Stress and Anxiety

[Guest guest]

I am experiencing a lot of stress and anxiety lately. My mind is

racing and I am so confused! I want to escape from my relationship

and/or go on medication to ease these feelings. I feel like I really

know what needs to be done and I'm afraid to do it. I also think that

maybe I don't know what to do; and that prevents me from acting on

doing what I think I " know " needs to be done! Please help.

[Guest guest]

I hear the distress in your post and I

empathize.

And I am not so sure semi-anonymous lay

persons and professionals on a list serve are in the best position to tell you

what you should do.

You mentioned earlier that you have been

seeing an ACT therapist – s/he may be a more appropriate person to go to

for advice.

This listserv is not a substitute for

therapy. And it is a place to find out about ACT generally, and to ask

questions about ACT principles and exercises and the like, and to get general

support from others struggling with the same material…and this listserv

is not a place to find out what you should do in a specific situation.

No one on this list knows what you should

do better than you do.

In fact, to tell you what to do, as an ACT

therapist who knows you only from a few listserv postings, would itself be somewhat

ACT inconsistent, because I and other ACT therapists (other than, perhaps, your

own therapist) can’t know what moving in a valued direction looks like

for you, and our responses would most likely reflect our own personal values

rather than your values and offer little that increases your willingness,

acceptance, flexibility – that facilitates your movement in your

valued directions.

A therapist and fellow traveler,

Patty

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From: ACT_for_the_Public [mailto:ACT_for_the_Public ] On Behalf Of pitamind

Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2006

8:29 PM

To: ACT_for_the_Public

Subject:

Stress and Anxiety

I am experiencing a lot of

stress and anxiety lately. My mind is

racing and I am so confused! I want to escape from

my relationship

and/or go on medication to ease these feelings. I

feel like I really

know what needs to be done and I'm afraid to do

it. I also think that

maybe I don't know what to do; and that prevents

me from acting on

doing what I think I " know " needs to be

done! Please help.