The Teachings of Claire Weekes

[thedood]

Hey everyone,

So over the years my anxiety and panic attacks have changed in shape and form. Whereas it used to be more generalized and just the fear of having an attack these days thanks to my own mind making far too many associations, I panic at work before or during meetings. Its definitely performance related and I now dread having to speak in 'meeting' type situations, even just one on ones! People see me as outspoken and confident and I even used to be a tv presenter years ago but these days some particular meetings at work get the better of me. Not all but some, and I can dread and anticipate them weeks in advance fearing I will not be able to find the words to speak, let alone sound intelligent. I worry I will have a full attack, lose control and run from the room...it has happened before :blush:

I've had success with various therapies. I do my breathing exercises, my tapping exercises and utilise techniques learned in CBT, I've stopped eating dairy, I don't touch anything containing aspartame and do plenty of exercise but every so often it creeps up on me in one of these meetings and I feel set back to square one.
Like most of you when I suffer one of these set-backs I can't help but get online and search for something new...a new book or therapy...anything..!

So my new book "Self Help for Your Nerves" by Dr Claire Weekes arrived last week and she really hits the nail on the head. Her descriptions of these 'nervous breakdowns' really seem to explain what I'm going through like no other and I really want to employ her ideas on 'floating' through the anxiety.

The problem is... reading this book is so bang on its actually launching me into more feelings of anxiety. I have to put it down. All weekend I've been sighing non-stop and feeling the palpatations while quietly panicing inside and feeling the doomful, fearful thoughts consume me.
I'm at work again today and so far I've been fine. I know I just need to throw the thoughts away and think of something else but its hard. I want to face it and float through it like Dr Weeks suggests but I guess I'm still not so sure how to do this...I know its worked for some of you...any tips?

[Cathy V]

Hi there. Ive also read all of her books over the years and i think what she means when she says to float and not fight is that when you feel a panic coming on, dont try to find a way to escape it. Try to just wait it out, let it do what its going to do and let it pass, dont run from it becasue thats avoidence, as is not going to the places where you're likely to have a PA. She says she has never known anyone collapse or pass out when in a panic and thats what we all think will happen so we are scared to let the panic continue and try to escape from it. Thats avoidence, becaus we all know that when we get back to our 'safe place' we feel better again.

I think all she means by floating through it to just try to tell yourself they are only feelings that comes from a tired mind and that nothing bad will happen to you in panic, and to just sit down or hold on to your shopping trolley or whatever until it passes. To run away from it only keeps it going.

Easy to say, hard to do yes? but we'll all get there in the end.

Cathy xxx:)

[Tom_M]

You can learn a lot from Clair Weekes. The approach she took was not to fight it, as fighting and loosing only accelerates the panic.

With panic attacks, the problem arises due to two main things. Firstly, you where not able to stop it when it happened. Secondly, you remember the feeling that you have with panic. Both these memories contribute the avalanche into panic that you experience. The more you try to resist, and fail, the more desperate you begin to feel, so don't fight it, float with it, as Dr Weekes explained.

Tom

[thedood]

Good, cos I was having issues imagining myself floating out of the meeting on a cloud. Funnily I had been forming my own ideas on giving up resistence so I guess its kind of similar.
My particular performance anxiety makes it particularly hard because its about losing control in situations I find myself in daily with people I see fairly often. Having a little 'moment' in front of them just feels like such a big deal. I don't want people to think I'm not 'up to' the position...I've usually been the person craving attention, not running from it. I know I'm finding it hard not to resist or fight back. I'll have to try and finish the book despite the feelings it conjours in me.
I did find it odd though that in some instances Dr Weekes condones shock therapy and the use of sedatives...saying it may help. I guess she did write these books a while ago...

[polly123]

Hi
I to have the book by Dr Claire Weekes, and i have to say its the best thing i ever did was to buy them, i just dont seem to be able to do the floating thing lol, but what i found helped me was to just keep reading it over and over again esepecially when im having a bad day,not sure what happend but ive been so much better since reading them think it might be something in the subconsious mind, but hey it really has helped me, just keep on reading it , i really hope you have the same outcome as ive had
POLLY XX

[thedood]

thanks Polly,

I must say I've been unusually calm since the weekend. When I do feel the anxiety raise inside me I acknowledge it and feel the fear but then try to let the fear part of my response go...even saying in my mind "I release you". Then I try and float in that moment until time passes and the feelins subside. While I am gradually reducing my sensitization...I still might avoid a certain meeting next week. I'll tackle that one when I'm generally more chilled out.

Jamie
x

[tHamera]

i'm about half way through Hope And Help For Your Nerves, and i must say, she hit a chord right off the bat. She seems to have actual insight into the conditions of panic and anxiety. I highly recommend this book or any of her books.

[Alabasterlyn]

I love the Claire Weekes book, I think I have all 5 of them now.

I've also downloaded the audio files and put them onto my iPod and I listen to them when I am doing my housework or when I am out and feel in need of some reassurance.

I think when she talks about floating she is saying to just almost surrender yourself to the feelings and relax into them, least that is how I interpret it :)

[lorac]

I am a great fan of Claire Weekes reading her books was the only thing that put me back on the road to recovery. She is my hero.

Carol

[thedood]

Since Monday I've been a bit of an anxious mess. I think all this reading about has pushed it to the forefront of my brain...I feel like my levels are right up round my ears. I'm rationalising by the thinking of it in the way that the self help guru Louise Hay described it: When you scrub a dirty roasting pan at first the water is all dark and murky as it all becomes unsettled but its the beginning of the process and before long the water will run clear.
SO I guess I'm telling myself that this is how its meant to be as I try to stare my anxiety in the face and accept it. Part of me wants to distract myself and try to get into another head space but Claire Weekes says to face it. I'm going from one panicy meeting to the next...so far I haven't run from a room but its a roller coaster ride. Half my body fluid is leaving my body through my clammy hands and my shakey voice barely masks the thud of my heart pounding through my chest.
I guess I just have to persist and continue to face...accept...let time pass...

[never2late]

SO I guess I'm telling myself that this is how its meant to be as I try to stare my anxiety in the face and accept it.

If you're truly trying to accept it in the method that Claire Weeks' prescribes, then staring it in the face runs counter-measure to accepting it.

Her method of acceptance is totally passive.

"Ut-ter, ut-ter, acceptance."

There is no challenging your panic/anxiety. There is no standing up to it. There is no one-upmanship on it. There are no time limits. There are no feelings of let down when it returns. There is no wondering, or worrying about what is around the corner. There is no "testing".

There is only practice of acceptance.

"Ut-ter, ut-ter, acceptance."

Trust me, it will only feed off of you staring it in the face.

Practice forgetting about it, until you really do find yourself forgetting about it.

Believe me: for every minute that you forget about it, that will be a minute that you'll find that you don't have it. It's amazing.

AND by forgetting about it I don't mean thinking "Oh, I'm not thinking about my anxiety at the moment" -- because THAT is thinking about your anxiety!

Read, Re-read, and Re-read again, over and over. For the time being, make it your favorite book. You'll discover something new, and understand concepts a little better each and every time.

Get her double Audio CD: Pass Through Panic.

There are audio files on the Internet, but I will NOT recommend them simply because it is a violation of international copyright law to provide them for downloading, and also for having them in ones' possession.

Not to mention the royalties that her family no longer receives for her hard work. And I'm sure she would wish for her family to continue to receive royalties. Someone shouldn't be dis-honest, and then turn around and complain about anxiety, just IMO.

[thedood]

hmmm thanks never2late...
I think I'm beginning to see the distinction. Although Claire Weekes says to look at it and analyze it not to 'shrink' from it. Is trying to forget not a form of denial or 'running away'?

[never2late]

hmmm thanks never2late...
I think I'm beginning to see the distinction. Although Claire Weekes says to look at it and analyze it not to 'shrink' from it. Is trying to forget not a form of denial or 'running away'?

In this instance, forgetting is not a form of denial (and vice versa). Denial is a form of repression. If you're in denial about something, you haven't forgotten about it -- even if its only the subconscious that "remembers".

As for panic, certainly look at it and analyze it -- from a passive viewpoint (and this is not shrinking from it). Look at it as if you've stepped outside of yourself and are watching the internal workings of your panic attack from a distance.

But for most of the time that you're walking around out in the real world -- learn to forget about it.

I guarantee that for the moments that you do manage to forget about it, you'll wonder where it went (and, of course, by wondering that, it will be right there again).

[thedood]

okie doke...

I'll remember what you've said and continue to read and reread Claire Weekes...thanks!

[tHamera]

I love the Claire Weekes book, I think I have all 5 of them now.

I've also downloaded the audio files and put them onto my iPod and I listen to them when I am doing my housework or when I am out and feel in need of some reassurance.

I think when she talks about floating she is saying to just almost surrender yourself to the feelings and relax into them, least that is how I interpret it :)

Hi, i'd love to hear those audio files, can you provide a link?

thanks!!

[Alabasterlyn]

Hi, i'd love to hear those audio files, can you provide a link?

thanks!!

Yeah sure, I actually got the link off this forum :)

http://www.controllinganxiety.com/dsp_downloads.php

[tHamera]

Yeah sure, I actually got the link off this forum :)

http://www.controllinganxiety.com/dsp_downloads.php

thanks!!!!