I have been doing the program over and over in my head doing all the things I have been taught but man I just cant seem to shake the feelings. Maybe I like them. I dont know I went back to my shrink and he says I have depression with anxiety again and I should do more therapy and consider using Celexa again since the last time it helped and I was able to do all relaxation and lessons easier. I dont know what to do anymore I feel helpless!!! I am not suicidal so no one freak out when I say helpless I just wish it would go away again I just want to be me again.
Huntersmom

It's so frustrating and sooooo easy to get back into that "old habit" thinking. The medications may help again if they worked before- may be worth giving the Celexa a try again. Especially if you notice you are becoming too depressed to do the program, or you start second guessing yourself and everything you do. What has helped me get through my last growth spurt is to realize that I am a lot more than the anxiety and the depression- although the negative thinking wants to hijack the entire brain. I like how Lucinda says you never go back to square one-it's so true. Hope that helps somewhat...

hey hunters mom
This may come in handy for you since you have already gone through all the lessons like i have. I hope this helps you like its helped me.

I just started this and its alot of work. I wrote out all my avoidances and i'm working through one at a time on paper. I write at the top what the avoidance is. then i try to figure out all the main points of all the lessons for each avoidance. for instance serving a customer... I would write down what i would do when the anxiety would come on for lesson 2, lesson 3 i would write the positives i would say to myself, lesson 4 i'd look for the radiculous expectations, lesson 6 where the anger could be coming from, lesson 7 how i would be assertive in the situation if i needed to be, and also what my what-ifs were and if i was feeling guilty and what thoughts they would be and also time management stuff too if it took too long. Basically i would write about the avoidance in the categories of lesson 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13 and 14. Some of these things are repetitious but it really defuses the problem. I've only done it for 1 avoidance so far but i plan to do more of them.

Hey there,

the major key here is to not make a big deal out of your feelings. The sooner you disregard it's importance, the sooner you will overcome it. You see, depression and anxiety feed off of "why is it here?", "why won't it go away", "I am feeling this way again", "why????????"........ The more focused you become on anxiety and depression and your symptoms, the more it LINGERS AND gains momentum.

Just "let it go" ! Let go of the idea that something is wrong. What's wrong is that you are making a big deal out of the way you feel.
ACCEPTANCE is 100% necessary for recovery.

So....
Ask yourself ....
am I ACCEPTING my blue feelings today? Or am I blowing them out of proportion ? Do I ACCEPT my anxiety and it's symptoms or do I obsess about them until they are all I think about ?

Sunset i agree and disagree or maybe i'm just taking it the wrong way. I agree that its not a good idea to make things too big and how acceptance is 100%, and to let go but sometimes letting go isn't that easy. I think focusing on the anxiety and depression is good only if ur looking at the root though instead of your bodies way of reacting to this root creating those branches (symptoms).

Mike

Dear NinjaFrodo; right on! that is a great scheem, I would problably get to the root faster if I did it more methodicaly.

Dear huntersmom; Yes I can relate to that I have been having a groth spurt too. the past 2 weeks, I have had to fight the mold again, and I am phisicaly exhosted, that is bad enough, but the emotional, pleg that my husband just doesn't care enought to do anything for me rite, I know I have high expectations, but this is my life. I have been crying and eating myself up over this, Like sunset34 says "You cannot conquer what you don't confront!!!" and confrontation is my biggest problem, because for 30 years I never confronted, my husband, he has treated me less than human, in my perception, I will use Mary K Muller's formula, for respect, again,
"When you..... I feel..... Because..... there for.... no probably not a there for, my biggest hang up is I love him, I have allowed him not to have to grow up, but that has got to change for my own sanity, and our future together. I am working on lowering my expectations, and taking more control of my life. It is hard after 57 years of letting everyonelse take care of me. I am floundering at doing it myself now, and my body, and my emotions, are wanting to run, back to the safty net of blameing others for the meses in my life.
God Bless your mess,

I know like Lucinda says change is a hard thing, but it has to happen, or we will be dependent on the drugs and the dr's for ever. I want to be free. my selftalk today has been Mary K Muller's song
"I am happy, healthy,wealthy, heald and free,
I am happy, healthy, wealthy, heald and free,
I am happy, and I'm healthy, and enjoying being wealthy, and attracting all the best in life to me.
Hug, Hug, (wrap your armes around your-self, and give your self a hug)
sing this the toon of; 'If youer Happy and you know it clap your hands"
I have been humming and singing and thinking it all day, and now the son is going down, and I am going to tell my husband, why I was crying yesterday. I am ready now. God Bless your mess

Sunset34, you nailed it!!! The change occured for me when I was able to just sit with those horrible feelings of dread and that something was terribly wrong. It takes so much practice working to manage anxiety and depression!!! But, with practice, one will get better and better at excepting it and going on with the day or night or,.... It gets bad before it gets better but one might as well jump into it and learn from it and try best to react a little bit less each time. Also, try not to ride so much on the program but rather take bits and pieces of it at a time and work with it. listen to the innate awareness inside of you. You'll move pass this, in time. keep working on it.

Noone said that "letting go" was easy !! That's why it takes practice of those skills for mastery to happen.

Another thing, everyone has problems at the core. Not everyone knows the "core" problem of their depression and anxiety and many people can become more depressed and anxious if they cannot find their "core" problem. I believe it's necessary to do some inner checking but become too introspective can be damaging and cause the sufferer to go deeper in his/her black hole.

The MWC program teaches that there is no "mystery" at the core to solve. Sure, we all have different "core" reasons why we experienced anxiety and/or depression the first time but we deal with it the best we can and not dwell on it. There are many things that cannot be solved overnight.

Our external problems, do not have to interfere with our internal reaction to stress.
This can be changed.

A person who dwells on his/her problems, symptoms, is only prolonging recovery.

Take it from someone who has recovered; Making a big deal out of depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, panic problems, only makes them stick around.

Sierra, sounds like you are catching on! You are right, it takes ALOT of work. Practice is key! Keep moving forward....

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sunset34,

Sunset...
I had to let you know that I totally agree with your thoughts of practicing acceptance of these feelings in order to be recovered. I have learned to be accepting of like half of my thoughts and symptoms and it has helped me tremendously. I can't wait until I can be accepting of the rest...I know I will truly be free when I am no longer bothered by what I am thinking and feeling.

Many Hugs,
Diane

Diane,

Sounds like you are doing great ! Thanks for sharing your own experience with "acceptance".
There are many here on the board that do not really grasp this key to recovery. It's soooo important. I am sure that if you keep moving forward, you will find freedom !!!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: sunset34,

diffrent strokes for diffrent folk!
In Joyce Meyer's book "The Battlefield of the mind" has helped to me realize who the real enemy is, and why he find's it so easy to attack us in our minds, because we don't accept who we are, and why we are here,

acceptance of God's love and His willing help, to confront things, that have held me back for my entire life, has brought the only lasting healing to my, life. I know, that when I flash hot, Like an internal blussh, I am not being me, the person God made me to be, I am being phoney, some how. Weather it is to please some one, or to hid from how I truly feel. When I accept the phobia (symtom), and confront the situation (problem), with this wisdom, and courage (God loves me), the siymtom goes away, and only returns when I am again, shrinking back in fear (mistrust of my abilities)

I to believe that the only way out of the corner is to think of others, and try to help them, up from their's, but I find it is hard to serve from an empty cup. "Love your neighbor as you love yourself, makes for a love starved neighbor! before, I took this course and realized that God loves me and expects me to love me, just like I love my kids and pray they will love themselves enough to be happy, healthy, and productive people. God Bless your mess

quote:

When I accept the phobia (symtom), and confront the situation (problem), with this wisdom, and courage (God loves me), the siymtom goes away, and only returns when I am again, shrinking back in fear (mistrust of my abilities)

CFE,
excellent! It's all about acceptance and ACTING ON TRUTH rather than being led by feelings.

By giving to others, you get your mind off of yourself and for people who are depressed and/or anxious, this is good medicine !

I love Joyce Meyer! Alot of wisdom for sure!