| Anxiety attacks and panic attacks; chronic worrying | | | | neighbour. "He belongs to the sky. We belong to the |
| and obsessive thoughts; compulsive behaviors; irrational | | | | earth - we're chickens." So the eagle lived and died a |
| fears and phobias, even severe depression - these | | | | chicken, for that's what he thought he was. |
| problems all involve heightened anxiety. In overcoming | | | | (AWARENESS... Anthony de Mello) -- |
| them, the goal is not to get rid of anxiety, for to have | | | | To change beliefs, we have to understand how and |
| anxiety is normal, it is a part of being human, helps | | | | why they developed. We have to understand our |
| ready us for action and is there for our survival. | | | | experiences, the people involved and more importantly, |
| The aim is to understand why it has become so | | | | the conclusions we drew about our role in them, for it's |
| strong, change what it means to us and know how to | | | | not the experiences themselves that do the lasting |
| reduce it and prevent it spiraling out of control. | | | | damage, it's what we make of them. We have to |
| It is possible to experience anxiety without it leading to | | | | understand how we learn to think and behave |
| panic, obsessions, compulsions or despair - to | | | | because of our experiences. |
| experience it and yet still be calm. In fact many people | | | | Changing beliefs through insight and understanding is |
| do experience anxiety like this frequently (job | | | | essential to overcoming anxiety problems. However, |
| interviews/dating/performance situations - sports, | | | | from shyness to depression, something else is equally |
| social). They feel shaky on the inside but relatively | | | | important... changing behavior. We can't just think our |
| calm on the outside, this is normal, this is part of | | | | way out of these problems - to change behavior we |
| anxiety, this is how it feels. | | | | have to do the behavior (it isn't possible to learn to ride |
| -- On a popular TV quiz show, where the contestants | | | | a bike just by thinking about it!) |
| answer questions and can double their winnings up to | | | | Of course, changing behavior alone will not help if we |
| a million, the quizmaster has said to many contestants | | | | still feel bad about ourselves or still have unanswered |
| words to the effect - 'you look remarkably calm'. In | | | | questions about the problem. Any force over which |
| nearly every instance, the reply has been the same - | | | | we have little understanding and even less control will |
| 'on the outside yes, but inside I'm shaking like a leaf '. -- | | | | always hold power over us, for it is unpredictable and |
| To overcome anxiety disorders we have to change | | | | could harm us and as such remains frightening. |
| our beliefs. | | | | Therefore:- |
| If ten thousand people say you are good and you feel | | | | Successfully overcoming anxiety disorders requires |
| bad about yourself... you will believe you are bad. | | | | BOTH insight and behavior change. |
| Conversely if ten thousand people say you are bad | | | | We need to:- |
| and you feel good about yourself... you will believe that | | | | - Understand the problem (how it developed and it's |
| you are good. Our reality is shaped by what we feel | | | | effects) to such an extent that the search for reasons |
| and believe: | | | | and answers can be given up |
| -- A man found an eagle's egg and put it in a nest of a | | | | - Reduce the automatic negative thoughts, images and |
| barnyard hen. The eaglet hatched with the brood of | | | | behaviors |
| chicks and grew up with them. All his life the eagle did | | | | - Develop more positive beliefs and behaviors |
| what the barnyard chicks did, thinking he was a | | | | COURAGE is not the absence of fear. It is feeling |
| barnyard chicken. He scratched the earth for worms | | | | afraid but keeping those feelings sufficiently under |
| and insects. He clucked and cackled and would thrash | | | | control to be able to act appropriately. |
| his wings and fly a few feet into the air. Years passed | | | | Once we begin to understand how anxiety disorders |
| and the eagle grew very old. One day he saw a | | | | work - much of the fear of them is removed. And |
| magnificent bird above him in the cloudless sky. It glided | | | | when we couple insight and new beliefs to techniques |
| in graceful majesty among the powerful wind currents, | | | | that help reduce anxious thoughts and behaviors and |
| with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings. The | | | | develop new more positive ones... it is possible to truly |
| eagle looked up in awe. "Who's that?" he asked. | | | | overcome anxiety disorders. |
| "That's the eagle, the king of the birds," said his | | | | |