Overcoming anxiety
Run, run, run....
For years I ran away and the faster and further I ran, the more difficult the challenges became.
Are you always avoiding that which makes you anxious?
Ask yourself this: What is worse - living a life in the prison my anxiety creates? Or the thing I am fearful of actually happening, but getting to live a normal life?
For me change came when I realised that I was more scared of dying without having lived, than I was scared of living.
I had got to a stage where my original fears were nothing in comparison to the fear of the darkness I had created in order to avoid them.
Anais Nin writes: And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
What are you afraid of? Failure? Social gatherings? Getting hurt? Death? Whatever it is you are afraid of let me assure you there is nothing more scary than living your life a prisoner of fear. No failure, ridicule, hurt, even death, comes close to the sadness of a life half lived.
Anxiety disorders lie to us. Our fear tells us 'I keep you safe', 'Without me you would be - sick/ridiculed/hurt....' 'I create control in your life'
The reality behind these lies is this: Fear, when it is allowed to take over destroys us and does not protect us. When we give fear control we ourselves become helpless.
Next time your anxiety tells you to 'run' or 'hide' ask yourself who is in control, you? or your anxiety?
And the way to redress the balance? To coin a phrase: Feel the fear... And do it anyway.
It is not easy but believe me, the more you do it and realise that the world does not fall apart, bit by bit the anxiety will.
It may feel insurmountable; stronger and more powerful than ourselves, but just as a powerful horse, anxiety can be harnessed and tamed.
Every one of us can learn how to ride x
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