Speaking with someone can change everything
There’s only one thing that I know for certain, and that is that I had really bad anxiety from 18-25 with frequent panic attacks. I spoke with a therapist finally, and all of a sudden…
I haven’t had one since, nor have I had any type of anxiety even remotely close in any regard to what it once was on a daily basis, I can truly manage everything now.
It’s hard to say whether or not my worries have vanished due to speaking with someone about the problems I had, or if it was more so the answers that were given to me in attempt to solve my problems…
The only thing I know for sure is, I’m no longer the individual I was before seeing someone.
Observe thoughts and feelings; It lessons the blow
This changed my life damn near immediately.
I have to assume the reason behind the removal of anxiety and worried emotion, is due to this process attacking the thought or feeling head on and confronting it, so your brain no longer cares to spend any more time trying to “figure out” what you’re thinking or what you’re feeling.
I’m still working on this and trying to figure out how this freed me and what has actually happened here, but, I haven’t quite put my finger on it yet. All I know is… it works!
Positive feedback loops and the power to create them
Example: someone says “If you smile even when you are truly sad, you start forcing yourself to be happy”. Now, if you go out and try it for yourself and prove to yourself that this really does happen… you’ve established a truth that you’ve not only heard of, but discovered yourself through your own experience.
This is a positive feedback loop, and if this is done repeatedly towards something… It solidifies in your mind stronger and stronger.
Positive feedback loops can be used for great things, but can also be used for not-so-good things as well, so be sure to be choosy when possible!
Anxiety is an emotion, not an illness. How you react makes all the difference
Every time I’ve ever anxiously spun out of control has been due to first feeling anxious and then, thinking that it was not okay to feel in such a way. It’s important to understand that you are always feeling some type of way, and the only time in which that is a “good” or “bad” thing is when you tell yourself it is or is not.
Seek professional counsel, not opinions
If you want proper information and proper help, you need to seek out those who do exactly what it is you’re looking for, professionally.
The best way to explain this is, you’re bad with money and want to learn about finances. You tell your mom about this, and she tells you that you need to do this and do that, but the problem is… she has never been good with money nor is that her profession.
She’s a hairstylist who never took classes in regards to handling finances. What is it that she can teach you? All she could offer in this case is her opinion based on her experience.
We often want to assume that people we look up to or respect, know exactly what they’re talking about. I’m sure we’re all very well aware, though, that this is not the case. If you want to learn how to become a teacher, ask a teacher! If you want help on how to be a blacksmith, ask a blacksmith!
Closing
These are just my own experiences and learned truths. You’re going to come across times where you have an Epiphone moment and think “wow, I don’t want to forget this” and that is exactly the time you need to document it. If you don’t physically put your important thoughts and realizations down, they will be lost for sure.