Stress Center Peer Support

What if I go out and have a great time and forget about my anxiety and troubles, even if it is just for moments?

What if I push myself out the door to take a walk, enjoy some sun and it lifts my spirits and I smile from ear to ear?

What if I get out of bed and the days really is not as bad as I thought?

What if I try something new and realize that I really enjoyed it?

What if I get in the car, drove a couple blocks and turned around and went back home?

What if I went into a store, got a bit panicky and left?

What if I went to the store and did not get panicky? What if I spent an entire day out of my house, doing the thing I want and not have any panic?

If you try something, you may instantly enjoy it and feel a sense of accomplishment and pride. That is GREAT!!! You may not even get any panic or anxiety!

Even if you try something and maybe do not follow through all the way, BIG DEAL!

You tried! You are taking baby steps in trying. You are a success! You got out of your comfort zone and TRIED!!!!

Trying is the key. That is success. Every time you try, next time you try a bit more and build on each and every experience. These "baby steps" are the successes that will help you grow.

Remember, BABY STEPS ARE SUCCESSES!!! These are the stepping stones that you build on.

Keep going. Some situations may be easier than other. Be patient, gentle and kind to yourself. It took time to get anxious and fearful, it will take time to get out too.

Dance in your successes and do not look back. Failure is a failure only when you give up trying and give into the anxiety and fear. Anxiety and fear are our ideas, thoughts and feelings, not people. Therefore, our ideas, thoughts and feelings cannot harm us, they just scare us. THIS IS ANXIETY!

Keep going, do not fear. Fear is not real, it is only something we create in our busy, over anaylzing, anxious, negative minds. Our minds create our fears, they are thoughts, that does not mean we will act upon them.

God Bless you all! LizB

Excellent post Liz!

Here are mine...

What if I panic and it's the worst one ever?
What if I panic and it never goes away?
What if I panic and cant handle it?

I would appreciate any help with these. I think about them a lot.

Okay, good topic. Here are mine:

--What if something bad happens to my children? This drives me crazy. I watch the news or read the paper and you see so many stories of sexual predators and children being victimized. I feel so helpless with this and with general worries about their future safety and health.

--What if I really get bad with anxiety and depression one day and meds won't work for me, and I'll be a lost cause? I have a classic case of being afraid of my feelings.

--What if I get sick?

I have done the program twice in a span of several years. It has helped, but I regress at times. I'm very hard on myself when I regress. Obsessive negative thinking takes over, and it is hard for me to pull myself out. I always think, "What keeps Lucinda so positive? How does she not let the fear of the anxiety coming back from taking over?" I admit that I think of her as Superwoman. By the way, does she ever post on the board or conduct live chats?

Great post...the what if's to me are the worst part of anxiety.
what if...I have a brain tumor and that is REALLY what is causing my anxiety?
what if...I go to work and panic and leave, leaving my store with no one in it and lose my job.
What if...I go insane and never come out of panic?
what if...my daughters "catch" my anxiety?
NOW...to replace these what if's with positive talk is the hardest part
What if...this is just another episode of anxiety in my life...as there have been many others...and I'm fine, healthy, and it passes.
What if....I go to work and have a GREAT day and do my job to the best of my ability?
What if....I teach my daughters to be strong and that they can overcome obstacles?
I hate the negative what if's...and its hard sometimes to overcome that "stinkin' thinkin'..but I know it can be done.

God Bless.

"Many a false step has been made by standing still"

What if....today is my last day, and Ive spent the entire day worrying about it.
What if.....i pass out and there is no-one around to help me.
What if....they really find something wrong with me.
what if....i get cancer....
I could go on all day.... The what if-ing is a daily thing for me.....

Wow..great post!

What if... I get married and find out I'm unhappy?
What if... I fail at marriage?
What if... I fail as a parent?
What if... I hate being a wife/mother?
What if... I lose my job and get evicted because I can't pay rent?
What if... my fiance dies?
What if... my fiance doesn't really want to get married?
What if... I feel this way for the rest of my life?
What if... I panic on my wedding day and can't go through with it?
What if... I'm a runaway bride!!!

What if...I step through my fear and acutally enjoy something?

What if...I smile at someone and make their day?

What if...I let someone with a few items go ahead of me in the grocery line?

What if...I give my husband a big hug and tell him how special he is?

What if...I call my Nana and tell her I just called "Just because".

What if...I spend 30 minutes on myself, meditate, relax, read a book instead of vaccuuming, dusting?

What if...I took an invigorating walk in the woods with the dogs today?

What if...I got a coloring book out and regressed for an hour, and really enjoyed it! :p

What if...I enjoyed the moment I am in, not thinking about yesterday and not worrying about today or tomorrow, just enjoying my NOW moment?

love it LizB

Again, You have such a gift!!!

Momo