Well, here I am in the middle of what seems to be a giant growth spurt. I have been experiencing on and off again stress for about the past year and a half. I moved to a new city, found out my boyfriend of 2 years was cheating on me, and was left feeling very alone. I had finished the program about 4 years ago and had been doing great! I thought I was managing my stress and anxiety well, but a few months ago it all hit me and came back. I started to have panic attacks and let them scare me. I even was back thinking that it was something physical...

So, I have been trying to slowly allow myself some time and I began using the tapes again. It's so hard because I feel frustrated some days and discouraged. I did allow myself to sit through one of my panic attacks the other day at work and was very proud of myself. I guess it's the little things that I need to be thankful for I just wanted to write and get some encouragement. Even though I want to wake up tomorrow and have all this anxiety and depression be gone, I know that with time and patience I will begin to heal. I just need a little support I am seeing improvements, but just want to make sure I am not alone...

Hi flower, You are not a lone, i feel like I am in the same place, used the program and doing welll for a few years, then had a lot of stuff catch up with me over the past month and feel all the feelings again-- and the frustration!! I am having a hard time not beating myself up and making it worse, since now I do know what it is and what to do about it. I think it's another layer of learning to manage stress. i have to keep believing that the same steps with time and PATIENCE will help me again. I know you can get through it and so can I-- we did it before!

Hi Flower,
When stressors in our lives get to be a bit too much, anxieties will come along and frazzel our nerves. This is very understandable. It's good that you are going through the program again. I'd also like to encourage you to pick up one of Dr. Claire Weekes books, for I believe her insight will help you a great deal also.
I'd also like to encourage you to accept all your feelings. Allow them to be. You are feeling the way you are feeling for good reason, so allow them to be, while at the same time seek things that will help to lessen the stress and help you feel "better". Eat well, exercise, do things that you enjoy. Doing "healthy, positive" things will help our minds and bodies to stay balanced. We need balance to stay healthy. Accept the times that feel down, do things to help you feel up, and don't be dissappointed when you feel down again. This is very "normal". Just continue to strive to take great care of yourself. You will begin to feel the balance again of feeling healthy and optomistic. Knowing that there are many good days, great experiences yet to come, dispite the struggles.
A growth spurt is just that, time to learn more so you can do more growing. And you will! You will become wiser and stronger for the wear.
My best to you and God bless.

Wow..Grateful - how well put your response was -and you are right on the money. I also had a growth spurt recently that caused me to experience a big setback. All of the terrible feelings returned and I have been so blue about it. I decided to break out the program again and begin at the beginning. I'm so glad that I have it to fall back on. Dr. Weekes's book is also like my Bible so I have dove into that as well. Heres hoping for peace of mind for us all...

My husband and I just had a big talk about the underlying stressors in my life and managing those. I think having been through the program and it helped so much, i have let myself fall back into doing too much, expecting too much, not being assertive, etc. then when the symptoms reappeared, I have felt so diapointed and frustrated and focused on "trying to feel better right away". Yes I have used and need to continue to use the relaxation, positive thing and breathing.... But like I said to my husband-- I need to get past tape 3 once in a while and look at the real stresses in my life--- not saying no, expecting too much, etc. That was really an eye-opener for me.
Also I think I have a fear of becoming agoraphobic and helpless again and so I push myself really hard to do everything so I can prove to myself that I'm not in that really bad place again, and this is a learning experience. He asked me "so do you have an irrational fear of driving, going to the store, etc, like before?" and I was able to say, no not at all. But I am not asking for help and pushing myself too hard just to prove i can. And avoiding conflict with my family by not asking for help.

So, this is my growth spurt and maybe yours is similar.... there's something to learn, something to change in my behaviour and thinking. Just like I had to push myself throught he discomfort of overcoming the agoraphobia, I need to get comfortable with expecting less, resting more and accepting help. I hat that it's so hard, but I want to grow. Thinking of you guys today....glad to not be alone.