Welcome to the site!!!
If you are just starting the program ,Hang on tight!!! You will learn more about who YOU are than you ever realized... Its a good THING!
Take a Deep Breath and decide that its up to YOU! to do and the work, Not be afraid, Be open to the changes that take place within, and Cherish those moments when you have a UH HUH! moment! Because they do happen.
Others have seen you one way, but you will begin to KNOW who YOU are! This is Journey, One well worth the taking!! Try to see your motivation for getting over anxiety as one of a challenge, and Meet it HEAD ON! The strength you need is there, the hope you need is there, and your NEW beginning is there!!
Every lesson and every step you take, is for YOU! When others dont understand it, or support you in your effort, its OKAY! Because YOUR the one who will have to take the steps and do the work. Without YOU, the awesome changes in your life cant occur! NEVER say you CANT! YOU CAN!
Be excited about the person you will become, and have always wanted to be.. But remember it all starts with YOU, WITHIN!!!
It works! My hope and love to all of you

Hello Mello Nello thank you for the encouragement. I am actually 3 weeks into the program. i know i need to do this it is definitely for me but it is not easy. being part of a online support group is not something i am used to. i hate the computer. but i want desperately to get better so i will try. i've only been on once before. i am at the end of my week for session 3 and i find it is very hard to do.. write down my negative thoughts. i know i have negative thoughts constantly but i find it hard to be specific and write them down. is this the same for anyone else?

Hi Dawne,
I'm also at the end of week three and I know what you mean about the negative thoughts. My big challenge is changing the negative into the positive, especially when I'm at work and there are a bunch of other things going on. I manage to write down at least some of them, but it takes a great effort to challenge them as well. I can only hope this gets easier with time, which hopefully it will because I think it's covered every week throughout the rest of the program. Does anyone else have any tips for dealing with negative thoughts?

penny for my thoughts


I would like to start by saying I know that all things has a purpose in life though we may not know what it is, it does have purpose.

I first started having what they call Panic and/or Anxiety attacks in 2002, I was in denial for sometime before I thought I could except the fact that I would have this. It was something that has been so hard for many to understand, and I can except that. Mainly because even when you have it, you don't understand it yourself. It is hard to understand how this can change someone in a blink. I went from being a very independant and strong person, to very dependant on my husband and a very inverted and very weak. I couldn't make decisions, and didn't know that I could or wanted to go on so many times. After a shock to myself I found I not only was living with one foot in my grave, I had one foot in my caffin.....that was when I felt I needed to pull myself together and get on. I didn't want to keep on living like this and knew that I had to put my trust in God and myself. I prayed for God to open a door for me and I must say he not only opened a door but he took my hand and walked me through the door also. He helped me to find Lucinda and the Midwest Center. I started by reading the book by Lucinda called "Panic to Power", and I know she was talking to me the first page.......then I took the program and meet Carolyn Dickman and I must say that is a wonderful blessing in it's self. God gave us a gift and she speaks with such awe. I start to have a down time and I can just hear her talking to me from the tapes and telling us we can and would find our "dip in the road". Well, you are right Carolyn. God bless ya girl! I feel that I have such a friend from the group talks after each tape. My hat is truly off to this woman and her knowledge.

When I thought the program was complete, to my surprise I met Jaycie,Cyndi, Happiness, Jen, Sue, and Depression/Anxiety (through myspace).....then I met Cheri from through the www.stresscenter.com and she along with Mello Nello, Laura, Sherri, and Patty they are a blessing in my life also. I stand in applaude you all, and I really would like to thank them all. With God and them they have helped become who I am agian. Now I am doubly blessed. I want to thank them all for the special touch that they give my life. You must know that you are serving your Purpose that was gave to you and such a special way and we are all thankful.

I will I am not totally without symptoms, but my life is so much better than it was even 3 months ago. As you all know the symptoms has a way of telling you when you start to forget yourself and back slide a bit. I still know that there is work I must do on myself, and now I am at the point I can step back and know the direction I need to go. I have done better after Jaycie assured me that as time goes it will only get easier. You truly helped save me as soon as you told me that, thank you. After meeting this fine group, I know that I can, not only can I take that step, but I can love myself while taking it. Thank you all for all that you do!

I will get off my band box but if you have anxiety and/or Panic attacks know that you are still in there and you can find yourself again. I am due to go for my yearly physical and I honestly say, I can't wait to see the ole doc and let him know I not only survived, but I am a better person. When I started having my attacks, he told me mine was severe and he was right. I couldn't even get out of the bed due to my stomach symptoms and the normal daily living was out of the question. You see he thought I would never get better, he thought I had gave up, and to some degree I did, but that was before God lead me to the group I just mentioned.

I still take Buspar, but I have not took my Xanax in months. I am so thankful for that.

To you all, don't give up......Let the panic and/or anxiety lead you to find the precious moment and slow down to enjoy them before you loose the chance to enjoy them. Before I never slowed down to hear the birds sing, or to feel the gentle breeze. Oh what a blessing to have them and more in our lives.

Dawne,
writing down negative thoughts have a purpose, at least for me they did, and let me tell you my reasons. I noticed a pattern very quickly! I would write and write and realize , there were no positive thoughts any there anywhere!
So, we write our negative thoughts down, look at them, test them,, are they realistic thoughts? rational negative thoughts? Or are they the same negativity we think over and over and over.... THEN!!! you start writing a positive thought, to smush that old negative thought. You mostly likely wont believe the positive thought at first,, I didnt. But the more i wrote positives to outweigh the negative, i began to see the positives as real!
AFter a while, i realized when i journaled,, Hey, i was seeing less and less negatives!! Its all in practice. Its all in knowing How you think, and what is keeping you in that spot!! Try it, test it, see if it works for you!!! Nelly

Hi,
Just wanted to share about a good book,"You can't afford the luxory of a negitive thoughts" reccomended in the program. I am only at about pg.75 and so far it is great. I had to wait to check it out from the library, but now I think I may buy it. I chose to extend my week three to two weeks because I really think it is worth it. Anyone else read the book?
good luck to all,
Ramp