Will you accept your anxiety or will ... - Anxiety and Depre...

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Will you accept your anxiety or will you fight it? Say accept.

Jeff1943 profile image
22 Replies

Can you accept your anxiety for the time being without fighting it? That which we resist will persist.

Can you accept it passively and carry on as normal? We win not by the punches we give but by the punches we take.

Can you accept your anxiety without responding to the flash of first fear with second fear? Fear is what feeds anxiety.

Can you accept it utterly for as long as it needs to allow your nervous system to recover because you are no longer flooding it with the hormones of fear and stress?

Learn to live with your anxiety and you'll be able to live without it.

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Jeff1943 profile image
Jeff1943
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22 Replies
Downandout123 profile image
Downandout123

Unfortunately Jeff, I can't fight it, and I can't learn to live with it. Anxiety won. Severe depression won, and I don't know how to fix it. Quite honestly, I'm tired of trying, because nothing is working. Claire Weekes just doesn't do it for me. I know she has helped millions of people though., and I'm glad for those who have recovered from this hell.

Jeff1943 profile image
Jeff1943 in reply toDownandout123

Read Claire Weekes' book again, maybe. And again. Alternatively engage with a good therapist or medications if you haven't explored those options. Never give up, there's a solution somewhere and I wish you God's speed in finding it.

Downandout123 profile image
Downandout123 in reply toJeff1943

Thank you so much!

Jeff1943 profile image
Jeff1943 in reply toDownandout123

With respect I don't think you read Claire Weekes' book. You wanted to cut corners so just listened to a few Claire Weekes sound bites on YouTube. Those sound bites are interesting but they do not contain the structure of a cure. If I'm wrong and you did acquire a copy of her 'Self help for your nerves' my apologies.

ArtistP profile image
ArtistP in reply toJeff1943

Jeff can you post the title of the books by Claire Weeks your recommend.

Jeff1943 profile image
Jeff1943 in reply toArtistP

ArtistP, Doctor Claire Weekes wrote 5 books in her lifetime but the first one is the one that describes her method for recovery fully and concisely. In the U.K. the book is titled 'Self help for your nerves' and in the U.S. the same book is titled 'Hope and help for your nerves'.

It's an easy to read book devoid of technical terms. It was written some years ago so the world in background to her book is socially dated but that doesn't affect the efficacy of her teachings on anxiety disorder and depression.

It can be bought new or pre-owned on Amazon or Ebay for a few pounds/dollars.

ArtistP profile image
ArtistP in reply toJeff1943

I looked her up on Amazon. I purchased it an have downloaded it to my kindle. I have already read a couple of chapters. I hope this helps. Thanks for the reply.

ArtistP profile image
ArtistP in reply toArtistP

Jeff. This book is starting to give me hope. Such a simple easy read and approach. I am on the part of examining my symptoms and learning to accept them as a means of breaking the adrenaline cycle creating the anxiety. I have hope tonight which I hope means I get a little sleep. Many thanks again for your recommendation.

Jeff1943 profile image
Jeff1943 in reply toArtistP

ArtistP, the book may bring and end to bewilderment and offers hope but respite and recovery come not from just reading the book but from putting into practice the teachings contained therein. The last of these is 'Let time pass'.

So please do not expect much in the way of immediate results, these come with time and persistent practice. You probably spent months getting your nervous system into its present over sensitised state. Do not expect to undo all that in an afternoon. But you have made a good start.

ArtistP profile image
ArtistP in reply toJeff1943

I am in total agreement. I have already started to try and just be with my symptoms, the jitteriness, the feeling of my heart beating, sweating, catastrophic thoughts, etc. etc. I need to reread the part on "floating" I didn't quite understand it. Much of this situation I am in stems from Covid and working under these conditions constantly and seeing you coworkers and clients as a danger. Again I have hope that I am on a path to recovery.

Jeff1943 profile image
Jeff1943 in reply toArtistP

All these symptoms you mention have one common cause: a sensitised nervous system. Once that has been sorted all the rest resolve. The important thing is you've taken the first step, I wish you all success.

Sleeplessme profile image
Sleeplessme

If I were in a church right now I'd scream hallelujah, or something, but I'm not religious 😉

Your advice, and that book (by Claire Weekes for any newbies out there,) have saved me.

I've been putting off posting for while so as not to jinx it... But hell, I'm gonna post now...

Jeff1943 profile image
Jeff1943 in reply toSleeplessme

That's wonderful to hear, Sleeplessme. And remember, if ever anxiety tries to make a come back you know how to deal with it and it will be easier because you've done it before.

goldieoldie profile image
goldieoldie

Jeff,I have on many occasions Accept those feelings,today wasnt one of them ,its beyond my endurance--Iknow DrCweeks says Accept---I had to take half diazapam--its the coldness that instigates my inner tremors,whatever you call it.......

Jeff1943 profile image
Jeff1943 in reply togoldieoldie

Goldieoldie, sorry you had a bad day today but taking a small amount of diazepam occasionally doesn't mean you've failed. Acceptance isn't something we can switch on like a tap: if you can only 'glimpse' it for a few minutes a day to begin with that's progress because you can build on that. The important thing is to be persistent and "Let time pass".

goldieoldie profile image
goldieoldie in reply toJeff1943

, your right and I can remember from DrWeekes book,she sais to resort to taken tranquilliser,under gps guidance,,,however my adrenaline is triggered by an overactive nervous sytem,in other words a person that is no longer sedated because of lower strength and almost a lifetime of 5mg,and still considerably stressed;sorry the computer started on the wrong order--think you will know what I have said!!

Jeff1943 profile image
Jeff1943 in reply togoldieoldie

It's true that many people have a genetic or inherited tendency towards anxiety, their adrenal glands produce more hormones than normal. Sometimes I think the split is 50-50. But acceptance can help to keep episodes to a minimum and of shorter and milder duration.

goldieoldie profile image
goldieoldie in reply toJeff1943

That sound sensible,and its a case of finding things to do as well as talking,,hoping your well too..

bergh profile image
bergh

as always, such great advice, I can never thank you enough x

Sunandrose87 profile image
Sunandrose87

@Jeff1943 I really like your advice!

mydogs profile image
mydogs

Jeff1943 You should have been named in the honours list for the help,advice and recommendations to fellow sufferers on this site.You have truly picked up the baton from the great Dr Claire Weekes and I and many many more thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your honesty and integrity in replying to people who write on this site in desperation and in need of help Thank You Jeff

Jeff1943 profile image
Jeff1943 in reply tomydogs

That's very kind of you to say so, once I understood Claire Weekes' teachings and how effective they are I could not keep them to myself.

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