Hello from an anxious Aussie

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I'm 29 and have had anxiety issues ever since I was about 15. As recent

as last week I felt like I was moving towards a very dark place in

which my anxiety and social phobia issues were affecting more and more

areas of my life. I began feeling a constant heaviness in my chest and

a quickening pulse rate, even in situations that did not typically

cause anxiety for me. I began losing interest in the things I used to

treasure and felt as though I was closing in on myself as I avoided

social situations and sat at home feeling guilty and wondering why I

haven't got the strength to do a simple task like washing the dishes.

In the past I've tried numerous strategies to counter the anxiety,

including breathing/relaxation techniques, vitamin supplements,

exercise and cognitive therapy (eg. transforming negative thoughts into

positives). None of these had any lasting effect, and it seems they may

have worsened the situation in the last year or so.

As fortune has it, I work for a health fund and a card was dropped on

everyone's desks last week and posters put up on the walls. They

read " Employee Assistance Program " and had a number you can call for

free help with any personal issues. Anxiety was on the list.

After a little bit of an internal struggle, I decided to call the

number and went along to a counselling session. My mind was half open,

half skeptical as I explained my situation and was asked to complete

some exercises and given a handout to take home.

I didn't feel much better at that point, but later I picked up the

handout and read it. It was a 3 or 4 page article on something called

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

The more I read it, the more I was intrigued. It suggested going

through the morning routines, eg. shower, brushing teeth, getting

dressed being aware of the present and paying attention to even the

smallest details of what is going on at the time. Well, I did this and

was pleasantly surprised by the effect it had, which made me more

curious about the therapy.

I wasted no time in searching the web to find out more, and placed an

order for " Get our of your mind and into your life " . I didn't have

anything to lose, I thought.

Because I couldn't wait, I began practicing being in the present moment

in the days leading up to the book's arrival. I should mention that

another problem of mine was lack of expressing emotion. Even though

I've had some fairly significant life events occur recently, I felt

emotionless about them, as if the anxiety had eclipsed everything else

tha was important in my life.

Well, after a very enlightening session of practicing " being present "

on the walk home from work one day, I discovered that the book had

arrived!

I excitedly opened it up and began reading with a sense of wonder and

excitement. By the end of the first chapter I had tears in my eyes, I

don't know whether they were tears or sadness, joy or something else

entirely, but for the first time in a long time I felt a deep

connection with myself and realised there was a way out of this mess.

I'm now much further into the book and am impressed with the way it is

written and being a logical person, find the science behind the therapy

very compelling (thanks Mind!).

Already I'm noticing significant changes in how I go about daily tasks.

The dishes have been done at last and as I approach my 30th birthday, I

feel as though I'm standing at the beginning of a journey and I can't

wait to see how it unfolds.

I'll keep you posted

Adam