Free Yourself from Anxiety Read Free

based on its techniques, so you will learn more about it as you work through the book.
    GROUP MEMBERS TALK ABOUT DIAGNOSIS
    ‘I was diagnosed by my GP.’
A NDREA
    ‘[I] was diagnosed by a doctor in my early 20s.’
A NDREW
    ‘I was near my GP so I went there and he saw me straight away, he did a few tests and then sent me to hospital, he thought it was panic but he wanted to be sure.’
B RIDGET
    ‘I was diagnosed by doctors, but I had a problem accepting that it was anxiety and not a physical health problem.’
J ULIE
    ‘I must have been in the surgery with my GP for at least half an hour. He proceeded to explain to me that I had developed what was then called obsessional-compulsive neurosis.’
N ORMAN
    ‘My first diagnosis was neurasthenia, the word agoraphobia was used much later. A doctor said to me “it’s like there are too many packs of peas in the freezer, and the lid won’t close it goes into melt down.” ’
P EN
    ‘I was diagnosed at my first hospital admission, age 16. I was diagnosed with PTSD quickly but not much was done about it.’
S ARAH
    ‘The doctor diagnosed depression. I think he prescribed Librium.’
T ERESA
    ‘Our doctor was ahead of the times, he gave me some tablets but he also sent me to our vicar, who was a counsellor working at the surgery, and he gave me the diagnosis.’
W ENDY

3
Depression
    Many people with Anxiety also suffer from clinical depression. For some people the misery of Anxiety is the cause of their depression, but for others the depression comes first, and Anxiety is a secondary effect of the depression.
    Depression is not just a case of feeling low, or of needing to cheer yourself up. Clinical depression is an illness. Here is a list of symptoms (you are unlikely to experience all of them): 
    • depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day
    • tiredness. No energy
    • feeling guilty, feeling worthless, blaming yourself
    • taking no pleasure or interest in your usual activities
    • problems with memory or concentration
    • changes in appetite and sleeping pattern
    • withdrawal from people and social activities
    • restlessness
    • irritability and anger
    • feeling pessimistic and hopeless
    • thinking about death, or contemplating suicide.
    Mild depression can be treated through self-help – exercise is particularly helpful. More severe depression will need help from your doctor, in the form of anti-depressant tablets or visits to a counsellor.

Can I work on my anxiety while I have depression?
    If you have depression, whatever has caused it, you will have to decide whether to work on the depression before you turn your attention to your Anxiety. The key is to examine your motivation and your energy levels. Depression saps both, and without them self-help can be very difficult.
    This decision is complicated by the fact that you are bound to feel a bit daunted at the start of a self-help programme – the journey seems so long, and the ultimate goal of recovery so very unobtainable.
    We suggest that you don’t think at all about the ultimate goal at the moment. Just think about the next step. It will be a small step, because that’s how self-help works – small, steady, well-planned steps. If you think you have the energy and motivation for this, then self-help for your Anxiety is worth trying. If you can’t face even the smallest step, then turn your attention to your depression before you tackle your Anxiety.
    GROUP MEMBERS TALK ABOUT TREATMENT
    ‘I tried hypnotherapy in my teens. I’ve never been offered medication, but I have had cognitive behaviour therapy.’
A NDREW
    ‘I tried medication for a short time but it wasn’t for me. Homeopathy and natural remedies helped quite a lot. Finally I tried anxiety management and that helped the most.’
J ULIE
    ‘Many years of my life have been wasted simply because anxiety symptoms were not explained to me. Medication dampened them down but did not cure the problem in any way, shape