helpliner made it sound so simple

[tricia56]

Hi I haven't been on for a few weeks as I've been trying to reasure myself but I have been struggling with the thoughts I'm going crazy and loosing mind, so I called a helpline up,the lady I spoke to seem to have a a lot of knowledge about anxiety .I explained to her how I am and how I've struggled all these yrs about how I struggle to let thoughts go and how I can't seem to except its just anxiety she told me that every time i get a thought or start to feel anxiose just tell myself its anxiety and to keep telling myself every day as much as i can i am better she said if I do that it takes 19 days for my brain to register that that information and I will start to feel a lot better, she made it sound such a simple thing to do .

[pulisa]

19 days? Why not 18 or 25 days? I've never heard such a specific timescale given?

I expect she was reading off a factsheet and just trying to be helpful and "positive", Tricia.

[tricia56]

Thks for replying maybe she was just being polite and positive,she didn't say it wouldnt be exactly 19 days I think she said its usaly after 19 that or brain will start to recognize the information she didn't sons as if she was reasons from a fact sheet.

[pulisa]

Sorry, I'm sure she was genuinely trying to help you. Believing your symptoms are due to anxiety is the key to feeling more in control but it's not a simple process despite seeming it to the non-sufferer

[venusbluejeans]

19 days? Why not 18 or 25 days? I've never heard such a specific timescale given?

I expect she was reading off a factsheet and just trying to be helpful and "positive", Tricia.

Totally agree my guess is that it was what they were told in their training, bizzare number lol


Trisha, they are right, the key thing is to believe that your symptoms are caused by anxiety and really telling those thoughts that... it will be very hard to start with and to be honest those who are incredibly anxious it will take quite a while.

Maybe have a little mantra in your head to say to yourself or out loud when you have any of these symptoms... "you are just in my head, you are just caused by my anxiety so I am not going to worry about you anymore"

I remember people trying to say things to me when I was in my height of panic and you really do not believe it will work..... but keep at it even if you don't 'believe' it at the minute

Good luck

[tricia56]

Thk you Venus and pulsar for your kindness and advice,I know or will probly tale a while and be very hard at first to keep telling myself its anxiety ,as ive had it for along time now bit I've never stook it out in saying its just anxiety I've always let the anxiety win and take over me , so I am determined to stick at saying its just anxiety this time and try the mantra u suggested Venus so thk you once again.

[venusbluejeans]

you won't believe it to start with trish, but keep at it.... it is worth a try

[pulisa]

Don't try too hard with the mantras, just let the thought that this is anxiety come to you and that you believe it and that you are not in any danger because anxiety cannot harm you.

[Fishmanpa]

There's an awful lot to be said about positive self talk. It sounds corny but it's proven to work and it works for me to keep my attitude positive despite challenges in my life.

For example: I did a physical challenge many years ago. I set goals and wrote them down. Some of which I printed out and taped to my bathroom mirrors and put up as wallpaper on my computer so I would see them and stay motivated. So something as simple as posting "It's just anxiety and it will not get me down today" on your mirror so you're reminded can be a positive step in controlling it.

To this day I subscribe to a "positive thought of the day" website and have inspirational and positive thoughts delivered to my inbox every morning.

We can't control many aspects of our lives but we can control our reaction and attitude toward them. "Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we handle it." Charles Swindoll. That's a positive quote and one I say to myself all the time.

Positive thoughts

[tricia56]

Thk u fishmanpa,I've just put a few positive quotes aroundy home:D so thk u .

[SarahH]

There's an awful lot to be said about positive self talk. It sounds corny but it's proven to work and it works for me to keep my attitude positive despite challenges in my life.

For example: I did a physical challenge many years ago. I set goals and wrote them down. Some of which I printed out and taped to my bathroom mirrors and put up as wallpaper on my computer so I would see them and stay motivated. So something as simple as posting "It's just anxiety and it will not get me down today" on your mirror so you're reminded can be a positive step in controlling it.

To this day I subscribe to a "positive thought of the day" website and have inspirational and positive thoughts delivered to my inbox every morning.

We can't control many aspects of our lives but we can control our reaction and attitude toward them. "Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we handle it." Charles Swindoll. That's a positive quote and one I say to myself all the time.

Positive thoughts

I LOVE THIS POST FMP:D

Mine are.." Happiness is an inside job"... I have a plaque in my bedroom which I look at everyday.

And..." This too shall pass"

And.."I cannot control what others do in life but I CAN control my reaction to
it"

Mantras can be very good in my humble opinion

Sarah

[MyNameIsTerry]

She would need to be able to back that claim up with sums citation. I can't say I've ever heard that one.

I have read accepted scientific articles about how many positive thoughts it takes to counteract a negative one but I don't recall it being 19 times let alone 19 days.

To change your thinking you are talking about using neuroplasticity to make a change and that can take time. It's far more complicated that using a mantra because the negative thinking will be fighting you until some change is seen. So, it's something to try to create change along with many other things but the people who tend to claim fast turnaround times tend to be more the "gurus".