Hello all, I just wanted to share a major triumph that I accomplished today. I left San Francisco and drove with my roommate in her car for 2 hours to Sacramento. I have not been out of the City since mid-January. This is huge. I'm so excited because we drove there, spent time at her friend's house who just had a baby, played with the baby, had dinner, and then drove back at night, sat in traffic, and eventually ended up back in the City. I had not one moment of anxiety. I brought my workbook, the tapes, anti-anxiety medication I used to take, and my journal. I didn't have to take any medication!!!While I was paying attention to my body, I noticed it was more awareness than fear. I just kept breathing and "telling myself the truth" which is what was suggested by folks on the Lesson 3 tape. The truth being that I am healthy and secure in my skills and most importantly, am not afraid anymore of the body symptoms. That one's new. I read only 2 days ago that "if you are no longer afraid of the body symptoms, the anxiety will dissipate." It clicked for me. I thought, "what am I afraid of?" I answered it with the worst case scenario and then realized that scenario didn't really scare me anymore.
I just wanted to share. I find this folder so important because it's all about the positive stuff and not the hardship-I needed to learn what it's like to be this positive about things in my life. Thank you for reading this and for having an interest in the triumphs of others. I do too, so please share if you have any!!!
Posts: 234 | Location: California | Registered: February 20, 2004
I am SO happy for you and your accomplishments!! GREAT NEWS!!!
It's so cool when someone who takes medication suddenly realizes they need it less and less and before long, they don't need it at all. What a good feeling! I can sense your joy over all of it!!
It truly is the working of this program and the self-talk you have within yourself that makes the whole difference.
Learning to tell ourselves the truth is hard but once we do, we FEEL the effects of it if we do it consistantly.
It's hard to believe that something as small as talking to yourself properly can create such peace not to mention confidence in yourself and your abilities to control this anxiety and the extent that you feel it.
Well I don't have muich time. I just had to take a break and I saw your post and I wanted to give you a BIG HUG!!!! well anywho,,,, good for you!!! take care "dig in and puh forward"
Posts: 154 | Location: Riverside | Registered: February 16, 2004
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