The five times table

[purplehaze]

If I was to ask you what is 5x5 you would know the answer or what is 7x2. In fact you would not have to give it much thought because you know the answer.
Think back to primary school when we all had to repeat the 2,3,4,5,6,7, times table etc. How did we learn it? By repeating it time after time after time.
Generations of children are still doing it because its the best way to learn.

Repeated behaviour is the way most people learn and for many of us its the same with anxiety panic attacks agoraphobia. We learn how to feel this way. I am not suggesting we like it but we learn it.
Then it would follow that we can also re-learn how to not have a panic attack..yes it sounds simple but again it takes work and its small steps first.

Its the one times table before we move on to the two times table etc

I wonder if anyone else thinks this is possible

[lorac]

Purplehaze I think you are quite a genius that is a very clever theory and makes alot of sense.

I think it is possible but like you say it takes time and starting at the one times table is the way to begin.

Carol x

[bottleblond]

Hi Purple

You have hit the nail on the head there. It's exactly the way forward. This is what i had to do when starting to get of this bloomin agoraphobia again. I started by walking to my local shop and repeated it every single day until it was less daunting. Even if it takes days, weeks, months or years. The more we repeat, the easier it will become.

Lisa
xx

[thoughts and actions]

hey

i read your thread yesterday and have been thinking about it since

I agree completely with the others - youve hit the nail on the head with this one.

I remember my dad testing me on timestables when i would help him dry the dishes- i remember in july my dad testing me on postivie thinking drying the dishes lol

Point i would raise is that (and having worked with kids) is that they learn in all different ways- yes repeating it is the best way but some will write them down, some will recite them, some will get tested, some will do it in groups others will work alone, some will pick it up straight away, some will take months- and i think thats why there is no one "cure" or diagnosis for anxiety- coz every1 suffers and recovers in different ways- ppl might try doing group work and it not working so giving up whlist others will move onto something else.

And thats why each and every person needs to find what works for them until they can recite their positive thinking- they'll be ups and downs along the way but things like this website and claire weekes books are starting points in their road to recovery

x

[june]

I was told by my psychaitrist that my panic / anxiety was something that I had learned along the years. BUT he also thought I may be to old to un-learn it.

That said - Over the years - I have read many books and read many posts I have talked to many councellors about these problems.
:ohmy: :ohmy: The only thing they ever come up with is that I must learn to relax:ohmy: For me the meaning of relaxation is
To let all your muscles go loose. / To let your brain go quiet / Is to be nothing! / Is to give up / Is to be a nobody / Is to be depressed / Is to be dead

You have to let your body become nothing; your brain is quiet,
à Therefore not working
à Therefore is useless
à Therefore will not be able to stir the body / brain back into action.
ALL THIS EQUAL MASSIVE PANIC:weep:
When we learned our times tables - we did it either in a classroom group OR in safety with an adult we trusted.
Everything to do with coping with panic is to be done by our selves in the very atmosphere where our panic attacks us.
Most of us are alone (even in a crowd) in our panic and have to cope on our own THIS is where most of the problem lies.
Best wishes
June
Sorry for the rant
:flowers:

[Phil H]

nice theory,

BUT we have to learn and halt feelings,when i attempt to go out i have programmed myself to fear being sick in public so i feel nauseous,i could repeat till i am blue in the face that i aint gonna be sick,but it wont take away the feeling.

[pooh]

Hey purple

I really love this theory and im going to write a book about it lol

Pooh x

[Notator]

*Maths was never my strong point!*


But I beleive the theory is sound though!

[Cathy V]

This is the message that Claire Weekes gives out in all of her books too...:)

[purplehaze]

claire weeks steals my ideas

[Cathy V]

:D :D xxx

[Phil H]

Claire weeks is an old biddy who speaks the bleeding obvious if it's that simple we wouldn't be suffering

Sorry her and that linden t**t are just exploiting the gullible IMO


This post has been automatically edited by the NMP post filter

[EvilCaz]

So.... how do you learn not to have a panic attack... ?

[Cathy V]

Phil, i'm not out for an argument, but why do you always feel the need to talk to us like this? there's really no need to do the swearing bit...I kind of got the point without the bad language ok? So you dont like claire weekes or the lindon method, ok fine but please stop being so confrontational about people's replies. Its not nice.

[eeyorelover]

Personally the only thing that has ever helped me is to take little steps forward and get comfortable and then go farther!
Great post!
I do understand what Phil is saying. It isn't easy and can't be really frustrating but the truth is that repetition is the key to retraining your thoughts. Yes you feel like crap when you start out but eventually it does get better and gives you the self confidence to go farther!

[LeeBee]

I agree that our anxious and depressive behaviours and thoughts can be learned and, in some cases, can be unlearned. Or rather, we can learn new thoughts and behaviours to take their place. Claire Weekes doesn't do it for me but I know that others have found her hugely helpful, which is great.

Everyone reacts differently to their anxiety and/or depression. Phil H obviously feels very angry. This is not uncommon. My own dad is the same. Lashing out and/or belittling others probably doesn't particularly help anyone, least of all the lasher, but, hey, we all deal with it in different ways. Here on the boards we have room for expression.

[purplehaze]

I have never read claire weekes but from what I hear she speaks common sense and I think thats what I was trying to do in this post. I also agree different methods work for different people but I still believe the key is finding what works for you and keep doing it.

Lets take an example

Mr A cant get out the house, so Mr A starts by just opening the door until he is ok with that, then he takes a step outside the door and then moves forward...This may take many weeks or months but thats not the point the point is repeating and over time our minds will accept this change.

As for phil H this post is not about him but I feel what pooh said in a reply to his thread is good advice.

[Phil H]

again i apologise if i am being a trifle confrontational,its just me expressing my anger.

We pay out good money to read what these so called experts have to say,but it all comes down to the same thing no matter how much they add to it to seem to make good sense...and thats you have to get up off your butt and face your fears and to hell with what others think of you and how you feel..you are brave you can do this,fear is stupid,infact your stupid for being a little scardy cat...infact did this weekes woman go to the same school as my mum/dad/brother/sister infact every non anxiety suffering person?

You feeling me here?

Thats £35.00 please.

[Cathy V]

Oh poor you Phil, that you have so much anger inside you. May I make the suggestion of going to some anger mangement sessions because they should be able to help you. They'll also come to your house if you can't get out.

Claire Weekes was an anxiety/panic sufferer too by the way. She's wasn't for everyone, but she did know how it felt to live with it.

[Phil H]

cathy only self anger no anger towards any of you.

...she had my condition too?..What like that Charles Linden aswell?

...i need to be writing a book..lol....some are born this way you can not change who you are only cope.....look at that linden..doing lectures flying around the world...having the time of his life..its like he was never one of us..lol

[bel25]

Clever idea! Makes sense.
xxx

[Yvonne]

Purple good sense of humour mate - I like the Claire Weekes' stealing your ideas bit.

Now, I do it and do it and do it, but I still get the lurches in the stomach (the warning) - so where am I going wrong with my anxiety times table??? I want an answer Purple don't you try to ignore me lol.

What you are saying is correct, it's like my therapist has told me a hundred times, rewiring the brain, stopping those thoughts which now are habit and turning them around. Tis hard tho when the brain has learned the anxiety times table for so many years. You see those who did learn their times table parrot fashion will never never forget it. Like those of us who had to repeat the Lords Prayer etc etc - you don't ever forget. Old habits die hard you see.

Phil, have you ever read Claire Weekes'. By the way she has been dead a long time that's number 1. I can assure you she was nothing like Charles Linden the woman was a wonderful therapist who did suffer herself and really cared. You so must read some of her stuff if you haven't. You obviously haven't because you could in no way compare her with old get rich quick Linden.

Claire Weekes knew the illness inside out and outside in for sure. Everything she says makes sense - not easy to put her methods into practise I would have to say but she literally talks about every single aspect of the illness and in such detail she leaves one wondering how SHE knows/knew how YOU feel. She was a genius.

[Granny Primark]

purplehaze just want to say thanks for starting this thread.
What you said makes a lot of sense.

Its time I read some claire weekes books.

[lorac]

Yvonne that is so right Claire Weeks is my hero and makes so much sense as for the other methods I have tried many and spents too much money on them and they don't compare to Claire Weeks. Phill do try and read some of her books they really are very helpful.

Carol