When it comes to anxiety disorders, panic attacks etc., I really have been there and done that as I was a sufferer for over 13 years.
Anyone who suffers from, or who has suffered from, these truly awful ailments, will clutch at anything which will help them. I know, I carry all the scars.
I discovered, over time, a principle I call “SO WHAT HAPPENS THEN?”, which really worked for me. It’s very simplicity may make people give it little credence, but I have to tell you, as someone who has worn the T-Shirt and starred in the film when it comes to anxiety issues, this really did work for me.
The basis to this principle is very simply to unearth the cause of the anxiety by asking oneself questions.
By doing this, I found that what then occurred was my realization that actually the reason for the panic behind these attacks was groundless.
It is based on the old quotation, the source of which escapes me, which says that until you control the mind, you control nothing, and conversely, if you control the mind, you control everything.
To make my point in the simplest way possible, let’s take the example of thinking that you could be late for work, and having a possible anxiety attack as a result.
“I could be late for work” becomes the driving thought here, which then is followed by the question “So what happens then?”.
Answer. The boss is bound to see that I get in late. Question. SO WHAT HAPPENS THEN?
Answer. He’ll kick me out, fire me. Question. SO WHAT HAPPENS THEN?
Answer. We have no money coming in. Question SO WHAT HAPPENS THEN?
Answer. We won’t be able to settle our household bills, and may not have enough for the food we want. Question. SO WHAT HAPPENS THEN?
Let me stop this example here, as I think I will have already make my point. This gives you a simple method of finding out what is behind the probable attack and then actually proving to yourself just how irrational this is with no reason therefore for the panic.
So here we have someone who not surprisingly is fearful of losing their job, a fear most people have today, and then the resultant consequences for themselves and their family. And this was all caused by the anxiety attack of believing they could be late for work.
This can be applied to any and every situation. I took this example, a simple one I think you will agree, just to make the general point. This can work in virtually any scenario someone with a disorder could imagine.
The key here is to prove to oneself just how irrational the anxiety can be. This is crucial, and in my own case I found it helped me immensely.
I started out by explaining just how long I have suffered from these awful conditions. I will not bore you with what they almost did to my life, but anyone reading this article, who has been there themselves, can fill that part in I am sure.
I sought long and hard to find a solution, and then made a pact that when I did I would set a site up to help others do the same, and that is what I have done, with a lot of free information and detailed articles.
