Wanting a happy ending

[sherylvy]

I have suffered with depression and anxiety for years now with no help with medicine. It seems as I age it gets worse. I recently quit my job because I called in due to massive panic attack, I was told by management I didn't sound sick I got so upset by the pure ignorance I quit, looking for help in finally beating this demon and changing my life style

[hypercat54]

Hi there are 3 ways to deal with depression and anxiety: The first is to ignore it and hope it goes away. Sometimes this works.

The second is to seek medical help so why haven't you?

The third way is to try natural supplements and access self help such as mindfulness, meditation, yoga etc.

Obviously ignoring hasn't worked and has in fact made it worse. You have a choice of one of the others or perhaps both. If you change nothing then nothing will change. x

[Beevee]

Buy Hope and Help for your Nerves by Dr Claire Weekes. This book is literally the "go to" self help manual for anxiety sufferers and tells you everything you need to know about the disorder and how to recover. I, and countless others, have recovered from anxiety and depression naturally by applying her teachings. Anyone who tells you that you must live with it doesn't know what they are talking about. Anyone can recover if they practice acceptance instead of constantly battling thoughts and feelings. Developing a passive attitude towards the symptoms and learning to let them go is key.

I have posted many messages on this forum, all of which are from my own personal experience, going through the recovery process while applying Dr Weekes' teachings. Peace of mind and body will return when you stop chasing it.

[teemo1 in reply to Beevee]

As a matter of fact, Beevee, it was because of your posts that I bought and read Hope and Help for Your Nerves, which gave me the guidance I so badly needed. I even put it on my phone so I can refer to it at any time.

Your posts and the words of the good doctor got me through a potentially nerve-wracking road trip from L.A. to Mexico and back with my family and in-laws over the holidays (my anxiety is at its worst when I'm driving, particularly with passengers depending on me). Acceptance and floating got me through the driving, and I actually enjoyed much of the trip, which I was not expecting! And upon returning, I felt I had taken a step forward towards recovery, though I've got quite a ways to go yet.

[bonkers65 in reply to Beevee]

I have read a couple of Claire Weekes books and I agree with her, but I am just a little confused about something. If I catch myself worrying about something should I try to stop worrying and think of something else or use some kind of distraction to stop worrying ?

[teemo1 in reply to bonkers65]

When you don’t try to control the worrying thoughts that pop up, they soon pass, like clouds moving across the sky. It’s only when you engage your worries that you get stuck.

This article may help:

helpguide.org/articles/anxi...

[Gillyflower18 in reply to Beevee]

I’m going out and get this book today. I’m 68 and have had anxiety since I was 12. Never connected it to an operation I had then that was handled badly until recently. Hopefully the ideas it contains will help me manage better.

[Beevee in reply to Gillyflower18]

The book i bought is called Essential Help for your Nerves which combines the editions of More Gelp for your Nerves and Peace from Nervous Suffering. I might be mistaken but would not be surprised if the book i have and Hope and Help for Your Nerves are the same, just a different title.

Don't dwell on things that happened years ago that may or may not have triggered highly inappropriate levels of anxiety. It has a habit of jumping on to other things and the sufferer quickly forgets what caused them to develop anxiety in the first place. That is whst hapoened to me. Anxiety creates problems that dont actually exist but sufferers easily fall into the trap of placing false beliefs into those thoughts and feelings and spend all their time fighting their "demons" which keeps them firmly entrenched so they battle even harder to find their way out, fuelling those demons. The simple answer is to give up the battle and learn to do nothing about those thoughts and feelings. They will eventually fade away as your mind and body finds its way back to feelings if normality. The trick is to learn to step out the way of yourself and let the natural physiological healing process of the human mind and body to do its work. Fighting and worrying about thoughts and feelings stops this process from happening. You are never too old to recover from anxiety and it doesnt matter how long you may have suffered. Acceptance works for all.

[Gillyflower18 in reply to Beevee]

Thanks for the reply! I ordered the book as they were out of their latest shippment. (Kind of telling isn’t it?) I don’t dwell on the past but have found it helpful personally to connect the dots. It gives a frame of reference and a starting point. I’m really trying to just let go and accept what is. It isn’t easy. Sometimes it works other times I regress but I’m going to keep trying. It has been helpful to read about other peoples experiences.

[teemo1]

Of the countless methods I've tried for managing my anxiety and panic attacks, only two have had real results:

1) Self help - Applying the Acceptance and Floating techniques I learned from a very old book called Hope and Help for Your Nerves by Dr. Claire Weekes.

2) Guided meditation using the Headspace app, particularly the Managing Anxiety series.

I see them as interrelated, because the meditation series seems to be helping me to build up my ability to observe, accept and float through anxious thoughts and feelings rather than reacting to them with fear.

I'm not out of the woods yet, but I do feel like I'm getting a grip on the problem and making progress every day. That's the other important thing, accepting that recovery will be gradual and that there will be setbacks on the way.

I have also realized through these self-help therapies that anxiety is not so much something that is happening to me, as it is something that I am doing to myself. But realizing and understanding this is one thing. Developing the ability to stop bringing anxiety upon ourselves takes time and practice. But you absolutely can do it if you want to.

[baileyf14]

I am so sorry you are dealing with this. What helps my anxiety is exercising and getting outside for a little bit each day. There is something about those two things that really ease my mind and helps decrease my stress and anxiety levels. Also, have you tried talking with someone about what you are going through? It always helps to have someone you know that will be there for you through the hard times. I hope everything gets better!