.... Managing Your Anxiety
May is Mental Health month, so right now there are an abundance of articles ‘out there’ about anxiety, depression and other conditions.
Every time I see a headline such as one of those above, I want to scream from the rooftops:
“You don’t have to ‘live with anxiety’, you don’t have to ‘manage your anxiety’.
You CAN eliminate the anxious feelings – all of them. You can be rid of those strong sensations that are robbing you of the life you want to live! You CAN be free to do all the things you want to do. You CAN stop being led by fearful thoughts which are ruining your life.”
I am so very grateful for Dr. Abraham Low and his Recovery Method. When I came into the program the stated objective was to: “regain and maintain my mental health”. Regain and Maintain. The ultimate intent was to ‘get well’, to function, and function well ‘out there in the world’.
The purpose was not just to manage symptoms, manage the anxiety – the purpose was to get well and stay well.
The goal was not to ‘deal’ with the symptoms, the goal was to do away with them -- eventually forever.
The aim was to be cured! Yes, cured. Cured!!
Eliminate strong, debilitating symptoms all together.
That’s not just my opinion. It’s a proven fact!
In his biography, My Dear Ones, it's reported that Low told his clients over and over again:
“You will get well in Recovery”. “You will get well in Recovery”.
He was sure of it, and I am too.
Over the years I’ve witnessed and heard of too, too many successes to think otherwise.
Yes, there are those who put in a minimum of effort and get scant results. They are still symptom-led, fear-led, instead of self-led.
The fact is: If you know the material, and don’t use it (daily), when you don’t practice, you will not make any measurable or significant progress. You will continue living with some degree of symptoms. You will go on Living in Anxiety.
The fitness tools in the program are designed to reduce the intensity and duration of symptoms. That means by practicing the methods, by actually using what you learn, symptoms won’t be as strong and won’t last as long. Progress may seem slow from the beginning – but if you practice the methods -- they work, and they work very well. Over time, with conscious, consistent, persistent practice, the symptoms will go away completely.
Yes, completely.
As the word implies, ‘recovery’ means recover: to mend, to heal, to recuperate, to restore, to re-establish, to return to health. The word ‘recovery’ does not mean living with a condition, or tolerating it.
The opposite of Living With Anxiety is being At Ease and In Control --- being able to feel at ease in any situation and being in control of your thoughts and your Life.
You really CAN change ‘Living With Anxiety’ to ‘Living Without Anxiety ’.
© 2011 Rose VanSickle ~ All rights reserved
