How I have Grown in a Year

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 12:37 am

Hi Nanaof4, jillzmind and Paul Kay - I know you will be able to do it if I did it. I denied/fought/lived with anxiety for 20 years before I did anything about it. Once you get to the point where you don't care about the anxiety and you still work through it, it goes away. I held on to it for so long because it was a part of who I was that when I worked this Program and learned to let it go and not let it control me, my old self resurfaced.

I will keep you in my thoughts and know you can do it. This site is awesome for help and the program is just fantastic for learning to gain control of your life again.

Good Luck to all of you and thank you so much for your notes of encouragement!:)

Lisa

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 8:11 am

thanks lisalisa,,, this is very inspirational. i had the program for awhile now u can see when i registered.. i was on and off with this program, i started it. it worked, mind u, i only went to session 3, but once i felt better, i stopped the program. here i am again.. still on session 2 now. i find it hard to continue. i feel like i can control my anxiety like before. but its not working. i know what needs to be done. my question to u, was how did u stay focus especially thru the anxiety and phobias.. etc.. ?
i recently developed a new fear.. fear of fainting do to dehydration. where i live the weather is in the 100 and up.. and everytime im out, i think im gonna pass out due to heat exhaution or whatever? there i am with liters of water.
u give me hope.. to finally deal with this disorder once and for all. any advice that u can give me.. or self talk of exercise techniques... ur day to day how u dealt with this...
thanks so much..
angela

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 11:47 am

Hi Angela - I stayed focusing believing that I would get through the anxiety and what-if thinking. I just recently returned from a vacation with my family where it was very, very humid. While walking down the street it was so hot and hard to breathe. I caught myself doing the what-if talk of "I can't catch my breath, what if I stop breathing." I quickly started a conversation with my husband and thought to myself, if I'm talking, then I'm breathing. I felt myself settle down. You are worried that you are going to pass out from dehydration. You can turn that around and say to yourself "What if I don't pass out from dehydration?"

I got to the point of saying to myself "So what if this or that happens, so what!"

If you can turn the negative self-talk around to a positive one, you can get through anything. I still work on the negative-to-positive talk. I believe it is the foundation for your recovery. Good Luck

Lisa

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 2:06 pm

thanks so much lisalisa, seems so easy,but easier said than done, i continue to struggle with the neg/pos self talk.. im working on it. thank u tho...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 12:38 am

Angela, you will do it. Getting through the negative self-talk is hard, but keep working at it. It does seem so simple and easier said than done, but once you get in the habit of soothing, self-talk, you will be able to release the anxiety and allow positive thoughts in. I lived with the anxiety for 20 years, I know its hard, but I also know it can definitely be done:) Keep at it and remember we are all here for you.

LisaLisa:D

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat Aug 01, 2009 2:02 am

LisaLisa,
Thank you for your postings. It is really hard to continue the program sometimes. Facing my anxiety has been like David & Goliath; sometimes I feel like fear has just swallowed me whole. I know how badly I want to get to "the other side" and it helps immensely to hear from people who have made it through. I keep saying, "It's simple but it ain't easy." I'm on week 9 and am not about to give up now. Thanks again for the uplifting story.
Leslie

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:54 pm

Leslie - Congratulations for getting to week 9, you're doing it! I understand your feeling that the anxiety has swallowed you whole, I felt it had completely consumed me, too. I spent my whole day trying to figure out how not to panic, how to avoid the fear and I felt my world getting smaller and smaller. I remember dropping my son off at school, driving to my parents home and crying that I wish I was a little girl again so I can start over without the panic...I ordered the program because like you, wanted the fear to be over! Working it was hard, but I noticed small changes in me every day. I focused on the small changes, the way it felt to finally let go and relax. I realized that for me, anxiety was about control, my need to control everything around me. I started to give up some control, adjusted to those feelings (which were uncomfortable at first), gave up a little bit more control and then found my life got easier when I did not hang on so tight.

You will be able to do this. The program, this site and all the support helped me the most. Keep up the great work and keep the positive thinking - that is key for me.

Good Luck
Lisa