Question for - was Re: Re: New to group and ACT and advice/question

[Guest guest]

Helena,

I know your question is for Steve, but I'll also stick my two cents in fwiw. Do

you know what you're looking for? You may not know until you go a few times and

listen very closely. Bring your observer self with you to the table and honor

the heck out of what you're noticing. For me, in this sense it was almost like

I had to do a lot of ACT work on my own before I went looking for professional

help and before I went to other support groups if that makes sense..I was that

fused and confused...so it helped me to begin to separate out some of the

genuine concerns from the ones that were more like reasons or avoidance showing

up everywhere for me...suffering that I need to look at in the company of

compassionate, honest, patient, humble persons. I will say there are therapists

I worked with in the past that were too attached to their own way of conducting

the session who said they were versed in ACT and were well-meaning but too

attached to their way of doing and looking and too constricted and well..just

not being where I was, really. So that ended up not being useful for me, not

terribly supportive space for what I was looking for. That said, this person I'm

working with now is probably someone who, years ago I would have found not so

helpful. So there is no formula for sure except what is working for you here,

now.

Good luck..with you..you're not alone.

Terry

> > > >

> > > > > Hi,

> > > > >

> > > > > I am new to the group and to ACT. I have recently begun reading/doing

the ACT workbook titled " The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook. " I little about

my history. I have struggled with anxiety for many years and quite successful at

living a productive life and keeping it from inhibiting my life too much. Until

over the last 6 months my insomnia became really bad along with my anxiety. I

have been working with a cognitive behavior therapist to deal with panic attacks

and insomnia. It has been helpful in some ways but in many ways it has left me

with much more panic and anxiety than I ever had before. A lot of my anxiety

since doing CBT has been triggered by doing the breathing exercises which seem

to cause me to hyperventilate and not calm me down as they are designed to do.

Which brings me to why I'm writing this.. I am very excited about ACT and feel

it will be really helpful to me however, every time any of the exercises advise

" taking a deep breath " or " focusing on one's breathing, " I become super anxious

and begin to have the sensations of a panic attack. I have read numerous books

on mindfulness and done several meditation retreats and feel it really speaks to

our human existence and offers the wisest framework for living this life.

However, I always get stuck at the breathing and really feel lately that I am

completely doomed because I can't be with my breath or I totally freak out and

the very thing that is " supposed " to help me triggers me to panic and obsess

over my breathing. Lately I have become so obsessed by my breathing I can hardly

read a book or do anything that causes me to notice my breathing or I will start

to panic. I know this probably sounds ridiculous and many may not have the same

concerns, I'm just wondering if in fact anyone has had this type of experience

and if so if they have any advice because I really want to to do this work but

feel paralyzed by fear that I am only making my situation worse by continually

doing activities that cause me to obsess over my breath and panic.

> > > > >

> > > > > Any advice in this area would be really help. I realize avoiding my

breath and the panic is the way to go, but I am unsure how to wisely do these

exercises that often use the breath as an anchoring tool. I'm feel so scared

that I will never be able to cope with my anxiety because of these feelings.

Very sorry for long winded post.

> > > > >

> > > > > Thank you kindly,

> > > > > Leigh

> > > > >

> > > > >

> > > >

> > >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks, Terry. All good points and I totally agree. I was more curious if remembered him than anything else, and he has responded to me on that. I am pretty good at sizing up a therapist when first meeting him or her, and the most important thing to me is that the therapist will help me steer my life in the direction I want it to go. That's vague, I know, but I know in my mind exactly what I mean. I once had an amazing therapist who believed in something that was not helpful to me at all, so I told her that and she left it out and helped me tremendously in others ways. I would prefer a female therapist since I have been most comfortable with them in the past. But I'm going to contact this guy to see if he would be interested in starting an ACT group in this area. He is not only in Pittsburgh, he is located in my very community - so I'm excited to see if something comes of it in terms of a group.

Helena

To: "ACT for the Public" <ACT_for_the_Public >Sent: Saturday, January 28, 2012 12:45:21 PMSubject: Question for - was Re: Re: New to group and ACT and advice/question

Helena,I know your question is for Steve, but I'll also stick my two cents in fwiw. Do you know what you're looking for? You may not know until you go a few times and listen very closely. Bring your observer self with you to the table and honor the heck out of what you're noticing. For me, in this sense it was almost like I had to do a lot of ACT work on my own before I went looking for professional help and before I went to other support groups if that makes sense..I was that fused and confused...so it helped me to begin to separate out some of the genuine concerns from the ones that were more like reasons or avoidance showing up everywhere for me...suffering that I need to look at in the company of compassionate, honest, patient, humble persons. I will say there are therapists I worked with in the past that were too attached to their own way of conducting the session who said they were versed in ACT and were well-meaning but too attached to their way of doing and looking and too constricted and well..just not being where I was, really. So that ended up not being useful for me, not terribly supportive space for what I was looking for. That said, this person I'm working with now is probably someone who, years ago I would have found not so helpful. So there is no formula for sure except what is working for you here, now.Good luck..with you..you're not alone.Terry > > > > > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > > > > > I am new to the group and to ACT. I have recently begun reading/doing the ACT workbook titled "The Mindfulness & Acceptance Workbook." I little about my history. I have struggled with anxiety for many years and quite successful at living a productive life and keeping it from inhibiting my life too much. Until over the last 6 months my insomnia became really bad along with my anxiety. I have been working with a cognitive behavior therapist to deal with panic attacks and insomnia. It has been helpful in some ways but in many ways it has left me with much more panic and anxiety than I ever had before. A lot of my anxiety since doing CBT has been triggered by doing the breathing exercises which seem to cause me to hyperventilate and not calm me down as they are designed to do. Which brings me to why I'm writing this.. I am very excited about ACT and feel it will be really helpful to me however, every time any of the exercises advise "taking a deep breath" or "focusing on one's breathing," I become super anxious and begin to have the sensations of a panic attack. I have read numerous books on mindfulness and done several meditation retreats and feel it really speaks to our human existence and offers the wisest framework for living this life. However, I always get stuck at the breathing and really feel lately that I am completely doomed because I can't be with my breath or I totally freak out and the very thing that is "supposed" to help me triggers me to panic and obsess over my breathing. Lately I have become so obsessed by my breathing I can hardly read a book or do anything that causes me to notice my breathing or I will start to panic. I know this probably sounds ridiculous and many may not have the same concerns, I'm just wondering if in fact anyone has had this type of experience and if so if they have any advice because I really want to to do this work but feel paralyzed by fear that I am only making my situation worse by continually doing activities that cause me to obsess over my breath and panic. > > > > > > > > > > Any advice in this area would be really help. I realize avoiding my breath and the panic is the way to go, but I am unsure how to wisely do these exercises that often use the breath as an anchoring tool. I'm feel so scared that I will never be able to cope with my anxiety because of these feelings. Very sorry for long winded post. > > > > > > > > > > Thank you kindly, > > > > > Leigh > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >>