Anxiety Support Group

Cognitive Behavorial Therapy Session Today: Curing Anxiety and Panic Attacks in 30 mins

I have to read this everday at least once everyday. Thought I'd type it out in case anyone was interested.

1. Definition: massive outpouring of adrenaline, the most powerful chemical in your body and you were born sensitive to all chemicals

2. You were born highly intelligent, creative and imaginative with a genetic predisposition to be anxious. It is not a lack of courage, a character defect or poor parenting.

3. How do we secrete adrenaline? By thoughts, beliefs, dreams and statements.

4. Anxiety is what you experience when you secrete adrenaline.

5. Flight or fight- The body secretes adrenaline when it prepares for mortal combat. Anxiety is simply preparartion to fight a sabre tooth tiger. (or big possum outside at 1:30 in the morning :P)

6. No normal body function like secretion of adrenaline ever leads to death or disease. It's no more of a threat than dropping marshmallows on our bare feet, BIG MASHMALLOWS.

7. Panic attacks never lead to heart attacks, strokes or going crazy. They are just uncomfortable.

8. All panic attacks go away. You always get enough oxygen, no matter how tight your chest feels.

9. Fatigue after panic results from wrestling saber tooth tigers all day. :P

10. We perpetuate anxiety and panic by scaring ourselves. We use our intelligence and creativity to create imagined disasters.

11. Stop drinking alcohol and you stop being drunk. Stop squirting adrenaline and you stop feeling anxious.

12. The brain doesn't want to die or be embarrassed. If you perceive a threat to life or limb or your ego, you will squirt adrenaline.

13. We all have a scare voice. Our scare voice (the BOO) always lies, exaggerates and catastrophizes.

14. The BOO is a consummate bully whose only two tools are the "what if's" (imagined catastrophes) and the WPT's (what will people think.)

15. It's only weapon is adrenaline and you know now, adrenaline cannot harm you---it's just marshmellows.

16. Stop scaring yourself and you stop secreting adrenaline and your anxiety will fade.

17. Recognize and accept the BOO voice. It cannot predict the future events, it cannot predict disease. All it can do is lie; exaggerate and catastrophize.

18. Thought stoppage and calmative breathe immediately and every time you feel anxious.

19. You cure phobias and obsessions with victories. Learn how to get those victories.

20. Treat the BOO voice as if it had terminal Alzheimer's. Patronize, cajole but don't react emotionally.

21. Say "SO WHAT! I WILL HANDLE IT!" A most pwerful answer to BOO voice threats.

22. The three myths of all anxiety patients are: I'm the only one, I'm crazy or will go crazy and I'm incurable! NOT NOT NOT

23. Remember, your BOO voice hold you hostage by threat of death- remember, if you die you don't have to do the homework. :P

24. You cure panic and phobias with education, cognitive behavioral and exposure therapy. Medications alone won't do it. Medicine helps people help themselves but you must learn and master the tools to combat anxiety.

25. All phobias, panic and obsessive compulsive disorders are curable.



That's it!! All this from the book I recommended that my counselor gave me. Freedom from Fear by Howard Liegbold. Hope ya'll get something out of this. I am trying to....ackkkkkk it's harder than it sounds............. WHO WANTS MARSHMELLOWS!!!
Posted on 07/17/07, 10:07 pm