CONQUERING FEAR Be willing to take risks: There is simply no risk-free way to face your fear and recover. Start with small goals and gradually increase them. Be willing to tolerate some discomfort: It is inevitable that you will experience some anxiety so accept that there is no gain without pain. It is common to feel worse before you start to feel better. With practice, exposure will become easier and your confidence will increase. Avoid flooding – be willing to retreat: You are in control of the intensity and length of your exposure. Give yourself permission to retreat if your anxiety becomes unmanageable. Retreat is not cowardly. Plan for contingencies: Know your escape routes out of any situation. Leave yourself a trap door. Bring along your Walkman with relaxation music, carry a list of coping statements or pack your medication. The unexpected can happen like your car breaking down. Trust your own pace: Exposure is not a competition or a race against time. It is better to progress slowly and surely, gradually rebuilding your confidence and refining your coping skills. Rewards yourself for small successes: Be your own cheer squad. Maintaining your motivation is essential. Buy yourself a little something or make a contract with yourself that upon the accomplishment of a certain goal, you will buy yourself a new CD, book, or some clothes etc. Learn to cope with the early stages of panic: Accept the feelings – float and let go. Focus on your breath. Use affirmative self-talk. Get your mind off yourself with distractions. Be positive when entering a situation: Make “I can” and “I will” your motto. Let go and trust that you will be able to handle any feelings that come up. After all, you are not crazy or dead yet! Practice regularly: Regular practice is one of the keys to a full and lasting recovery. If you only challenge a phobic situation once a month, you desensitize yourself during the weeks in between. Do something every day or, at least, six days out of seven. Expect setbacks: Recovery is not a linear progression like a line on a graph. There will be plateaus and regressions. Setbacks are an integral part of the ‘one step forward and two steps backward’ recovery process. Be patient: With yourself, with time and with the people who expect you to meet their schedule. Refrain from chastising yourself. You will have great days and bloody awful days. One bad day does not make you an eternal failure. Give up the guilt and shame.
Posted on: Sun, 22 Jun 2014 01:00:01 +0000
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