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