Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Aimee's TV debut
Check out Aimee from the blog "The Reality of Anxiety" as she makes her online TV debut. Aimee shares her experiences with social anxiety disorder, the symptoms and what's helped her to this point. Way to go Aimee!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Dr. Reid Wilson's Three Principles to Address Anxiety
"The Three Principles*"
"Can I down what I have learned over the last 30 years into three basic strategies to address anxiety? That was my assignment recently, and here, briefly, is what I came up with. I’ll write this as though I am talking directly to those who struggle with their form of anxiety."
"#1. Focus solely on a new frame of reference, not on techniques.
#2. Create an offensive strategy—seek to be clumsy, awkward, uncomfortable, and uncertain.
#3. Believe you can cope with failure."Click here to finish reading Dr. Wilson's fantastic article as he delves into each of the three principles & consider signing up for his mailing list at the bottom of the page. Enjoy & let me know what you think!
And -- here's Dr. Wilson's workshop schedule, including weekend treatment groups coming up in November for clients & some great trainings for anxiety professionals.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Anxiety Coach has got a brand new bag
If you haven't been on Dave Carbonell's site recently, head on over and check out the new look! His newsletter is fantastic, as well, and I encourage you to sign up and enjoy the information and inspiration. Here's the email I just received from his website:
"You may recall that I suspended publication of my Anxiety Coach® newsletter this summer in order to upgrade the website. I'm now ready to resume publishing the newsletter. If you want to receive it, please visit the site at http://www.anxietycoach.com/newsletter.html and sign up again.
Please do this now, so you don't miss any issues. If you don't want to receive the newsletter any longer, just discard this e-mail and you will no longer be on the list.
I also want to invite you to stop by the new website, at www.anxietycoach.com <http://www.anxietycoach.com> . There is a lot of new material, including more articles about panic and worry.
Feedback about the site, suggestions for articles, and reporting typos are always welcome!
Best,
Dave Carbonell, Ph.D.
www.anxietycoach.com <http://www.anxietycoach.com>
A self help guide for recovery from fears and phobias"
http://www.youtube.com/davecarbonell
My anxiety self-help videos on YouTube
"You may recall that I suspended publication of my Anxiety Coach® newsletter this summer in order to upgrade the website. I'm now ready to resume publishing the newsletter. If you want to receive it, please visit the site at http://www.anxietycoach.com/newsletter.html and sign up again.
Please do this now, so you don't miss any issues. If you don't want to receive the newsletter any longer, just discard this e-mail and you will no longer be on the list.
I also want to invite you to stop by the new website, at www.anxietycoach.com <http://www.anxietycoach.com> . There is a lot of new material, including more articles about panic and worry.
Feedback about the site, suggestions for articles, and reporting typos are always welcome!
Best,
Dave Carbonell, Ph.D.
www.anxietycoach.com <http://www.anxietycoach.com>
A self help guide for recovery from fears and phobias"
http://www.youtube.com/davecarbonell
My anxiety self-help videos on YouTube
Saturday, September 26, 2009
On my bedside table
Sometimes I feel like a graduate student in anxiety & it's many treatments! I'm usually reading more than one book at a time (I like choices) & these are some of the books I picked up at the library & currently have on my bedside table (ok, within reach, but scattered on the floor):
The Worry Cure - by Robert Leahy, Ph.D.
*I love the introduction titled, "The Seven Rules of Highly Worried People" -- read it over & see how many of these with which you can identify. I'm still making my way through this one, but so far it's a great read!
What Would You Do If You Had No Fear? - by Diane Conway
Sweet interviews and stories of courage and a great question to ask yourself? What would you be doing if you had no fear?
Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance & Commitment Therapy -- by Steven Hayes, Ph.D.
I love the mindfulness approach already & it's value for those dealing with chronic anxiety, depression, emotional pain. This workbook helps you look at your anxiety in a new way & provides great experiential exercises.
*Non-anxiety related: Bend the Rules Sewing; The Sisters Grimm; The Life of Meaning: Reflections on Faith, Doubt and Repairing the World.
Happy Reading & I look forward to hearing your reviews!
The Worry Cure - by Robert Leahy, Ph.D.
*I love the introduction titled, "The Seven Rules of Highly Worried People" -- read it over & see how many of these with which you can identify. I'm still making my way through this one, but so far it's a great read!
What Would You Do If You Had No Fear? - by Diane Conway
Sweet interviews and stories of courage and a great question to ask yourself? What would you be doing if you had no fear?
Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance & Commitment Therapy -- by Steven Hayes, Ph.D.
I love the mindfulness approach already & it's value for those dealing with chronic anxiety, depression, emotional pain. This workbook helps you look at your anxiety in a new way & provides great experiential exercises.
*Non-anxiety related: Bend the Rules Sewing; The Sisters Grimm; The Life of Meaning: Reflections on Faith, Doubt and Repairing the World.
Happy Reading & I look forward to hearing your reviews!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Slow & Steady Wins the Race
So, I've got a pretty big birthday coming up this fall - the big 4-0! As it approaches, I've wondered what I could do to mark this milestone. Should I take a big trip? (did that this spring), throw a party? (maybe) and then I came across a calendar of summer triathlons & an idea sparked in my head.
Before having children, I completed a handful of sprint distance triathlons & LOVED them! Truth be told, I'm really pretty slow in all areas of the event, but I love the thrill of completing such a goal. I also love the feeling of being fit & strong. Looking back at pictures, I was always the one with a huge goofy grin on my face as I, first and foremost, made it out of the water alive, cruised along on my bike or leisurely brought it home with the run, sprinting a bit at the very end. Slow and steady wins the race is definitely my motto!
My goal this summer, then, was to complete an all women's, sprint distance triathlon in early August; get fit in time to transition to 40; and have fun doing this with a group of fabulous girl friends.
What a great experience this has been!
In some ways, this training made me feel like a kid again & at the same time reminded me of my age. Floating on my back after a good swim & looking at the clouds go by; jumping on my bike & catching up with a girlfriend while we fly down hills (and creep up them); feeling strong with my 12 minute mile "run" pace (yes, I could probably walk faster). I'm also reminded that I'm getting older with an overuse muscle tear that doesn't want to go away and how I'm always checking in with my body to make sure I don't over do it. I gotta tell you, though, I was at a triathlon this summer to cheer on some friends & saw an 84 year old woman out there competing. It reminded me that despite the fact we can't turn back the clock, we can choose how we take care of ourselves and respond to aging. I want to be that fit 84 year old woman, out there participating fully in life.
Since this is an anxiety blog, I was also curious how the increased exercise would affect my mood & anxiety levels in general. What I noticed was that when I skipped a day or two of workouts, I felt more edgy and irritable. I think regular exercise can be a powerful part of anxiety treatment, but that it needs to be part of a more holistic plan with nutrition, rest, spirituality, healthy relationships and some good cognitive behavioral work. I've known people who aren't doing their exposure work and are avoiding anxiety provoking situations while they pray that their morning yoga will cure them that day. I wish it were that easy, but we all have to do the work.
The triathlon was really a fantastic experience - I highly recommend it to those interested. A sprint distance is just long enough to make it an accomplishment, something you have to work toward, but not so long that it takes over your life. The race was hot & hilly, but manageable & so much fun! As this was an all women's triathlon, the volunteers were all men along the race course wearing t-shirts that said, "Triathlete chics are hot!" (Now, who wouldn't want to go a little faster when they were cheered on with that kind of enthusiasm?) And, the camaraderie from all of the amazing women in our group was energizing as well.
Am I happy about turning 40? Sometimes it gives me pause (ok, freaks me out), but other times I realize that slow and steady is a good way to move forward through life. It gives you time to appreciate the accomplishment this life is, connect with those traveling alongside and enjoy the view.
Before having children, I completed a handful of sprint distance triathlons & LOVED them! Truth be told, I'm really pretty slow in all areas of the event, but I love the thrill of completing such a goal. I also love the feeling of being fit & strong. Looking back at pictures, I was always the one with a huge goofy grin on my face as I, first and foremost, made it out of the water alive, cruised along on my bike or leisurely brought it home with the run, sprinting a bit at the very end. Slow and steady wins the race is definitely my motto!
My goal this summer, then, was to complete an all women's, sprint distance triathlon in early August; get fit in time to transition to 40; and have fun doing this with a group of fabulous girl friends.
What a great experience this has been!
In some ways, this training made me feel like a kid again & at the same time reminded me of my age. Floating on my back after a good swim & looking at the clouds go by; jumping on my bike & catching up with a girlfriend while we fly down hills (and creep up them); feeling strong with my 12 minute mile "run" pace (yes, I could probably walk faster). I'm also reminded that I'm getting older with an overuse muscle tear that doesn't want to go away and how I'm always checking in with my body to make sure I don't over do it. I gotta tell you, though, I was at a triathlon this summer to cheer on some friends & saw an 84 year old woman out there competing. It reminded me that despite the fact we can't turn back the clock, we can choose how we take care of ourselves and respond to aging. I want to be that fit 84 year old woman, out there participating fully in life.
Since this is an anxiety blog, I was also curious how the increased exercise would affect my mood & anxiety levels in general. What I noticed was that when I skipped a day or two of workouts, I felt more edgy and irritable. I think regular exercise can be a powerful part of anxiety treatment, but that it needs to be part of a more holistic plan with nutrition, rest, spirituality, healthy relationships and some good cognitive behavioral work. I've known people who aren't doing their exposure work and are avoiding anxiety provoking situations while they pray that their morning yoga will cure them that day. I wish it were that easy, but we all have to do the work.
The triathlon was really a fantastic experience - I highly recommend it to those interested. A sprint distance is just long enough to make it an accomplishment, something you have to work toward, but not so long that it takes over your life. The race was hot & hilly, but manageable & so much fun! As this was an all women's triathlon, the volunteers were all men along the race course wearing t-shirts that said, "Triathlete chics are hot!" (Now, who wouldn't want to go a little faster when they were cheered on with that kind of enthusiasm?) And, the camaraderie from all of the amazing women in our group was energizing as well.
Am I happy about turning 40? Sometimes it gives me pause (ok, freaks me out), but other times I realize that slow and steady is a good way to move forward through life. It gives you time to appreciate the accomplishment this life is, connect with those traveling alongside and enjoy the view.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Fortune cookies
Driving away from a surprisingly smooth dinner out with 3 children, we open our fortune cookies and read them one by one. Mine says:
"Don't play for safety - it's the most dangerous thing in the world."
My husband winks over at me and smiles, "How perfect is that?"
"Don't play for safety - it's the most dangerous thing in the world."
My husband winks over at me and smiles, "How perfect is that?"
Friday, July 3, 2009
A Recipe for "Anxiety Stricken Chicken Soup"
Ok, so I saw this video on Paul's Anxiety Guru blog & had to re-post it here. It's laugh out loud funny & Nadia G. is my new favorite anxiety super hero!
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