In the opinion of many, no therapist has done more to bring respite and recovery to so many people as Australian therapist and writer Claire Weekes who passed to life beyond on 2 June 1990 aged 87.
As a young woman she experienced anxiety disorder herself and developed a method based on acceptance to resolve her condition. Then in 1962 she published her first book 'Self help for your nerves' (titled 'Hope and help for your nerves' in the United States) in which she shared her method of recovery with people across the world. During the past 66 years untold thousands have regained their lives due to that short beautifully written book which continues to sell many thousands of copies each year. It is a book and a road plan for recovery that has withstood the test of time.
Perhaps this is the occasion to briefly restate the four essential points of her method.
1. FACE - recognise you have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder and don't seek escape through distraction: your anxiety will still be there when the distraction ends. It is highly unlikely to cease unless you face it and do something to resolve it.
2. ACCEPT - accept all the symptoms and strange feelings of anxiety for the time being and stop fighting them. Fighting only causes more stress which worsens the condition. Accept your anxiety utterly and accept it calmly and with the minimum of fear that you can.
3. FLOAT - stay off that bed or couch, get on with your normal activities, occupation (not to be confused with distraction) is an excellent aid to recovery. Switch onto 'automatic pilot' and carry on as normal, jelly legs will still get you there and back, float through the day as if you are being carried forward effortlessly by some unseen force.
4. And let time pass - don't look for instant results or a quick fix. You probably spent months, maybe years, getting into your present state, allow time for recovery.
Claire Weekes claimed that her Acceptance method can with practice and persistance enable everybody to recover from anxiety disorder no matter how long or how deeply they have suffered.
My brief description cannot do full justice to the brilliance of this woman's method for which I apologise. The ideas that she taught will surely continue to bring understanding, reassurance and a road plan for recovery to restore quiet minds until the end of time.
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