I'm on Session 8 & it's giving me extra anxiety-
a lot of my symptoms are back because I don't want
to face these fears but I know I have to do it sooner or later.

Any tips or helpful hints would be great!

ALL I CAN SAY AS A NEW MEMBER IS REMEMBER THAT IT IS NOT LIFE THREATENING AND BE AWARE THAT IT CAN'T HURT YOU IT JUST FEELS BAD FOR A WHILE. KEEP TELLING YOURSELF THAT YOU CONTROL YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARD SOMETHING AND BE CALM AND DO POSITIVE SELF TALK.

Small expectations to start. Just being present at a challanging enviroment to start. Watch how others deal with it in a good way and play act it out. YOU KNOW FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT . Have a friend around .

I know how you feel I am at a place where it is
time to face my fears,mine are going places I can go in my small circle but I need to widen it as lucinda says you have to face the fears and you can't wait till you get better the only way out is thru and I have been running from my for 30 plus years you young people I am glad to see you getting help for your anxiety there wasn't anything in the beginning I had pen pals a news letter books the caire weeks books,so you can see I guess I chose to lay in the mud all the years I did't want to face mine too scarey guess what they never went a way.they won't so from some one that has been there do what lucinda and get out there make a game out of its empowerment.use your tools and make a game out of it now I need to take my own advice. good luck

When I was on session 8 I spent a lot of time focusing on changing my negative 'what ifs' to positive ones - What if I do this and it turns out really well? What if I really like it? What if I face this fear and I come out stronger? What if it's not as bad I thought it would be? What if I face this and I don't fall apart? It helped me see that I have a choice in how I viewed the fear and made me feel that there is an alternative way of looking at it. I guess it depends on what kind of fear you're talking about though. Are they fears about taking action on something? Are they fears about what could happen in the future? Are they fears about making a decision? Are they fears about something that is inevitable? I constantly try to keep myself in the present by the questions -What do I see? What do I hear?, What am I touching? etc. I read over my list of "What I love" every day. It keeps me from ruminating over what I don't love. One morning I got up and said to myself - I have absolutely no expectations for today - If it's good, great. If it's not so good- so what, I'm able to handle it.