Do your worst. (must read) - Anxiety Message Board

feloni · 10-22-2004, 12:47 PM

To calm yourself from anxiety and panic attacks you have to do your worst and let the anxiety/panic attack tear you apart. It's so simple if you get to understand it, we fight anxiety uncosciously....but the fight is our anxiety/panic attack. Just do your worst. If understand this you'll be free. Trust me, this is no cookie fortune advice. Just say it to yourself in any case, even to calm muscular tension. I can't explain it - it's impossible to explain, but I just gave you the most important piece of the riddle, it's no BS.

hillaryb · 10-22-2004, 02:52 PM

Ummm, Ok, also, if I take the blue pill, I leave the matrix??? Or are you suggesting I literally tear myself apart?? lol. This is one of those things that I KIND of get what you are trying to say, but honestly, it makes no sense. Should I instead scream?? Sacrifice my first-born child?? Rip all my hair out?? If it works for you, surely you can elaborate??????

hry33 · 10-22-2004, 04:28 PM

IMO there is some benefit in accepting the panic attacks and anxiety and not fighting back against them, or fearing them but most sufferers need other treatments as well

instead of fighting, accept and float thur it

feloni · 10-22-2004, 04:43 PM

It means that instead of trying breathing excersices, taking some pill or going to your therapist you can basically face your fears by simply saying to yourself "do your worst" or something similar. Cuz the panic attacks and anxiety are our own creations, if we understand how they work we can get rid of them. There is no right or wrong answer, so trying won't help you a bit...I know I sound like a monk but it's one of those things I can't really explain. Trying to overcome our problems feed the problems. All of us have this kinaesthesia sensor in our bodies, it's basically our instincs telling us what's right or wrong. When we are kids, we know what's right because we are born with a reliable kinaesthesia - but modern life basically messes it up. Sometimes what we think is wrong is right, and what we thing is right is wrong. Some people blame it on the vision and how much we rely on it, because eyes can really be decieving.

Anyway I'm going way off into its philosophy. Try approaching your anxiety/panic attacks in a completely different direction, something that you know deep inside is WRONG. I thought it was some preaching BS too, well...it ain't...

It's hard to explain, but if you get it it's really easy. Just when you try to control your anxiety, swim against the current and see what happens. I use metaphores cuz I don't know how else would I explain it. All you need is patience and a brain to rationalize.

hilery79 · 10-22-2004, 05:00 PM

I know what you mean and I agree. I used to suffer from panic attacks, but I haven't had an actual "attack" in a long time. I took pretty much the same approach you described...when I felt an attack coming on, I would just accept it for what it was...try not to fight it and let it pass. It really is simple once you can actually get yourself to "accept" the attacks and know that they can't hurt you. Don't get me wrong...the panic attacks I used to have were definately scary. I used to think "oh my god...I know I'm going to die" and have my husband rush me to the ER. It took awhile, but once I finally realized that the attacks couldn't hurt me... I was able to stop them from happening altogether.

I only wish this same ideology would help my everyday anxiety symptoms.