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You Are Not Alone

angel north2 You Are Not Alone

If anxiety is an ongoing problem for you, you need to know that you are not alone.

Since my last newsletter the overwhelming  response was that people were very glad to know that they were not the ONLY ones in the world  feeling this way. They were not the only ones that were struggling with panic attacks and anxiety. They were not the only ones who felt afraid. They were not the only ones who feared they would never get over this problem.

Knowing you are not alone with an anxiety problem is very important because it can be hard to reach out and share what you are going through with others for fear you will be misunderstood or be seen as weak. Talking from my own experience I know that for men it is especially hard to reach out for help because that’s not what we are trained to do. Men feel they have to always be seen as strong.

Well, the good news is that through this newsletter you are connected to me and through me you can connect to many other people who are dealing with the exact same kind of anxiety issues as you. TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER.

You can connect this very moment if you like and post a comment to this blog. and please don’t forget to connect  to me by becoming a friend of Panic Away on Facebook.com here :
http://www.facebook.com/panicaway

You are not alone, we are here together.

Barry

Photo: The Angel of the North, a sculpture found in the countryside of the North of England
designed by Antony Gormley.



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How to Turn Fear Into Excitement

Can we turn anxiety and panic into a positive experience? Can we transform fear into excitement with one mental switch?

I believe we can and I am going to explain how it is done.

Anxiety/panic is an experience everyone tries to avoid and run from. Our instinct is to fight against the feeling and find some way to end it quickly so that we can return to feeling calm. All our mental and physical effort goes into trying to feel calm again.

I believe however that people get much faster results if they learn to turn anxiety into excitement, -rather than trying to create calm.

The reason for this is because being anxious and excited are actually the same physiological states for your body (the aroused state) so your mind can make the switch between those states much easier than it can between feeling anxious and calm.

So by turning your anxiety into excitement, you can quickly remove the fear factor while still feeling physically aroused. Because the fear has been removed you will then feel in control and a state of calm will come about naturally.

Let’s use the example of a panic attack. A panic attack is almost always triggered by bodily sensations. Maybe your heart starts pounding or your chest feels tight. Maybe you feel dizzy or your body shakes. You know very well when its about to kick off and in a split second your mind reacts with fear to these bodily sensations. “Oh no here we go again, I am going to have a panic attack, -I might lose control, -I might die”.

That initial reaction is so split second it is almost impossible to control but at least now you are aware of what is happening and NOW is your moment to stop reacting and to choose a new response. Instead of reacting with resistance and fear to the sensations, you are going to respond with curiosity and excitement.

Here are the actual steps you need to take so that you can quickly move from fear to excitement:

  1. Do not fight or resist the bodily sensations. (Remember, you are safe these sensations will not harm you)
  2. Befriend the sensations and anxiety you feel, -do not see it as your enemy, it is your guide.
  3. Embrace the sensations fully and observe them with a compassionate curiosity.
  4. Now PLAY with the sensations. Encourage the bodily sensations to intensify. Get excited by this heightened state of arousal. Push the energy out and run with it. Let your heart pound, let your chest feel tight, let your mind race, let your body shake. Do not try and control it, experience it fully and feel really excited and alive because of it.

By taking the above steps you are doing something completely different. You are no longer resisting but embracing and moving with the experience. This movement is one of pure excitement as you ride the wave of fear, instead of letting it toss you around.

Some people like to compare anxiety to a thrilling  roller coaster ride. Something exhilarating that they are willing participants in. By becoming really excited by the anxiety you feel, instead of resisting it, you immediately diminish the  power it holds over you. You are placed back in a position of control.

That is the secret to turning fear into excitement!

roller 300x204 How to Turn Fear Into Excitement

Author note: Credit goes to Mary O’Malley and Neale Donald Walsch for clarifying the dynamics of reaction and response.

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What Causes Panic Attacks?

Are anxiety and panic attacks making it difficult for you to enjoy your daily life? If you’re like most people who suffer from high levels of anxiety and experience panic attacks on a regular basis, you may not be aware of what your “triggers” are.

I talk more about what causes panic attacks and anxiety in my book, Panic Away. In most cases, the trigger for panic attacks and other forms of general anxiety are related to physical, mental and emotional exhaustion.

Basically, you are more vulnerable to having a panic attack or experiencing an uncomfortable level of anxiety when you are stressed out, burned out, or aren’t getting enough rest. Physical exhaustion can be the result of overwork or not getting enough stress. It may also be the result of bad eating habits, or a lack of quality nutrition.

Mental exhaustion can be the result of excessive worrying and mental stress. If you constantly feel mentally drained and are finding it difficult to cope with your emotions, you may be at risk for having a panic or anxiety attack. Emotional exhaustion is similar in this respect. Conflict with loved ones and relationship problems can be triggers for panic attacks.

Ultimately, all of these triggers make it difficult for the mind and body to find rest and be peaceful. In many cases, these situations can make you feel very edgy, and you may even be more fearful than normal. In a sensitized state, small things can cause excessive anxiety and make you vulnerable to a full-blown panic or anxiety attack.

Physical symptoms of an oncoming panic attack include sweating, feelings of choking, numbness, nausea and even chest pain. Sensitized people can’t help but become worried about these sensations, and this can lead to panicky feelings which trigger either a situational or spontaneous panic attack.

Excessive anxiety and panic attacks can be eliminated. Never for a moment feel that you will be stuck with this problem forever. You won’t! Take the first step towards an anxiety free life by learning more on this web site.



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“People Do Not Understand How You Feel…”

One of the Hardest Things About Having Anxiety and Panic Attacks, is that the People Around You Simply Do NOT Understand How You Feel.

You tell them how terrifying a panic attack is and they think you are just exaggerating. You explain the anxious thoughts you have and they remark, “Hey I get stressed too”. You tell them that you wake each morning with a sense of dread, and they say “Oh come on, who is a morning person?”.

They simply don’t get it.

The weekend is coming up and your partner wonders why you can’t just go out for dinner with friends and leave your fears behind? What they don’t get is that sometimes you think you will actually die the fear is so intense and that your mind is in such a fog that you won’t be able to enjoy yourself for a minute.

You wish they could understand this – and when they don’t you feel alone and depressed.

I’ve got two things to say about this:

1. YOU ARE OKAY

Yes you have a problem that needs correcting. You wouldn’t be reading this right now if you didn’t. That’s why you surf the net looking for answers. That’s why you constantly worry if this problem is more serious than just anxiety. You worry about the scary bodily sensations and if you will always be like this. You get a jolt of fear at the thought of losing control in front of your friends or co-workers.

I know all this because I have been there. I have had the exact same thoughts and fears as you have had.

And you know what? It’s OK.

It’s OK because all of this is curable. All of the anxiety can be healed and no, you are not going to lose control or go insane and NO a panic attack is not going to kill you. It’s all OK because you are perfectly safe….

2. FORGIVE THEM

Forgive those that belittle your anxiety. They have no idea how terrifying it can feel. Forgive the doctor that dismissed your story and told you to just go home and try deep breathing. Forgive the friend who stopped calling because you no longer could go out. Forgive the boss who placed all that extra stress unnecessarily on you. Forgive them all because they just don’t know how difficult it is without having experienced it for themselves.

3. GIVE THANKS

Stop for a moment and tell your anxiety you are actually happy it is part of your life. That might be the last thing from your mind right now but anxiety will become your ally, not your enemy. Believe it or not, this problem will teach you how to be a BIGGER PERSON!

Anxiety will give you the greatest gift possible, greater self awareness. It may not feel like that now because you are in the eye of the storm but you will come through this and out the other side stronger.

You will WIN in the end.

It reminds me of a conversation I had a few weeks ago with someone who had completed the Panic Away program. She said after so many years of anxiety and panic attacks she could finally see the hidden lesson and gift of anxiety. She now had a rock solid sense of confidence that had not been there before. She felt her old self again. She won in the end and you will too.

Let me show you how to win…

Sign up below to my free 7 part mini-series on ‘How to End Panic Attacks and General Anxiety’. One lesson gets emailed each day.

There is no fee and no catch – just real life changing information all these people have used to end their anxiety. You can unsubscribe easily in one click if you want, so give it a go and see how much better you will feel in just 7 days.

To Your Success….

Barry McDonagh
Author of www.PanicAway.com

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