Hello I finished the program 7 years ago and have been doing great but am having a setback and it it over the strangest thing. I am so scraed becasue all this news over Heath Ledger has really freaked me out. I cant sleep knowing he had anxiety and could not sleep which resulted in his death. I was sleeping 8 hours a night until he died and its all I think about. I am so scared and want to sleep so bad. I thought I was recovered and now this. Please pray and I have been praying so hard and I am very faithfull but I dont feel gods love right now. I feel like he stopped loving me becasue he is disappointed in me I let this come back into my life. How can I let someone I dont even know death scare me so bad. I am so afraid I wont sleep that I am making mayself not sleep. Please help.

Bernadette,

I have just started the program but I wanted to let you know you are not alone in the way Heath Ledgers death affected you. I don't have any problems sleeping but just knowing that I am on one of the drugs he was on was enough to set me off. I posted a message on here right around that time and many people gave me good advice. One person reminded me that we will never REALLY know the truth about what happened to Heath. I don't personally believe he killed himself intentionally, but from what they said on the TV he had to have taken a bad mix and a high amount of those drugs. Yes, mixing drugs can be dangerous even if you don't take too much, but this is my advice to you:

1. If your doctor is monitoring your meds and you are taking the dosage prescribed, don't worry about overdosing.

2. If you're like me and one person's opinion isn't enough, call or go see your pharmacist and have him/her double check that what you are on is a safe dosage and combination.

3. I know how you feel about wanting to feel closer to God. God promises us that if we draw closer to Him, then He will draw closer to us, but remember that He is ALWAYS there, even when you don't think He is or you can't feel Him. Read Psalm 139.

My prayers are with you and you are not alone!

Sandina

Bernadette. I have been feeling the exact same way. I have been panic free for 2 years and now they are back again. The Heath Ledger story has scared me too. We have to believe in God and pray, pray, pray. I find journaling helps and I am starting to practice the six steps. I miss my sleep too.

thanks everyone for the advice, I just dont understand why he is effecting me so badly I am not afraid of overdosing I am afraid of not being able to sleep if that makes since. 7 years of anxiety free and now its back, what a let down, I am just so sad. three weeks ago I was sleeping 8 hours anight and living my life and bam one news story and its all gone

Bernadette, You have received good advice here. Concerning Heath,it's easy to get anxious when you hear something like that. Sometimes I think we should avoid the news at all costs but then when I miss something I'm frustrated too. Like yesterday all these tornadoes around TN I heard about but don't know where exactly. We'll be going to TN in 2 wks. so I start worrying. Nope, forget it. Brittney Spears was on the news last night and they mentioned she is probably bi-polar. Yea, that affects me too since I'm bi-polar. The point Bernadette is we can worry about all kinds of stuff with our condition. As far as God loving you. He does. He's never stopped and never will. The person who suggested you reading Psam 139 is right on. I highly recommend you buy Joyce Meyers video "I Belong to God and He loves me". Lately I've been watching it almost every day. I think many people with anx/dep have a problem believing God can really love them. I've been so frustrated lately I've been asking God for a new brain. Someone told me I need to thank Him every day for giving me a new brain. He's already given it, it's there just as His love is. We just need to receive it.

Also, you completed the program 7 yrs. ago and received help. Do the program again. I know if you get a revelation of God's word as you meditate day and night and do the program, you'll be better than ever. Prayers to you!

Oh yea, to order from Joyce you can call 1-800-727-9673 or go to www.joycemeyer.org

Bernadette,
Its well known that heath ledger abused prescription drugs.. thats a HUGE difference than taking a med as prescribed... He drank and to meds, and overly took them.
Heath ledger isnt YOU!!!
Review the obsessive thoughts section,,,review is always good anyway!!! I to feel bad what happened, but that happened to him,, NOT YOU!!!
You are taking care of YOU!!!!

Hi Brenadette.

I, like many people on this site, has gone through this or is going through this. I use to let every bad thing, even bad news of something happening to people that I didn't know, affect me. I couldn't watch the news or "scary" movies anymore. And whenever a news brief would come on, I would quickly turn the channel to avoid hearing something that would scare me.

What helped me was lucinda's book "From panic to power". In the book she calls it "over identifying". She says we tend to take on the problems of others. She gave an exaample of a woman that saw another woman abusing her children on the news. The woman became frightened that she too might do that.

Lucinda says that Instead of letting other people's pain threaten you, you have to take a step back and gain a right perspective and be grateful for your own life. You can say to yourself, "This is what they are going through. I don't need to identify". You have to learn from others' situations and be appreciative that it is'nt you. Be grateful for the life you have,and the health you have, and the relationships you have, and that you can put your thoughts into perspective and control them.

You can control your troubling thoughts by not giving them much attention. We tend to take everything way too serious. We have to lighten up. There was a little book written a long time ago called "Don't sweat the small stuff" and under it, in small type it said something like "and everything is small stuff". It's so true. That's why this program is all about thinking positively and relaxing. That just may be the key to unlocking happiness, or better yet, contentment.

Take care. DeeDee.

Thanks for the advice, I know I am not sleeping becasue I am overthinking it. I am so scared of not sleeping. I had this once before and it did go away but it just scared me so much. I dont want to take years off my life, I just feel so bad the Heath Ledger did not help his anxiety. I guess that is what is scaring me he had anxiety and died as a result from it. I just want to be a good mom, wife, sister, I have always been so active with my family no I obsess. I really need to do some tapes again. Will the sleeping get better or am I doomed for life. The part that makes me mad, I did this , I started obessing and brought it all back. Everyone please pray for me. the weird thing is I had been doing great for a years and new someone who started having anxiety and gave them the program. Now they are doing great and I called him this morning for advice. I love God and I am a faithfull Cathlolic and teach bible study but now I am doubting my faith. Isnt God supposed to answer our prayers and help carry us through this, I worked so hard to get over it and help others and now look What am I doing wrong to dissapoint him so much why cant he help me right now

Actor Heath Ledger died from an accidental overdose of SIX different drugs - painkillers and sedatives. I've read nothing about his lack of sleep leading to his death, though some of the drugs he took were sleeping pills. Why anyone would take so many drugs at once is beyond me! It was the mix that killed him, not the lack of sleep or his anxiety. If nothing else, this will teach us about mixing too many pills without the advice of a pharmacist. No pharmacist would have said it was safe to take what he did. So please don't worry. It was a unique situation that has nothing to do with us yet we can all learn from it. Don't feel so bad about letting a news story affect you. Yesterday I was watching tv and a commercial came on that put fear in my brain. I couldn't let the thoughts go until I logged onto the company's website and wrote them a sarcastic thank you letter for making that commercial. Any company who tries to get you to buy a product out of fear doesn't make anything I want to buy. Hmph! I feel better now.

Hi Craw. You actually wrote the company a sarcastic letter because of the commercial? LOL. I like that about you.

Bernadette, why don't you go through your programme again? This is only a "growth spurt". I finished the programme 10 years ago and I haven't had an anxiety attack since although I never knows if it will come back but I truly never think about it. We are always going to hear news of some sort that will disturb us so go ahead and take your first tape and start it again. God isn't punishing you, now don't give up and pick up your tapes.
Sincerely,
Lynnie M.

Yes I did write that company! I thought I could either stay scared or I could do something about it. Journaling would have been a good choice but I was feeling rather sarcastic, lol, so I wrote the company and thanked them for the scary thoughts. They've already sent back their standard form letter saying: "Thank you for your comments and suggestions. We care about what consumers think" blah blah blah. At least I got a load off my brain.

lynnie, that is comforting to hear that you have no comebacks. I never was even thinking about it and it just hit me again. I just want sleep and with no sleep it gets worse. I have referred this program to many and seen the success with med free. If you dont mind me asking are you still med free. I guess I just need to get through this peroid and I know I will be able to sleep again. I just need to put my stop sign up and get back on track

I can't believe the company actually wrote you back!

quote:

Originally posted by Craw:
Yes I did write that company! I thought I could either stay scared or I could do something about it. Journaling would have been a good choice but I was feeling rather sarcastic, lol, so I wrote the company and thanked them for the scary thoughts. They've already sent back their standard form letter saying: "Thank you for your comments and suggestions. We care about what consumers think" blah blah blah. At least I got a load off my brain.

Bernadette - Very good advice here. I just want to add that it's important to accept that we are born phobic. That doesn't mean we can't do anything about it. What it does mean is that we are so sensitive that sometimes certain things will "set us off". It's not that we have returned to the old way. We can't. We've come too far to ever go back. It means acceptance that you are phobic. Remind yourself that you now have the tools to use to move through this. And you will move through it. It will pass and you'll be up and running again soon. Give yourself the time you need to move through this. Follow the advice given and nuture yourself. Don't beat yourself up. Use your tools (and there are many).

Be compassionate. You are scared. What would you tell a small child who came to you with the same concern? That's how you talk to yourself.