A friend of mine loves to eat, and his food choices have traditionally been very poor. Over the years he’d become overweight, easily fatigued, and a lot less mobile than he used to be.
Six months ago he had his annual physical. And though he’d always had cholesterol problems, this time around he’d outdone himself. His physician, and wife, gave him a good talking to; and he embarked upon a plan to change his lifestyle habits. To his credit, he really took the bull by the horns, and we were all thrilled with the prospects. So was he.
Well, it seems as though his expectations and timetable were unrealistic. He was working hard and felt as though he deserved darned near immediate results when he looked at the scale and in the mirror. Finally, his dissatisfaction and frustration intensified to the point where he gave up and returned to his traditional poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyle. This was only two months after his lab results.
Aren’t we, as panic and anxiety sufferers, much the same? We hurt, and hurt very badly. And we want relief, in most cases yesterday. Who wouldn’t within our circumstances? But when we don’t get it soon enough we feel as though it’s beyond probability, and we give up.
I know it’s a very tall order; however, we have to remain patient as our recovery unfolds. All too often, a few weeks, perhaps months, pass; and we believe we ought to be feeling a heck of a lot better. And in addition to being motivated by simply feeling horrible, our impatience may also be fueled by the belief that we’ve paid our dues and deserve a more dramatic presentation of relief.
What can I say? I mean, yes, I’ve been there and know the angst. But we have to hold on to the reality that it took years to put us behind the eight-ball, and our suspect patterns of thinking, feeling, interpretation, reaction, and behavior have become very deeply rooted.
So overcoming these dynamics is going to be hard work. And it’s often not gong to be productive and fast enough. But we can’t lose sight of the fact that we’re endeavoring to establish a whole new way of life; which calls for radical change in thought, emotion, behavior, and lifestyle. That just isn’t going to come easy, and it isn’t going to come with a set schedule for ongoing reference. It just doesn’t work that way.
Let’s go easy on ourselves as it pertains to our levels of recovery expect and accomplishment. I know it hurts, and I know we want results yesterday. But we have to allow our mind, brain, and body ample time to work together in an effort to bring relief.
I absolutely believe all will come together for those who work faithfully and diligently, and for those who are patient.
After a winning bout with panic disorder, a career in the business world, and a part-time job working with socially challenged adolescents, Bill found his life's passion and work. So he earned his master's degree and counseling credentials, and is doing all he can to lend a hand to those having a tough time.
Bill has some powerful mentoring and service packages available on his website, which include his panic attack education and recovery eWorkbook, "Panic! ...and Poetic Justice." The eWorkbook is ready for immediate download. You'll also find a link on the website to Bill's "Panic Attack Freedom!" blog. Lots of good stuff going on and much more to come.
In addition to doing psychiatric emergency work, Bill continues to do a lot of writing and speaking. He's conducted numerous mental health workshops for non-profit organizations and remains available to present more. Bill is a national and local member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (N.A.M.I.).