Running with your thoughts
Awarded 5* by the UK Mental Health Foundation
Resolving Anxiety and Panic
There are many of us who suffer from anxiety at some point in their lives. For me, this started in my teens, but now I that understand the condition so much more, I realise that it was always 'in me'.
This doesn't mean that I would always suffer by the way, but, nevertheless, I had to understand 'why' I suffered from crippling anxiety, and how I could do something to resolve it.
During my time at University, severe relationship stress set off a massive downtun in my happiness - something so strong that I couldn't control it, no matter how hard I tried.
This is the 'thing' with anxiety - if you suffer from stress overload - this can be an indication that you are 'trying too hard' to combat it - this then leads to further anxiety.
The aim of this website is to outline why we suffer and subsequently 'how' we can learn to deal with our stresses 'without' going into combat mode.
To keep things simple - what I learned was that we automatically 'spike' when we have stressful thoughts or feelings.
This is like a brief feeling of discomfort - almost like our minds jumping at a thought like a small shock.
What is also important to note is that this spike 'also' brings us 'out' of a negative thought. You will see this detailed in my video below - the 3 zones, but maybe it's good to start at this point where you understand ''at your time of discomfort, you are actually also coming out of that stressful thought''.
The next page I will detail the recovery strategy and TMW also gives examples of how others have tried this in all different situations.
Understanding is key - so that when you feel anxious or in discomfort - it's imperative that you don't chase for answers in that combat phase. This can be the typical search for answers in your head.
I mention the word 'forced' because this is the process we 'can' avoid, although it's very alluring.
Ok, so here is the typical scenario that we all face..
Obsessive negative thinking
We all have times when we obsess about certain thoughts or events ...maybe we feel anger about something, but this is completely normal
... the most important thing is to keep it momentary every time it happens, so that the thought does not spiral because we're trying too hard to get rid of it
...this is where relaxing briefly comes in...
it's almost like a chipping away process that we apply every time we feel stressed - rather than putting our foot 'on' the pedal here, we are taking it 'off' it
...So, we just take the heat out of those thoughts - no matter how frequently they happen and just 'think calm' each time
...it's like a brief mental recognition (not head-spoken)
... we won't completely resolve our anger, but will be able to chip away at it by allowing ourselves to flow through those thoughts with a calming approach to move us on. Then we won't get 'stuck' with negative thoughts
'The panic IS the problem, I just cannot do it any more' Back cover testimony - Nick Watts
By tuning in to my Youtube channel doyoupanic@6089 you will hopefully start to understand the processes by which we panic and then we can start to deal with the 'over-control' that often follows on from anxious thoughts and feelings.
The Mind Works – Ch 1 THE PANIC KNOT
‘I'm not talking about medication here - I'm talking about REAL recovery - based on understanding. You're not mad, in fact, you're very much the opposite. This is the start of quite a long explanation of a problem, which I’ve had for most of my life, especially since being a teenager onwards. It’s something, which has put the blocks on a lot of happiness – I know we all have our own ‘crosses to bear’, but this has been what I would call a major problem, because of its frequency and detrimental effect on me and those around me (especially the closest).
This is certainly not a sob story – anything but – I feel quite proud that I have come out the other side of this, although I have had many setbacks, but have nevertheless had a very strong will to pull through and lead a happier life. Why should this account be worth reading? Well, I would hope that it is interesting and also informative, especially for those who have had similar experiences of destructive, compulsive panic or, more to the point, knotted tension, which sometimes makes life intolerable and incredibly lonely…I had to learn that, being the type of person that I was, meant that there was a strong resistance to help or talking, because I was trying to achieve perfection in my life and this did not mean putting my hands up and admitting I had not got it quite right…’
How to get help
I am available to help by email and also offer one-to-one sessions by phone or Skype for free. My book, videos and this website have been put together to help people just like you to recover from anxiety and panic.