Positive thread

[G-unit]

Hi all, first post!

Today was a BIG day for me which I want to share with his forum as it is a very positive message which I'm hoping will inspire.

I have suffered from GAD in the past which now I have under control and I cannot remember the last time I had a panic attack. I have finally learned and now more importantly believe that panic attacks CANNOT harm me!! So in this case I can ignore these episodes when I feel anxious.

So I got over GAD however still have/had some specific phobias left over from this long battle with it all. God if only I knew what I know now I would not have wasted all this time as you truly CAN get over this anxiety in a really shorty space of time indeed.

So, why was today a big day for me? Well today I faced a MASSIVE phobia and beat it!! I have been avoiding going on the London Underground for at least 10 odd years now. Even the very thought of going on the tube made me feel dizzy and short of breath. Well today I travelled with it and went through pain barrier and came out the other side and my god do I feel amazing now . I will NEVER allow myself to get scared like that again. At one point I felt like turning around but I kept telling my self that this isn't normal behavior and I need to break this subconscious habit of reacting to this with fear. I travelled with it and said to hell with it and got on the train. Do your worst I said to myself. And you know what happened? Nothing that's what cause it never does (when I had panic attacks in the past). I now know that I can travel with no problems anymore . I felt so emotional after (in a happy way) as I know that I have finally faced down something that I avoided for years and won!!!!

This may not be relevant to a lot of you as I understand that people that suffer from anxiety and panic will have their own things that make them anxious however the point I'm trying to make is that you should NEVER give up and don't let this weak and senseless condition push u about as you are in control and have the power to stop it now!! Don't waste years like I have. This is a key moment for me and I can't wait for new challanges.

All the best
G-unit :yesyes:

[Carnation]

Well Done. Its great to hear Good News for a change. You should be very proud yourself.
I too have done the same and faced my phobias and anxieties. Your are right, I think most of the time we are just so scared of having the dreaded Panic Attack, that we don't face these things.
I have faced three of my dreaded zones in one week that wasn't planned, but just happened. I got through it, I thought to hell of this anxiety, I am sick of it, and just ignored of the symptoms happening to my Body and came through the other-side alive and well with NO PANIC ATTACK!
I think the Mind plays a huge part in this and we have to reassure the Mind that we are ok, not dying and we WILL GET BETTER! :)

[G-unit]

Nice one Carnation, really good to hear when another has overcome the same as yourself!!

Posting on forums etc is not really my bag however I hate this condition so much that I wanted to post about my experience with panic and anxiety and how you can overcome it.

Just wanted to post some more things that I have learned about this condition that are imo key to overcoming it (at least this worked for me). This is ONLY for people that have seen a doctor and have been told that they have panic and anxiety and nothing else. I picked this up from reading and also from my own experiances.

1, you are NOT going to die, you do not have a mental or physical condition. You simply have a behavioural problem.
2, YOU are causing your panic. Nothing else. And YOU can and WILL stop it!!
3, medication doesn't cure you. It simply provides a crutch. Avoid if you can. It will only provide relief until you deal with your panic head on by undermining it with non anxious behaviour.
4, stop researching your condition over and over and also stop talking about it with people constantly about how you feel etc this is a perpetuates the vicious cycle.
5, understand what is happening to your body when you panic (fight or flight) but don't dwell on it. Read up on it for the information then discard it.
6, to get back to 'normal' you need to put in the LEGWORK! This means doing all the things that you may normally avoid. Even if u face and beat them one at a time then great how ever when u beat one the others won't even matter anymore.
7, when you feel the panic growing and start feeling whatever it is that you normally get, you simply need to tell yourself that this is a fight or flight response that you understand and you also know that it CANT hurt you. It can only feel unpleasant. Go through it and live it. Tell it to do its worst and don't give up, as if you stick with it and make it as bad as it can be the truth will come out and it will be like a light switch going off in you head and the fog will lift. That is what I did. To be honest tho as I went into the situation yesterday with a positive 'can do' attitude I didn't even get as far as a panic attack.

Hope this helps. I will add more if anything else comes to me

[Deepthinker]

congrats on the accomplishment! :yahoo: