TAKE A STAND?!

[Wannabeloved85]

All morning my brain's been doing overtime! Constantly thinking bout how long ive been stuck here and imprisoned by agoraphobia.
I, along with many many others, are constantly on the look out for any new cures or help we can get, spending god knows how much!
But...
What would happen if we just stood our ground? I mean, really stood our ground, listened to that tiny voice that says its ok and didnt listen to anything else. 100% confidace and stubborness. Just went for it. And no matter how panic wants you to give in, you didnt? Just used all that anger that panic has caused and used it to stand up for yourself.no matter how many tears it brought on? I guess it the deep end routine, but with more stupporness.
Ive read stories like this before,how a lady had enough of being prisoner in her own home and demanded panic to arise, but because she wanted panic to come and give all its got, it didnt! and off she went!
I think for this to work, you need to be 100% dedicated and stubborn! not to have that thought..well what if?
To stand your ground and to just go for it because youve had it with panic, and to win!That must be fantastic! no medication,no hypnosis, no nothin! just you and your willpower! maybe its like when youve had it with smoking or biting your nails, and do it with will power!
The mind is a woderful thing and i truly believe that this method has, and will be used by lots of sufferes out there. And its to those people i say A VERY WELL DONE!! That takes courage and a hell of a lot of stubborness!

[RH]

Hello,

I don't normally reply to topics, as they always seem well covered by other people.
But on this one I feel I must, as I have overcome agoraphobia and gone from being housebound to freedom.

The Claire Weekes principles of Face your phobia ,Accept all feelings and don't fight them,float or relax, and let time pass worked for me.
and by taking small steps, so building confidence, this will (I promise you) work.

I would strongly advise reading her books.


You can do it.

regards,

Richard.

[Wannabeloved85]

hi richard,
I have claire weeks book and read it over and over, my problem is putting it all into action!
Thanks for your post
Take care
Becci x

[Trev]

Hi Becci, it all comes down to FEAR at the end of the day.

You are right. If you walked out of the house without a care in the World then you would not suffer panic attacks.

The way that I see it though is that it is nearly impossible to go from being agoraphobic to back to normal overnight. If it were that easy we would all do it.

The key point is that usually a fearless approach is only achieved with confidence. That attitude of just "bring it on" that you mention ultimately is confidence. It's having the confidence to say "I don't care, I'm doing it whatever happens".

Which brings me to the point of what I wanted to say. Confidence is usually EARNED. Few people (and I would suggest none that are are sensitised to the point of panic attacks) have the ability to tackle everything with zero fear. You BUILD confidence, you don't just have it given to you on a plate. YOU have to build it for yourself.

Skiing is a great analagy that I will use. Few people through themselves down a black run when they first learn to ski. You build up from virtually flat slopes. As you get more confident you increase the difficulty by increasing the steepness of the slope. After a while you start to do steep slopes without batting an eyelid. You haven't changed physically but you now have confidence and techniques you have learned which are now second nature to you.

Also, you do not achieve this without falling over. You fall over loads of times. However, you get up, realise where you made a mistake, and you carry on. The falling over is just like a little setback.

So, the only way to overcome the fear is to do it. It's as simple as that. But as Claire Weekes says, "simple to say but not quite so simple to do". But the only way to overcome it is to do it, whatever happens. Accept you may fall, but pick yourself up, dust yourself down and carry on.

Cheers,
Trev :D

[Trev]

Sorry about some of the spelling.......I blame it on my cold!!! :D[:I]

[Meg]

Becci

I went from travelling and working throughout the world on my own to being virtually house bound and refusing to be alone at all in a few very short weeks as I allowed the fear to win.

Most of it was that I didn't understand what the worst case scenario resulting from this fear was and I felt so awful that I expected it to be a fate worse than anything I cossibly even imagine, so prevention was key and thus in came the limitations and boundaries. eg - if I go out and ' it- panic ' comes down and I can't control it then JKL might happen. JKL being outside my realms of understanding or imagination so in reality it was 'Fear of the worst case scanario' itself.

Only by pushing myself to take literally only one extra step at a time I found that at no time did this unknown ever arrive and that indeed the reverse happened and as I pushed I got braver and more confident. Then I had a blip and scurried back but as I forced myself back out there, again the JKL didn't happen and I stretched my will power again. It was a bit of 4 steps forward 2 back sometimes but everyday I forced myself to do something towards my recovery.

Change your emotion and you change your outlook and ability. Incite yourself to go from fear to anger and you feel different.

Energy follows thought.




Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[Shadowwin]

I just have to say this.. Thank you..
I'm glad I came here, I'm glad I read this.. Your words just gave me what I need most a kick right in the rear.

I've been a virtual mess all week, husband going out of town.. drive to my brother's for Christmas and all week i've had this sinking fear in the pit of my stomach.. but why should I let it control me?

I was one of those people who went from seeing the world to seeing the inside of my house day in and day out for three years, I was one of those people who one day walked to the door threw it open and said to hades with this! I've had enough and I didn't look back.

So I had a set back.. So I let my fears get the best of me again I don't deserve to be ruled by them.. I deserve to live..

This is what I've been missing.. my fire.. my stubborness.. I let everything overwhelm me and take control. I've had enough..

I printed out your words.. I'm taking them with me on the drive tmrw I don't care if it takes me all night to get to his house I'm going it's what I want to do I'm not going to sit here another minute and let this own me.

So what if I panic I'll get over it.. not like I haven't panicked before..
But I need to do this.. and I need to do this for ME..

I'm tired of being possessed by my mind.. I'm tired of having a safe zone that I won't go outside of.. there is a whole world out there.. and i'm in here watching it go by.

Again Thank You..
Your words are a true inspiration..

Talia.

[Wannabeloved85]

Talia,
That was a brilliant post! I think your gonna do great!
Have a fantastic christmas, just you and your family, no panic,cos he's not invited!
Becci x x x

[Trev]

Good for you Talia

have a great xmas,
Trev :D

[Piglet]

I too am a great believer in small steps - with each little accomplishment you build up confidence, which creates a steady platform from which to move onwards from.

Then in time you look back a little and you can see how far you have come!!!

Love Piglet xx

"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" said Piglet.
"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh after careful thought.

[Keitharcher]

I agree, we all need to acknowledge that we are in control, not the panic, anixety or depression, us. When we realise that we become in charge not the disease US. I to have seen that light (see success stories) and as a result am getting better

keith

[Shadowwin]

I wanted to stop in tonight to let all of you know I made it!!!!!!!!
I'm on my brother's computer typing this now..and i made it without having an attack..
I did get alittle edgy about an hour into the drive i was in rush hour traffic but i made it through i ever took my favorite stuffed animal with me in the car just to focus on when i got scared it's little stuffed Christmas mouse i've had for like 10 years.

To all of you out there it CAN be done! Believe in yourself.. you can achieve the impossible..

I think we should all make a resolution for 2006 to fight back as hard as we can and live our dreams.

[Trev]

Well done Talia, it's a great achievement.

Enjoy the xmas.

Trev :D

[Piglet]

A big well done :D:D:D

Love Piglet xx

"Supposing a tree fell down, Pooh, when we were underneath it?" said Piglet.
"Supposing it didn't," said Pooh after careful thought.

[Wannabeloved85]

WELL DONE!! GREAT NEWS! MERRY CHRISTMAS

[Meg]

Excellent - well done indeed on doing your drive and managing it so well.

Meg
www.anxietymanagementltd.com

Your anxiety is the human representation of the pictures that you paint using your many vivid colours of revolving and reoccurring thoughts.
How big is your gallery ?

[Shadowwin]

Thank You All
I hope You and Yours Have a very Merry Christmas!!!!!