Once upon a time there was a psychiatrist who suffered from anxiety. Fortune smiled on her and she devised a method that helped her recover from anxiety and the depletion (depression) that often comes out of it.
She spent the rest of her life helping others to recover through her consultations, lectures and books. She believed that her method could help anyone to recover no matter how long or how deeply they had suffered. She gained a worldwide following that continues to this day some 30 years after her death.
First she would explain how anxiety works. Everybody in the world feels anxiety but when we reach anxiety overload our nervous system becomes over sensitive. Everybody's threshold to anxiety overload is different but the triggers are the usual culprits: worry, stress, overwork, grief, loss, disappointment and guilt.
Once our nerves become over sensitive they can start sending out false messages. Problems are magnified ten fold. We can develop the symptoms of serious illnesses though medical tests say we're fine. We can develop agoraphobia, derealisation, social anxiety, panic attacks and the feeling that death is imminent.
Newcomers wonder what the Hell is happening to them and fear worse to come. But anxiety has its limitations: on its own it cannot kill you or disable you or send you crazy. All those symptoms and bad feelings are false, the result of 'short circuits' in overloaded systems suffering from nervous exhaustion.
Understanding brings reassurance. So said the psychiatrist who had suffered from anxiety. I know nothing about psychiatry but it sounded good to me 45 years ago when I first read her first book. Now, I merely pass on what I learnt from her, a method that has withstood the test of time.
Her method for recovery was revolutionary. Stop fighting anxiety, fighting only causes more stress. Instead agree to coexist with your anxiety (for the time being). Practice masterful inactivity. Do not add second fear to the flash of first fear. Learn how to float through situations that cause you anxiety. Learn to live with your anxiety and you'll be able to live with out it.
Peaceful coexistance with anxiety isn't easy. But it's not as hard as putting up with anxiety and depletion month after month. Finally, you must be willing to let time pass. Her method is no instant cure. After all, you probably spent months getting into this state, allow a couple more to get out of it.
I wouldn't wish anxiety on my worst enemy. But I'm glad Doctor Weekes suffered from it all those years ago. As a result she helped untold thousands to recover their quiet minds. And her work isn't finished yet.
You won't always feel the way you do. You are in no danger. There is nothing to fear. I wish you God's speed as you travel the Yellow Brick Road to recovery.
Written by
Jeff1943
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That's good to know, Jay. I estimate that up to a third of us have inherited anxiety, it can run in families, certainly does in mine. I say My anxiety started in Victorian times😄. But as Claire Weekes wrote, if you could recover once using her method then if you have another episode you will know how to deal with it and all the easier because you've done it once before. So if you could recover once using her method she considered you cured. She herself had inherited anxiety.
It is handed down through the generations...I to believe ours started in the Victorian times were children were cruelly mistreated seen but not heard..emotions were swept aside
.be strong.dont cry ..most of our grandparents grew up during the war also which would of been extremely nerve racking..nervous parents..nervous children and so forth..it's almost catching x
Once again Jeff thank you so much for this bit of knowledge and encouragement..I have all Clare Weekes books and cds.. But just the last few months I have relapsed with different stress symptoms which have caused me to spiral and I'm having a hard time pulling out of this this time..I could deal with my old symptoms cause I had them for so long but these are new lots of visual and hearing stuff very hypersensitive and my balance and head heaviness..I can hardly function outside the house now cause it makes me feel like I'm in sensory overload. And these symptoms get very strong.. I've been to my doctor had an MRI last Monday and everything is fine. She says anxiety.. I'm really trying but it's like all my tools I use to use aren't working cause these symptoms are so real its hard for me to trust that it's just symptoms of anxiety and hyperactivity.. And not something else..I just feel so defeated.. I'm 61 and I've been dealing with this since I was 9 years old.. On and off.. As Clare Weekes would say I'm in a cycle of bewilderment and fear 😱 fear of the symptoms and being out with them..
Sorry to hear of your setback, Jansblu2. The Clear MRI scan must give you some reassurance. Maybe time to revisit one or two of her books, what helped before can help again. I too have visual symptoms: black marks on blinking, visual aura without the migraine and shimmer along horizontal surfaces. I am able to attach no importance to them and they die of neglect. If anxiety and depression become overwhelming then I believe it is right to turn to medications for a period of respite. I hope that Spring helps to lift your spirits and you begin to recover from this setback.
I disagree this long post, a real anxiety and depression is a phisically problem and could be treated only with pills, not with book. The one who recover without pills means that he/she didn't have depression. It"s clear.
Medication can be very helpful as indeed can talking therapy. But many people diagnosed with anxiety and depression about being anxious have recovered by practicing what they learn in self help books and videos.
On the u.s. and u.k. versions of Amazon over 1,600 readers have reviewed Claire Weekes' books in the last few years alone. 90% of them rate her method either Very Good or Excellent. The phrase 'Saved my life' appears frequently in these reader reviews.
Tiberiu20, nobody has ever said that cancer can be solved by a book. But since 'Self help for your nerves' was published in 1962 hundreds of thousands of people professionally diagnosed with anxiety and depression have been cured by reading the book and acting on the contents. You say they never had mental health problems in the first place. We disagree.
Indeed we dizagree, because many others claim that they can cure cancer with fasting or other natiral treatment. In the meantime many dye by cancer and there is no cure. Same for depression, there is no cure, and a book, especially very old book cannot cure something. Still researchers try to find cure for depression and you claim that a old book can to this. And in this time there are more depressives then ever, why that book cannot cure them? Why are we here if a book can cure us?
You say the book cannot help us. But you have never read it so you can't know what you're talking about, can you tiberiu20? How do you know it's outdated, you've never read it. No point in discussing this further because you will never read it so you will never know what you're talking about. If you want to criticise something that's fine but at the very least find out what it is you're criticising.
Your presumtion is false, how do you know that I didn't read it? It is just an outdated book like many others, no helpful for us, othereise why we are here if we all can read that book and be cured? I smile myself when I read such unevoluated ideeas like yours, to be cured from depression by a book, ha, ha
Smile away, tiberiu20, smile away. The people who have read it, acted on it and have recovered have no need to be here. Some stay here to pass on the knowledge, the rest are work in progress.
Like usual you missed the point and I will repeat it again to be read by everybody here: A BOOK CANNOT CURE DEPRESSION, ONLY PLLS CAN HELP.This is my last post here, because I cannot lose my time with you, I just want to help everybody here telling them to go to a doctor and take pills.
You obviously know nothing of the human body! There's more than one form of depression, theres more than one reason for depression. You cant lump all depression into one diagnoses. You cant say its not real depression if its cured by anything but meds. Thats narrow minded and NOT the way our body works. I feel sorry for you tiberiu20
I think you're right, Freeinchris, there are several causes for depression. There is the kind of depression that is pure reaction to something unpleasant in that person's life. Like a broken relationship with a partner or a bullying boss or a genuine health problem. When the cause of the depression passes the depression usually resolves.
Then there is depression which comes out of anxiety, we can get depressed about having anxiety. Once again, the depression passes when the anxiety disorder is resolved.
Then there is depression caused by hormone/chemical imbalances. Some fault in our biological makeup produces too much or too little of some substance. If the faulty hormone can be identified then it can be corrected by medications.
Claire Weekes preferred to refer to depression as depletion caused by nervous exhaustion so she was referring to the first and second kind of depression. I can't recall her having anything to say about chemical imbalances but in the 1960s and 1970s when she was most active I think a lot less was known about this cause of depression than it is today.
During her lifetime Claire Weekes claimed that everybody can recover using her method no matter how long or how deeply they have suffered.
So many are looking for instant cures, we expect everything 'Now'. Weekes method of Face - Accept - Float - And let time pass is not a quick fix. It takes practice and patience. Meds offer respite which is important if anxiety is overwhelming, the Acceptance method offers recovery.
With respect, sajax, and to state the obvious: is any job worth the anguish it is giving you? There are other jobs and there is no reason why you should not find one.
At this point I don’t know if another job would be better. I had a bad experience at my last job which triggered my anxiety disorder and ptsd. I seem to have brought all these feelings with me in the present job
O.k. sajax, so maybe it's not your actual job that's the problem, it's the anxiety disorder and of course that goes with you from job to job.
Claire Weekes wrote that occupation is good for people with anxiety disorder, it stops us spending too much time obsessing and stressing about our feelings. Don't dwell on your unpleasant experience in your last job. I'm retired now but my business maxim was: "If you stay in any job long enough you'll be fired!" It's absolutely true too.
I think you would be helped by reading Claire Weekes' first book 'Self help for your nerves' in the u.k. also published under the title 'Hope and help for your nerves' in the u.s.
It's quite short and devoid of technical terms and makes you feel she knows all about your problems and is talking to you personally.
You can pick up a copy at Amazon new or used for a few dollars
great tribute to a wonderful person who deserves to be acclaimed as did Sigmund Freud the founder of psychoanalysis. just cant praise her enough !looking forward to going to my bed and reading some of Essential help for your nerves-I sure am needing some of her wisdom tonight-she helps me retain my sanity in moments of great stress and lonliness.
So eloquently put Jeff. Dr. Weekes, my favorite author on anxiety. When i read her books in the 80s I immediately felt understood and my suffering described like no one had ever before.
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