Anxiety
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Regards to All !
I have been coping with anxiety for as long as I can remember, I am 52 and I have come to the conclusion that its a part of me, but the question or discussion I would like to start here is the following.
Q: can anxiety be self-induce and if so what are the main reason's for one to do so ?
Anxiety is Part of You
Michel,
Yes, the ACT point of view is that anxiety is part of you and that you take it with you. We have all had anxiety with us for as long as we can recall. We take anxiety with us and we move toward what is important to us. Whether it is self-induced or not and what the reasons for inducing or not inducing might be, we HAVE anxiety.
From an ACT point of view you might look at your question about anxiety and see how the question works for moving you toward what's important to you in the present moment, while having anxiety.
I hope this helps.
Kevin
Anxiety
My regards Dr, Polk
Well I dont know anything about ACT yet as I am waiting for the book, while I know that my anxiety is part of me and will be for life I wanted to start a discussion to see how people deal with it or cope.
So your reply did help in the fact that it confirms what I think.
But Dr, Polk for me to come to this understanding took a heck of a lot of ''work'' I am not one who thrives on mental masturbation as I call it, one thing is for shure tough since 1997 I have been really carefull not to make the same mistakes of my past.
So yes we only have the present and living my day as serine as I can with my anxiety I believe will make a better tomorow.
Moving toward some goals I have
Michel
Sorry, From you post I thought you had already read some ACT.
Michel,
You noted that you have anxiety and that is a very ACT consistent way of saying you accept that you have anxiety.
As will become clear to you as you read about ACT, accepting that you have anxiety takes a lot of the coping with and understanding anxiety stuff out of the picture. What is left is something like the sentence, "Yes, I have anxiety and I will take it with me as I move toward what is important to me."
That is all that I meant.
Again, sorry if my post was abrupt.
Kevin
Hi Michel
Anxiety is self induced. Think of reading a newspaper with a particular bias. The biased opinion is yours. About 80% of our internal dialogue is negative, unfortunately this is human nature. The only way through it is diffusion; at least that's what the research says. There are several methods of diffusion that you can use.
I have come to the realization that I probably have less anxiety than most and when I get into a spin cycle of anxious thoughts I can not diffuse them because I did not know how. Read Forsyth's latest workbook; it is by far the best research out there on how to deal with anxiety. ACT works, by the way, you may want to try it.
The Mindfulness And Acceptance Workbook For Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free from Anxiety, Phobias, and Worry Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Author: John P. Forsyth
This is by far the best book on anxiety that I have ever read. It stays on my bedside table and I read it every night.
Russ Harris' new book is good too. He piggy-backs on ACT and has some new ideas/approaches, but Forsyth's book is by far the first step. I have found that the key to anxiety is language; language the book teaches you. Mostly how to talk to yourself. Anxiety is worse if you had a difficult upbringing or were alone most of your life.
Believe me, you're not alone, but you have to start reading this book. Let me know how it turns out.
Take care, Panos
self-induce
Hello Panos
Thanks for your reply, I cant wait to my hands on the book I am waiting for it and its in the mail, I live in Canada, Québec actually so the librairies were I am are all french as I am.
I am one who believes that at least a part of our anxiety is self induce for reason like for ex: fear of change
So yes I will keep you posted
Again thank you for your reply
Michel
Hi
Hi Michel,
I'm glad for you. There are a couple of other books: "Get Out of you Mind and into your life", I think by Hayes and Russ Harris' new one "The Happiness Trap". In my opinion the one I recommended yesterday is the best. I would choose Harris' last of the three. His is more of a regurgitation but he does add new analogies and he bravely discusses his own battles. He openly admits, as a doctor, that he too has struggled/struggles with anxiety--I admire him for that. Someone in his position would never have to admit demons. I have not finished the entire book. It is hard to find but also worth it.
I have been struggling with anxiety for about 25 years myself. It is constantly there, but I've come to realize that's it's constantly there for everybody. The difference is some people have learned tools to defuse anxiety as children and, as a result suffer less. My parents are European and there was a tremendous language and cultural barrier that I have had to overcome. I was mostly left to try and understand everything inside the skin by myself--and still am. I really feel for my parents who must be terrified and feel so alone (they can not read in English or I would recommend the book).
I even had an anxious thought this morning (my anxiety, like most peoples, usually ends in catastrophe). I used some diffusion techniques in the book to distance myself from my thoughts and when I regained clarity (distance) I really began to see things clearer and now I have minimal anxiety.
Honestly Michel, for me, the book I recommended has saved me years of struggling. If you feel alone you can also ask your family doctor to refer you to an ACT social worker. They're (I think in Ontario) free and can be great. The combination of having someone explain ACT to you, not being alone, and having the printed text at your disposal is a powerful combatant against anxiety.
Stay positive, be kind to yourself (as you would others), forgive yourself, distance yourself from anxious thoughts and, most importantly live now (which is the only place you really can live).
Take care, Panos
Sharing
Panos !
What a gift you just gave me the only fact that you dared sharing some of your personnal life tells much about you, obviously your heart is at the right place.
My turn to tell about myself a bit, I come from tchèque background altough I was born here, my first language is French.
The reason I asked the question is I wanted to know if some people feel responsable for there anxiety, me...to a degree as I do not feel responsable for my youth (raising) at a young age when you are raise in anxiety (constatly in fear not to say terrified) it sticks with you so altough my parents are dead I have come to peace with that...if I wanted to be a ''good Parent'' the buck had to stop with me.
So how did I deal with my fears well I'll be honnest I dealt with it using drugs and alcool to the point were I became a addict but, in 1997 I had it rock bottom and went into therapy for six months in this private clinic (it was the best investment of my life) so my journey of getting my life back started there, I found out quite quickly that the substance's were only the vehicule of my struggles, I have been clean and sober since.
One thing I want to mention is that I was in a support group (AA) for quite some time being truthfull I dont anymore, as the twelve step program did help me I cannot deny that but, again being transparent I dont find that the doctrine AA is something I want anymore....
So Panos
I hope to ear from you again
My friend in arms
Michel
P.S. excuse the faults in my English it is a second language to me
Thank you
Michel,
Thank you for sharing your story. It is quite remarkable what you have been able to overcome. I wish you the best of luck. I will forward any new books/articles I get.
Take care, Panos