Setbacks Happen On The Road To Recovery

BY BARRY JOE MCDONAGH

Have you ever wondered why people often experience setbacks when they begin to tackle their anxiety? Setbacks happen because, as you face your anxiety and the situations that make you feel uncomfortable, the avoidant/protective side of your personality becomes active.

When you decide to tackle your anxiety issue head on, the protective side of your personality would rather that you left well enough alone. Your protective side doesn’t like taking risks and feels better when you don’t put yourself in situations that make you feel anxious.

It’s the part of you that says:

“Let’s stay in our comfort zone today. At least we’re safe here.”

This part of your personality has your interests at heart, but you know deep down that a life cocooned from all adversity doesn’t lead to happiness. When you begin on your healing journey, it’s all new and it can feel like you’re moving into unknown territory. You quickly master areas of your life that were causing you problems.

Your protective side takes a back seat and watches with suspicion as you make this progress. Then, after a while, your protective side becomes more active for fear that, with all this progress, a great fall must be just around the corner.

As you move upward and onward, your protective side gets scared and tries to put on the brakes. This creates a conflict and fuels feelings of anxiety. The feelings can be very intense and might be similar to what you’ve experienced before-such as panic and general unease-or there may be new sensations never experienced before.

You might have been doing really well for a week, but then your protective side pops its head up and says something like this:

“Okay, well done. We’re not worried about dizzy spells anymore -fine. But what’s that ringing in your ear?”

“That sounds like trouble to me . . . LET’S GET WORRIED.

“No panic attacks in a week-great. But don’t be fooled. That means a really BIG one is about to pounce!”

These thoughts undermine your confidence. Suddenly you’re feeling vulnerable again, and the anxiety can return as your confidence dips and you obsess again about the way you feel. This kind of response is natural in recovery, and if you’ve experienced a setback recently, I want to show you how to best deal with it.

The first thing to remember is that setbacks happen. Try to never let a setback convince you that you’re not making progress. It doesn’t mean that all your progress has been undone. In general, setbacks are inevitable, and you need to have an accepting attitude toward them.

Secondly, setbacks form part of your healing. To move beyond the anxiety, you need to work with the protective side of your personality and teach it that there really is nothing to fear. When setbacks occur, it’s an indication that you now need to take your new understanding and work with your protective side, which is resisting the change.

You might want to think of that protective side as a small child who doesn’t want you (the parent) to take risks or do anything out of your comfort zone. Talk to this part yourself. Reassure it that all will be well and that it’s necessary for you to work through the anxiety in order to experience more freedom and happiness.

Setbacks can feel like a big step backward, but they’re generally followed by rapid progress on many levels if you engage fully with this protective side of yourself.

There’s an opportunity here for you to create a new working relationship with your protective self, and this will really seal your recovery. When you educate your protective self that you’re really safe and encourage it to take the steps with you, you become fully empowered to end your anxiety problem. All of your internal energies go in the same direction, and there’s no conflict.

Persistence will carry you through all setbacks and ensure your success.

Keep your confidence intact. Build it on the past, on each time you’ve succeeded.

Play those previous successes like a film in your head, again and again, each night as you go to sleep. All the panic attacks you’ve dealt with, all the sensations of anxiety you’ve felt and yet you still got on with it.

General anxiety disorder and, especially, panic attacks are probably the most frightening experiences a person can go through. In most cases, you feel like you’ve had a brush with death itself. That’s no small feat to deal with while on your lunch break!

Be proud of your experiences. You’re not a cowardly victim, but a survivor of a terrifying experience-and what’s more, you probably stayed at work or collected the kids from school. You continued living. Sure, there may be a few hairy anxiety memories in the past that you’d prefer to forget, but the underlying emotion to build upon is that you survived and you’re here now, alive and living a new day.

Build a wealth of memories, and they’ll be your resource from which to draw strength. Write them down, because that solidifies them and makes them more real in your mind. Read them to yourself regularly.

Be sure to keep a diary as written proof of the progress you’re making-the trips you take that weren’t possible before, the special days when you completely forgot you ever had an anxiety problem. You need to keep a record of these achievements because it’s easy for your protective side to negate the great strides you’ve made.

Confidence, just like fear, is contagious. Soon you’ll find it spreading to all areas of your life, giving you a quality of life even beyond your pre-anxiety days.

Always try to focus on the success you’ve achieved, and it will grow and expand in your life.

Persist with it. Turn a setback into an opportunity to solidify your real confidence. Regardless of what happens, you can handle it. Regardless of how your body feels, you’ll move through the anxiety and come out the other side smiling.

If you remain persistent, setbacks can be quickly turned to your advantage, and you’ll be strengthened by the experience.

Setbacks are delicate periods to move through, so you also need to be kind to yourself. 

Understand that they’re the result of YOU just trying to protect YOU. Be your own best friend. When you take your protective self by the hand and teach it that there’s nothing to fear, you’ll quickly march toward a greater experience of freedom.

Recovery is not a straight linear process. It will help if you try not to measure success on a day-to-day basis. Some days will be better than others-that’s just the way it is, so don’t get upset if you complete something successfully one day but fail the next.

Keep your eyes on the end goal, and persistence will carry you there.

What If My Anxiety Comes Back?

After a person has successfully moved out of their anxiety it is only natural, to at some stage, fear its reoccurrence. I call this the anxiety shadow. It is a worry in the back of your mind that the anxiety could return with full force and disrupt your life all over again.

Anxiety leaves such a strong imprint on people’s lives that it is normal to have such concerns.

Fearing a return of anxiety is common when your life becomes stressful again and you worry that the extra stress will tip you back into a state of general anxiety. If you find yourself worrying in such a manner have faith that all will be well.

This worry is just a shadow of what has gone, it is based on the past not the future. Generally the anxiety shadow passes quickly after a day or two and you forget about it again. Remind yourself of the new tools and education you have. Take solace in the fact that your new understanding will lift the anxiety quickly again were it to return.

If you have experienced an anxiety setback and want to get over it quickly, get the support and information you need from one of the best panic attacks courses available. Stage 3 of the course deals specifically with overcoming setbacks. 

Click here for more information.

All material provided in these emails are for informational or educational purposes only. No content is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your symptoms or medical condition.

Test Your Anxiety- The 20 Second Countdown

BY BARRY JOE MCDONAGH

Why everywhere you look are top psychologists and doctors still teaching outdated methods for treating general anxiety and panic attacks?

It seems every time I do a search online there is yet another anxiety “expert” rehashing the same old ideas. Brown Paper bags, think happy thoughts, do your breathing etc. I am sure you have come across them a million times before already.

How are people supposed to solve their anxiety issue if they are continuously exposed to these techniques and methods that only teach people to cope with anxiety. Just coping is not good enough. Real solutions are needed.

I want to share with you something that does work. It is a very simple way to help end the fear of a PANIC ATTACK. (In later emails I will address feelings of general anxiety)

This is a very good exercise for people who want something practical to focus their attention on when they feel the pressure of a panic attack building.

Its very simple and easy to remember. Here goes…

The 20 Second Countdown

When you feel the sensations of a panic attack building do the following.

Tell the panic that it has 20 seconds to initiate the full panic attack. 20 seconds and no more. 

After the 20 seconds are complete it must stop making empty threats.

You are allowing 20 seconds for it to fully manifest but not a second more.

Whatever the bodily sensation is that you fear, it must happen within that 20 second time frame.

-If you heart is going to explode then it has 20 seconds to do so.

-If you are going to lose control, then your mind has 20 seconds to do so.

-If you are going to faint – 20 seconds! But absolutely no more time than that.

You get the picture.

By setting a specific time frame you establish boundaries of control. You turn it into a game where you call fear’s bluff. If it were a poker game, you are asking anxiety to show its hand.

This works because it establishes a sense of control within your mind and body.

You think to yourself “I am not prepared to spend my time worrying about this. I’ve had enough. I am going to be generous and give it 20 seconds but after 20 seconds and nothing has happened then the opportunity has officially passed and I am going to go back to what I was doing.”

Then start counting -but nice and slowly, don’t rattle it off as fast as you can. Really tease it out like you did when you were a child and you never wanted to reach zero. Teasing it out is the key because it allows you to feel generous and that you are giving anxiety every chance possible.

Deep down you know there is really nothing to fear.

To really help tease it out, break the last few numbers into fractions.

5…………………………..
4…………………………..
3……………………………
2…and three quarters…
2…and half………………
2…………………………..
1…and three quarters… (last chance anxiety)
1…and half……………… (I really cant wait any longer)
1…………………………..
0.

Sorry too late we’ve reached the end.

By not rushing through the countdown you will feel your confidence soar because you are demonstrating real control and authority over your anxious thoughts and bodily sensations. You are saying “look, I am really trying to give you all the time I can to unleash X,Y, and Z, I am being very generous here with this countdown.

Count your way to freedom. Count your way to confidence.

If you find this type of exercise useful then click here to learn more about other ways to stop anxiety and panic attacks.

Do you fear the arrival of another panic attack?

BY BARRY JOE MCDONAGH

People who have experienced panic attacks often go around with a grave sense of unease that at any moment, they will experience a major panic attack.

It’s a fear of the ultimate panic attack that would finally push them over the edge.

This leads people to make changes to their behavior in order not to do anything that might trigger a panic episode.

When people feel this way, simple daily tasks can become big challenges. Some people start to fear driving their car in traffic. Others fear leaving their safe zone or simply any situation where they have responsibilities to perform.

This state of apprehension keeps a person’s anxiety level high, leading to feelings of general anxiety.

If you are such a person I hope to put your mind at rest. Panic attacks as well as general anxiety (even when not accompanied by panic disorder) can be eliminated in simple steps regardless of how long the anxiety has been a problem.

I am speaking not just from my own personal experience but from having worked with thousands of people right around the world.

Here is an important observation:

The key difference between someone who is cured of panic attacks and those who are not is really very simple. The one who is cured is not afraid of panic attacks. I’ll try to show you how to one of these people as well.

What if I told you the trick to ending panic attacks is to want to have one!

That sounds strange but let me explain.

A simple trick to ending panic attacks is wanting to have one because the wanting causes an immediate diffusion of the anticipatory fear.

Can you have a panic attack in this very second?

No !

You know the saying “what you resist persists.” Well that saying applies perfectly to fear. If you resist a situation out of fear, the fear around that issue will persist.

How do you stop resisting?

You move directly into the path of the anxiety; by doing so it cannot persist because you process the fear out through your emotions.

Try in this very moment to have a panic attack and I will bet you cannot… Yes, I know the idea of calling on a panic attack is scary at first but play with the concept and watch what happens.

You may not realize it but you have always decided to panic. You make the choice by thinking

“This is beyond my control.”

“These scary sensations are beyond my bodies control.”

It may help if you imagine that having a panic attack is like standing on a cliff edge.

The anxiety, it seems, is pushing you closer to falling over the edge. Each time you fight back using poor coping strategies the more desperate you feel.

To be rid of the fear you must metaphorically jump. You must jump off the cliff edge and into the anxiety and fear and all the things that you fear most. How do you jump?

You jump by wanting to have a panic attack. You go about your day asking for a panic attack to appear. Your real safety is the fact that a panic attack will never harm you. That is medical fact.

You are safe, -Yes, the sensations are wild and uncomfortable, but no harm will come to you.

Your body is in a heightened state but no harm will come to you.

The jump becomes nothing more than a two inch drop! You are safe.

You always were.

Think of all the panic attacks you have had to date and come out the other end. Was there any lasting physical damage to you, other than the mounting feeling of panic?

Now you are going to approach this problem differently. You actively seek out the attack like an adventure seeker. Take the opposite approach.

YOU bring it on!!!

To learn more about anxiety and panic attacks, click here.

Anxiety And Panic Attack Treatment - Tips On Overcoming Shyness and Preventing Full Blown Anxiety

It is natural to experience regular shyness. This is how we were made and there's nothing we can do to eliminate this bodily response. What we can do is to control and overcome it. This can be done by the sheer force of will, determination, and distraction. Having said that, people who have extreme shyness usually handle it by succumbing to their private world. For some people, being exposed to situations that induce their shyness, like social functions and gatherings, may become a source of anxiety, and that anxiety can lead to panic attacks. How do you prevent that? Simple! Just find some effective ways for really overcoming shyness-it's all about will.

You're not the center of attention. The problem with shy people is that they are afraid to embarrass themselves in front of a crowd. When in social gatherings and you're surrounded by people you don't know, it's important to keep in mind that they have their own businesses and reasons why they are there. They did not turn up because of you, except if you're the host. They most certainly didn't attend to watch your every move and hope that you trip or cause a huge commotion in your corner. In fact, a pack of men grouped in front of you may not even notice that you're there. Realizing that this is true can ease up some of the anxiety of extremely shy people and may even qualify itself as an anxiety and panic attack treatment.

Remember that there are other people worse than you in the room. It's a big world and you have high chances of finding someone who suck at socialization harder than you. Sure, that statement is a bit too much on the ugly side but it's true. A large number of people suffer from extreme shyness. Some of them cope with it, others can't. You're not the worst and you can still do something about your case. Possessing this sort of mindset can boost your confidence. By doing this, you can liberate yourself from a good part of your shyness and some of the anxiety brewing inside whenever attending social gatherings. It can prove to be a useful anxiety and panic attack treatment in the long run, not just something that helped you rid yourself from your shyness.

The person beside you is probably thinking the same as you are. Yes. He or she is shy too. Here's how you do it: stop thinking about yourself. Think that that person is feeling the same way as you are, even worse. Try to introduce yourself. Do it the very first chance you get because the longer you wait, the harder it becomes. Because that particular person is shier than you are (at least that's how you should think), take the initiative to ask the questions so you can start a conversation. Make sure you place complements whenever you think is apt and do listen sincerely with what the person is saying. When you do this, the conversation becomes spontaneous and you'll do that person and yourself a favor by creating an atmosphere that can make its way to become an anxiety and panic attack treatment.

If these methods do not work for you, it is probably time that you get additional help and support in overcoming shyness. Perhaps medications will do the job but if you're too skeptical with them, natural treatments are available in the form of programs or courses written in books, e-books and recorded in audio and visual CD. This type of program provides easy ways to deal with such problems. You don't have to relive your past or undergo expensive therapies with it. It will teach you new information on how to solve your problem. It's very straightforward and this is the perfect natural anxiety and panic attack treatment.

Do you want more information on a natural anxiety and panic attack treatment that can stop anxiety and panic attacks fast and effectively without the use of medication?

For more information, watch this video at: http://www.preventing-panicattacks.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paris_D._Lee

Anxiety Of Death - How to Get Rid of Phobia of Death?

Anxiety of death, also known as death phobia or necrophobia, is the most common type of phobia that scares the hell out of its victims. It is the result of the unconscious mind that acts to protect itself from possible threats. In most cases, these are past seen or witnessed events in life that have a connection to death that resulted, although not always necessarily linked to serious emotional trauma. Such situations lead to an aftermath containing emotional turmoil, potentially for the rest of any person's life, if left untreated.

Anxiety of death is normal. However, if this overpowers you, it would be best for you to steer clear from the triggers. However, you cannot do this forever for the rest of your life since you will only be avoiding a predator that will inevitably consume you in time. You must learn to face it. Your unreasonable phobia of death will not go away on its own.

If you're afraid of dying through drowning, start by learning how to swim in the kid's pool. Once you get good at it, you can level up by going to a deeper pool. You don't have to rush it. You can stay on the edge of the pool where you can get a grip on the railing or the concrete. With a number visits to that pool and submerging your whole body for a number of times, you should try swimming. Still, near the end of the pool where you can easily reach the concrete. After relieving yourself from too much fear, you can now try swimming short distances in the pool and gradually go for the whole length. If you're successful with this, you can go to a bigger body of water.

This is just a specific example on how to control your fear of death. Aquaphobia (fear of large bodies of water) is a different form of phobia. The main point in the example is the fear of dying through drowning and not the fear of water.

Since your mind is being bullied by the anxiety of death, you should teach it to think logically. Tell it that you'll die anyways and that there's no reason for you to fear it more than anyone else does. Everything and everyone dies. And your life will be well-spent if you kill that unreasonable fear before nature and time kills you.

If it helps you to understand, read the Bible. Even if not for the reason of faith, you can still do it for intellectual purposes. It will give your fear direction and possibly give you a more acceptable view over death if you embrace its teachings.

You should also try to relax. Think of what will happen if you die. If you do die, there will no longer be any fears- your soul is free. You can either spend your eternity in heaven or burn in hell. If you die, it will no longer be your problem. Your death will eliminate your anxiety of death. It's as simple as that. But before you grab that rope or open that bottle of bleach, remember to enjoy your life to the fullest first. There are effective treatments available to stop phobia of death. So you can put those things down now.

In order to eliminate this problem and prevent any panic attacks that it may cause, you should put an end to the cycle before it completes itself. If you haven't experienced any attacks yet, well, good for you. If you already have had attacks, stopping the cycle is the key. A program in the name of Panic Away greatly explains this technique in detail.

Do you suffer from the anxiety of death and need help to stop it fast using a natural, powerful and effective technique? For more information on the program Panic Away, watch this video at: http://www.preventing-panicattacks.com

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Anxiety Support Group - Stop Yourself From Losing Control

A panic attack is an anxiety disorder brought about by excessive fear of a thing, a person, a place or a situation. This causes a person suffering from it to develop a phobia which involves irrational fear. Usually, the phobia associated with panic attacks is the agoraphobia, which is the fear of public places. This phobia develops usually after a person has experienced his first panic attack. When a person experiences an attack, his behavior becomes uncontrollable and he loses control of himself. The person worries excessively, that an attack is going to happen again so he refuses to go out of the house or somewhere he thinks is unsafe. Such an attack causes embarrassment and this is what a person avoids - being humiliated in front of many people.

Another kind of phobia linked to panic attacks is the claustrophobia, which is the fear of small and enclosed spaces. In the elevator for example, the person may feel that something bad is going to happen so he panics and does everything to get out of the elevator. Panic attacks have to be treated correctly as they are a very disturbing problem. There is an anxiety support group to help the person go through his treatment in a shorter amount of time.

In panic attacks, the person hyperventilates and experiences chest pains. Other symptoms include breathlessness and nausea. Headaches arise too because when a person feels fear, his heart beats faster, pumping more blood into the circulatory system. Hence, the blood pressure increases, making the blood vessels dilate. Blood then accumulates in the head causing headaches. The person suffering from panic attacks also thinks irrationally and behaves uncontrollably. In some people, a panic attack can make them feel that they are going to die. These cases required instant treatment as they are worse.

First and foremost, the psychologist or the person himself can identify what causes him to feel such an intense fear. Secondly, he should work on persuading himself that he will not get harmed since there is nothing fearful in a specific object or place. Being part of an anxiety support group would provide the person an opportunity to interact with other panic attack sufferers and those who have already recovered from the disorder. This will enable him to get more insight on how to cure his problem.

Panic attacks are largely a mind-over-matter thing and in order to relieve himself of this, he should see to it that he thinks clearly. His mind should be free from clutter and other unnecessary things or memories. With this, he will have the ability to think much more clearly and make reasonable decisions. Psychologists can offer treatment along with the aid of an anxiety support group where a person can discuss anxiety problems without feeling shy about it. He can also talk about this problem with his family and friends and they can potentially offer help and support.

Are you a member of the anxiety support group but want a fast way to stop anxiety fast, using a natural and effective technique? For more information, watch this video at: http://www.preventing-panicattacks.com

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Social Anxiety Treatment - Is There A Way To Live Happily Ever After?

Of all the different mental health conditions known to man today, social anxiety disorder is said to be one of the worst as it can essentially stop a person suffering from this condition, from living a happy and full life. Although there are some who think that anxiety attacks is just a normal part of life, for people who have social anxiety disorder, a single attack can already be a cause for intense emotional distress. Not only does it stop a patient from living a normal life, it also causes confusion and pain to those people who care for the patient. Without the proper treatment, a person suffering from social anxiety disorder is doomed to live an empty life. If you feel like you have this condition, or you know someone whom you would like to help, this short guide can teach you a couple of tricks on how to fight anxiety. Want to know how you can get started on a social anxiety treatment today? Read on to find out more.

Be comfortable with your surroundings

First off, you need to learn to be comfortable with your surroundings. Instead of hiding away and fearing the world, you need to change your perspective and start looking at it as a place where you can experience new things and meet exciting people. Remove the fear that you will be judged by others by finding a quiet place where you can relax and be yourself. From there, you'll be able to develop a healthy outlook towards the world.

Build your confidence

Next, you should also start building your confidence. People who experience social anxiety have that inclination to think poorly of themselves, which then provokes them to build up an illogical fear for social situations. If you want to be able to get rid of that fear, you can start by listing down all the things and qualities you like about yourself.

Learn to use eye contact
 
Want to be more confident in social situations instantly? Make it a habit to look people in the eye when you talk to them. Apart from being able to let your guard down over time, you might also discover that talking to people isn't as bad as you have imagined it to be.

Ease your way into social settings

Instead of being a wallflower at parties and gatherings, or ignoring your need for a social life completely, you should make that effort to ease your way into social settings. Learn the art of making a start on conversations with strangers. From there, it will be much easier for you to develop meaningful relationships.

Many experts would recommend that you begin by looking up on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in order to deal with social anxiety disorder. As this specific social anxiety treatment method teaches you to recognize the thoughts, behavior patterns and reactions that can cause you to feel stress, you'll become more adept in dealing with them. Talk to your therapist to find out about this technique and whether it will work for you.

Are you looking for the most effective social anxiety treatment that works fast using natural remedies? Eliminate anxiety and live the normal life you deserve. Find out more at http://www.preventing-panicattacks.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paris_D._Lee

Preventing Panic Attacks - How To Stop Waves of Anxiety and Get Your Life Back

The body is so beautifully engineered that it has the ability to adapt itself to any situation involuntarily, that is, without willing it to. Anxiety is among the masterful adaptations present within the body. When a person is placed under duress, the body needs to ready itself to fight, take flight, or freeze, popularly called the adrenaline rush. The hypothalamus activates the sympathetic nervous system to speed up processes for such times of stress. The person's heart pumps blood rapidly, the lungs take in much more air speedily, the pupils dilate, blood is shunted to vital organs, and many others to ready the body to take whatever action it deems necessary. It's in these instances that a person can do things he or she has never even fathomed of doing such as lifting a fridge and moving it over a 250-meter distance during a fire.

Even though anxiety can be useful, it can have negative effects on certain people. The anxiety can become so severe that instead of motivating the person to take action, it incapacitates the person to the point of destruction. This is true in the case of panic attacks, wherein the person is placed in a situation where he or she thinks is too big for him or her to handle, thus, eliciting severe to panic levels of anxiety. Instead of the bodily processes just speeding up, the increase can actually harm the person such as difficulty of breathing, palpitations, chest pain, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, and many others. In reality, a large number of people who have experienced panic attacks felt as if they were about to have a heart attack.

Restructuring thoughts and actions are critical components of preventing panic attacks as it enables a person to handle the anxiety-causing situation properly. This is also coupled with working hard to achieve a relaxed state. You should not wait for panic attacks to happen again if it is something you have experienced in the past. The ways you can prevent panic attacks from taking over you in the future are as follows:

1) Determine the signs and symptoms that were associated with your panic attacks

Were you out of breathe, trembling, sweating when the panic attacks happened? Since anxiety in panic attacks can escalate because of the fear of experiencing the scary signs and symptoms once again, one of the techniques used to stop anxiety is simulating the signs and symptoms felt in a controlled situation. This will enable you to overcome the signs and symptoms better. For example, the dizziness can be mimicked by you spinning in a chair. This will teach you that nothing bad can happen out of the sign and symptom and that you can take control of the situation effectively.
 
2) Change your negative thoughts to positive

This is especially important in preventing panic attacks since the negative thoughts can gravely precipitate the panic attacks. This requires you to enhance your self-esteem and self-confidence in your ability to handle challenging situations. Think of the usual situations which can make you anxious. For instance, if you dislike being by yourself, you can reassure yourself that your companion will eventually return and it is now your chance to have the place to yourself. If you are worried about something bad happening to you while you are by yourself, you can keep emergency numbers in strategic places so that you can ask for help immediately.

Do you want a fast, natural and powerful technique for preventing panic attacks without the use of medication? Find out more by watching this video at: http://www.preventing-panicattacks.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paris_D._Lee