Hey all,

Can an Anxiety disorder be Controlled by willpower alone?

Some Symptoms Seem real enough to me, they downright hurt. I am trying to figure out if it's anxiety. and if so why can't I go "Just go away" and put my mind on something else and use Common Sense to see past false physical Signs my mind I Suppose is creating..

I have OCD. so its not that easy, but I should be able to overcome this with thought and reason alone. but alas it doesn't work.

maybe I am weak willed, but I am a man of reason, or at least I always thought so. I am reluctant to buy into" it's all in my head" My mother had panic attacks as I grew up, so didn't all her sisters and her brother, as well as her mother and from what I understand Quite a few other relatives.

is this a learned response, I never heard of anyone inheriting Aniety from another generation it makes me angry and feel Silly in the Same breath.



I feel like the patient who cried wolf... Bah,

I think you can make them more bearable with willpower but I don't think they would go away completely. That is just my 2 cents anyway. I hope someone else can be more insightful because I really don't know. Good luck Dave!:wave:

It is my understanding that anxiety disorders can run in families just like depression. My mother went through several depressions and was always a fearful person. She took librium most of my life. A couple of her sisters have had some problems too. God bless

I think you can control it to a point. But if you are under alot of stress or you are really tired you can't control it. I have been trying to just think "it's all in my head" too. It just doesn't seem to be working. I am seeing a counselor right now which is making things better. Anxiety and depression does run in families! It is a proven fact.

That's like trying to fix a broken leg with willpower. It just won't work.

It can be often eased a bit, with various methods, such as deep breathing or mantras. But there are anxiety attacks of all shapes and sizes, some are too big to control by willpower alone. I really believe that most people who have anxiety attacks are somehow able to keep themselves back from the edge of complete shutdown by sheer courage and effort.

Panic disorder is tricky in that the way to lesson (or eliminate) the symptoms is to accept them. You cannot fight them, for it adds more tension and sensitization to your nerves. When you accept the symptoms without adding fear, you can begin to desensitize. The symptoms ARE real and have nothing to do with being strong or weak; however, the symptoms are not dangerous. It's not all in the mind as sensitized nerves are REAL in that they overreact, add excess adrenline to the body and can make you feel horrible. So the goal is to desensitize your nerves, which cannot be done by willpower.

I also have OCD as if panic isn't bad enough! You are not weak or crazy and it is definitely not "all in your head!" My mom has panic as well as two of her sisters, her mother, and even my sister suffers from it. I believe there is a predisposition for this, as with many other disorders, as you see it running in many families.

I've come a long way and most days don't even know I have panic disorder; however, once I am bombarded with stress and my nerves resensitize- I feel it!

The best advice I can give to you is to get ahold of any of the books written by Claire Weekes. Read them, reread them, and make them a part of your life.

Lanie