| I receive a lot of e-mails regarding | | | | extent, if not completely! Because whether |
| so-called conditions or diagnoses that | | | | we accept the responsibility or not, we ALL |
| individuals have been labeled with, and I | | | | have control over our thoughts. And our |
| felt it was time to say something on this | | | | habitual thoughts affect all of these |
| subject. Understand, that I'm not against | | | | so-called behavioral conditions to a great |
| doctors or therapists or any other health | | | | extent. |
| care professionals. Many of these people are | | | | |
| dedicated, well-trained practitioners who do | | | | But if we give in to the "conditions" or the |
| their very best to help people live better | | | | "labels," it takes the situation completely |
| lives. But I think there is an over emphasis | | | | out of our control. In other words, we |
| on labeling individuals, so that their | | | | become victims, and accept a victim status in |
| situation falls neatly within a pre-ordered | | | | regard to our anxiety or other problems. |
| category. The truth is, as individuals, | | | | This victim mentality can quickly become a |
| everyone's situation is unique, and it is | | | | habit that causes us to always look outside |
| highly unlikely that many people's problems | | | | of ourselves for the answers to our problems |
| will fit neatly into one of these "boxes." | | | | -- including anxiety. The first step in |
| | | | overcoming anxiety problems is to overcome |
| Labels may have their use, as a type of | | | | this victim mentality. This is probably the |
| shorthand to help practitioners get a basic | | | | most difficult part of the process, but once |
| idea of what's going on in your life, but | | | | an individual ceases to see themselves as a |
| they can be disastrous to the individual. | | | | victim of anxiety or any other situation, |
| For example, years ago I was diagnosed with | | | | improvement in their life comes quickly. |
| several "conditions" and their accompanying | | | | |
| labels: unipolar depression, social anxiety, | | | | The tricky thing is, society often encourages |
| generalized anxiety disorder, etc. | | | | us to accept this victim mentality. You see |
| Unfortunately I took these labels seriously, | | | | examples of this everywhere: in our courts, |
| and in doing so doomed myself to feel like a | | | | in the media and even in our educational |
| victim of all these so-called conditions for | | | | institutions. So in some ways, developing |
| many years. | | | | the non-victim mentality requires you to go |
| | | | against a lot of what you see around you in |
| It was as if a doctor had told me I had a | | | | the world. As I said, I believe this is the |
| broken arm; I would have never thought, "I | | | | most difficult step in overcoming anxiety -- |
| can take care of this on my own." I would | | | | or other life problems -- but all real change |
| have recognized that I had a bona fide | | | | springs from the realization that you as an |
| condition that was outside of my control and | | | | individual are in control of your life, in |
| needed medical help to deal with. But | | | | control of your thoughts and in control of |
| behavioral problems are not so clear-cut. | | | | your behavior. Because frankly, if YOU are |
| Most behavioral problems, like anxiety, are | | | | not in control of these things, who is? |
| under the individuals control to a great | | | | |