STEP 8: Handle Your
Worries
Handling worries as "noise"
Worries, like panic, take on a life of their own. When you have charted a path to
walk and the noise of unhelpful thoughts follows you, then it is time to shake them. You
must first take a firm stand against the worries: "These thoughts
aren't helpful. I'm not going to let them control me." You can't be wishy-washy about
this decision.
For instance, if you believe that every panic attack is a
potential heart attack, you must settle this issue before you can move forward against
panic. Many people make this mistake. They have all their medical evaluations, ruling out
any heart problem. They feel reassured. But each time symptoms begin, they say, "I
think
this is just anxiety." Underneath that thought is, (" . . . but it
could
be a heart attack.") A stronger voice is, "I'm going to treat these symptoms as
anxiety. I've gotten a clean bill of health. I'm willing to risk the slight chance that
this is something else."
You will now learn about five ways to handle worries that are noise:
stopping them, postponing them, modifying them in two ways and,
surprisingly, increasing them.
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