Life is much tougher than it used to be, who will gainsay it? We can all take a degree of anxiety, that's normal. But a point is reached when our nervous system says "Enough!" Then something unusual takes place, our nervous system becomes over sensitised.
In this state it exaggerates every fear, every small symptom we have must be the worst case scenario. Agoraphobia and claustrophobia can enter our lives, all kinds of false health anxieties occupy our constant thoughts. Even when doctors say there's nothing wrong we come out with that classic line "They must have missed something!"
Anxiety disorder is self perpetuating. Nervous sensitivity causes symptoms causing more anxiety causing more sensitisation causing more symptoms causing more anxiety. We become trapped in a vicious circle of our own making. Perhaps this is happening to you even now as you read this post.
It doesn't have to stay like that for the rest of your life. A biography was recently published entitled "Claire Weekes: The woman who cracked the anxiety code". And so she did: bringing respite and recovery to several million people since she published her first book "Self help for your nerves".
This prosaic title contains a method for the normalisation of a sensitised nervous system that is simple to understand...but takes perseverance and effort to achieve.
It can be summed up in six words: 'Face. Accept. Float. Let time pass'.
This is the remarkable mantra that has prompted hundreds of Amazon book reviewers toswrite: "It saved my life!"
In the U.S. the same book is published under the title "Hope and help for your nerves."
I commend this short book to you, written as it is in simple non technical terms: almost as if the writer, Claire Weekes, knew you personally.
I well remember reading it for the first time 50 years ago, I thank God every day that I chanced upon this outstanding book and it continues to be sold for a few pounds, a handful of dollars, on Amazon and Ebay to this day.