| When anxiety strikes, it delivers knockout debilitating | | | | take for you. Not matter how long it takes, it won't |
| blows that can render you useless for days. I know, I | | | | make a difference. You will improve at your own |
| have been there. Twelve LONG months to be exact, | | | | pace, the important thing is to get started right now, so |
| day in and day out, suffering and basically agoraphobic. | | | | you can get your life back. |
| For those of you who don't know, agoraphobia is | | | | Now I want to do a little exercise for me. I don't know |
| caused by fearing the fear. Let me explain. When you | | | | if you're feeling good right now, tense, a little anxious, or |
| have panic attacks and generalized anxiety, you're | | | | freakin out. I know all of those feelings firsthand, and |
| constantly worried. But even more so, you're worried | | | | have experiences CONSTANT panic and anxiety for |
| about being MORE worried. There is a fear | | | | months at a time. This may not make sense to you at |
| associated with not knowing when the next anxiety or | | | | first, but just do it anyway. |
| panic attack could occur. | | | | Sit down in a relaxed position in your chair. Good |
| So you develop a comfort zone, (if there is one with | | | | posture. Now read this, and then do it, because it |
| anxiety at all) and it usually is your home. You don't feel | | | | requires closing your eyes. Sit back, close your eyes, |
| safe to begin with, but at least at home, you have the | | | | and relax as much as possible. See yourself |
| most amount of variables to control. So | | | | overlooking a beautiful lake, with the leaves blowing in |
| subconsciously, you feel more safe and begin to want | | | | the pleasant breeze. Feel how nice it is to be away |
| to stay in that zone. It doesn't help your anxiety or | | | | from everything and smell the fresh country oxygen |
| even your panic attacks for that matter, it just feels | | | | from the gorgeous trees. Take a deep breath, and just |
| right. | | | | feel the refreshment. Recognize how tight your |
| You begin to stop wanting to go to the store, for fear | | | | stomach muscles are. Relax them and take another |
| you may get a panic attack. You stop going out with | | | | breath. Keeping your eyes closed and focused on |
| friends and have constant generalized anxiety. | | | | your special place, with each deep breath, relax your |
| Well, I'm here to tell you it doesn't have to be that way | | | | stomach muscles even more. Soon you will feel better |
| forever. In fact, the first thing you need to understand, | | | | than you did when you started. With every second |
| is that, YOU WILL GET THROUGH THIS! I know it | | | | more you do this exercise, you will become more and |
| seems hard to believe right now, but you have to. I | | | | more relaxed. |
| know back when I had anxiety, it felt like a never | | | | Now, what just happened? I just guided you through a |
| ending hole of darkness. "Certain Death" is what I told | | | | short relaxation technique that has worked wonders |
| my doctors the feeling felt like. | | | | for me. You can adapt it to your own needs, but the |
| First thing is first. What's right for everyone else, isn't | | | | basic idea is to stop your racing thoughts and relax |
| always right for you. Treating anxiety is a bit of a | | | | your abdomen. Most people suffering from anxiety |
| journey, and will take a bit of time. For some it takes | | | | don't ever realize that their muscles are so tense. This |
| days or weeks, for others it takes months. Don't get | | | | is a source of frustration for the body and often |
| caught up in any numbered statistics of how long it will | | | | comes out with panic attacks and anxiety disorders. |