I found a cure....you can get it too...

[Acidomoduso]

I'm kind of hoping that what you say will fix in my brain somehow. It may take time but i'm willing to try. Thanks for your post!

[littlekaitlyn]

Congrats! I hope I get to that point someday soon Thanks for sharing and for giving us hope!

[Brunette]

I am not surprised that this post is still getting replies because what Franklin says is completely true - except I would say that relief from anxiety depends on just one thing. Acceptance.

Accept the feelings you have are anxiety and nothing more.
Accept that with time those feelings will pass.
Accept that despite all the sympathy in the world from others, only you can make you better.
Accept that some situations will make you more anxious than others but that avoiding them is not the answer.
Accept that medication is not a cure for anxiety. Anxiety is not an illness or a chemical imbalance, it is your nervous system behaving in exactly the way it supposed to when you are afraid.
Accept that "fighting" means swimming upstream and that "accepting" means going with the flow.

[pjb]

Wow! that was really inspiring! Thank you!

[steve2009]

I agree with franklin
I have had chronic anxiety issues for the last few months and only had one panic attack in my whole life but I know the symtoms of anxiety only too well.....sleeplessness, fear, adrenaline surges, weight loss.... the list goes on. The symptoms that really bug me.

I agree with the general sentiments in that if we give in to our fears or focus on them too much, then the anxiety continues. I felt I was making no progress until I accepted there would be pain and went back to work and accepted I might have discomfort and yet be able to function well enough if not perfectly. I am still heavily stressed with personal issues at home but still coping better.

So my list for coping is: Feel the fear
Accept it will go eventually
Don't have great expectations
Treat yourself well occasionally with a pat on the back
Good diet
Rest and exercise. Both if you can.
Take what you can find useful from CBT and try to be positive
And keep on keeping on

[franklin2003]

It's been almost 6 months since I last updated, while I do not visit this site often anymore some days it pops in my mind to come back read my story and get updates on all of your comments.

Not to just *bump* this post, but instead to give periodic refresh of where I am. I know in the darkest days I enjoyed reading stories of people who could recover and those that remained so long after.

I am still recovered today enjoying life. I must say I am in probably the most stressful points in my life. To have the strength to go through what I have before to really see the power of the mind is what continues to keep me 100% cured.

I would never say anyone who suffers from anxiety is lucky, its all too misunderstood by those who cannot understand the pain and anguish we face. Instead of being lucky though, I feel much more empowered to take on challenges, learning the ideas of acceptance and that I truly do have control has helped me become more successful in life. So while we are not lucky or blessed to have this condition. Remember that once you recover, and you will recover!, you will be a much stronger person on the other side.

I love to read your comments of success, it truly does warm my heart to see this post as one of the most read, and maybe I selfishly update this post so that I have a record of what I was able to accomplish. But, I do hope you take encouragement from knowing today you can start on the path of being in control of your anxiety.

Take care.

[JohnBliss]

Hi there
Glad to hear you're still winning with the approach I so agreed with when you first posted. I too have the same approach and whilst there are still blips generally I'm much better for the "acceptance " method
Warmest Regards
John

[kirsty74]

There are so many replies to this thread & I didn't have time to read them all...but I'll ask the question anyway! How do you achieve that acceptance?? My rational head tells me that the feelings will not harm me, but the anxious head shouts louder that I AM going to faint, panic etc and I just don't know how to keep it quiet. I find the feelings so overwhelming that I feel unable to ignore them. I've had anxiety & panic for about 4 1/2 years and, at the moment, am going backwards.

[Brunette]

Hi Kirsty,

You could read Claire Weekes which would be really useful but the way I like to explain acceptance is like this:

Suppose you're stting there, at home in front of the TV or at work and you start to suffer from indigestion or a slight headache. What would you do?

Chances are you would take some ibruprofen or an antacid.

You know you will have to put up with the discomfort for a bit longer until the tablets kick in, you accept that and carry on working/watching the TV. You are aware of it but you are not giving it that much attention. Your mind is mostly focused on the task in hand.

You have to master the same trick with anxiety. You accept you are feeling anxious but you don't let it dominate your thoughts, neither do you try to push it away, you just let it sit there while you carry on with whatever it is you are doing.

[kirsty74]

Thanks for the reply! I guess it's something that is going to take practice. I'm not too bad when I'm at home feeling cack, but I find it really hard when I'm out. I will try & find that book, a lot of people have spoken about it, so it must be good. I HAVE to believe I'll be ok, so I will continue to work at it!!