...don't let 1 bad doctor freak you out, or tell you that you are crazy because you aren't. We all just need to do what we doing now..learning skills to help us change how we think, act, over react and so on. I have finished session 4 and i am already a changed person in many ways and am so excited to move ahead with Lucinda's program and win by battle and for the first time in most of my life start really living a more content, joyfull life. We can all do this and thankfully we all do have each other for support as well.
Please be kind to yourself, work hard on the program at a nice pace to get everything out of it. It's not a race..it's a peacefull journey for me with a new beginning at the end.
Best Wishes, have a GOOD DAY
You know I had my worst anxiety attacks before I knew what it even was. I woke up in the morning and my mind was just all over the place, I felt my heart pounding in my chest and could hear it in my ears and was crying and felt sick to my stomach and was home alone at the time. This went on all day. My husband got home from work and asked me what was wrong & I said I don't know I woke up like this and I cant stop crying and shaking etc. He convinced me to call my doctor. This was 7:45 pm now and she was only there for 15 min more. I was told I was having an anxiety attack and to go to a walk in clinic & they would give me a med for this. Well I did..got the script..got it filled, took a pill and did calm down slightly but still wasn't feeling right. 2 days passed & I went back to the clinic as I was still not feeling right and thought maybe a different med would be better for me, saw a different doctor ( he was maybe in his mid 30's ) who told me I SHOULD BE IN THE PHYSCIATRIC WARD!! He said I had a mental problem and began to draw me a map of the hospital layout. I reacted by saying I'm not nuts that I had been fine and had woken up like this and that also my pain from fibromyalgia was way up HE SAID "OH YOU HAVE FIBRO HEY,OH NO YOU AREN'T CRAZY AT ALL.. YOU HAVE NO MENTAL ILLNESS...WELL YOU DEFFINATELY DO". Nothing I or anyone can do for you because you need a phsyciatrist not a medical doctor. Get yourself to the hospital and they will see to it that you get the kind of help you need. I was SO shocked and so upset and angry by his lack of ethics, compassion, and seriously he could have pushed me or someone over the edge with his nasty attitude. I saw my family doc the next day and told her what he had said to me, she looked with wide opened eyes and was shocked...she apologized for him and said you do not have a mental illness..you have anxiety and it's treated with meds and there are other things you can do along with the meds...diet, exercise, and anything else that gives you comfort. I was soooooooo relieved that I didn't need to be institutionalized or wasn't a nutcase like that other doc told me I was. Just shows even some doctors havn't got a clue and that you need to sometimes look for answers from people who feel the way you do and have found it is something that with changes in your life, thought process, diet and a program like this one you can get off meds, feel better in all ways and get out of that dark, deep hole you've been in for years. I can see some daylight and the darkness is definately lifting for me. Just wanted to share this story...don't let 1 bad doctor freak you out, or tell you that you are crazy because you aren't. We all just need to do what we doing now..learning skills to help us change how we think, act, over react and so on. I have finished session 4 and i am already a changed person in many ways and am so excited to move ahead with Lucinda's program and win by battle and for the first time in most of my life start really living a more content, joyfull life. We can all do this and thankfully we all do have each other for support as well.
Please be kind to yourself, work hard on the program at a nice pace to get everything out of it. It's not a race..it's a peacefull journey for me with a new beginning at the end.
Best Wishes, have a GOOD DAY
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Guest
There have been debates on this in the scientific area also on whether to classify something as a mental illness or mental disorder or something else entirely. There are people in the mental health field who disagree with our American Psychiatric Association's assessment on labeling anxiety as a mental illness and feel the term is archaic and promotes the idea that all anxiety is a biological illness. Personally I don't see anxiety as a mental illness and disagree with our American Psychiatric Association's labeling.
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Guest
Well said Mary, also if it is a mentall illness for everyone with anxiety and or depression than WHY are so many people benefitting and overcoming these problems from self help programs such as this one!! After seeing the similar personal traits we seem to share it makes (me) at least feel that our personalities and lack of knowing we even have problems or issues with the way we think and or react to the world around us is the biggest contributing factor & that once we do recognize this and accept it and stop hiding and running from it we do indeed recover with hard work and knowing we can stop obsessing and expecting so much from ourselves and others and live a good life and isn't that a much more calming feeling than constantly thinking we have an unfixable mental illness and will end up going crazy! Many people believe the bad stuff and have a very hard time believing they can fix this with or without the use or help of some meds. I know I can get better because of my improvements already. I'm off all my meds, have been able to stop doing things I did in my past which was to overreact and get angry and stressed and then have a total attack. I feel anything coming on and now say STOP, THINK, BREATHE, RELAX...it's nothing to freak out about. I would not have believed I could be this way 8 days ago and still have a long road ahead. But it's a much smooother ride for me now and I'm so greatfull for this Program.
Just me rambling again. LOL
Take Care, Sorry for the novel.
Just me rambling again. LOL
Take Care, Sorry for the novel.
You're not rambling. This is the one thing I haven't conquered yet. I'm good at calming down a panic attack now, but I'm still getting stressed and angry too easily and overreacting. Any tips on that?Originally posted by monty'smom:
I'm off all my meds, have been able to stop doing things I did in my past which was to overreact and get angry and stressed and then have a total attack. I feel anything coming on and now say STOP, THINK, BREATHE, RELAX...it's nothing to freak out about.
ANGELS CAN FLY BECAUSE THEY TAKE THEMSELVES LIGHTLY
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Guest
Hi Faith,Originally posted by Faith_TX:You're not rambling. This is the one thing I haven't conquered yet. I'm good at calming down a panic attack now, but I'm still getting stressed and angry too easily and overreacting. Any tips on that?Originally posted by monty'smom:
I'm off all my meds, have been able to stop doing things I did in my past which was to overreact and get angry and stressed and then have a total attack. I feel anything coming on and now say STOP, THINK, BREATHE, RELAX...it's nothing to freak out about.
You know it just was after getting through session 3..5 times and session 4..3 times and taking a good look at my life over the past 40 some years and how or what I could have done differently to have enjoyed life more and how I used to blame everything on my ex husband, other people, my current husband of 20 years was now becoming what was wrong with anything and everything that caused me to be angry, sad, stressed out...you name it...i blamed it. After seeing all my personality traits and flaws caused by my enviroment and parents as a child and stood back and realized it was ME who was at fault and that I truly was not happy or at peace within myself and knew if I didn't stop this behavior I would keep hurting the ones I loved and who loved me and also never be in a good state myself. If I feel myself getting angry at someone....husband for example I make myself just shut up...STOP, THINK, Calm down and now I say what is so bad that you are getting all worked up over...STOP IT>>NOW. I then do just shut up, breathe, and just somehow that works. THANK GOD AND LUCINDA'S Program, I'm changing into a better person. Really it's first being able to hear your thoughts or words and no how you would normally have reacted..over reacted and just STOPPING YOURSELF before a silly nothing becomes a totally inapropriate big something there is no need for. I hope this helped.
Just STOP< THINK< DON'T OVER REACT !!