Trusting to Believing to Knowing

[CarlJames]

The journey to recovery from anxiety can be described in so many ways. One that is important to grasp is the progression in our mental perspective from trusting to believing to knowing.

We start from a place of doubt and hopelessness. We are hoping that we can recover, but everything we have tried so far has failed.

Trusting

Early in our journey, we read and learn about the anxiety state – why it happens, how it happens, and the myths and truths about it. This understanding is necessary so that we can place anxiety in its proper perspective as something that is not as serious as it feels, and that we are not in as much trouble as we think we are.

We also learn about the Acceptance Method – how facing, allowing, accepting and surrendering to the anxiety, rather than fighting it and pushing it away, is the path to recovery. We are not sure recovery is even possible for us, and we still have doubts if this approach will work. At this point, we must rely on TRUST that this is the correct and necessary approach.

Believing

After a period of practicing the method and trusting it will work, we begin to see some changes in our anxiety, and in our response to it. We see some improvements, and we begin to BELIEVE this is the right way.

This belief can come and go, as initially it relies on how we feel. In a setback, we may temporarily lose sight of this belief. We think recovery is possible, but we are not sure if we can achieve it. But as we progress through this (sometimes long) middle stage of our journey, our belief continues to strengthen.

Knowing

At some point towards the end of our journey to recovery, we simply KNOW that we are on the right track.

No matter how we feel, even in a setback, our knowing is unshakable. We know that our recovery is inevitable, and just a matter of time. This is a wonderful place to reside, as we build our inner voices of Truth and Acceptance to be invincible.

Recovery awaits.

[ZOO7]

I absolutely love this post! Thank you for sharing. I’m still in the very early stage but I have hope. 🙏🙏🙏

[CarlJames in reply to ZOO7]

👍🙂

[designguy]

Very well written Carl.

I read a good analogy that made sense to me recently that recovery is like standing on top of the tallest mountain top. Then you start the journey descending, you go down lower and have a setback but then you go back up to the top of another mountain but it's not as tall as the first one. Then you go down the mountain and have another setback but it's not as long a distance as the previous one and you come to another mountain top but it's not as tall as the previous one and you continue on down the mountain repeating this pattern until you reach the plains. You realize that recovery is a journey of peaks and valleys but if you keep moving forward they progressively get shorter in intensity and duration.

[CarlJames in reply to designguy]

That's a great analogy @designguy. It is a journey of peaks and valleys. The setbacks do generally get shorter and less intense, though they can be a bit unpredictable, and you can occasionally get a bigger one thrown in somewhere. If that happens, you are still moving forwards. You're always moving forwards.

🙂

[QCuriosa]

This has moved me so much! We all have doubts (will I get better?) I believe I am at the early stages of recovery because I have frequent setbacks, days where I see it all black after days of seeing it all alive! Recovery is not linear right! But I am noticing that this setbacks are shorter and even when they are unexpected I am learning more and more about it and realizing that I can’t cure myself per se. I must learn that I may have to live with my depression by accepting it and managing it. Recovery may not mean to

“Get rid of your mental health issue forever”

But more to be ready to “move forward” as you say.

[CarlJames in reply to QCuriosa]

That's exactly it. The paradox of recovery from anxiety/depression is that the less you try to change it, i.e. the more you allow it and accept it, the less intense it becomes, and the less it troubles you. Our anxiety/depression needs to be acknowledged and accepted (as best we can) before it can begin to fade.

And as you say, recovery is not linear. But a setback or relapse is always temporary and doesn't mean anything with respect to your progress. I know people that have been very close to recovery to have a really intense setback. In the middle of it, they really felt they had gone all the way back to the beginning, but when they came through it, they found they had learned so much and were that much closer to recovery.

[QCuriosa]

Thanks and yes setbacks can be challenging but I remind myself that I’ve been here before and can and will move forward