Give up the struggle with anxiety - Anxiety Support

Anxiety Support

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Give up the struggle with anxiety

Beevee profile image
10 Replies

It is not always how people feel that causes their suffering, it is the rejection of the current anxious state that keeps them stuck in the anxiety cycle.

By rejecting, sufferers either try and suppress their anxiety or fight to rid themselves of it which takes considerable effort and energy. People suffer because of the struggle they create when they fight with the moment physically or mentally. Refusal to accept their present state of mind and body creates extra tension but this is what is happening in the present moment, so it can't be anything other than it is. When sufferers accept their current state and stop searching for another reality, the mind relaxes. The mind has nothing more to do and is able to rest, releasing a lot of tension in the process and easing the symptoms of anxiety. Constantly fighting the present anxious state is the reason why so many people stay in the anxiety cycle. It only serves to re-create more suffering and the mind and body doesnt get the chance to start the natural healing process.

So much suffering is caused by the mental battle being waged by the sufferer with themselves and how they are feeling. They are constantly looking for another state, another reality. This battle keeps the mind on full alert causing mental strain and chaos, depersonalisation, brain fog, depression etc. It's like leaving all the lights blazing on a car all night, draining the battery of energy until it goes flat.

The physical feelings of anxiety are caused by the ongoing battle, bringing yet more stress, strain and tension. Peace of mind and body will not be found through more thinking/problem solving because sufferers are trying to fix the anxious thoughts with an anxious mind, solving the problem with the problem, so to speak. The mind just wants to rest up but instead it is given more things to think about. Techniques rarely work either because their objective is to try and manipulate a different state of mind and yet another job given to the mind.

Recovery is not about trying to force another state of mind through personal will and effort, it is about doing the opposite and letting go of all techniques, letting go of all anxious thoughts and physical feelings which will allow the mind the rest it has been craving all along and eventually lead to peace. Please don't expect instant recovery. It takes time but very much worth keeping the faith. Healing occurs in much the same way as a traditional bedside alarm clock ⏰. It has been continually wound up over a period of time and will take time to completely unwind. It will, however, take longer to unwind if the owner keeps winding it up!

To summarise, stop trying to fix yourselves or alter your present state because this just keeps you stuck in the anxiety cycle. Anxiety is a paradox. The less people do to try and get better, the more progress they will make. The more they try to get better, the less progress they make.

"You won't get better until you stop trying to get better."

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Beevee profile image
Beevee
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10 Replies
Vicky810 profile image
Vicky810

Yes!! thank uuu😁

Icanbeathis2016 profile image
Icanbeathis2016

I appreciate seeing this. Today is one of those days for me. Struggling. And like I remember you said before about practicing acceptance. I do have good days bUT I still have my trouble days of worries. Today is one of those days. But thanks for your post.

Beevee profile image
Beevee in reply to Icanbeathis2016

Keep on going icanbeatthis2016!

On your good days, (or even moments) when you feel anxiety free, it gives you a chance to wonder what all the fuss is about during the bad days. With this knowledge, it gives you the "grounding" that the thoughts and feelings are the product of anxiety and not rooted in reality. In other words, if it wasn't for anxiety, they simply wouldn't be there. Gradually, your attitude will change from one of fear of the symptoms (fear is the cause) to "I don't care " because you will know they aren't real which makes acceptance easier. You may have to fake it to begin with but with practice, total acceptance (even when the symptoms are screaming blue murder) will come and the fear of them will disappear. Once fear is taken out of the equation, recovery is inevitable. Some symptoms may linger because it takes time for acceptance to work on the mind and body but by that stage, they will just be more of a nuisance/inconvenience and not feel like a complete show stopper!

Aazz profile image
Aazz

very good :)

Pat9 profile image
Pat9

thank yoo BeEvee :)

JoMarie5 profile image
JoMarie5

Honestly one the the greatest reads !!! I keep reading this over and over again. Thank you so much . 💪❤️

Beevee profile image
Beevee in reply to JoMarie5

JoMarie

Understanding how anxiety manifests itself is the foundation to recovery. The more you know, the less bewildered you will feel as and when new anxiety symptoms arise and removes a lot of the fear. Fear is the root cause of all anxiety disorders so once knowledge and understanding is applied to the situation, it makes it easier to accept, instead of fighting it all the time, trying to fix it. There isn't anything to fix. As I've said previously, the symptoms are only a by-product of anxiety and won't be there when you recover and the reason why fighting doesn't work because you are just fighting with yourself, chasing your own tail.

To learn more about anxiety and acceptance, I recommend that you read books published by the late Dr Claire Weekes. My bible during recovery was a book called Essential Help For Your Nerves but she did publish others.

jmlmom profile image
jmlmom

Thank you for this post. I'm just seeing it now, 6 years after you wrote it. I just found this site a few days ago. You have a way of summarizing Dr Weekes teachings that causes them to resonate with me and I remember your analogies as I go through my day. I've been struggling with the concept of acceptance for many weeks now. In the past 3 days I feel like I finally understand it and am letting go of all of it. The "new" symptoms that crop up from time to time were really throwing me for a loop! But this is the second time that you've referenced new symptoms and that helped me to toss all of them under the same anxiety rug.

Agora1 profile image
Agora1 in reply to jmlmom

Hi jmlmom, I am yet another endorser of Dr Claire Weekes' theory on Acceptance.It has been proven by other doctors and therapists in being an effective way to rid

ourselves of the symptoms that our anxiety brings us.

Dr Weekes' videos are free on YouTube...Good Luck in going forward towards your goal :) xx

jmlmom profile image
jmlmom in reply to Agora1

Thank you for your warm welcome, Agora1!

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