harder to beat the longer you have it

[panic140671]

I was just wondering whether it is harder to beat Panic Disorder the longer you have it. I have tried to deal with them for 3 years now and still cannot accept that it is Panic Disorder. I know the way to stop this is to accept it and not to fight it. I find this so hard to do. Anyone else struggling to accept this, if not, how do you accept that it is Panic Disorder? Sorry if I sound mad, but I just need some advice.

Please help.

[sadie]

Hi Panic140671,

I too have suffered anxiety for just over 3 years too and like you I USED to find it very difficult to accept that the very frightening symptoms I was feeling were just caused by anxiety. I would say, from the end of Decmeber up until now, I have managed to change my way of thinking and in fact changed my life!!!

There is no fancy technique or whatever, I just simply have told myself over and over again that 'I am ok' and that these symptoms are caused by anxiety and not a serious illness. At first it was difficult to believe this but after 3 or 4 times it became so much easier. I can honestly say that over the last few weeks in particular, I have only felt very mild anxiety and If I have felt a symptom it disappears just as quickly as it comes.

I have been trying hard to eat better, I take vitamin B complex, drink lots of water and have been doing some exercise. All these positive steps have been helping my anxiety levels too but I think it is mostly down to my positive thinking that has helped me gain control of my life again.

Anxiety can be diminshed no matter how long a person has had it, it just takes a lot of patience, courage and determination to get control of it. I know if you just lost your fear of the symptoms and really focused on some positive thinking you would quickly see a change in your level of anxiety. I promise!!!

I hope this gives you some hope and encouragement on your road to recovery!!

Take care

sadie

[Meg]

Hurrah Sadie, Iºm so pleased to hear these posts so much more from you !!
Panic 140671
The longer you have had it means that you have more inbred habits to break so it can seem more difficult but once you start and get on a roll it gets easier BUT please do realize it is 4 steps forwards 2 back for quite a while.




Meg

Watch your thoughts, they become your words...
Watch your words, they become your actions... Watch your actions, they become your habits... Watch your habits, they become your character... Watch your character, it becomes your destiny...

[Lottie32]

Sadie is right.

Acceptance is the first step to getting better.

Of course the longer you've suffered the longer it takes to recover - mainly because you're mind gets longer to build it's negative thoughts.

Although generally I'm feeling better, there are still lots of situations which I talk myself out of, simply because as soon as somebody invites me to do something, I think, "oh I can't do that, I'll be ill". So I start to get anxious, feel ill, and I don't do the thing.

I am currently working on my negative thinking during CBT sessions.

It would have to say, that although I didn't "make" myself feel like this, I have come to realise that I often perpetuate the problem.

It is very difficult, but you just need to keep repeating to yourself, I suffer from Anxiety. It is a part of me. I can control it. I will control it.

I will always be an anxious person, and I realise that it is quite likely that I will have periods in my life where I struggle with anxious periods. However, I am learning to control and manipulate my anxiety, so that whilst it may again be a part of my life, it shall no more control it.

It's taken me three years to get this far this time though, and nineteen years to start taking some positive action. I suppose it all depends on how much you want to live your life

Whatever, I'm sure Sadie will agree, acceptance is not something that just "happens", but something you have to work on. And keep working on.

Good luck

Charlie

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

[diana]

Hiya Panic 140671,

I would have to agree with everyone else`s posts. "ACCEPTANCE" is the beginning of the end like they say, as far as accepting the symptoms as anxiety and nothing more. That is the only way to put these symptoms in their place and take "CONTROL" of our lives again. Like Meg said though we do have to accept to that it is 4 steps forward and 2 steps back till we get things in order in our thought process. However we must preservere if like Charlie mentioned we want to "LIVE LIFE"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So try to put positive thoughts in place of the negative thoughts, and keep at it, you will start to see and feel a change for the better. Best of luck to ya.

Take care,


Diana xxxx

P.S. Sadie good for you, you sound GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep up the great work dear.