I am absolutely thrilled with this program! I used to love to swim when I was in college and would swim a mile several times a week. Now after 25 'dry' years I finally got back to swimming laps and loving it. The neat thing is that I did it during week 5 (exercise and diet). I figured out after maybe 3 weeks in the program that my avoidance of lap pools started when another swimmer got mad because I bumped him when we were sharing lanes. So I knew the cause but still couldn't get started. I also couldn't set foot in a gym or take any aerobics class. I opened up to my friend and she offered to take me to a class (I had bought a membership weeks earlier and promised to meet her at the class many times). She completely understood my anxiety and so she took me around and showed me the whole set-up. I have been swimming or working out 6 times in the last 10 days.

I think its interesting that whenever i think of some activity that I no longer can do, I often visualize a certain event (like the lane dispute) that seems to be the birth of the fear. I don't want to dwell too much on the past, but i feel compelled to reason it out a little. Anyway, I have several more fears to be conquered and each one calls to mind a specific event that I seem to have magnified out of proportion. But, for now, everything is going along swimmingly!

Hello Mho,

WAY TO GO!!! I'm thrilled that you're out there working the program and regaining your life. (It's such a better way to live, isn't it?) You've got three major things going on:

1. You've got insights on why you stopped doing different activities. That's going to be a big help when you take back those activities.

2. You're meeting your fears and conquering them.

3. You're killing two birds with one stone-- you've already conquered fears that make your exercise program a lot easier.

Keep doin' what you're doin'! Every conquest of what you thought unconquorable makes it a little easier the next time. I hope you've given yourself a LOT of positive self-talk for your accomplishments. Also, it sounds like you've got a good friend who understands and is supportive of you. That's a blessing.

God bless,
--Phil.

Wow Mho! That's great news. I hope you continue with your success. Enjoy the pool!