From time to time, I see posts from some poor soul who is apparently "treatment resistant." What does this mean?
Caveat: This post will focus on those individuals who have been given a clean bill of health by their medical professionals, maybe more than once! If their anxiety is a symptom of a physical illness (e.g. thyroid problem) it is likely that it will be treatable and then the sufferer can then tackle any residual anxiety that may still be lingering but please read on because the following can still help.
Treatment resistant means that the sufferer has tried every single type of medication (legal and otherwise), tried various types of therapies, tried different diets, and tried to find answers by trawling the internet from top to bottom.
Whatever it is that is causing them to feel the way they do is still a problem and hasn't been resolved. Medically they are fit and all avenues have been exhausted but cure is proving to be elusive. What else can they do to change the way they feel? They've tried everything so must be treatment resistant, right? Wrong.
What if the sufferer stops trying to get rid of those thoughts and feelings and does nothing? What if the sufferer had nothing else to lose and thinks F**k it, I'm going to live my life despite how I'm feeling? After all, they have tried everything else but without success so there is nothing else they can do.
During my recovery, I came across these gold nuggets that (with hindsight) turned out to be true and changed the way I perceived anxiety and led to my recovery. They all mean the same thing.
1. You wont get better until you stop trying to get better.
2. Anxiety is a paradox. The more you try to feel better, the less you recover. The less you do to try and feel better, the more you recover.
The common thread in all the above is that the sufferer gave up trying to feel better. It no longer mattered that they felt rubbish, they just carried on doing normal stuff. Anxiety was put in the corner. In other words, they accepted their lot and moved forward in ther lives.
The treatment that has not been considered is right under our noses and that is to do absolutely nothing to change those negative thoughts and feelings. To accept it all, lock stock and barrel. How can you get rid of a feeling if you are not prepared to feel it all willingly?
How do you learn to do nothing and accept things as they are? Pick up any publication that advocates acceptance to bring about permanent cure and keep practising until you recover. It will happen because acceptance allows the natural physiological healing process to desensitise nerves that have been battered into submission through constant stress and now screaming blue murder which manifests itself as chronic anxiety. Anxiety is perpetuated because the sufferer keeps on battering those nerves stressing about being stressed out!
Dr Weekes' publications was my choice. Her books gave me the knowlege and understanding required to overcome my disorder, helping to dispel alot of the stuff that up to that point left me bewildered and terrified.
Doing nothing works.
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Beevee
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Hi Beevee I follow your posts as you probably know by now but Youve mentioned previously that ‘any underlying issues of problems causing your anxiety need to be addressed first, otherwise your anxiety is constantly being topped up and acceptance will only work so much’. Do you have any examples of what these could be as I fear this is perhaps why I’m still stuck due to some unprocessed emotional issues maybe?
I'm referring to medical conditions where anxiety could be a symptom or some overwhelming problem, sorrow, guilt or disgrace that triggered the onset of anxiety and may be delaying recovery because it has not been resolved to the satisfaction of the sufferer or not enough time has passed for memory ofvthe event to fade.
I realise that what I've just said may have spiked your anxiety (great, another chance to practice acceptance 😊) but want you to know that in all probability, there is no underlying problem other than struggling with the thoughts and feelings which are a by-product of anxiety.
My anxious mind had a field day conjuring up all sorts of problems, some of which stuck because I believed them. One of the "problems" that really stuck was that I didnt love my wife and would have to leave. This bothered me. A lot. Simply because I believed it. How could I not believe it? The thought was so strong, it felt real.
To cut a long story short, it took me a while to gradually figure out that these problems were not causing my anxiety, it was the anxiety creating the problems. Also be mindful that anxiety is great at grossly exaggerating a minor issue and making it look and feel like a huge problem. When well, that minor issue would hardly cause a flicker on your conscience, if at all.
I can't make it any clearer when I say that all those "problens," even those I thought were genuine and would never be able to shake off unless i took drastic action, all disappeared. My only problem was coping with anxiety itself.
My advice is always the same. Stop searching for answers and accept it all.
Thanks yes, I “stuck” where you once were where my mind is telling me and bringing up all sorts of scary, hurtful, cruel thoughts quickly then compounded with all of the ‘why me’ and ‘I’m sick of this’ self pity and self loathing thoughts, it’s the same pattern on repeat.
Acceptance seems like it must require some self compassion but I can’t see to find any which again feeds the hopelessness, it’s all just keeping me stuck as you say
Briefly (I'm at work!), the feelings of hopelessness is just one of the many tricks anxiety plays 😡 and should be treated in exactly the same way. Accept the feelings. I just put all the symptoms in one bucket and accepted everything.
We are a family of 6 plus kids' girlfriends etc so the house is rarely empty but that didnt stop me having feelings of loneliness and lots of other negative crap besides! I just let the feelings sit with me, didn't pay too much attention to them and carried on. Those feelings are just anxiety working it's way out of your system and the healing process so just let it get on with it and stop interfering! 😘
I understand time can be a healer in the midst of storms although pain can give make us Anxious and troublesome, we can break the Barrier and Heal from within thoughts can carry a lot of baggage and knowing you are good enough and worthy to overcome the overwhelm can lead to self healing we have flight response which and create better feelings and energise our motivations and well informative post
I agree. When my violent husband suicided, I had to make the choice between following him, and abandoning my two children, or living for them, with no support from his family. I chose to live for my kids, and am now 73.
I can't say it was easy, my Monster in Law accused me of murder the day of the funeral. Fortunately, the officer who she accused me to, was one of the ones who had to break in to my house, and found him. It still had to be investigated though.
Even at the Inquest she didn't let up. She took issue with the Coroner presiding, and narrowly escaped Contempt of Court.
We had no contact with that side of the family since.
Sorry, I can't carry on with this post. Another posting has triggered my CPTSD.
Sorry to learn that you are still having a tough time. I think it's good to get stuff off your chest even if it spikes your anxiety. Continuous exposure to the problem and the passing of time might help to dampen the reaction.
Actually, it hit me hard, and out of the blue, but I'm feeling a fair bit better now. Don't think I'll reply to him again. Not been triggered for years.
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Anxiety resistant to medication 
TMS for medicine resistant depression/anxiety
What do you expect when you spend most of your time beating yourself up?
