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I have found one common thread in people who 100% recover from anxiety and panic. They all share a personality trait that has set them apart from the masses and far away from a relapse-free life: non-acceptance. They don’t accept that living with anxiety is “just how life is”. They don’t accept the pills their doctor prescribed for them are the long term answer. They don’t accept anxiety is all in their head and they’ve “lost it” for the rest of their life. Changing how you think is critical to help anxiety.
Since anxiety showed up in my life in 2007 I everyday I meet people in person and via the internet who live with some type of mental disorder. The majority of these people have anxiety, panic attacks, and/or depression. I have been extremely saddened by how the majority of people accept that life on drugs is normal. Or they’ve lived for decades with chronic anxiety spells that have left them house bound. I just want to scream “Come on people! Keep searching for answers, life doesn’t have to suck!”
What has really gotten my goat is the lack of compassion and education from the medical profession. People who are deemed experts of the mind and emotions completely disregard that imbalances in the body may be the cause of anxiety, panic, OCD, paranoia, depression, or whatever. When these imbalances are corrected, traditional therapy methods are so much more effective. I have clients who have been talking out their problems for 40 years with no success! Once physical issues are resolved they could heal past wounds with ease. It’s amazing and so rewarding to witness these individuals step up and not accept that they are mentally flawed anymore and become an active part of their healing.
If you are living with anxiety or any of the other labeled “mental disorder”, I encourage you to not settle or accept life as it is. Search for the root cause of why you feel as you do by reading books, searching the web, joining online groups, etc. Reading posts on this blog is a great start, share the info with others in the same boat. Become educated and empowered, don’t accept you are a random victim. You can 100% recover, life can be joyful and you can be free. If you have to, fire your doctor if they aren’t looking out for your best interest. Wow, did I just say that??? Find one who is your partner in healing and understands the WHOLE body / mind connection. I fired more than one myself!!! There are good ones out there, I blogged HERE on how to find one.
Whew, I’ve had these thoughts in my head for some time. I have pondered many times why some of my clients get better and some don’t. Through deduction and personal reflection of my own recovery I came up with the “non-acceptance” trait. Adopt it, take your health back and don’t settle for feeling like crap. Only we can truly heal ourselves!
Funny thing about panic attacks in general is that to overcome it – you need to accept the feelings that you are having at that time, learn to float through them. It takes practice. Knowing that it is just ‘fear of fear’ that is making you panic. Dr. Claire Weekes method of facing. My panic came when my thyroid and other hormones got out of balance in peri memopause. I knew that there had to be a medical answer as to why all of sudden I suffered with this. Several doctors all wanted to ‘medicate’ me. I did not buy it for one second. It took me a long time to figure this thyroid mess but I never gave up either.
Kelly,
Your story of perseverance is heart warming. Following your gut and standing up for yourself takes courage, especially when you felt terrible. Accepting, not fighting, anxiety is very difficult. When that can be done the anxious feeling just seem not to get out of hand. I would remind myself that anxiety is one of the ways my body is communicating to me that something is out of balance. That can be tough to remember when the feelings are strong though!
Thank you for your comment,
Jen