Hope and Help For Your Nerves q

[quickblizzard]

I wanted to thank everyone who has suggested reading this book throughout the forum. I read it about a week ago and found it extremely helpful. I gotta say, I don't know that I've ever felt so reflected in a book like that.

I was wondering about something, though. The book emphasizes feeling your way through anxiety attacks, which is super important, but doesn't really mention calming techniques. Is it the wrong approach to try to calm oneself down during milder bouts of anxiety?

Here's my issue- since childhood, my way of dealing with anxiety was to either run away or "pop" myself- to work myself up to such an extent that my body couldn't handle any more, and I'd forcibly relax. (Used this to put myself to sleep on numerous occasions as a child.) I would like to get away from both of those, since I'm now seeing the cost, but I wonder how calming fits in to all this, when the book suggests feeling your feelings. How do you approach it?

[Jeff1943]

Why would you want to calm yourself: you can't practice Acceptance when you're calm?

You have to be feeling the symptoms of anxiety and truly accept them (for the time being) in order to lose your fear of them and stop feeding your over sensitised nervous system with the anxiety hormones it thrives on.

That is the clear message of this life-changing book.

You will not achieve recovery by simply reading the book and acquiring the reassurance and knowledge it contains. You will recover by practicing Weekes' method hour after hour, day after day, and yes week after week. It is not a quick fix, it is a permanent cure.

Nothing worthwhile is easily won. So remember the six words that sum it up: Face. Accept. Float. Let time pass.

[quickblizzard in reply to Jeff1943]

Hi, Jeff1943, I guess it's that so many experts recommend using things like meditation, deep breathing, etc, and I was wondering if it has any place alongside using this technique. Since the book doesn't mention it, I was wondering if it's worth doing in tandem with the techniques in the book, using it when the anxiety isn't at its peak.

[Jeff1943 in reply to quickblizzard]

Quickblizzard, we are all human, if anxiety becomes unbearable and Acceptance has not yet been mastered the breathing exercises or an occasional diazepam are understandable remedies.

But the central theme of Claire Weekes' method is to pass through panic and the symptoms of high anxiety by learning to accept them for the moment using what she calls floating. It's all fully described in her first book and those that followed.

Her method is revolutionary in the world of psychiatry: so she concentrates on explaining this rather than temporary fixes already fully explained by others.

[beowulf1234]

Dr. Weekes wrote her revolutionary books back in the 1950's when there wasn't much yoga or mindfulness around. If you talk to a trauma expert today they talk about 'resourcing' yourself as well as facing your fear. Two sides to the healing, one is to allow yourself to feel the feelings (and particularly the physical sensations), the other is to engage in a meditation or yoga practice (or similar) to lower your general state of nervous arousal which, in turn, allows you more resilience to be able to sit in the uncomfortable feelings. It needs practice. The other necessary ingredient is self-forgiveness. Very important, Some days will be worse and if you cant face your fear that day then you must be very gentle and forgiving of yourself. We are all human. We are not perfect. Be kind to yourself. It is a long term goal. The important thing is to keep the INTENTION on facing the fear even if you can't do it today. Love and hugs xx

[quickblizzard in reply to beowulf1234]

Thank you, this helps so much. While I don't intend to run away from my fears, I often feel like I want more support in between bouts of anxiety, to help with the low level stuff as well as to help me not obsess over it. I'd been feeling conflicted about using meditation and other means, so your suggestion really helps me put it in perspective. Hugs back ❤️