As I said before you were trying to find a way to fix or control or fix how you felt, that's totally against what the book says but it is the way we work, if it feels broken we must find away to fix or stop it when the opposite is true. Be cool with whatever thought comes up, don't try to stop it, don't try to make sense of it, it's only a thought and means nothing, be willing to feel anything also, be cool with any state, whatever state is fine, again don't try to change it, it is all about attitude, however you feel is fine. Why does this work? It gets you out of your head and back on life, you feel more conscious as your not wasting all your day on it, you save so much mental energy by not going over and over it, you give your mind and body the break it so needs by not stressing and worrying so it can heal itself, you stop being anxious about being anxious which breaks the cycle and you learn to be ok with whatever comes up, it stops bothering you, the fight is over. It's an attitude that can come over night or take time just keep working on not trying to change anything.

Letting it play in the background does not mean ignoring it, it just means no longer engaging in its games. Whatever ever state arises is fine, so there should be no resistance to what is, no worrying, no suppressing, no questioning, left alone is exactly what your mind and body wants to heal. Remember whatever feeling or thought arises is fine, just go about your day with them there, don't fall into the fix, question or suppress state but don't try to ignore or reject the feeling, the thought or feeling is fine and needs to rejection, it needs space to be as it is.

Try to get your mind away from negative thinking and focus on singing or humming a tune you know well. Do this for 30 minutes and your automatic negative thinking will be substantially reduced. You can hum under your breath ... even at work. When you are alone, remind yourself that your negative thoughts are not rational and that they are completely wrong, biased, and are lies. ANTs always lie, always cheat, and always try to trap you into believing their B.S. Do not let the ANTs succeed. The ANTs are liars and their days are numbered. Open your workbook, read the truth, relax, and slowly repeat the truth to yourself, over and over. YOU are more than a worthwhile human being, and YOU are doing your best to overcome anxiety. YOU are doing nothing wrong. ANTs thoughts and feelings are always lies. They can never tell the truth.

The Fridge Exercise

The Fridge Exercise

One exercise of imagination, which will help you to come to an awareness of your higher self, is the metaphor of the fridge:

-“So I would like you to imagine that you’re a fridge! The first thing that happens is that somebody comes along and puts some butter in you... what do you do?”

-Most people at this point say “Keep it cold.”

-“And somebody else puts some milk in you, what do you do?”

-“Keep it cold.”

-“And somebody else puts a dirty old boot in you, what do you do?” Here there is usually some hesitation, but, sometimes prompted by “You’re a fridge”, people more or less reluctantly say,

-“Keep it cold”.

-“Right! And why is there no point in you, as a fridge, getting upset about the presence of the old boot (although it’s entirely understandable that you may not like it!)?” People usually see that it’s because, as the fridge, they are not in control of what comes into or goes out of them. “And do you think you are the butter, the milk or the old boot?”

-“No, I’m the fridge.”

07/24

Actions:

-Do NOT self-check (ex. Now I am feeling better / worse than before). Each day is a clean sleight, like London Snap. (90% of thoughts you thought yesterday will be thought today and it is normal)

-You are stuck in the primitive brain. Problem solving and rational thinking is disabled. Everything is feared and catastrophized.  Take the foot of the gas pedal.

-Slow down everything

-No matter which thoughts enter the mind, just observe and describe (label). For example “money”, “russian”, “muslims”, “uncertainty”, “failure”, “dependency schema”, “enmeshment schema”, “overestimation of danger”, “over importance of fear”, “in the well”.   Ride the wave.

-After thought is described, use Teflon mind to slip it right out
-Bring the attention back to the present moment as many times as needed (this is not struggle)
-Slow down and think one-mindfully in the present
-Gently invite dragon for a dinner. Have fun with it. Ask him questions (invite and expose)

-Self-soothe / Humor / Distract with pleasurable activities

-Create positive experiences
-Do whatever works.
-Stop catastrophizing.

-Be able to sit with anxiety.

Reminders:

-It is OK to mess up (most of the ANTs are about messing up)

-It takes time to blaze new trail, be patient
-ANTs are liars
-Setbacks are part of the experience

-The goal is not eliminate but habituate

-This is an opportunity to use acquired skills to eliminate imaginary fear of being “in the well”

-What are the other ways I can look at the situation?

-Emotion is information and not fact

-Fear is a signal. Are you in danger every time you are afraid? May be I am in danger, but it is not a fact.

-Thoughts are something we have, not who we are

07/25

Actions:

-Accept and be prepared that tomorrow morning will be the same as today.

-Desire tomorrow to be same as today, in order to use exposure to test acquired skills

-Slow down

-Dismiss every single worry. Think the thought and put it on conveyor belt.

-Immediately after that gently bring your attention to the present. Experience present with all senses (sight, smell, sound)

-DO NOT fall prey to somebody else’s issues. (Schemas triggered, fears etc.)

-Respect opinion of the other person (no matter how nonsensical it is)

Observations:

-The reason mornings are pretty rough is because unconscious is trying hard to resolve nonexistent problems, and you are not using skillful means

-You are making a lot of progress. You are able to cope successfully

-Fear without danger present, that it is why it is no unnatural

-It takes time to blaze new trails

FEARLESS

* = Ones I use for my basic reminders/affirmations.                  

FEARLESS

*I am fearless.

*If my life is not threatened, then there is no legitimate basis for fear.  I will simply handle any other consequences at the time they occur and I will choose always to be happy and grateful.

I simply ask: How can I benefit from this? Or *“Ok, that’s what happened, now what can I do and how can I be happy now for all there still is?”

*I can only do my best and then accept the consequences.  And then I simply go from there.

*I will survive virtually any outcomes and do my best to be happy.  There is nothing to fear, as I cannot lose more than the 1,000’s of blessings I already have. 

*Undesired outcomes are simply outcomes that happen as a part of life, simply part of the mix, but overall I have so much and I will survive, so there is no need to fear anything

I am totally powerful in determining my life and happiness and I easily do that.

I am totally powerful in my doing and in my own thinking.

It is more beneficial to trust my decisions by my feelings – and then let it be, as the outcome is beyond my control. 

GRATITUDE, APPRECIATION, SEEING WHAT IS

*This is heaven.

*There are virtually infinite things to be grateful for and any loss of a few does not affect how great life really is.  I do so incredibly much appreciate this life for there being such great gifts and benefits.

*I am so very blessed.  I am grateful for the immense positives in my life.

I AM “CAUSE OVER THE MATTER.”

*I am the creator of it all.

I am the one and only source.

I create my universe.

INTENTION TO LIVE WELL

*I will appreciate my life always to the last day and choose happiness.

I will enjoy life all the way into being really old, appreciating the memories and marveling at life and the body.

I will maintain an excellent mental capacity to a very old age and my entire life.

ALREADY READY TO RESPOND, SO THERE IS NOTHING TO  FEAR  

I am already prepared for anything as a Karate master of life.

I control my balance and can do anything.

When I am present and focused on what I want, I am empowered.

OTHERS

There is no (irreparable] mistake, I can be totally powerful no matter what.

I live large.

I lead with love.  I love no matter what.

I am love.

I can get a benefit from anything that occurs.

It is not what I do or the outcomes, it’s how I do it, with love.

People get to handle their own stuff.  It doesn’t affect me and I myself lose nothing.  I am the determiner of my state.

(I keep these in my Reminders Notebook for easy access.)

MY BASE FEARLESS STATEMENT

MY BASE FEARLESS STATEMENT

http://www.thelifemanagementalliance.com/Psychological/EmotionManagement/AnxietyFear/Fearlessness.html

I am dependent on no other person or circumstances. 

I am fully capable of fully providing all I need and want and creating happiness no matter what.

I have no inner fears and I accept no judgments.  I know who I actually am.

I have nothing to lose, as I have so much.

I have decided to choose happiness and love no matter what.

I make decisions only from happiness and love.

I am the creator of it all.

       __________________________________________________________

DISCUSSION, HIGH POINTS

WHAT FEAR IS

Fear = feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence ofdanger. (See Fear section, of course!) 

It is danger in the real world, the physical world, for anything else is, as in Buddhism, just a "mental construct" - made up in the mind, fabricated, fictional, not real - but somehow in our training we believe it is real.  Yes, we must re-train ourselves to "grok" this fully, but the time is well worth it, as we'll free up the mind from useless repeated concern, so that there is plenty of space for appreciation of life and for creating what we actually want.

DISCRIMINATING

Given that this is the definition, we simply need to discriminate more about what danger really is, so that we eliminate all things we are interpreting as being threatening that are not threatening and/or assign them the proper threat level  instead of exaggerating them (using,say, a scale of 1 to 10, with 7 and above being worth labelling an important enough threat for concern).  The Fear section is what will help you do that; you might read, in that section, Threats And Fear.

UNDESIRED OUTCOMES AND THEIR TRUE EFFECT

However, the major fear that most of us spend alot of energy on and create unhappiness about is fear that we will not be able to stand a particular outcome and especially not be able to handle it well.   See Undesired Outcomes in life.

Essentially, we are creating our world based on fear of feeling fear, which, if we use our higher brain, we can see has no useful purpose.  In essence, as in Buddhism, we receive a "dart" (something that happens that penetrates us) and then we add a needlesss "second dart" to create unnecessary suffering that does not contribute to our survival nor our happiness!!!!

EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY OF THOSE BELIEFS

However, note that you have handled "bad" outcomes before and you've survived.

In fact, if you observe objectively, you've survived lots and lots of so-called "bad" outcomes, which means that, from a higher perspective, those "bad" outcomes caused no noticeable damage in an actual sense.  You only thought they did or would.  You came out just fine.  

There was no or little physical damage.  The only "real" damage is that which is "out there" in the real world, in reality.  There is no damage to yourself if there is no physical damage.  Any emotional pain, beyond physical pain's effects, you created yourself in a "make-believe" world, which is by definition an illusion that was not real and was not necessary.  Learning not to create those illusions and to not create emotional pain from those illusions is the key process on the road to happiness and a great life.  It must absolutely be done!    

THIS, TOO, SHALL SOON PASS

You can, in fact, stand those unpleasant times [though most of the really bad ones are ones you worsened by your thinking] - and note that they all soon pass.  But, until you fix that fact clearly in mind, the vague threat will still inappropriately be signaled by the dumber brains.

THE ACTUAL CAUSE OF THE "PAIN"

Often the anticipation of the outcome causes more pain than the outcome.  In some cases the pain was quite substantial, but in very, very, very, very few circumstances compared to the total.  

[Note that I am talking about the pain itself, such as loss or a physical hurt, and not about what one often adds to that, in effect making an initial something into a horrible thing that shouldn't have happened and creating a "poor me" out of it.  This is what is called stupidly but voluntarily adding suffering.  Of course, you don't think it is voluntary, but you actually do have a choice about it and you chose the option that had you suffer, for whatever convoluted reason.]

It is the non-acceptance of the fact that we will have some pain and/or undesired outcomes that causes more suffering.  If we simply say "well, that is the outcome and I don't like it but I do accept that that is what actually exists, so now what can I do about it?", then the pain is less and definitely is not added to!  (See the "breakthrough process", under Life Management, Problem-Solving,Problem/GoalSetting/Breakthrough Form.)  

RESISTING CREATES AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF DAMAGING PAIN

If we simply accept what is so, then the pain of resistance and wanting things to be other than they are no longer is created.  Note, of course, that what already is cannot be other than what already is.  Wishing it were otherwise doesn't change what is.  Resisting it doesn't change what is and it only creates unhelpful emotional pain (and tension!).  These are what one might call "fruitless victim behavior".  See the article in the Suffering and Struggle section:  My Enlightenment Experience Being Sick In India, Gratitude And Non-Suffering.

THE FEAR OF NOT BEING ABLE TO HANDLE THE OUTCOME

We suffer over and over again by re-creating the fear that we will not be able to handle the outcome (in addition to misestimating the impact of the outcome).

We would, of course, not suffer in fear of not being able to handle the outcome if in fact we knew that we could rely on ourselves to do the best we can about what occurred (and/or will occur) at the time and then accept the consequences, to which we would adapt to with confidence.  

Part of having that confidence comes from committing to and knowing one can create (choose) happiness no matter what.  

The odd thing is that our anticipation of our not being able to respond at all well to the outcome is almost always an exaggeration, as we actually do better than we anticipate.  We simply need to know this, as that perception will help to at least "lessen" the exaggeration and thus lessen the fear.

Note that to be able to choose (virtual) fearlessness, one must choose to be a total non-victim.  Being or feeling like a victim is the #1 source behind most of our unhappiness. (Read, under Relationships, Communication, Criticism/Blame/Complaining/Victim, the Victim section, especially Where Are You On The Victim Vs. Cause Scale? .)

Bon voyage, to a new life of (virtual) fearlessness and the choice to be happy no matter what.

SOME READINGS DIRECTLY ON FEARLESSNESS:

Of course, you'll want to study the section on Fear also.

                Fearlessness - My Basic Statement - A short six sentence summary of a realization by 

                       a Fearlessness course attendee (see www.option.org).

                Fearlessness - Proclamation Of Emancipation From Fear - Writings, largely unedited, 

                       from a busy mind at 4 a.m. Wednesday of a full week Fearlessness course 

                       (option.org), in which the author realizes that there is no usefulness to fear and that 

                        there is actually nothing to lose and nothing that isn't workable for creating happiness 

                        from.  See Option.org for the workshop or CD on this. 

                 My Fearlessness Statements - The affirmations and reminders that I use to reinforce my 

                     continued fearlessness and my realization of what is unloseable.

                 Undesired Outcomes - OK Or Not? - They're inevitable, but we expect otherwise and 

                     resist it.  How can we change that unnecessary pain we inflict on ourselves?

RESOURCES

For "getting it" through using the principle of total immersion and focus, participate in the week long Fearless course at The Option Institute (www.option.org).  Ordering the CD of excerpts from the class would also be a good idea.

Approach to dealing obsessive worrying and core fears

Approach to dealing obsessive worrying and core fears

1) Identify core fear / cognitive distortion behind obsessive thoughts

a) List Intrusions (I've spilled coffee on the expensive shirt)
b) Describe Interpretation (I will have to spend money to buy another shirt. We will not have enough money left. We will have to dip into savings, which will run out. I will not get a high-paying job and we will live on the street. We don't save anything but spend a lot. We will not have money left for old age)

Core fear / cognitive distortion:  We will live on the street because we will not have money. Old age and no money

c) Challenge cognitive distortion. Problem solve 

-I am capable of finding a job, which pays the same money.
-Revise the budget
-Take second mortgage, which is normal when raising kids
-Sell some things, which are no longer needed

2) Identify, which of the below Schemas is triggered 

-Overestimation of danger
-Desire for certainty
-Overimportance of thoughts
-Control of thoughts
-Responsibility
-Perfectionism
-Anxiety Intolerance
-Fear of positive experiences

3) Make room for any thought

Label thought as part of the core fear and dismiss it. Ex. Label thought "I've spilled coffee on the expensive shirt" as "money" and let it go.

Detached Mindfulness

Detached Mindfulness

A state of awareness of internal events, without responding to them with sustained evaluation, attempts to control or suppress them, or respond to them behaviourally. It is exemplified by strategies such as deciding not to worry in response to an intrusive thought, but instead allowing the thought to occupy its own mental space without further action or interpretation in the knowledge that it is merely an event in the mind.

Coping

Purpose: to put a stop to the thoughts that lead to anxiety, and to replace those thoughts with realistic, rational thoughts. When these self-statements are practices and learned, your brain takes over automatically. This is a form of conditioning, meaning that your brain chemistry (neurotransmission) actually changes as a result of your new thinking habits. Pick only two or three statements that YOU like.

First, use thought stoppage. Be gentle but firm about it. "STOP! These thoughts are not good for me. They are not healthy or helpful thoughts, and I have decided to move in a better direction and learn to think differently."(You are reminding your brain each time you make this statement.)

Then, pick two or three statements that seem to help you, and repeat them to yourself OUT LOUD each day. (You don't have to believe them fully yet - that will happen later.)

When Anxiety Is Near: General Statements

1.    I'm going to be all right. My feelings are not always rational. I'm just going to relax, calm down, and everything will be OK.

2.    Anxiety is not dangerous - it's just uncomfortable. I am fine; I'll just continue with what I'm doing or find something more active to do.

3.    Right now I have some anxious feelings I don't like. They are really just caused by adrenaline, however, and I can slow them down by calming myself. I will be fine.

4.     That picture (image) in my head is not a healthy or rational picture. Instead, I'm going to focus on something healthy like ______.

5.    I've stopped my negative thoughts before and I'm going to do it again now. I am becoming better and better at deflecting these ANTs and that makes me happy.

6.    So I feel a little anxiety now, SO WHAT? It's not like it's the first time. I am going to take some nice deep breaths and keep on going. This will help me to continue to get better.

Statements to use when preparing for a Stressful Situation

1.    I've done this before so I know I can do it again.

2.    When this is over, I'll be glad that I did it.

3.    The feeling I have about this event doesn't make much sense. This anxiety is like a mirage in the desert. I'll just continue to "walk" forward until I pass right through it.

4.    This may seem hard now, but it will become easier and easier over time.

5.    I think I have more control over these thoughts and feelings than I once imagined. I am very gently going to turn away from my old feelings and move in a new, more rational direction.

Statements to use when I feel overwhelmed

1.    I can be anxious and still focus on the task at hand. As I focus on the task, my anxiety will go down.

2.    Anxiety is an old habit pattern that my body responds to. I am going to calmly and nicely change this old habit. I feel a little bit of peace despite my anxiety, and this peace is going to grow and grow. As my peace and security grow, then anxiety will have no choice but to shrink.

3.    At first, anxiety was powerful and scary, but as time goes by, it doesn't have the hold on me that I once thought it had. I am moving forward gently and nicely.

4.    I don't need to fight my feelings. I realize that these feelings won't be allowed to stay around very much longer. I just accept my new feelings of peace, contentment, and calmness.

5.    All these things that are happening to me seem overwhelming. But I've caught myself this time and I refuse to focus on these things. Instead, I'm going to talk slowly to myself, focus away from my problem, and continue with what I have to do. In this way, my anxiety will have to shrink up and disappear.

Relief for Obsessive / Worry thoughts

-Slow down

-Use mindfulness and acceptance approach right away, in order to avoid snowballing effect of ANTs. Do not challenge ANTs and don’t fight them. You are stuck in primitive (emotional mind). Content of ANTs is irrelevant and always nonsensical. Do not get stuck in the content of ANTs.

-Think any thought, don’t panic and gently bring your attention in the present moment as many times as needed. It’s a Puppy mind. Demystify it, just like everything else.

-Label worry as “just worrying” and then bring the attention back to the breath or to simply change the subject of their thinking. This technique involves no criticism or internal struggle, just simple non-judgmental labeling. Once your problem-solving brain is activated, you can label thoughts more precisely. This is done to avoid sweeping valid problems under the rug.  “Unpleasant thought about …. is passing through my mind, moving on.

-Avoid analysis-paralysis.

-Distract. Get your mind off yourself. Walk around the block, go to the favorite café

-Instead of asking yourself “How do I feel now?”, ask yourself “What am I thinking now?”

-Breathing and Relaxation techniques

-As you move from emotional mind to wise mind, most of these ANTs will fall off by themselves. The rest can be challenged.

Dealing ANTs: Mind Map

How to Overcome Helplessness

In order to reduce your sense of helplessness and become more self-sufficient, competent and self-confident, you need to do the following self-help activities.

-Identify those problems, obstacles, fears or issues over which you feel helpless and identify what beliefs keep you locked into being helpless for each one.

-Develop a new belief system that encourages you to recognize that being independent, competent, self-confident and capable of helping, fixing and changing yourself is healthy, desirable and necessary.

-Learn "normal" coping behaviors from others who are in a healthier place than yourself.

-Practice healthy coping, problem-solving, fear-desensitizing and conflict-resolving behaviors.

-Build on your successes at being an independent, free-standing self-helper and self-healer.

-Remember that success breeds success and be sure to reinforce yourself for all of your successes , no matter how small they are.

-Accept that relapse is part of the recovery process and get back with your program of self-help if you should slip or fall back to your old mold of helplessness.

-Call upon your Higher Power to give you the courage, strength and persistence necessary to gain self-sufficiency to cope with your life.

-Give permission to your network of support to "call you" on any lapses back into helplessness.

-When you get angry about "always having to do it on your own,'' do anger workouts to ventilate these emotions, which are traps waiting to draw you back into your old attention-seeking, helpless role.

-Parent your "inner child'' by nurturing and self-loving, and allow your "inner child'' to grow to be a healthy adult by giving it the freedom to make a mistake or fail in its attempts at self-help.

-Accept that it takes time--sometimes an entire lifetime--to fully rid yourself of a sense of helplessness since it is often such an ingrained, automatic habit of acting, thinking and feeling.

-Let go of your absolute need to be "healed perfectly" since it traps you to give up if at first you don't do it exactly right.

-Emotionally detach from all "fixers,'' advice givers, rescuers and enablers in your life so you don't fall into their need for you to be helpless.

-Stop hiding behind all excuses, beliefs and cliches about why you can't possibly help yourself.

-Have a farewell party or wake for the "old you'' who was wrapped up in self-pity, self-doubt and self-abasement. Let go of that "old you,'' and as in any death grieve all of the lost benefits from the old role of helplessness.

-Embrace the "new you'' who is more self-competent, self-helping, self-healing, self-respecting, self-confident and self-enhancing and recognize all of the healthy, normal, natural, beneficial consequences of living your life in this way.

THE TWO BASIC BELIEFS

THE TWO BASIC BELIEFS

There are two basic beliefs that are primitive and not true, though both are based on a version of "I'm screwed" (which is not a true statement!): 

    I am powerless [helpless] and dependent (on others for survival). 

       [aka:  "Me, victim!"]

         Therefore, 

              I need approval, rescue, can't stand abandonment, must be good 

                 enough [worthy, perfect, etc.], am afraid there is something wrong with 

                 me.  

              Since I need people, I am lonely and dejected without them, need their 

                 validation; my life must be meaningful or I have no basis for living.

    Something bad will/has happen(ed) to me and I'll suffer and have pain and 

       I'll be unhappy.

         I fear future happenings and I don't think I'll be happy when they happen.

         I can't stand it, something's not going my way.  (Low Frustration Tolerance)

         I'll be unable to handle it (kinda relates to the helpless viewpoint). 

              (Fearlessness.)

         I better WORRY so that I am prepared and have considered everything.  

              (Worry doesn't work!)

(Another version of this is in Change Your Mind, Change Your World, Dr. Richard Gillett.  His statement is that every single limiting belief has two components:  

"I am not good enough" and 

"I can't, I'm a victim of circumstance."  

Unraveling these two causes almost all the other negative beliefs to dissolve.  Some people think they have so many negative beliefs that it will be impossible to handle them.  They just do not know that unraveling the key ones causes the house of cards to collapse.) 

Anxiety/Panic Toolkit

Anxiety/Panic Toolkit

-Realize that primitive brain took over. Do not fight it. Do not avoid it. ACCEPT IT and invite it.

-You are stuck. Take your foot of the gas pedal

-Start abdominal breathing

-Completely stop all self-checking

-Stop fighting your body, ride the wave, let body do its thing. It is metabolizing adrenaline

-Stop any problem-solving with primitive brain. You are blocked.

-Label and dismiss all ANTs (ticker tape, leaves down the river).  Visualize ANTs as actual ants in your head.  ANTs are like small, spoiled brats who crave attention. The panic wants me to pay attention to them.

-One mindfully. Stay in the present.
-Detach and observe (Movie Theater).

-Grounding (name all objects in the room, counting backwards etc)

-Disregard any physical symptoms (headache, stomach growling, chest tightness, sluggishness, exhaustion, disturbed sleep etc). These are all related to anxiety.

-Coping statements

Calmly tell yourself “This will pass”, “I have been through this before and nothing bad happened, it was just uncomfortable”, “I can allow my body to go through its reactions and handle this, and I’ve done it before”
-Build on every successfully tolerated attack. Reward yourself.
-Do non judge yourself for having anxiety. It is a part of you. Self-soothe
-Half-smile
-Opposite action
-Build positive experiences (eat in favorite place, massage etc)

-Have fun. Spend time with kids. Enjoy them

Don't Fight Panic

Don't Fight Panic

Resisting or fighting initial panic symptoms is likely to make them worse. It's important to avoid tensing up in
reaction to panic symptoms or trying to "make" them go away by suppressing them or gritting your teeth.
This doesn't mean “doing nothing” or being helpless in the face of panic, but rather thinking about your
coping in a different way:

• Face the symptoms-don't run from them. Calmly tell yourself “this will pass”, “I have been through
this before and nothing bad happened, it was just uncomfortable”, “I can allow my body to go through
its reactions and handle this, I’ve done it before”. These are helpful coping statements.

• Accept what your body is doing-don’t fight against it. Fighting it only makes you tense which
increases the anxiety and the intensity of a panic attack. Practice the attitude of letting go, allowing
your body to have its reactions. Try to step back and just observe yourself without judgement
without reacting to it with further fear or anxiety. Float with the wave of panic rather than trying to
force your way through it

• Allow time to pass. Panic is caused by a sudden surge of adrenalin and most of this adrenalin will
metabolize and be reabsorbed in three to five minutes. As soon as this happens, you'll start to feel
better. Panic attacks are time limited. In most cases, panic will peak and begin to subside within only
a few minutes. It is most likely to pass quickly if you don’t aggravate it by fighting against it or
reacting to it with even more fear by saying scary things to yourself.

ANTs 1

ANTs are “automatic thoughts in response to uncertainty, anxiety, disappointment or other challenges.” They are “knee-jerk reactions of the mind.” We often interpret our negative thoughts as cold, hard facts. We assume they’re accurate assessments of our performance, circumstances and anything else going on in our lives. Yet they’re not.

About Anxiety

• Anxiety/fear activates the most primitive part of the brain, which is purely responsible for the survival. Thus, at that time, the intelligent part of the brain which is responsible for problem-solving is not accessible. That is why we need to use skillful means to access the intelligent part of the brain during anxiety/fear/panic attack. Think of anxiety/fear strictly on physiological level.

• Anxiety is ALWAYS transient.

• Anxiety represents old ways of thinking. It will eventually habituate and extinguish

• Anxiety symptoms (free-floating or cued) need to be consciously identified and radically accepted.