What if we did? What if we didn't?

Checking in with the possibilities and balancing our views of the outcomes can help when we are behaving in a way which we often see as the only way. Our strategies in any given situation have been established in order for us to gain the best possible outcome for ourselves. The results can sometimes be unexpected and not always ideal. If we ask ourselves - "What would happen if I did (this behaviour)? What would happen if I didn't?", we can begin to explore opportunities and choices we may not have previously noticed. We are then open to choosing and experimenting with different strategies. Different strategies - different outcomes. Go well. - Anna

 Do you value having a diagnosis?

12th March 2013

At Anxiety Support we work with people who have, or don't have, a specific anxiety diagnosis.  We figure that no one is going to pretend to be anxious just to access our services. If you think you're anxious, your anxious!  This creates for people the opportunity to explore their own well-being and to choose from our services and support that which they can relate to.

For some people a diagnosis is a godsend.  The doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist has told me I have XYZ anxiety disorder. Finally, what I've been experiencing for all this time has a shape, a form, a name and I can better understand it and work to overcome its impacts. I have a point to work outwards from. 

For others a diagnosis is like being branded, labelled with all the stigma of mental illness and the prospects of discrimination, whatever form that may take.  I don't want it, I won't accept it, I don't agree with it.

Of course both people in these examples are right, right for them. There is only a problem if we are forced to accept one way of being or the other.  However, the more severe your anxiety the more of a challenge it becomes to receive any effective clinical treatment without being handed a diagnosis.  This can lead to people's feeling on top of their anxiety, enormously conflicted,  wanting the symptoms relief but not wanting what goes along with it.  This 'not wanting' often extends to a resistance to taking anti-depressants for fear of the incidental harm or side effects of taking them.  We sometimes see people in the most awful pain but determined not to take pharmaceutical help.  

There is no easy answer to the relative value of diagnosis. The type of help we offer at Anxiety Support ranges from information to individual peer support to help with problem solving and planning through to education over an extended period.  Sometimes we can help people to achieve a rapid breakthrough, that 'aha' moment when things change for them.  On other occasions we are providing a layering of knowledge over a longer period and the aha moment may actually be a gradually growing feeling of empowerment, which begins to supplant those anxious feelings.  Or it may take the form of your once again feeling your potential and becoming determined to not let anxiety continue to compromise you.

Whatever approach is taken success depends to a significant degree on a person's ability to be 'present.'  Where the pain caused by anxiety's symptoms significantly detracts from that being present many people continue to struggle.  Which leads me to my next blog about 'When is it Painful Enough to Seek Help.'

Ian




 

The Challenge of Shifting House

They say it's one of the most stressful things you can do. Stressful? - yes. Hard work? Yes yes! No matter how much preparation I try to do leading up to a shift, it is never enough. How do I know how much is enough? I guess if I had done more I would have had less to do on the day.. and the day after that... and the day after that.... How long will it take for me to feel like the process is complete? We are in the new house - we no longer go back to the old house, so in that respect we are 'shifted'. How long it will be until we are unpacked.... and how long it will be until we are 'settled' ? - and how will I know? I suppose I will see that the boxes are all empty and recycled, the pictures are on the walls, items put away in a 'rightful' place. Less difficult to establish will be whether I feel like I belong in the new place / area. For some this takes longer than others, what is it that will let me know? New friends, acquaintances, familiarity of the area? - All good markers. But how do you really know?
Living with the uncertainty of not knowing for sure can be unsettling. More so for some than others. Often this uncertainty can be mistaken for anxiety. The discomfort is certainly noticeable. I find change stimulating and enjoyable - I certainly prefer it to boredom and stagnation, so I guess for me getting as much out of the shifting challenge as I can in the way of excitement and curiosity about the future, opportunities for growth and new friends, and stimulation of all the senses all adds to the experience. Long may it last.....    :)   Anna 

Our latest newsletter is here! Articles on Prescription Changes, Adult Separation Anxiety Disorder, Cluttering Vs Hoarding, Thinking About Working, Mental Health Websites and more.  Click here: http://anxietysupport.org.nz/services/newsletters/

"ALL RIGHT" Campaign

'All Right' is a social marketing campaign designed to help us think about our mental health and wellbeing.
 It’s about helping people realise that they’re not alone, encouraging them to connect with others, and supporting them to boost their wellbeing. Ultimately, All Right is about ensuring wellbeing is at the heart of our recovery. Try it out here.

Managing Your Anxiety: iPhone and Android Apps and iTunes Podcasts

Free self help tools! Topics available: Concentrate Better, Managing Anxiety, Deal with Depression, Commute Time For You, Meditation Basics.

Get them here.

Back to work - grateful for the treasures.

After happy holidays, no matter how much you love what you do, returning to the everyday is often met with some regret. It seems a long time since my mind was in this place but by the same token the holidays flew by. While on holiday I try to remind myself as I laze contentedly in the sun, that for others their world has turned to tragedy or heartache, or they battle with anxiety, depresssion or other other unwellness. I don't dwell too long though, I know I must treasure the moments that are precious because it will not always be so. Life holds no guarantees and these moments of happiness help me restore myself, so I can be as resourceful and resilient as I can when harder times come. Noticing my gratitude allows me contentment and happiness for what I have now - in this moment. Best wishes for the New Year. - Anna