A Special Message To Chronic Anxiety Sufferers, And Those Who Live With Them!
Over many years the occurrence of my anxiety symptoms had been prior to social outings i.
e.
visits to restaurants and friends homes, and even having friends or neighbours to our home for a meal.
On some occasions I had no ill-effect until actually sitting down to eat.
Then "wham' came the anxiety reaction.
On other occasions anxiety symptoms came on more slowly a day or more prior to the event.
In more recent times my anxiety symptoms could happen at times when I was merely preparing to do something that was just different to my normal daily routine.
To me, this was devastating.
When I got to this stage I decided that I just had to find a way out.
But how, and what? Over the years of suffering from my anxiety disorder I'd consulted a multitude of doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists and other professionals.
I'd tried many and varied medications.
All with no apparent success.
But what I realised I had achieved was a good degree of knowledge and a collection of little pieces of advice which, when all put together, led me to a more realistic way to finding and developing a way to relieve my anxiety disorder.
For me, this was the breakthrough I'd been looking for.
A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO SUFFERERS OF AN ANXIETY DISORDER In order to assist those who are suffering from anxiety I'd like to offer the following advice: * Should you find a program that appeals to you and one that makes you feel comfortable, be sure you follow exactly the instructions it lays out.
Avoid any program that simply tells you why you feel anxious.
From my experience most self-help resources tell you the facts and then only hint at a solution.
Go for a structured approach that tells you exactly what to do and when to do it.
* I suggest that you only accept advice from a person who has overcome anxiety in his or her own life.
I believe that no one who hasn't experienced an anxiety disorder themselves is qualified to offer true support or advise about it.
* Only follow a program that is easy to understand and use.
* I believe holistic treatment is absolutely essential.
Any practitioner who tells you that a magic pill or a single hypnotherapy session will cure you is, of course, wrong.
You need to find the root cause of your anxiety and work to fix it.
* Don't get involved in a program that is written by someone who doesn't understand the fears, phobias and complexities of an anxiety disorder and how they affect you, the sufferer.
* Finally, only participate in a program that offers good value and gives you clearly defined methods of getting better! A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO FAMILY, RELATIVES, AND FRIENDS OF AN ANXIETY SUFFERER "Being a partner, relative or carer for an anxiety sufferer can be tiring, frustrating and heart breaking.
No one can, unless they have been a sufferer themselves, ever understands the extent of suffering, frustration, pain and embarrassment experienced by the sufferer.
The most hardened, fit and intelligent people are suddenly and without warning, struck down, becoming frightened, weak and dependent on those around them.
"Do not assume that a person with these conditions is weak or being 'silly'.
The 'pull yourself together' brigade as they may be called, will never fully understand the harm that this attitude can cause.
The sufferer becomes frustrated and hurt because they do want to be well again but nothing they, their doctors or anyone else does is helping...
they are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"The world is a big and frightening place when you suffer from anxiety.
Every corner turned produces yet more triggers for panic attacks and phobias until the sufferer learns that the best way to remain well is to avoid confronting triggers; so they start limiting their lives".
One of the odd things about an anxiety disorder is that sufferers often find it virtually impossible to describe just how they feel.
So if your loved one says to you, "I can't describe how I feel.
I just feel funny", try to understand.
'Feeling funny' can be an accurate description of how a nervously ill person does sometimes feel and describing their 'funny' symptoms can be difficult, because symptoms of fatigue and anxiety when working together can be vague.
Undefined, and vague symptoms can be just as upsetting as more definite ones.
Having been there myself, having experienced the 'feeling funny' and many other symptoms of anxiety disorder, I offer this message in the hope that family, relatives and friends of anxiety disorder sufferers will provide the support these people need.
e.
visits to restaurants and friends homes, and even having friends or neighbours to our home for a meal.
On some occasions I had no ill-effect until actually sitting down to eat.
Then "wham' came the anxiety reaction.
On other occasions anxiety symptoms came on more slowly a day or more prior to the event.
In more recent times my anxiety symptoms could happen at times when I was merely preparing to do something that was just different to my normal daily routine.
To me, this was devastating.
When I got to this stage I decided that I just had to find a way out.
But how, and what? Over the years of suffering from my anxiety disorder I'd consulted a multitude of doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists and other professionals.
I'd tried many and varied medications.
All with no apparent success.
But what I realised I had achieved was a good degree of knowledge and a collection of little pieces of advice which, when all put together, led me to a more realistic way to finding and developing a way to relieve my anxiety disorder.
For me, this was the breakthrough I'd been looking for.
A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO SUFFERERS OF AN ANXIETY DISORDER In order to assist those who are suffering from anxiety I'd like to offer the following advice: * Should you find a program that appeals to you and one that makes you feel comfortable, be sure you follow exactly the instructions it lays out.
Avoid any program that simply tells you why you feel anxious.
From my experience most self-help resources tell you the facts and then only hint at a solution.
Go for a structured approach that tells you exactly what to do and when to do it.
* I suggest that you only accept advice from a person who has overcome anxiety in his or her own life.
I believe that no one who hasn't experienced an anxiety disorder themselves is qualified to offer true support or advise about it.
* Only follow a program that is easy to understand and use.
* I believe holistic treatment is absolutely essential.
Any practitioner who tells you that a magic pill or a single hypnotherapy session will cure you is, of course, wrong.
You need to find the root cause of your anxiety and work to fix it.
* Don't get involved in a program that is written by someone who doesn't understand the fears, phobias and complexities of an anxiety disorder and how they affect you, the sufferer.
* Finally, only participate in a program that offers good value and gives you clearly defined methods of getting better! A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO FAMILY, RELATIVES, AND FRIENDS OF AN ANXIETY SUFFERER "Being a partner, relative or carer for an anxiety sufferer can be tiring, frustrating and heart breaking.
No one can, unless they have been a sufferer themselves, ever understands the extent of suffering, frustration, pain and embarrassment experienced by the sufferer.
The most hardened, fit and intelligent people are suddenly and without warning, struck down, becoming frightened, weak and dependent on those around them.
"Do not assume that a person with these conditions is weak or being 'silly'.
The 'pull yourself together' brigade as they may be called, will never fully understand the harm that this attitude can cause.
The sufferer becomes frustrated and hurt because they do want to be well again but nothing they, their doctors or anyone else does is helping...
they are stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"The world is a big and frightening place when you suffer from anxiety.
Every corner turned produces yet more triggers for panic attacks and phobias until the sufferer learns that the best way to remain well is to avoid confronting triggers; so they start limiting their lives".
One of the odd things about an anxiety disorder is that sufferers often find it virtually impossible to describe just how they feel.
So if your loved one says to you, "I can't describe how I feel.
I just feel funny", try to understand.
'Feeling funny' can be an accurate description of how a nervously ill person does sometimes feel and describing their 'funny' symptoms can be difficult, because symptoms of fatigue and anxiety when working together can be vague.
Undefined, and vague symptoms can be just as upsetting as more definite ones.
Having been there myself, having experienced the 'feeling funny' and many other symptoms of anxiety disorder, I offer this message in the hope that family, relatives and friends of anxiety disorder sufferers will provide the support these people need.
